Roaming Gnome

For a couple of months I have been engaging in Technology-Specific Roving Reference. That is, I have been wandering around our computer stations offering help to stranded computer motorists and assisting with the reservation and printing systems. I have also had the occasion to conduct OPAC training and pre-screen reference questions to make introductory hand-offs to the Reference Desk. Our public computer area is, not far, just a shushh away from the desk. So I have been doing this for a little bit. Some patrons seem to find it a little creepy that I cover ground like a screensaver but most have found me helpful. I bought a button/badge-making kit so that I can make buttons that will put the patrons at ease while I'm roaming. As a department, we have begun roving reference in the stacks with the goal of 1 hour each per week. As I rove looking for people to help, I tighten the bookends and reshelve the widows and orphans. I'm defining widows and orphans as books left on the ends of shelves outside of the bookends, either on the same shelf where they belong or an adjacent shelf. Here's what I don't understand about people...They pull out a book, look at it, decide they don't want it and then-leaving a GIGANTIC GAP WHERE THE BOOK WAS- put the book back on the other side of the book end (thus creating an orphan). Furthermore, what possesses them to stick the book on a different shelf (widow-maker). Even if you don't understand our highly technical system called alphabetical order, you just made a gap, how do you think that happened?!

Count Your Blessings

Sally wrote in her blog about feeling very fortunate and those of you who have spent any time in my blog know I feel fortunate quite often. I commented on Sally's post that what she wrote reminded me of the song, Count Your Blessings, from the movie White Christmas. I think of that song from my Ray Conniff Christmas album. I wanted to post a video of the song onto my comment in Sally's blog, but I could not, so here it is...

Another Year

It's hard to believe that a year has passed since I wrote an excited post about Nobel season. What a year it has been! The Peace Prize was announced to today. I really like that it was awarded to a man who works towards peace. Certainly the previous two winners have changed my life. As you know, I have become a great fan of microfinance thanks to Muhammad Yunus (2006) and I have tried to change my ways for my pal, Al (2007). The Nobel Prizes, especially the Peace Prize, make me feel optimistic and make me want to be a good person. I don't trod in the right places to walk in the footsteps of Martti Ahtisaari to make big changes in the world, but I do what I can with what I have. Here's to those whose reach is bigger.

Stormy Weather

Yesterday as I was finishing my last desk shift we had a huge downpour. By the time I was ready to leave, the rain had dwindled to a drizzle. As I walked to the car I had sun behind me and dark grey skies in front with showers. Where's the rainbow? Find the rainbow! There it is...over the parking lot! Not a full one, just a little arc, but a rainbow. I was the passenger so I could enjoy the view for several blocks. As we headed over the Cape Coral bridge I looked again, hoping for a new view and maybe the full show, but no luck. Instead the Rainbow Connection song popped into my head...you know, from the Muppet Movie? Why are there so many songs about rainbows and what's on the other side? Rainbows are visions, but only illusions. Rainbows have nothing to hide...I had some gaps in what I could remember but I was shocked by what I had retained. Anyway, this morning I looked up the lyrics and then discovered that Jason Mraz has recorded the song and there's a video on YouTube (everything is on YouTube). Bottom line...even when you know the physics of rainbows, they are awesome to behold. Here's the video.

Politics

Last night I watched some of the Convention. In between speeches I had commentary on and the Queen of TR, who was playing a game on her laptop quipped that it sounded like NPR. She wasn't far off, I had the PBS broadcast on. Lucky for me they taped the Gov. of Massachusetts while they were talking so we went back to him and heard his speech in full. I was impressed, of course, with what he had to say and I wondered what cabinet position he would be offered in an Obama administration. Then I thought about my own family. My grandpop only went to school up to 4th grade and then became a blacksmith apprentice in Italy. He left, alone, as a young teen to come to the U.S. and Canada where he had some family. He neither read nor spoke English. He was in the country illegally but always worked. Having lived in the U.S. and Canada, he eventually met someone and wanted to build a life in the U.S. but the quota of Italians from Italy and Canada was full so he went to Cuba and became a citizen and came back under the Italian quota from Cuba. He married my grandmom continued to work hard as a stone mason, became naturalized as a U.S. citizen, and raised 2 sons including a doctor. One Sunday he took my grandmom for a drive in Princeton, NJ to see the work he was doing near a new school that was being built in the woods by a French order of nuns. They were impressed by the tranquility of the school and wondered what sort of girls would go there. Years later, their baby boy would send his baby girl there. That's the beauty of the American Dream.

As I listened to the speeches last night I couldn't imagine why everyone doesn't like to do the right thing, the things that benefit everyone. Then, this morning, I realized that it's like driving. When you are on a road and see a "lane closed ahead" sign there are two types of drivers. One driver moves over immediately and then lets others in. Sure, the whole process slows but everyone gets where they are going on time and never has to stop. Then there is the other driver. He sees the sign and races down the lane to get ahead of everyone else and then stops traffic while he nudges in. He doesn't really gain but he prevents anyone from getting more than he does. Meanwhile, we all lose because traffic is at a standstill because we had to deal with his antics rather than go slower and alternate and we all win. I think the cooperative driver who ensures we all get to work on time is the Democrat.

The Patron

I was just summoned out to the Circulation Desk because a patron wanted to see me. I went out to find an elderly, African-American gentleman named Karl. He lit up when he saw me so I gave him a big hug and that made me feel great. He said he was at church nearby and felt compelled to stop in just to see me to say hello. I met Karl 7 years ago during the week before I closed on my house. We discussed the weather and he said it would rain on the weekend and I told him I didn't want any rain. He said we needed it but I told him I was moving into my new house on Saturday and rain would mess everything up. Karl said he would, "talk to the Man Upstairs" and hold off the rain. It didn't rain that weekend and he has been one of my old men boyfriends at work ever since. At one point I hadn't seen him for awhile and I started to worry, as I'm sure many do who become attached to older patrons, that I might find him listed in the obituaries. I was on the verge of searching for him when he showed up again, much to my relief. He always makes me happy to see him. I may have mentioned before that patrons either love me or hate me. Today the love is winning.

Facebook

I know I have not posted here in quite some time. I apologize. Things have been very strange in my online world. This blog has been an exception to the rule, but generally, I attempt to maintain my privacy. Not everyone has my personal email address. I don't plaster photographs of myself all over the Internet in a Flickr account. Even the images I use for this blog and my Ask-A-Librarian avatar are not true images. Anyway...I deviated from my usual protective sphere and I now have an active Facebook account. Not to worry, I also use my caricature as my photo there. At each phase in my life, I tend to drop people when I get my new people. I have trouble with object permanence as it relates to me. If I go away, I assume people no longer remember me and I don't maintain contact with them. There have been a few exceptions over the years, but very, very few. But here's Facebook, this explosive social networking tool and people from my past are contacting me with requests to friend me. It is so bizarre! The other bizarre thing is to have people from all stages in my life in the same space. Because of my awkwardness about people remembering me or remembering me favorably, I have not been reaching out but rather accepting invitations. I did, however, contact one of my high school classmates who was on everyone's list but mine so far. It had been weeks and she still hadn't accepted my invitation. I thought, "great, 1986 called, your subscription to Inner-Loser has been renewed." Finally today she friended me. On the one hand, I wouldn't have cared if she had never reached out to me, but having reached out to her, I felt left hanging. So now I feel better. Facebook is a strange place. I'm playing virtual Scrabble with 3 friends from college. The group of 4 of us from college with the most turbulent history interact peacefully there. I do virtual gardening to save the rainforest with past and present LCLS employees, friends from high school and college, and people I used to supervise at Barnes & Noble. There are people who friended me but have never contacted me again even to say hello. It's just WEIRD and yet I can't stay away from it.