Back from Vala2010

I'm back from the conference in Melbourne and I am now the proud owner of some red heels. Wish I'd got the black versions as well because I really like them.

I'm still processing stuff from the conference.  I'll publish my "official librarian thoughts" on the Diligent Room blog but here are some not so librarian thoughts.

• Twapperkeeper is great for archiving tweets and looking at the archive refreshes my memory of the sessions I attended. 
• I {heart} Twitter and conferences.  I think Twitterers have more fun at conferences.
• I {heart} meeting people I have met online IRL.  I had 2 dinners out with some other Twitterers and Bloggers and we had a blast.  Somehow some non-Twittering librarians came along to one dinner and we overheard them remarking, "I was asked my Twitter name before my real name!" Heh - well it was organised on Twitter. Doh.

• Automatic Cafe along the Yarra River front serves enormous chocolate cake portions.  It's also incredibly hard to find if you use Google Maps instructions.  The cake below was about 12cm across the widest part of the wedge and about 15 cm high.

 

Nope - that's not my dessert.  I had lemon tart.

 

•  I missed my family a lot particularly on the first day when I had no other company.  Skype is great.  High internet charges is not.  
• A technology conference that doesn't have power outlets in the main plenary auditorium is a major oversight.
• There is less singing at Australian library conferences.  But some folks do interpretive dance in their sessions and some knit during the plenaries.
• I forgot my toothpaste.  Hotel housekeeping services are very handy.
• The current trend for vendor schwag is shopping bags that fit in your handbag - very cool!  I scored 3 but only kept the National Library of Australia one which is an Onyabag.  The rest + plus the other things (post its, pens etc) I took into work for my colleagues.
• Leaving the shower curtain outside the bath while having a shower results in a flood over the tiled floor.  Thank goodness for bathrooms with drains in the floor.

•  This bed was very comfy but it didn't have DH in it so I didn't sleep that well.  The hotel was very pleasant though (Holiday Inn on Flinders).
• Apparently I should have taken more pictures of trams and trains according to Mr 6.

Swimming against the tide

A librarian guru I admire (Stephen Abram) is reading The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Might have to add it to my reading list. He blogged about Taleb's top life tips:

"1 Scepticism is effortful and costly. It is better to be sceptical about matters of large consequences, and be imperfect, foolish and human in the small and the aesthetic.

2 Go to parties. You can’t even start to know what you may find on the envelope of serendipity. If you suffer from agoraphobia, send colleagues.

3 It’s not a good idea to take a forecast from someone wearing a tie. If possible, tease people who take themselves and their knowledge too seriously.

4 Wear your best for your execution and stand dignified. Your last recourse against randomness is how you act — if you can’t control outcomes, you can control the elegance of your behaviour. You will always have the last word.

5 Don’t disturb complicated systems that have been around for a very long time. We don’t understand their logic. Don’t pollute the planet. Leave it the way we found it, regardless of scientific ‘evidence’.

6 Learn to fail with pride — and do so fast and cleanly. Maximise trial and error — by mastering the error part.

7 Avoid losers. If you hear someone use the words ‘impossible’, ‘never’, ‘too difficult’ too often, drop him or her from your social network. Never take ‘no’ for an answer (conversely, take most ‘yeses’ as ‘most probably’).

8 Don’t read newspapers for the news (just for the gossip and, of course, profiles of authors). The best filter to know if the news matters is if you hear it in cafes, restaurants... or (again) parties.

9 Hard work will get you a professorship or a BMW. You need both work and luck for a Booker, a Nobel or a private jet.

10 Answer e-mails from junior people before more senior ones. Junior people have further to go and tend to remember who slighted them."

“You find peace by coming to terms with what you don’t know.”

I like 6 & 7 in particular. They fit in with my desire for greater authenticity and less of the brown stuff in my workplace. Number 5 fits my green tendencies ;-)

I also like what Stephen is alleged to have said to the librarians at ALIA in Australia:

if you aren’t keeping up-to-date then you should get out of my profession.

Can you tell I've been fighting dinosaurs at work?

Stinky Man

You've met Duck Man. Let me introduce Stinky Man (StM).

I met StM on my first desk shift down on the public library level not long after I'd gone back to work.

We have a bank of PCs available for research opposite the info desk. They have a block password on them that I have to enter before anyone can log on to them. This is so we can keep them available for people (i.e. our students) who are doing "serious" research. Or in other words, if you want to do email or just muck around on Bebo you have to do it in the Learning Centre and not up on Level 2. Well that is cool. I can cope with that. As you might imagine, things were new to me so I was finding my feet and trying to work out where things were. G had gone over various procedures and had left me to cope by myself.

StM was using one of the PCs when I arrived. I didn't pay much attention to him at first but his miasma soon made itself noticeable. Not much I could do about that apart from going for frequent monitoring walks away from the info desk. However, the purpose of the info desk is that someone is there to answer questions! So I couldn't disappear for long. So I heaved a sigh of relief when he got up to vacate the chair. But not for long. He approached the desk.

StM: Are you going to log off that computer or not?
Me: Pardon? *eh? what computer? this is the one I'm working on*
StM: You can't leave it logged in with nobody using it. Anybody could jump on and use the account.
Me: *mind working quickly, realises he's talking about the PC next to him* Oh right, sure I'll log it off.
StM:*getting worked up and getting louder* You should be more careful! You never know who could just help themselves to that person's acount! Log it off now!

I proceed to log it off while he accuses me of being dangerously uncaring etc. (Forget the fact I had no idea it was still logged on with nobody using it).

Well, moving right along.

So my first time working a late night I descend to Level 2, nervously to begin my shift. Who should turn up but StM to use the PCs! I log him on holding my breath.

Nothing happens - he uses the PC and goes. *sigh of relief and deep breaths of clean air*

The second late night I descend to Level 2. No StM! Yay!

The evening draws on and I go upstairs to give S a tea break. It's a quiet evening on this level. Until StM storms through the door and barks to me "Would you log me on?!" and storms out again leaving me stunned. I can't leave the Level 3 desk because of the cash drawer so StM has to stew for a few minutes until S gets back from his break.
StM is not pleased.
StM still smells. I hold my breath while logging his PC on.

According to my colleagues StM has been a student with us doing some mental health papers but dropped out. He was unsuccessful in his application to the Police training school down in Porirua. He's a big guy. I shouldn't like to tangle with him.

StM seems to use the PCs for writing letters or documents about his musings. He thumps the key board with fat fingers like it's a piece of bubblewrap he's trying pop. I'm curious to know what he's writing. I wander officiously over to the copiers and press a few buttons while peering over his shoulder. While holding my breath.

"Dear [insert female name], How are you? I am not good...."

"... the time of the Prophet is at hand..."

"Dear Sir, I am being followed by predators..."

It's fair to say that StM makes me nervous.

Future Book of Me content

Me at work. Amazing what you can do with the self timer.

Level 2 Reference Desk - this is the floor where the public library patrons and our students are served by either library's staff. I dislike the way this desk is set up. It's really hard to share anything on the screen while you're helping people. Also you can't adjust the screen to a different height so it's always there in your face.











View out the end of the building on the floor my office is on. More of our buildings are to the right of this picture out of view, as well as the local court house. To the left and out of view is the main street of this suburb, shops and the mall.

































Me in my office on the floor that is a dedicated space for our staff and students. I share this office with a colleague. My desk is remarkably clear of stuff!!

A day in the life of a Liaison Librarian

Interesting to compare this day with my LO I did when DD was a few months old.

Monday 1st Sept

3.00am Miss 20 Months wakes crying. Comes into our bed for (.)(.) comfort. Very restless. Eventually goes back to sleep.

6.00am Alarm goes and wakes me so I must have gone back to sleep sometime. DH goes for shower. I wake again when he comes back. Drag carcass out to the ablution cubicle.

6.45am Get dressed.

7.15am Finish making lunches. Take out newspapers to be recycled.

7.30am Making brekkers for DH and I. Mr Nearly 5 comes out.

7.40am Miss 20 Months emerges.

7.45am Get kid breakfasts. DH leaves for work. He asks DS who is still in his pj's, if he's ready to come too. Remind him it's my late night.

8.15am Get kids dressed, teeth cleaned, shoes on, kindy snack made.

8.45am Walk up to kindy. Sign DS in, hang up his bag. Say goodbye. Remind him Nan is picking him up.

9.00am Clear up breakfast things. Make bed. Meditate.

9.30am Fold some laundry. Wash kitchen floor and cupboard doors. Look at the carpet but decide I don't have time to vacuum. Bother said Pooh.

10.15am Hang out washing. Put another load in the machine.

10.30am Get bottle and nappies ready. Take Miss 20 Months to daycare.

11.00am Fold more washing. Have some lunch.

11.30am Get dressed for work. Hang out another load of washing. Mum arrives, so give her DS's bag with spare clothes etc.

11.45am Leave for work.

12 noon Drop overdue book back in returns slot. Pick up the Koanga Gardening Guide (on hold for me) from the issues desk downstairs before heading upstairs.

12.05pm Turn on computer, sort out lunch bag, hand bag. Go and get water bottle filled. Check roster and note down when I'm on. Log on and check emails, enter desk duties into the calendar.

12.15am Student arrives needing help with question about the cost of terminal care. We discuss the information I've found for her last week after her question was passed on to me via another librarian. Get a better understanding for what she wants, so arrange to catch up on Friday to pool what we find. Suggest some contacts in the nursing faculty she may like to follow up.

12.30pm-2.30pm Take over the Level 3 desk. Issue, return books and our best "sellers" the infernal laptops.
Lecturer pops by to introduce himself. Discusses a training session he wants me to do with his students. Quiz him about the topics because I'm still new at his subject area. Keep having to bob up to attend to other people who want books etc issued. We arrange to exchange emails about the session and topics and he leaves for a lecture.
Put money on photocopying cards (wheee! I can work EFTPOS machines, how riveting).
Show a student how to get journal articles but can't spend sufficient time to make sure she's "got it" because of Reference Interruptus (people wanting laptops). Sure enough she's back with the wrong information *sigh* Should have sent her downstairs to the ref librarian.
Start processing a trolley of returns from downstairs. Seems like somebody is getting a bunch of fines with some overdue recalls.
Bungle a colour printing job for a student because I misunderstand the question.
Spend about 10 minutes issuing some kits with cassettes, CDs booklets all in one bag... have to issue every item. Explain to ESOL student that his book he put on hold isn't here yet, try tomorrow. Want to tell him he can check his record online but don't feel confident his English is good enough yet.
Try and finish returns trolley. Book study room for a student. G takes over from me.

2.35pm Decide I need a chai so head for staff room to make it. Have it at my desk with a snack. Check some blogs. Check emails. See if I've got any funds left to buy some books. I do have a bit left over in some areas. Make a note of them.

3.00pm See if previous librarian made a session plan for this database session she apparently did last year. Nope. Look at some other session plans other librarians have done. Start a Word document to make up a plan. Jot down some session outcomes. Waste some time looking at blogs.

4.15pm Make myself a panini and an orange to get me through to home time.

4.30pm Take over Level 3 desk. Fairly busy for the first hour - logging people onto the research computers. Dumb MFDs playing up (why do designers think touch screens are a good thing?) so people can't print/copy from one particular machine. Do extremely complicated tech repair involving pulling out connections and plugging back in. Seems to help.
Do a Noise Monitoring Patrol and wonder why high school kids like the tinny music that their phone plays. Don't they know about music quality, mp3 players and *shock* ear buds!?
Answer query on culture in Japan, Germany and Australia for public library patron who has to have the info tonight because she's left it so late. All the good books are in other libraries and she can't wait for them to placed on hold. Send her to the reference room, kids section and to the few adult books available at this branch.
Make another attempt on the database session plan.
Help a lady find a book on autism, and another lady a book on relationships and finding the perfect partner.
Give the lesson plan another go. Try and think of a novel way to approach a boring subject. No bright ideas so far.

6.10pm Pop upstairs to see if H wants a tea break. She says to go first. Make myself a coffee and gobble a kiwifruit. Take over Level 3 desk while H goes for a break. Head back downstairs when she's done.

7.00pm Things quieten down. Look at the LIANZA conference programme to see when CW is presenting. Look at some of the other sessions. Send email to boss asking if I can go to a few of them.
Help a Dad and son find a book on basketball.
Clear some books left on the tables. Somebody has pulled off 8 of the "for Dummies" series from the 005's.
Notice an overhead projector has been left on in one of lecture theaters over the road. Make mental note to tell security guy when he comes around.
Try and get back to lesson plan but have lost the thread.
Dream about the card I'm making at home.
Wonder if DH has made tea and if kids are okay.
Giggle at LOLcats.
Look at a few blogs.

7.50pm Start cleaning things up, turning things off. Wonder why that same guy from last week is back again at 10 to 8 when he's got 5 minutes to find something and get it issued.

8.00pm Head upstairs to see if H needs any help. Lock up my office and turn off lights.

8.10pm Head downstairs to the car park. Panic because I can't find my keys. Finally find them buried at the bottom of my handbag. The car park is not open to the public but it's sort of spooky down there by myself. Head out to the big roller door, avoiding the Mobile Library bus parked on the side. Wave the magic blue chip at the sensor and the roller door goes up s-l-o-w-l-y.

8.25pm Arrive home. Kids running around naked from their bath. DS wants to help me put the car away but persuade him he needs to get dressed. DH looking slightly harassed with his shirt out and making bottle. He says "It's good to see you back!" (heh heh). Put car away. DD already in bed with her bottle (she only had 1 hour sleep at day care). Give her a cuddle. Get DS into pj's and into bed. Heat the wheaty-heaty for him. Read story. Find his torch. Give "one last cuddle". Find the harvester which has to go to bed with him. DH makes coffee for us. Re-heat enchiladas DH made earlier. Eat & read my book.

9.30pm Empty dishwasher. Reload dishwasher. Chat with DH about the day. Help DH with the remaining dishes. Chat with sister on Skype. Make tomorrow's lunches. Pack bag for biking to work tomorrow. DH looking at old Billy T and Fred Dagg YouTube videos. Giggle at the corny jokes. Think how old I am because I remember the Billy T jokes in particular.

10.15pm Get into jammies. Read my book for a while to try and settle down.

10.30pm Lights out.

over the hump

Funny how I'm watching the days now I'm back at work...

Hump day is gone. Now it's Thursday and we're on the slippery slope to the weekend - yay! I think Friday is one of the best days of the week. You've got the anticipation of the weekend ahead, and the bulk of the working week behind you.

Work is going well. I'm catching on to the new things I need to know. I did my first orientation today with some nursing students. We got talking about breastfeeding. Funny the bond that motherhood can create. I'm enjoying the variety of queries I'm getting on the reference desk that serves both library clients.

Here are the layouts I did at the Waikato crop. I think I want to do some more to the My Be' one. It looks like it needs something under the smaller photo.

The third LO is still waiting for me to finish it!! I hope this weekend. I do need to finish off some bags for Mel first though.

So far the daycare arrangement seems to be working well. DD is a little tearful when I leave but she recovers in about 2 minutes or less once I'm out the door. She is eating well - they keep commenting on this! LOL! DS was the same. When he left daycare the teachers joked they'd have to tell the cook not to make extra noodles/rice on the days he was usually there. She is sleeping for about 2 hours too, which isn't bad. She normally sleeps around 3 hours at home so hopefully that time will increase.

DS is doing fine with my Mum. She is one of his favourite persons so it ought to be! Once he goes to school in Sept she will have some more time to herself which will make it a bit easier for her.

I am tired though. My body is having to adjust to a new routine. Not sleeping that great. I find it hard to get off to sleep and then DD comes into bed about 4am for (.)(.) so that means I don't sleep much after that. Having to get up at 6am and rush around getting kids ready rather than a leisurely 7am (with less pressure to get kids and myself dressed) is taking it's toll.

And work clothes! Where did they go? Seriously scraping the old wardrobe barrel here. LOL! Most of my old ones are my "fat" clothes that are scrunched into bags waiting to be taken to the op shop. So they're out. Church clothes are an option but I like to keep them separate. I think a visit to some 2nd hand places will be in order. Maybe my sister and friend Nel will have to act as Trinny and Susannah for me.