A Wandering Eyre

Migrating

2006-01-24T16:13:00.000-06:00

I am in the process of migrating to Word Press. So please excuse the glitches, if they occur. If you are reading this in RSS, you will want to update your feed. The new site is wanderingeyre.com.

--Jane, under construction

The Best Schwagg

2006-01-22T17:16:00.000-06:00

Dark Horse Comics is giving out Serenity posters. I heart Dark Horse.

Plus, a prequel to the series in graphic novel form. I have died and gone to Whedonverse heaven.

--Jane, made my day

Sunday Wrap-up

2006-01-22T09:45:00.000-06:00

So far San Antonio has been good to me. We are staying in a great hotel that is very nice for the price, feeds us a good breakfast, and they have free wifi. Internet is a must, but free wifi is very nice. It is cloudy today (oops make that raining), but I am planning on visiting some vendors and laying low until the Top Ten Tech Trends this afternoon.

Later in the day....
I spend most of the day talking to various vendors and missed the Top Ten entirely. I am sure there will be plenty of blog coverage so I am not too concerned. I was able to chat with some very nice people I met at Annual including:

Better World Books - I love these guys. They take discards and unwanted gifts from libraries and sell them, returning a portion of the profits to the library and recycling the rest. As a bonus, they are super nice.

EBSCO - I told them to get rid of some thing in their link resolver, called LinkSource, that is distracting, unhelpful, and placed foolishly. The nice lady I talked to wrote it all down so I hope she was seriously giving that to the programmer.

Greenwood Publishing - They have a new database coming out that I want for my African American Studies collection.

Those are the ones I remember off the bat, but there were many more. Karen talked to a group that has an open source federated search tool that looked really neat. I am saving the best schwagg for a separate post.

We ate a very late lunch, came back to our hotel, and napped. We have to be our best for the Blog Salon.

--Jane, rarin' to go

Dinner and Drinks

2006-01-22T09:43:00.000-06:00

Saturday Evening:

I had dinner with some librarians from MPOW, much the same group as the previous night, but we had more departments represented this time. Conferences seem to be one of the few times that we can all get together, share information, and talk about ways we want to make our library better. It is sad that we have to travel away from home to do this. There is power in numbers and we may yet change the world. I have faith.

Last night, I ended up at the place to be in town. In a hotel with much history, the Menger, I attended a party with many muckity mucks from TLA (the Texas Library Association). We had the current president, a former president, and a gentleman, named Steve who is running for TLA President this year. Steve is very nice, knows how to throw a smashing party, and should get your vote.

--Jane, enjoyed more of the company than the drinks for once

The Annual Gathering

2006-01-21T17:05:00.000-06:00

A non-ALA post so that my friends know I was thinking of them.

Every year, for a very long time, my group of friends from college have a party in January. It is focused around a particular person's birthday, though we never needed a reason to act like infants who have had waaaaaaaay more alcohol than the normal person should consume. Many of my fondest memories occurred at these parties.

This year the party is tonight and I am not in town for it.

So, gentleman, ladies, have fun at Jas??? without me. Make sure someone takes incriminating photos for later public humiliation. Give Y a good send off and J proper birthday greetings. If someone tells you it is just water, never believe them. Be wary of the punch. Do not kill my dog or destroy my sister-in-law's house.

--Jane, we are old enough to know better... I think

Midwinter Odds and Ends

2006-01-21T16:24:00.000-06:00

Last night was the LITA Happy Hour and, as seen in these pictures, a good time was had by all. Karen G. Schneider bequeathed upon me a "radical militant librarian" button so that none might mistake me for a calm reasonable person.

After some fellow librarians from MPOW realized that we were the last LITAers in the bar, we found our way to a recommended sushi place down the road. The meal was excellent, the sake warm, and the discussions hilarious.

This morning I attended the Information Commons IG, which was less diverting than I would have liked. I spent the majority of the talks looking at other things and trying to rework my notes from the OCLC Extreme Makeover: Rebranding an Industry session, which was very diverting.

I attended my Instruction Section committee (Professional Education Committee) meeting which was not quite as bad as anticipated. I was mostly anxious because this committee coincided with BIGWIG. The former meetong was over by the time I got to it. The Professional Education Committee is reviewing the list of library schools that teach an information literacy classes. The data is interesting, but because we are constricted by being an ACRL affiliate, there is very little we can do with it. Thank you, ALA bureaucracy.

Tonight, I am off with the crowd from the previous night to my very favorite Mexican food place, (that distinction means a lot in Texas) La Fogata. I can not wait for those margaritas.

--Jane, they even put pretty flowers in the drinks

Information Commons IG

2006-01-21T11:36:00.000-06:00

Midwinter 2006 - Saturday 10:30-12:30

MPOW is moving towards an information/learning commons type set up. I think there are a lot of advantages to us moving this direction because it will add support to many things that we already do.

For the PPT of this presentation and more information click here.

The session gets off to a somewhat rocky start as we are all deprived of our hearing by very bad microphone bounceback.

Russ Bailey and Barbara Tierney from UNC
In this library, they worked hard to integrate all services through a full service information desk. The desk is a quick fix information point, staffed by paraprofessional staff who refer more in depth questions to librarians. This set-up was loosely based on the Brandeis model. This has freed up the librarians to work on more professional activities.

They have a "Presentation Support Desk" which includes 1 FT library assistant, 1 PT library assistant, and 10 PT students. Most of the computer support comes from students. They are cheap and if you give them authority, training, and support you can often keep them for four years.

The "reference" work is centered around the "Information Commons Desk" which is run by one FT librarian coordinator, 2 FT para staff that work on the desk, and a varying amount of temp PT students (each hour, they have 1-2 students).

Training: It seems that UNC had trained their paraprofessional staff to handle the work that I spend about 90% of my time doing at my library's information desk. I think that this is a good model for reference. There is no reason that we can not train our students and paraprofessional staff to troubleshoot computer problems, give directions, answer questions about policy, give basic searching instructions, and generally give good public service.

Barbara and Russ emphasize that training is very important. UNC included a cross training aspect to their orientation so that people working other desks can properly direct users to the correct service point. This method of cross training could alleviate the bouncing around that some users have to do to get a simple question answered.

Ydesk, "No you need X desk."
X Desk, "Sorry, you need to go to Y Desk."

Michael Whitchurch at BYU
This is a library that services a larger campus than my library and they are truly dealing with the same sort of problems that we face. It seems that they have about half the number of computers, though they serve more students.

"No matter how many computers you put, youÂll have lines." A truth that will endure through the test of time.

They have a "no Shhh" zone and their main area is very loud at certain times of the day. It is important to hire staff that have a customer service personality.

Faculty (librarians) get paid more, have more degrees, so they know more. At BYU, they have used this justification to create a tiered reference model. They have a position in their library that is centered specifically on staff training for the information commons. (This is the position that I would like to have.)

--Jane, almost out of juice, must go find outlet

This Face

2006-01-21T08:19:00.000-06:00

What?
Originally uploaded by Wandering Eyre.

This is the reason why last night I got my first night of uninterrupted sleep since the 23rd of December. I am away from him in San Antonio. Poor baby. I hope his dad does not let him drink too much at the party tonight.

Julian Barnes

2006-01-19T11:44:00.000-06:00

Double Damn! I just found out that Julian Barnes will be on my campus on the 23rd, of this month, while I am in San Antonio. Curse ye, Fates!

--Jane, Arthur & George is on my reading list

Midwinter Schedule

2006-01-18T16:11:00.000-06:00

I know you are absolutely dying to know where I will be so that you may stalk me as I mingle and gulp margaritas. The following is a list of places I may or may not appear:

Jan.20th
	1:30-4:30	OCLC Extreme Makeover
	6:00	LITA Happy Hour

Jan. 21st
	10:30-12:30	IC Discussion Group
	1:30-3:30	IS Education
	1:30-3:30	BIGWIG
	1:30-3:30	ACRL/ULS

Jan.22nd
	8:00-10:00	Top Ten Tech Trends
	8:00-10:00	IS Education
	1:30-3:30	Top Ten Tech Trends
	6	OCLC Blog Salon
Jan.23rd
	8:00-10:00	LITA Town Meeting
	10:30-12:30	LITA Emerging Tech IG
	5:00	C&I Readers

You might notice that a few things are at the same time, indicated by italics. Due to committee responsibilities, the meetings in italics will only be graced with my presence should other meetings be cancelled or blown to smithereens.

--Jane, the above is a joke and not a real threat. seriously.

The Wind in My Hair

2006-01-18T16:09:00.000-06:00

I had one of those moments in the car this morning in which I had the sudden urge to keep driving in no particular direction. The winter sun was blinding and the music was leading me to wander.

Alas, I did not give in and I am now at work.

--Jane, came in just in time for the staff meeting

In Memory of MLK

2006-01-17T09:43:00.000-06:00

A day late, but not lacking in importance.

I have heard many people grumble about the holiday remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. People I love and care about, but who are misguided about what this day means. On this day, we, as Americans, can remember a past not too distant and the sins that abounded. Some of those sins linger today, but I believe that we are moving forward. It is imperative that we remember Martin Luther King, Jr. who taught a nation that nonviolence, faith, and perseverance can change the world.

One of my bosses sent this to our list this morning and I thought it was good enough to share.

--Jane, everyone dreams

I Had No Idea It Was Karaoke

2006-01-12T12:39:00.000-06:00

Last night, some of my friends and I got together to watch A&M's Basketball team play OSU at a relatively new venue in Houston called Scott Gertner's Sports Bar and Grille. (The original Scott Bertner restaurant is a Jazz club called Sky Bar.) The beer was reasonable, but the wings were terrible, not hot at all (not even close), not wet, and breaded. The staff, however, was wonderful and attentive. They put our game on the biggest screen in HD and I really could not have asked for more from a bar.

But the big screen did not make the evening memorable, the live entertainment made the outing... er... Interesting.

Keep in mind, this is a sports bar.

The one man band was sitting at the grand piano, a synthesizer placed on top, and an Apple iBook sitting to his right. He mostly played the synthesizer and used the laptop for his backup music and vocals (you should start to get worried at this point). Not only was a synthesizer involved, but the songs he played... Oh the agony! The humanity!

He played Brandi, Papa Was A Rolling Stone, a really bad Chicago song, and other horrible stuff I had never heard of. The songs were not that bad, but imagine Papa Was A Rolling Stone as light Jazz. For a brief moment, I thought my head was going to explode.

I thought he was like Ross from Friends. Then, I considered that he was actually more like Bill Murray in the SNL skit where he is a lounge lizard and the words to all the songs are "Star Wars, nothing but Star Wars..."

He was so out of place that we were trying to figure out where this guy would actually fit in. Mr. Rochester was the winner: He said the guy could be a lounge singer on a cruise ship. Perfect.

To Sum: Scott Gertner needs to know that light Jazz and sports do not mix and the wings definitely need to be better.

--Jane, might go back as long as the music is different and I am not hungry

Librarians Are for Use

2006-01-12T12:34:00.000-06:00

To a librarian, it is not news that our jobs are stressful. (thanks LK for the link) According to the study, one of the contributing factors of the study was the following:

...they were not allowed to put their skills to full use

Shocked! Shocked, I say! Like the stress, we live this everyday as well.

--Jane, what are your hidden talents?

Education and Time as a Means to Foster Staff Interest

2006-01-11T09:58:00.000-06:00

Meredith sent out a call and this is my response. Less philosophy and more nuts and bolts.

At MPOW, we are in the infant stages of using blogging software as a means to inform users of library news, present timely "displays," and create subject guides. We are still testing the software, letting it stretch its legs before we make it public, but it took us a very long time to get to this point. The first thing we had to do, and sometimes the hardest, was get some staff buy-in. A really great idea can go no where if your staff does not understand or know what is going on in your library.

Sometimes, you have to start small.

Last summer, I held a workshop entitled, "It's All Geek to Me! Wikis, Blogs, RSS, and Aggregators." I worked with HR and scheduled it through administration. Going through the proper channels can be helpful and is a way to get support from some staff up front. This workshop was open to all staff, not just librarians, and covered the basics: definitions, popularity, examples, problems, and future directions.

The class had decent attendance, but, most importantly, it got people talking about the possibilities. People who had previously never heard of RSS came up to me days and weeks after the class to tell me that they were using an aggregator to read a few blogs. Not everyone was keen on the new ideas, but I heard more and more people using the words "blog" and "wiki" in conversations.

We then had the luck of hiring a new web development librarian who is a technology evangelist and very shortly, we were testing Movable Type. A couple of us were given test blogs to work out some kinks.

A major committee in the library, one who will greatly impact our future, decided to use a blog as its main method of communication and it was requested that I do a couple more classes on blogs to give the library staff more exposure to the technology. It is important to this committee that all library staff be involved in their process and thus it is important that all library staff be at least comfortable reading and commenting in a blog format.

I have the second of those two classes tomorrow. We have had more than double the interest in the two most recent classes as we had in the one last summer. Even more exciting is that more and more departments and librarians are thinking of ways that they can use the library's new blog software to reach a new and diverse audience or present information in a more dynamic format then ever before. We are still at the start of this project, but I have high hopes that it will grow and become something wonderful and useful.

I think the gradual introduction of blogs helped produce the mostly positive attitude that I see in the library staff today. We also had some honest discussion towards the beginning about the failings of these technologies. We discussed not only what they could do, but also what they can not and some legal issues surrounding the formats.

The second thing that eased blogs into my library was the education factor. We took time to educate staff, answer their questions, and frankly address issues. Never underestimate the power of education and knowledge. As librarians, we know how this applies to students, but we should not forget to apply it to ourselves, our colleagues and our profession.

--Jane, librarian by day, technology evangelist by night

Book Review - Bitten

2006-01-10T12:22:00.000-06:00

Bitten (Women of the Otherworld, Book 1) by Kelley Armstrong

A friend of mine said that this is the series she recommends to readers new to the horror/werewolf/other genre and a few chapters into the book I knew why. Armstrong has taken a worked over theme, werewolves, and given it new life. She does use some of the old stereotypes but has reworked the mythology to create something new, and as a bonus, she is a good writer as well.

There is not so much of the horror aspect present in the novel as to scare off new readers to the genre. Armstrong focuses more on the characters and the pack as family theme. The main character, Elena, the only female werewolf in the world, struggles to accept her non-traditional family because she dreams of white picket fences. I enjoyed the book, though it did drag a bit at times, but not enough to make me want to stop reading it.

Recommended: Good for lovers of the genre and newbies alike

Book Review - Esther Stories

2006-01-10T12:16:00.000-06:00

Esther Stories by Peter Orner

Orner's collection of short stories is grouped into four different parts. The first section of the book contains stories about things that are left behind, the memories that never leave us. The second section, entitled, "The Famous," follows different people through memorable snippets of life. The last two sections are about two unrelated Jewish families living in different parts of the country. The stories weave together what is at first the garbled history of each family, told through the eyes of different members of the family. Eventually, each story becomes a part of the whole, making the reader wonder at the storytelling ability of Paul Orner.

I do not read short stories often and when I do, they often fail to snag my heart and mind. The characters are too brief, the words not strong enough to make me care in just a handful of pages. Orner succeeds in creating beautiful stories that are more real in two pages than whole novels that I have held. Orner uses words the way all short story writers should, vividivd colors of a canvas.

The line I had to reread many times because of the truth and memory in it was from one of the stories entitled "Sitting Theodore" :

I've had enough of my own blind sides to know that while it may be easy to clear away the wreckage, it's much harder to stop fingering your scars.

Highly Recommended: Short stories lend themselves to reading on the fly and this one will make those brief moments of reading something wonderful.

Monday, Monday

2006-01-09T09:59:00.000-06:00

I am sitting at home while the pest man takes care of the wee mice that have inhabited my attic.

I finally installed my digital camera software and uploaded my New Year's pictures to Flickr. Looking through the pictures reminded me of how much fun it is to sit around for three days drinking, laughing, and eating yourself silly with your favorite people in the world.

I got a phone call from a friend of many years on Saturday. We do not share political views, but he is my favorite person to discuss politics with and bat around ideas. He has worked in different areas of politics, from campaigns to the Peace Corps. He called to tell me that he just got a new job with the State Department and he will be stationed in Baghdad as a liaison to the American and British Press. I am excited that he has been given this opportunity, but worried.

I do not agree with our president and I do not agree with the war we are currently conducting, but I support my friend in his endeavor. Good luck, be safe, come home quickly.

--Jane, peace be with you

Call for Papers - Higher Ed BlogCon

2006-01-04T09:39:00.000-06:00

If you, or someone you know, has some great ideas in any of the topic areas, please consider contributing to this unique and exciting conference. I am the section editor and the ever fabulous Meredith Farkas is the section chair. The library section of the conference is all about technologies and how they effect what we do, how we do it, and how others see us.

The best thing about this conference is not going to be the use of the technology (that is cool), but that this will bring people together from many different areas of Higher Ed to talk about the things that are directly impacting our professions. From technology to tuition, academia is under some growing pains and I am interested to see how those pains are discussed in the context of this conference.

To see the items that have already been submitted, you can visit the planning wiki here.

--Jane, submit your ideas and share with the world

Resolved

2006-01-04T09:33:00.000-06:00

It is already 4 days into the new year and I am wondering where all the time goes in my life. I do have a few resolutions among which are the following:

Actually keep track of the books I read instead of dropping off somewhere in September.
Finish fiddling with my new Word Press blog and migrate all the content from here to there.
Get married.
Be understanding, considerate, and supportive of Mr. Rochester as he must spend his days in the company of me.
Pray more and worry less.
Realize that i am not in control of the WORLD.
Realize that I am only in control of myself and that is it.

--Jane, Happy New Year

Tis' the Season... for unusually hot weather

2005-12-27T08:40:00.000-06:00

Christmas here in H town was warm, about 70 degrees, but that did not stop us from drinking hot mulled wine while we opened presents. I must have been good because I got all the things on my list I really wanted. Now if only Santa could bring a winning lottery ticket and world peace, I'd be set.

Mr. Rochester and I expanded our family by one Nebolish Mastiff puppy who likes to eat, sleep, poo, and eat my toes. He is cute and received more presents than either Mr. R or myself. I know that by the time I have kids, my parents and in-laws will have completely negated my existence.

I am goofing around with Word Press and the new site, not with much success, but I am working on a learning curve. My only plan for this week, besides laying around in my pajamas and watching my puppy, is going out with some old friends from high school.

--Jane, watching Firefly... again

Holiday Boredom

2005-12-22T15:46:00.000-06:00

In true library fashion, we are open, but I think the employees outnumber the patrons by an easy 10 to 1. This reflects how I am feeling at the moment. I have aimlessly wandered the web today, read my feeds, and now I think I must actually do a bit of work before I die of boredom.

Tonight begins the Christmas revelry. Mr. Rochester and I will go to his sister's house for the first of many evenings filled with food and drink over the next week. Mr. R will try to drown his mother's voice by drinking too much wine and I will end up driving home. Ah, family. They make you curse genetics and life.

Tomorrow, the cutest dog in the entire world will be in my possession.

--Jane, really, if I was any more bored I might resort to just typing stuff like "Thbbbppppp!" into posts

Pac Man

2005-12-22T12:59:00.000-06:00

I would totally be a ghost!

This makes me think of the maze scene from Club Dread, with less gore and inappropriate touching, of course.

--Jane, laughs

It's A Job

2005-12-22T10:59:00.000-06:00

The conversation seems to be steaming ahead rather than slowing down regarding speaker's compensation at professional library conferences. And thanks to Technorati, I found that even non-library sites are picking this up and *gasp of not surprised* making fun of our profession. Again.

Something Steven Cohen wrote (same link as above) echoed what I have been thinking recently:

"...I wind up putting in 16 hour days, sometimes more, and I deserve to get paid for it. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do, but it is a job. Once we can get beyond that, the whole Jenny Levine situation seems a bit clearer."

I also love being a librarian and it is a large part of who I am and how I approach life, but this is my job. J-O-B. At the end of the day, the list of things that are really important to me does not include my library, ALA, or what I have accomplished professionally and I will not be a Job for my profession, remaining faithful when obviously ignored. I think we should be compensated for our knowledge even if it is in some small way.

--Jane, do we want to be actual professionals or are we just pretending?

Today, what's going on

2005-12-21T11:46:00.000-06:00

I am sitting at my desk and playing with my new blog platform, Word Press. Some time soon, I will be rolling out a new URL and migrating to my own server space. Exciting!

But at the moment, I have a reference desk shift which will include the reading of Bloglines, Bitten, and very few questions as the students are all gone. Lucky bastards.

--Jane, wishes she was a student still

Head of the Class

2005-12-20T15:49:00.000-06:00

Michael talks about what classes library schools should be teaching their students. Things like "Social Software for Librarians and Libraries," "The New Library Web Site," and others left in the comments look wonderful to me. I would sign up for those classes in a heartbeat, but I will go a step farther. I think they should be required. Required.

In my graduate school, The Internet for Library Science Majors was the only technology related class offered and it was not required. We learned how to search Google and build a basic web page using CSS and HTML. I had classmates who did not know how to use email, attach files, operate in CMS (course management software), use chat, and heck I doubt some of them had ever used a computer prior to grad school. I exaggerate, but not as much as one would think.

I think that not only do we need to start offering more technology based classes but we should require students to take them. One of my largest pet peeves (I am hopping onto soapbox) is that our profession seems to be in the business of catering to the least common denominator. We tend to cater to people at the non-technical side of the scale. I am talking about library professionals, not our patrons. Our illustrious and frequently embarrassing president is a perfect example of many of our nontechu collegues and how our profession is seen by others. How many of us spend days banging our heads into the wall, praying that our supervisors will one days see the light, and realize that blogs, wikis, and other technologies could be useful. To the librarians. To the users. To everyone.

(off box)
(thinks better of it and hops back up)
If we are truly determined to have better libraries, that serve our patrons where and when they need the information they seek, we have to be tech savvy. We still have to understand the PnP version of libraries, but we must to be able to easily flow from paper to digital without blinking. (That is Pen and Paper,PnP, for those who are non D&D fans) If we want to have these skills then we need to require it of our graduates.

I think we should require it of current staff too.

--Jane, require is a big word that begets another big word, accountability

Rankings

2005-12-20T07:53:00.000-06:00

Right now, at 7:52 am Central Standard, Serenity is #1 on Amazon's list ans Firefly is #6. WooHoo.

--Jane, needs to Get. A. Life.

All I Want for Christmas

2005-12-20T07:45:00.000-06:00

The most important thing happening today? Serenity comes to DVD. There better be one of these under the tree for me or I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end somebody.

--Jane, you've been warned

Money Woes

2005-12-19T09:07:00.000-06:00

Meredith has a very long post in which she discusses some monetary policies at ALA, including why they make speakers pay for the privilege of speaking and the huge amount of money they waste each year. She makes the point that many speakers only go to ALA to speak, not attend the conference, and we get paid little enough to be charged for speaking. We do not have to be martyrs, according to Meredith, to be good librarians. Amen! The most amazing thing she points out is this:

Organization	ALA	NASW
Number of Members	64,000	153,000
Expenses	$43,025,000	$19,591,637

Go read the entire post. It is long, but just keeps getting better.

I agree and, though I think her post well reasoned, I have a few things to add. Not only do I not always feel like ALA and other professional organizations represent me, but I am required by my institution to be both part of professional organizations and to present papers and speak at conferences. I am financially supported up to about 50% per conference by my library, but if I was not part of a two income household, I would not be able to attend the two ALA conferences all committee members are required to attend. Committee membership is required by the promotional guidelines of my institution.

Along with the above, ALA is in New Orleans in June and, regardless of the assurances that there will be plenty of places for us to stay, in addition to all those relief workers, I highly doubt there will be room for everyone. I can not afford to stay in the conference hotels and I do not think I will be able to find a reasonable hotel with open rooms. This is something I am very concerned about and I have seen nothing but platitudes regarding the conference industry in New Orleans from ALA.

Mr. Rochester told me I should just tell my committee I can not afford to go unless they paid for me to attend. I laughed heartily, patted him on the head, and said, "It just does not work that way." He is an engineer, after all, and if they are required to go to a conference, their company picks up the entire bill.

--Jane, "it's gonna take plenty of money"

The Unique Qualities of Engineers

2005-12-16T10:02:00.000-06:00

Warning: Becoming involved/related in any way to an engineer will result in the following:

Ingredients for every recipe, including something as easy as green bean casserole, must be measured precisely. For extra fun, have the respective engineer convert the measurements to metric and then find out, given the density and content of green bean casserole, if it would survive re-entry into the atmosphere.
Everything that requires a plan, is planned in excruciating detail and there is a formula to prove that the plan is sound.
Not only must food be precisely prepared, but a meal that should require about 10 minutes to make, takes about an hour because the shredded cheese must rest just so and be in proper proportions to the chicken and sauce.
You may find yourself with someone who can only express complex thoughts in a programming language or with the aid of graphs. Keep in mind that hearing “I love you” in relation to a formula and pie chart (I love you more than Civilization IV) is not as romantic as one might think.
The OCD tendencies of your partner will rule the rest of your life.

--Jane, still loves her rocket scientist, regardless of the above

Warning

2005-12-14T14:35:00.000-06:00

For a label of your very own go to the Warning Label Generator. (Thank you Jenica)

--Jane, fighting against the Man

Book Review - Eldest

2005-12-13T15:36:00.000-06:00

Eldest by Christopher Paolini
This is the second book in The Inheritance Trilogy

The second book in the series and the longest so far stood up to the promise of the first. Paolini has a beautiful style and sense of diction that make reading his works a joy. He does borrow greatly from Tolkien, mostly creatures, but I do not find this as troubling as others. I think that most fantasy writers must borrow from Tolkien in some respect as he is widely considered the father of the genre.

Eldest continues the story of Eragon, a young man forced to carry burdens he did not expect, and Saphira, a dragon and one of the last of her kind. They have just lived through a vicious battle that leaves Eragon severely wounded and dispirited. The pair travel to the home of the elves where they are to complete their training. There are, of course, many, many surprises along the way and many questions are finally answered.

Paolini has succeeded in writing not just another book about dragons, but a book that is as unique as its characters and mythology. I love this series and hope that the movie will do the books justice.

Highly Recommended - especially if you like fantasy, but even if you do not

As a final note, this is considered a YA book, so it will not be in the adult fantasy section at the bookstore or library.

--Jane, shur'tugal

Romancing

2005-12-13T15:31:00.000-06:00

Since Monday, I have finished Eldest, a romance novel entitled Yours Until Dawn, and I am halfway through It's in His Kiss. Hey, when I binge, I binge. So far, I seem to have chosen well for the romances have all been good, without some of the absurdities inherent in the genre. Ok, a few, but nothing that has made me run screaming from the room in horror.

--Jane, off to the reference desk to read...er, help students

Library Hours

2005-12-13T15:20:00.000-06:00

Libraries for Dummies has a post today in which they create the only library manual you will ever need. As proof, I give the heading for section three, entitled Emergency Principles:

The only thing that should close the library is the building itself being blown to smithereens. Your emergency kits should suffice in rescuing you from any situation, with the exception of the building being blown to smithereens. If you and the building are blown to smithereens, you may officially close the library.

Every employee, of every library in the world knows this is true. An act of God could be occurring outside (or inside) and your director, provost, etc. will believe that it is essential that the library remain open. I have never understood this principle.

--Jane, duck and cover

Blog Salon - It's On!

2005-12-13T14:57:00.000-06:00

The last Blog Salon, hosted by OCLC and the lovely bloggers at It's All Good, are doing it again for Midwinter. By far, this was the coolest thing I did at ALA and I would not miss a repeat for the world.

Hopefully this time I will not be such a spazz (I am an experienced librarian now. With wisdom! And grace!) and will be able to conduct myself without cornering people. Maybe.

Seriously though, every conference I go to has included some sort of blog get together and they are always the highlight of the trip. Why? Because we sit around and talk, really talk, about libraries, technology, and the endless possibilities.

--Jane, "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."

Remember When...

2005-12-12T16:22:00.000-06:00

You know the party was good when no one person remembers the whole night. I know I should be getting too old for this stuff, but I have the most Hilarious. Friends. Ever.

--Jane, remembers more than some and less than others

Oops, Dropped the Soap

2005-12-12T16:16:00.000-06:00

I am almost done with Eldest, review coming soon, and I feel a romance binge coming on. Best that I get it out of my system so I can spend my Christmas holiday reading my new books and watching Serenity over and over and over...

Every couple of months I binge read romance novels. I will read 2-4 in about a week and when I can no longer take a throbbing this or pulsating that, I move on to better pastures. I can only withstand so much lust in so short a time period and if I really wanted to read something lusty, I would read Laurell K. Hamilton. Sometimes after a couple pages of Hamilton, I feel the need to shower extensively.

--Jane, [insert joke here]

Book Review - Tuesdays With Morrie

2005-12-12T09:38:00.000-06:00

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

This book, which I discovered half way through, is a real story that comes across as preachy at times. I liked the book, I think it is a great discussion starter, and I believe it has some wonderful advice for life. I just felt like it was a bit contrived. Maybe I was just feeling cynical the couple days I was reading it. I still think it is a good book and if you really hate it, it is only going to waste about 3 hours or less of your life. No worries.

Recommended: short and sweet

--Jane, recommends

Book Review - The Secret Life of Bees

2005-12-12T09:35:00.000-06:00

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

I have heard wonderful things about this book so I felt a little let down when I actually got around to reading it. It is good; the diction is vivid and the characters are interesting, but the plot is predictable. I was not really surprised by anything that happens in this story of sisterhood and growing up.

The story is told in the first person through the eyes of a young girl named Lily. Her voice and character gives the story part of its quirkiness. While I liked the book and did want to finish it, part of me was bored.

Recommended when it is already on your shelf

--Jane, recommends

My Philosophy on Book Reviews

2005-12-12T09:34:00.000-06:00

When I read a book review, I do not want a book report. If I wanted to read a synopsis of the plot, I would go to the book store and look at it or go to Amazon.com and read one there. What I want to know is: Do you recommend the book and for whom? What did you like or not like about the book?

I try not to describe the book too much in my reviews and I am very sorry if that disappoints you. Actually, I am not sorry at all. The next two posts are book reviews, for your reading pleasure.

--Jane, Just the facts ma'am

Jokers to the Right

2005-12-08T21:40:00.000-06:00

The overnight ended with no significant injuries being sustained by any one party. Here are the highlights of the evening, for your reading pleasure:

Not even 30 minutes into the shift, the cops came and arrested someone right in front of our table. It was amusing. We just kept checking IDs of new people walking in as if there was not some belligerent man getting arrested. Ah, normalcy@your library.
I finally got to go down the handicap ramp on a wheeled chair, twice, and it is just as much fun as I thought it would be. There is video of this.
Just in case there is any doubt that people eat all kinds of foods in the library, regardless of a "strict" no food policy, I take pictures of the trash cans overflowing with fried rice, pizza (and we spend some time trying to figure out how a whole pizza box got past the front door), crackers, lattes, bagels, you name it, I saw it.
Trivial Pursuit the 90's gets busted out about 4 am. We surprise ourselves with our knowledge, until my fatigued brain thinks that the answer to a question must be the capitol of Japan and I am under the belief that Singapore is said capital. This is when I realize my brain is no longer properly functioning. As if this is an indication, I, sadly, do not win the game.
I got home safely and went to bed.

That's all. Not too much, not too little.

--Jane, thinking about going to bed

updated: Never blog when you are very tired. You end up using multiple verb tenses and making generally no sense whatsoever. I think I found all the weirdness in the original and fixed my mistakes.

Overnight

2005-12-07T23:47:00.000-06:00

During finals, my library is open 24 hours and the midnight to 7 shift is taken by virtuous volunteers. Tonight, I am one of those hearty souls. I took a nap this evening and I am feeling pretty good, though I ate too much pizza for dinner. I have snacks, a couple board games, and Eldest plus a couple colleagues to rabble rouse with, I mean behave appropriately with. Good times.

--Jane, won't be so perky in 7 hours

Students, Learning, and Technology

2005-12-07T15:58:00.000-06:00

I just finished reading the Educause paper entitled “ECAR Study of Students and Information Technology, 2005: Convenience, Connection, Control, and Learning” by Judith B. Caruso and Robert B. Kvavik. It is an extensive research project in which the preferences, perceptions, and use of technology among college and university students is examined.

There were many findings and comments which caught hold of my attention.

Many times throughout the paper, Caruso and Kvavik state that an instructor’s IT skill level directly effects a student’s perception of usefulness of IT in a class. This is a statement that is so logical that I think few would refute it, but then why are we not asking for instructors to be better trained in IT? Why are librarians who teach not held to some sort of standard in IT skill level? A librarian who claims to be well versed in information retrieval and yet can not present the information a student needs in the medium to which they are accustomed is not really serving their purpose as an information specialist. Finding the information a user needs is only part of the process. Delivering the information is just as important as the content of the answer.

Caruso and Kvavik also state that “undergraduates need to develop two kinds of technology skills: information literacy or fluency and the technical skills to use the tools.” Information literacy is key to our students having proper IT skills. They have to be able to find the information they need and then apply their technology skills to manipulate the information as needed. As an instruction librarian, I think information literacy is integral to a student’s success; we just need to convince our administrators that it is as important as the research suggests.

IM is a generational issue and, given the struggle so many of us have with IM in our workplaces, this could not be more true. According to the study, 93% of 18 and 19-year-olds use IM. This finding closely relates to the suggestion that technology has become a verb instead of a tool. Caruso and Kvavik cite a 2005 Oblinger and Oblinger study which found that IM’ing is a verb that is gaining popularity. It reminds me of how E-mail evolved to become, “I am going to email her.”

In the end, I conclude something many of use already know and live, that technology is a horizon issue we must face. This is just one paper, among many, that discusses the different ways that the upcoming generations are using and living with technology. One of these glorious days, the wheels that have refused to move down the path of change will either succumb to the overwhelming evidence or be replaced.

--Jane, tag this

Tuesday Bits

2005-12-06T15:31:00.000-06:00

I have a lot of little things to say, so it is bits and bits.

Welcome, Gabriella Mackenzee! New to the world as of yesterday and number 18 in the cousin line of my family. We are a rowdy bunch who loves hard and never knows when to stop drinking. Hey, we learned it from the adults.

And this link, older, but timely for a few of us, so I wanted to put it up. Plus, these guys crack me up.

Library 2.0 - I have previously written about this, but it seems to be the topic of discussion. If you are wondering what all the hub bub is about, go and read the original article from Talis that started it all here.

Mr. Rochester and I went to a dinner and silent auction on Saturday and bet whimsically on a trip to Costa Rica. We won, much to our surprise, and later (it took a awhile for me to get over the shock of actually winning), delight. I love to travel so I am very happy that next year I will be going to Scotland and Costa Rica. Awesome.

Lastly, but not leastly, and as I have nothing else to say, I present to you, the bundle of joy Mr. Rochester and I will be picking up December 23, Pullo.

World, meet Titus Pullo Smith. Pullo, meet world. Awwwwww.

I promise not to do that a lot, but I am very proud of my puppy dog. Oh, and bonus to whomever can guess where that name is from and it does not count if I have already told you. Cheaters.

--Jane, time's a'flyin'

'Til the Cows Come Home

2005-12-06T15:14:00.000-06:00

Said in a meeting in which another meeting's purpose was discussed:

We are basically having this meeting to avoid the massive calf birthing that seems to be taking place in some departments.

--Jane, moo

Time Stamps

2005-12-02T08:21:00.000-06:00

Just in case anyone noticed the unusually early time stamps, Blogger has been a bit off the past couple days. In no world or parallel universe would I get up before 6 on my day off. Unless I was a pod person, then maybe.....

--Jane, what does soylent green taste like?

p.s. ANFSCD - Did you know that Blogger does not have "Blogger" in its own spell check? Weird.

Pearls and Heels

2005-12-02T08:12:00.000-06:00

When I was in grad school, I would get up in the mornings, get a cup of coffee, and settle into the over stuffed armchair with my laptop to work or surf. Now that I am out of school, I relish the days I get to do this and today is one of those rare days. Coffee in hand, I am lounging in the study and reading the news. I love Fridays.

Oops, there is the laundry beeping. Get off your sorry butt and fold us. Off I go. Have a great weekend.

--Jane, the picture of domesticity, without the pearls

Fun with Google Maps

2005-12-02T08:10:00.000-06:00

This is a nice little post to start your Friday off right, from BOR, again. Just something to make you smile.

--Jane, grins

Really? No!

2005-12-02T08:02:00.000-06:00

The Washington Post reveals a memo which stated that Tom Delay's redistricting of Texas was against the Voting Rights Act. link via BOR

You mean Delay did something illegal, besides laundering funds for republican campaigns?! I am shocked! Outraged!

--Jane, please, we all saw this coming

p.s. Thanks to Mr. Rochester dragging me to the 'burbs, I now live in Delay's district. Oh joy.

Pez and Soccer

2005-12-01T10:04:00.000-06:00

Instead of getting ready for my 10:30 meeting with the boss-lady, I am putting grape Pez in my Emperor Pez dispenser which I got at the Star Wars nerd extravaganza a couple weeks ago. Pez is important too.

I have only been to a couple of soccer games in my life and I do not know all of the rules of the game, but I love to watch the players. They have a grace that I have not seen in any other team sport. They run and fly back forth across the field with an effortless energy I find amazing. Mr. Rochester, our friend J, and I are going to the NCAA Women's College Soccer Cup this weekend in College Station. I am looking forward to it and not just because Northgate has cheap beer.

--Jane, off work tomorrow

I Am Destroying the World

2005-11-29T10:42:00.000-06:00

Little did I know that the internet and its online "amateurism... was challeng[ing] the basis of our civilization..."

Where is the duct tape when you need it. Seriously, does anything this man says make sense anymore?

--Jane, bloggers are the devil

The Nature of the Beast

2005-11-29T09:50:00.000-06:00

I have been doing some grumping in this space about technology lately and it occurred to me this morning that I may have given my library or other large academic libraries a bad rap. I still think, and my coworkers know how I feel, that we could be moving a bit faster. I never claimed patience as one of my virtues.

Things move slowly in large institutions because there is bureaucracy and red tape; that is the nature of the beast, but there are many advantages to working at a large library. Here are a few for your perusal:

Resources - In a time when many are tightening their belts, our budget has remained mostly the same. We are in a hiring freeze, but I do not think this has seriously effected the work flow, yet. My budget for African American Studies remains the same as last year and for that I am grateful.
Staff - We have a lot of staff, librarians and paraprofessionals both. This means that I do my job and just my job. I am not in a library with only 5 librarians and doing the job of 20. I can take my time, look around, read interesting things, and explore new directions without sacrificing time from other duties. This is one of the things I love about my job.
Space - We had the means to build a shiny new building with great spaces for our students. The campus knows where we are and generally like coming here. We have collaborative classrooms with integrated technology. Our only problem now is coming to grips with the ways students use the building for different purposes than which it was invisioned, being ok with that, and creating policies that reflect our acceptance.

So it is not all bad. Yes it takes more time to implement things here because more people get a say so in the workings of the library. This is both a good and bad thing. Each beast has its own challenges and rewards. We just have to be accepting of both.

--Jane, loves the smell of reference in the morning

At Least I Have Meebo and Flickr

2005-11-28T19:16:00.000-06:00

Speaking of technology in libraries: While I want to say, "Way to go Michael and Jenny - I want my library to be like that!" I think most of us are stuck somewhere in between. Somewhere like what Rochelle describes. Most of us want to be able to dream the big dreams, but are mired in a system that keeps us in fish tanks. I wonder how long it will be before I do not hear, "What is a blog?" or "Why do we need that online stuff?"

--Jane, wonders every day

HigherEd BlogCon - Coming Soon

2005-11-28T17:14:00.000-06:00

I am working on a great new project with Meredith Farkas called HigherEd BlogCon, a conference to be held all online, which will examine the uses and effects of technology on higher education. At this moment, the wiki (which the link above takes you to) is our planning area and general work in progress.

Meredith and I will be working on the Library and Information Resources Section, but other areas include faculty blogging, web sites and web development, student life, PR marketing and development, and teaching. The call for papers and presenters will go out soon, so keep your eyes and ears open. I love two things about this project:

I think it is a good thing (and about time) that multiple people from different backgrounds and campus situations, sit down and talk about how technology is effecting how we educate our society.
It is fabulous that we are using the technology to talk about the technology! We are planning on a wiki and the conference will be on a blog. That is just cool.

If you want more information, you can visit our planning site or Meredith's post about the conference. Suggestions and discussion are welcome.

--Jane, hears the Coors Lite "wingman" commercial song in my head now

Gobble Bits

2005-11-28T17:00:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a great holiday.

My favorite thing about Thanksgiving this year: Texas A&M gave t.u. a run for their money and I am very proud of my team.

My least favorite thing: I just needed one unscheduled day!

Now, I am back to work, thinking big thoughts regarding technology in libraries and how it buoys us up or drags us under.

--Jane, holding onto the life preserver

What Version Are You?

2005-11-22T15:43:00.000-06:00

I have been trying to read an article about how to properly use SWOT analysis for strategic planning. It is so riveting that I have been alternately staring off into space and checking my various email accounts. My library is beginning a strategic planning phase and I am on the Steering Committee. Strategery! I am hoping that we can address some technology concerns in our planning process, so I sent the committee the Library 2.0 paper and surrounding discussion, which I mentioned Sunday.

Since Sunday, I have been thinking quite a bit about Library and Librarian 2.0. This discussion reminds me of a similar theme, the Blended Librarian, first discussed by Steven J. Bell and John Shank. While I agree with many of the ideas behind being a "blended librarian," I take issue with the term, because when I read the definition of what a blended librarian is I think that is what all librarians all should be. Here is the definition from the web site:

An academic librarian who combines the traditional skill set of librarianship with the information technologist's hardware/software skills, and the instructional or educational designer's ability to apply technology appropriately in the teaching-learning process.

Should not all librarians:

understand instructional design
have good technology skills
understand how technology can enhance resources and research
help professors integrate information literacy into their courses
promote integration of the library into the learning process

I do not think we need a fancy name. We already have a name, librarian. I think Library 2.0 is a different sort of concept, since it has more to do with collaborative software and how the library, not the librarian, interacts with the public. But if I were to define Librarian 2.0 it would go something like the following:

A Librarian 2.0 would:

understand and use disruptive technologies
recognize that the library has no walls, physical or otherwise, if information is truly to be free
work to reach users where and when the PON (point of need) occurs
work to educate coworkers and the public on different uses of communication and collaboration software

Very soon though, I think we should all be Librarian 2.0s. We will have to be for our users to find us useful at all. Then we will not need a fancy name like Library or Librarian 2.0. We will just be the Library in which there are Librarians.

What would you add to the list?

--Jane, a Jane by any other name...

For more information on the blended librarian, see the following:

Bell, Steven J. and John Shank. "The Blended Librarian: A Blueprint for Redifining the Teaching and Learning Role of Academic Librarians." College and Research Libraries News 65 7: 372-375.

+6 Intelligence

2005-11-22T14:32:00.000-06:00

I made mine on Sunday. Check out the others posted on Flickr. Than, go and make your own.

Steven Cohen wants the group to reach 200 and it is now at 68.

-Jane, looks around

She's a witch!

2005-11-22T14:10:00.000-06:00

Rick the Librarian has me cracking up today with his IM Shorthand for Monty Python. I added a few - go add your favorites.

--Jane, burn her!

Dead Elephants

2005-11-21T18:00:00.000-06:00

This post will mean very little to non-aggies.

I was IMing my brother (thank you Meebo) and I realized that he is a junior at A&M this year. Which means E-Walk. Which means I am really freakin old. I am what people call an "old ag," a "dead elephant."

--Jane, Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2001... and old

Fins to the left, Governors to the right

2005-11-20T18:24:00.000-06:00

Well now that Kinky Friedman has Jimmy Buffet's endorsement, there is no way that he could not win his bid for Texas Governor.

--Jane, chew a little juicy fruit

Librarian 2.0

2005-11-20T17:13:00.000-06:00

This Talis paper, "Do Libraries Matter? The Rise of Library 2.0" by Ken Chad and Paul Miller could not have better timing or more relevance to what has been on my mind lately. Technology and the way in which libraries do and do not use it has been swirling in my brain and adding frustration to my heart of late. Michael Stephens has some wonderful reflections on the implication and implementation of Chad and Miller's ideas.

I want to run forward into the changes that technology has wrought even as the institutional chains tangle around my feet. Change often only requires one person with a voice and I am a loud talker.

--Jane, change is good. everyone inhale and exhale slowly.

My trading card

2005-11-20T16:05:00.000-06:00

My trading card
Originally uploaded by Wandering Eyre.

Lemonade

2005-11-18T18:39:00.000-06:00

Sometimes the way life works makes me grin like a fool. A fool! Meredith Farkas gets a huge hug from me for making my weekend start off right. More on that later. I am going home to celebrate great weather, a new project, girls' night on Saturday, and dress shopping tomorrow morning. Have a fabby weekend.

--Jane, bring on the martinis

IM me. Oh wait, we do not do that here.

2005-11-16T15:08:00.000-06:00

Karen G. Schneider has a post on a subject that I have been seeing a lot of and thinking of recently: IM Reference and IM in libraries. I have been thinking about it because my library's new web developer, and my technology partner in crime, asked me last week why we do not have IM. It is blocked on the staff computers and we do not do chat reference. I sighed heavily and told her that was a conversation best had over drinks, but I also told her to ask someone else at the library to see their reaction. I usually get laughter and a "that's just a fad, waste of money, waste of time, or all new librarians think that is important but you will soon learn to be pessimists like us" explanation.

This reaction upsets me on two levels.

First, the laughter and the pessimism. New ideas that help our patrons are funny and easily dismissed? Because I am young and an optimist, librarianship will eventually suck out my will to be a good person who helps others? While public service can wear down the love for humanity at times, the day I start to dread helping people find what they need is the day I find another job. If you are unhappy, do something else for Pete's sake. Stop making the rest of us look like jerks.

Second, the idea that VR or IM is just a fad. A fad? I think this idea stems from the idiotic way libraries started doing VR and IM. Namely, they went out and spent thousands of dollars on programs and interfaces that required our patrons to use special software when there is software that works already out there. For free. It is the age old problem of libraries trying to make things more difficult than they really need to be.

Yes, VR failed in the beginning because we went about it the wrong way. Let's be smart about how we implement things and not reinvent the wheel every time we get in the car.

As a profession, we need to get over the idea that IM is bad, that it is going to go away, and that it is not useful. This is about reaching our users in the formats they are already using. It is about using technology smartly and efficiently. It is about getting our heads out of the sand and looking around at how our users are actually using our technology and our spaces and adapting. It is about us adapting to them, not forcing them to adhere to rules and policies that no longer make sense.

Ok, I sense more soap box coming. I'll save the policies thing for another day.

--Jane, has Google Talk on her computer "illegally"

We Are Three

2005-11-15T10:42:00.000-06:00

Mr. Rochester and I have been on a waiting list for a mastiff puppy. I recieved an email this morning telling us that the babies have finally been born. Yay! Of course we will not get our boy until January, but I am very excited. I danced in M's office this morning.

I promise I will not be one of those people who posts pictures of their pets all the time. Well, maybe just one.

--Jane, fabby fab fab

Your Borders Have Expanded

2005-11-14T20:21:00.000-06:00

I think it is a sign of my nerdiness or my lack of life, but the song stuck in my head is the theme song for Civilization IV.

--Jane, the people demand a cathedral

Color Me Not Surprised

2005-11-14T10:11:00.000-06:00

Yet another reason I think Fox Sucks.

--Jane, damn you Fox and the WB

Demotivators

2005-11-13T00:01:00.000-06:00

I know it is Saturday night and I should be drinking myself to sleep or at least nursing my wounds from the terrible football game I watched earlier today, but I have a headache (still!) and I am bent on making it worse by drifting aimlessly around on my computer.

This is for Mr. Rochester because incompetence is his pet peeve and this is one of mine.

--Jane, enough of this, Civ is calling

Reflections On One Year

2005-11-12T23:45:00.000-06:00

In my post regarding my one year anniversary, Rick the Librarian asked me what I have learned, what has changed, and if my expectations were upheld. Work and Life have been eating away my fun time, soon I will be back to loafing around, but I decided that Rick the LibrarianÂs questions merited an answer a la post.

I have learned that the voice you start out with may not be what you end up with in the end, or the middle for that matter. I started out with no clear purpose and, though I still stray to many topics, my purpose has changed. I have found my stride and my voice. In real life, I am a nice person who always smiles and only says out loud the snide remarks in my head about half the time. Here, in this space, I am often snide, sarcastic, and I tell the truth as I see it in a snarky way. In real life I still tell the truth about my opinions, but I am a bit more judicious.

What has changed is that I no longer really care if people know who I am in real life. I have been "outed" by my dean and it is no secret at work that I blog. I have not given up Jane because she keeps me honest and makes me laugh. Jane will be with me for a very long time.

I had no expectations from the beginning so all the joy I have gotten from this exploration have been a surprise and delight.

And for a bonus: I blog because I have to write something. I have to empty my thoughts on paper or they may one day drown me in the swirl of their demanding voices. By committing my words to paper, I give them life and free myself.

--Jane, tra la la

Do the Technology

2005-11-10T13:10:00.000-06:00

I co-taught a class with our new instruction librarian on Tuesday. Today she is on her own downstairs, but I am sure she is doing a great job. Where I am a great spaziod once I get in front of a class, she is the essence of calm. A very interesting thing happened in our class Tuesday.

We were teaching a freshman English Composition class at 7 am (seriously, 7am) and we started the class talking about how to start research using brainstorming for synonyms and mapping out Boolean search strings. One of the words they had to find synonyms for was “technology.” I was thinking of things like computer, the internet, and cell phones. The class did say those things, eventually, but what they said first was communication and convenience.

These students, about 8 years younger than myself, think of what they do with technology as opposed to the object of technology. Their attitudes are completely different than what I expected. I think of things. They thought of actions. Technology is so seamless in their lives that it has become a verb for them. Technology is a thing they do not an object they manipulate.

This concept has implications in the way we approach teaching for this generation. We have to focus on their actions. They are a generation of multi-taskers. They are doers. We should plan learning for them as an action and not a passive sport. This is a prime example of why active learning is important for teaching information literacy.

--Jane, is a verb

Belated

2005-11-10T12:42:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to Wandering Eyre! I have been torturing you for a year now. Why are you still reading this?

My first post was November 5, 2004.

--Jane, blah, blah , blah

Risky

2005-11-10T12:12:00.000-06:00

It is dangerous to play Risk with me because I get very competitive and cranky. Mr. Rochester sent this link to me this morning. It is Risk using Google. World domination here I come.

--Jane, attacking from the north

Monday Monday, so good to me...

2005-11-07T12:41:00.000-06:00

My weekend was filled with anxiety about parental behavior, good food, lots of house cleaning, way too much wine, a winery tour, and book club (in no particular order). All in all, it was fabulous and I am pretty sure I had a better weekend than these people. Arg! Pirates!

I got into work today, thinking I had all this time to plan for a class, but I just realized I am booked solid for the rest of the day. It is definitely Monday. I guess I will have to make my outline at the desk this afternoon. Here's to hoping it is not too busy today and I will be able to get my thoughts onto paper.

--Jane, hi ho, hi ho

Suffering

2005-11-04T18:24:00.000-06:00

Mr. Rochester will shortly be suffering from a severe case of patroiophobia due to the fact that we will be spending all weekend with his parents.

Have a great weekend all. Sleep, drink, and eat.

--Jane, where is that wine?

Survey This

2005-11-04T14:27:00.000-06:00

Michael Stephens is doing a pre-research survey on the LISbiblioblogoshere. He is a nice guy, so if you are a librarian who blogs, fill out the survey.

--Jane, q&a

Book Review: The Time Traveler's Wife

2005-11-04T12:11:00.000-06:00

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is a wonderful story told by Henry, who suffers from Chrono-displacement, and his wife, Clare. Niffenegger examines what would happen if you could travel back and forth in time, revisiting parts of your life, and visiting yourself, through the years surrounding your existence. The humor and danger inherent in these trips leads the main character, Henry, to question the flow of time and the way life progresses.

This book is good for one main reason: characters. These are people that you understand from the first page, chracters that suck you in and linger in your mind. Clare and Henry tell the story, of their lives, of each other, and of themselves in a way that makes them tangible. You feel their triumphs and pain. It is compelling because it is heart rendering in the way that only real life can be. The reader knows that there has to be some tragic ending, some mountains are too high to pass, in the story of Henry and Clare. Niffenegger gives clues throughout the narrative of what the mountain will be, but the appearance of the obstacle still wrenched my heart.

I was reading this book during one of my evening desk shifts, but I had to put it down eventually because no one will ask you questions if you are sobbing over a book.

This book has been highly recommended by many and now I know why. Definitely a good read.

--Jane, loves a good book

Collapsed Boxes

2005-11-03T16:39:00.000-06:00

Everything is unpacked except the kitchen. It is a good feeling, as if I actually live there now instead of visiting on the weekends. Even with a stool, I can barely reach the top shelf in the kitchen cabinets, let alone into them, so Mr. R will be helping with with that tonight. Poor man. He must really love me.

For two nights in a row we have stayed up playing Civ. Tonight we are going on hiatus to get some things done around the house. Oh, and sleep at a normal time.

Next substantial post, as in something other than ME!, will be a short review of The Time Traveler's Wife, which I just finished.

--Jane, working, working

Leisure

2005-11-02T09:25:00.000-06:00

I am home from work today taking a "mental health day." Translated to , "If I do no get all these boxes unpacked before my future in-laws get here, I might kill myself if Mr. Rochester does not do me in first."

I plan to unplug from the computer, lovingly unpack my books (which I miss when they are away), drink coffee in my pjs, and catch up on all my TiVoed Gilmore Girls from the past month. Hooray!

Last night, Mr. R and I played the tutorial for Civ IV and WOW. All the upgrades for this version are great. I can't wait to play against him tonight for real even if he will kick my sorry arse all over the globe.

True geek love: Mr. R went to buy Civ IV for himself last night and brought me home a surprise: really nice headphones with an attached microphone for game playing. I knew I was marrying him for a reason.

--Jane, those boxes are callin' my name

"Money, it's a gas"

2005-11-01T15:35:00.000-06:00

Good conversations going on in the LISBlogosphere today. Meredith talks about why the community can be a good thing, even if it appears intimidating at first. LiB puts the community to work and opens up a discussion that is near and dear to many of us. That being of course, why librarians get paid absolute crap. Do not be afraid of that word Sarah! It Is C-R-A-P!

I can only echo what has been said over in LiB's comments. Why do librarians get paid so little? Why does the ALA still pretend like there is a shortage of librarians? Why doesn't the ALA fight for us? Why do I make less than a public school teacher with less education than I have under my belt? Am I not valuable?

It seems that much of my thoughts have turned to the price of things lately: schools, libraries, librarians, education, war... the list could go on.

We value the things we pay for and we show our morals both by how we choose to spend our time and to whom we give money. As the old saying goes, "Put your money where your mouth is." I will point to the obvious example of our governments, both federal and local. What do your representatives spend your money on? What is ALA spending our money on?

--Jane, what do you value?

Waiting for Me

2005-11-01T09:53:00.000-06:00

At home, on my computer, is Civilization IV. Waiting for me. By the time I get home tonight, Mr. R will be playing his own version and we will stay up late wallowing in Sid Meier's creation.

--Jane, polytheism or monotheism?

Flashy!

2005-10-31T17:10:00.000-06:00

MPOW was lucky enough to snag this wonderful lady and lure her to our library, despite the heat and humidity. She survived being my roommate for LITA and decided to give it another go for Midwinter, so I think it is safe to say we are friends.

I was not fortunate enough to go to The Internet Librarian conference, where speakers got cool calculators, but Karen brought me back a pen that lights up three different ways. Seriously, what more could a person want?

--Jane, All Hallows Eve

Queen for a Day

2005-10-31T13:49:00.000-06:00

Like my friend:

Which of Henry VIII's wives are you?
this quiz was made by Lori Fury

--Jane, "I'm Henry the 8th, I am, I am"

New Nominee

2005-10-31T13:33:00.000-06:00

Really, the only thing that will make me feel better about this is if I was really, really drunk. Thanks to Wonkette, there is a drinking game to match my mood:

Every time you hear "unlike Harriet Miers," take a sip. Every time you hear "in contrast to Harriet Miers," do a shot. Every time you hear "more judicial experience in his pinkie than Harriet Miers has in her whole stooped and shriveled body," pound yourself in the forehead with a copy of Casey v. Planned Parenthood.

--Jane, who wants a Flaming Dr. Pepper?

Boo!

2005-10-31T11:49:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween!

I am dressed as Kaylee Frye, mechanic extraordinaire. One of my partners in crime is dressed as our library dean, complete with suit, hose, and jewelry. Trick or treat.

--Jane, smell my feet

Politics, Money, and ALA

2005-10-28T15:00:00.000-05:00

Karen G. Schneider is one of my favorite bloggers and one of my favorite people. I love to hear her talk and to discuss all those things that make being a librarian fun, interesting, and frustrating. Today, she has written a very good post on ALA, the Iraq Resolution, and politics.

We are lucky to be in a profession where what we do forces us to think about fundamental issues such as what a government should do with its resources and what rights and services people are entitled to as people. As librarians, it is also doubly meaningful when we raise the B.S. flag on a national policy.

I have to admit that I have been conflicted about ALA releasing these kinds of resolutions. ALA represents many different kinds of librarians and there are some of us that support the Patriot Act and our current administrations policies. I will say up front that I am not one of those, but I do respect that we all have a right to our opinions.

Karen is right when she says that librarians are the the people who stand up for those who are unable to make their voice rise above the crowd, but I wonder how hard it would be for me to support the resolution if it was against something I beleived in. I still have some mixed feelings, that are hard to put into tangible sentences.

What drives it home for me is a point that Karen makes, drawing the link between all our resources being in Iraq and having nothing at home when Katrina hit. Or when Rita came ashore. Or when libraries started closing and reducing hours because they could not longer pay their staff or afford their buildings. What does it really say about us as a culture that our libraries are closing, schools can not pay their electric bills, and we send troops into battle without all the proper gear?

--Jane, what indeed

Today, Friday the 28th of October 2005

2005-10-28T14:34:00.000-05:00

Reasons why today has been "interesting":

I woke up this morning with a lingering migraine, lovely
Because of the above I skipped my morning coffee, Arg!
I thought the class I was teaching at 11 was at 10 and thus started freaking out when no one showed up, only to check my schedule and realize they wouldn't be here for another hour
The class came and all was well... until I misspelled beauty three times in a search and forgot how to spell raisin (did I mention the headache) but they laughed and that I can handle
I feel like I am trailing my head around on a string; it is always about 3 seconds behind the rest of me resulting in the above hilarity
I still have a meeting with faculty, a desk shift, and a student coming for help - I am unsure of how functional I am for any of that

The reason why none of the above matters:
While helping a student one on one after class, she recited a poem for me as we discussed the genius of Maya Angelou. I love my job.

--Jane, headless or no, today will be ok

p.s. In my first draft of this, I misspelled misspell.

It's not Friday yet? (in whiney voice)

2005-10-27T14:37:00.000-05:00

I do not claim to be an Astros "fan" but I do try to support my hometown team. I am sad we lost, but proud that we advanced farther than we ever have before. I watched the game at a nice venue downtown called Pub fiction which had great happy hour specials ($6 pitchers!) and good food.

Today has been a blur of preparing for classes, a meeting with graduate students who were unsure about research, a meeting with the boss lady, and a hastily eaten lunch. Geez, I just looked at the clock and it is barely past noon. I still have a desk shift to survive, so if you do not hear from me in a couple of days, send out a search party. I will be the pile of exhaustion stuffed behind the printer with a jam in "the bad place."

--Jane, duck and cover

Dear Jesus

2005-10-25T15:04:00.000-05:00

Well now that Ann Rice is on our side, we are sure to win millions for Christ.

"I promised," she says, "that from now on I would write only for the Lord."

Does that mean that only the Lord has to read them because much of Christian fiction makes me ill.

--Jane, hey, maybe Jesus likes vampire stories

Is this really worth money?

2005-10-25T11:38:00.000-05:00

Seriously, what are they basing this on?

My blog is worth $13,548.96.
How much is your blog worth?

The level of sillyness?

--Jane, is silly

In Memoriam

2005-10-25T09:40:00.000-05:00

Rosa Parks who showed us that we can fight for what we believe in simple and dignified ways.

--Jane, thank you for the legacy

Carnival #12

2005-10-24T17:15:00.000-05:00

The carnival cruises on. Click here for some excellent reading.

--Jane, cotton candy

Same Sex Politics in Texas

2005-10-24T13:02:00.000-05:00

If you want to know what is going on in Texas politics for the next couple of weeks, BOR has a roundup of some of the arguments going on around HJR 6/Prop. 2 on the ballot November 8th. The Proposition would make an amendment to the Texas Constitution banning same sex marriage.
I will be interested to see how this plays out in my very conservative home state. I have had my head in the dirt the past few weeks and thus have not changed my voter registration to my new address. I will, therefore, be unable to add my vote against Prop. 2. I hope that enough people see reason and it does not pass.

--Jane, only time will tell

Monday Bits

2005-10-24T11:42:00.000-05:00

Blogger is being a bit wonky this morning so I have no idea when this will actually get posted.

Things going on this morning:

Note to self: overmedicating on cold medicine and then drinking coffee is a bad idea. Yes, your nose will no longer flow, but your head will be floating somewhere near the ceiling and your stomach will be near your feet. Very bad way to start the day and it does not help your already poor typing skills.

I completely forgot (thanks for the reminder Slate), that the sixth book in the Outlander series comes out tomorrow. A Breath of Snow and Ashes has made the New York Times Best Seller List in presales.

The government has given TV Broadcasters until 2009 to switch over to the HD format and they are throwing in $3 billion dollars to help people covert old antennae TVs to accept the HD signal. According to this article on Gamespot, there is an estimated 72 million people who still use rabbit ears to watch TV.

I knew this was coming, but I did not know that older TVs would not accept the HD signal. This problem makes this transition into a class struggle since poor people may not be able to convert older TVs. Will the $3 billion dollars go to the people who need it or will millions of citizens be without reality TV?

One last thing. I think winter may have actually arrived as it was in the 40s this morning. Thank the Lord for small things.

--Jane, floaty

NOLA Here We Come

2005-10-21T18:21:00.000-05:00

It looks like we will be having Annual in New Orleans after all.

--Jane, will be there

Gazing Out the Window

2005-10-21T15:36:00.000-05:00

Seriously, I swear I have been working, but it is nice outside and it is Friday.

I am on my way to Dallas for the weekend for a friend's wedding. I loved living in Dallas, if for nothing else than because the humidity was lower and my hair was semi-normal looking.

--Jane, wishing everyone a fun weekend

What are you doing?

2005-10-21T14:36:00.000-05:00

The flurry of productiveness that grabbed me yesterday must have dissipated because I spent most of the morning playing with this website and its tagging features. At 43 Things, you can make a list of things you want to do in your life, places you want to go, or things you are consuming. Those of you reading this blog the old fashioned way may have noticed my links disappeared, only to be replaced by things I am consuming at the moment. After adding an entry, you can add tags or a message about the item. You can give people advice on their goal or give them a "cheer" if you think it is a good idea.

I like seeing how other people discuss their hopes and the way that tagging is used on different entries. I love words and the various ways we use them. I am entranced by the tidbits of life we leave behind every place we visit, in person or on the web, that give clues as to who we are and what is on our hearts.

--Jane, back to work young lady

Civilized

2005-10-20T12:34:00.000-05:00

My goal was to unpack everything by the end of the month. I have a feeling that it may not get done. Why, you ask? Because Mr. Rochester gave me this for my birthday and it will be arriving on my doorstep October 25th.

--Jane, your city revolts

'Bout Time I Say

2005-10-20T11:38:00.000-05:00

I would remiss if I did not say something about this...

Way to go Astros!

This morning as I got into my car, at 6:30 am, Sam Malone on 96.5 was talking to revelers down on Main Street who were still drinking and celebrating. Don't those people have to work?

--Jane, working

Teaching Information and Research

2005-10-19T12:07:00.000-05:00

This weekend Mr. Rochester and I attended A&M’s football game in which we soundly defeated Oklahoma State. I am like a small child when it comes to large stores or crowds; one has to keep a grip on me or I will wander towards the first shiny thing I see. Given this propensity, Mr. Rochester usually ends up dragging me Quiet Man style through the crowds.

It occurred to me this weekend that instruction sometimes feels like that, as if we have a firm grip on our students’ arms and we are dragging them through the maze of library databases and catalogs or maybe that is just how I feel after teaching 7 sessions in one week.

I have previously made my feelings known about OPACs, so I will not bore you again, but I will explain why I feel I am pulling a class harshly through the research process.

Sometimes the class comes to us and they are not working on a particular assignment. The professor or TA just happened to have that day open and the instruction will correlate with nothing the students are actually doing at the time. They may listen dutifully, but they will forget most of it the minute they walk out the door. Why should they remember how to find articles if they do not need articles for the 5 assignments they have due this week. They are more worried about the immediate than the later and I can not fault them for that.

The other problem is time. We simply do not have enough time with the students. In a student’s entire college career, they will be lucky if they have a single one hour session on library research. In that one hour, we have to choose what topics are the most important. Choosing a database? Finding articles? Using the catalog? Finding books in the library? Finding an article from a citation? Plagiarism? Evaluating resources? Effective web searching? Proper citations? The list could go on much longer.

So we choose a couple things and then drag them through the resources. I know that these one hour sessions are better than no sessions at all. I know that some of the students walk out at least remembering where to go when they need help. I hope that they leave feeling like they can ask for the help they need.

I wish that more colleges and universities valued research among their students as much as they pretend to and give lip service to the idea. For the future, I wish that more institutions will understand and support the role of library instruction as a foundation for students’ success.

--Jane, is glad the flurry of classes is over... for now