Day in the Life, opus 7*

753 am: Arrive at the FLP, Philbrick Hall.  My ID badge gave up the ghost yesterday, so I can't get into my office.  I worked the Hold Pickup list from the Ref desk, and then realized that the Ref desk printer is bolloxed up, so in a flash of brilliance I sent the job to the Circulation desk.  Short list today, only 7 pages (about 50 items), including one in Russian.  Let's see, the last time that circulated was 2007? Likely it isn't there...

It wasn't--as were a number of items on the list today.  Some days are like that.  I gathered the materials I could find, grabbed a small cart, and put it in its usual place outside my office.

830 am: The teen librarian arrived.  I gave her the choice of "upstairs" (fiction novels) or "downstairs" (romance, mystery, teen, large print--kind of the "mop-up" of the department.  She took downstairs, as she's a little under the weather.

9:00 am: finished my end of the pickup list--dvds, audiobooks, new items (referred to as "MacNaughtons") and waited on my first patrons, both of which needed interlibrary loan assistance.

Interlibrary loan has always been a source of fascination for me.  Where do the items come from? We're in the Northeast Corridor, but items come from as far away as Anchorage Alaska and as close as the Philadelphia Horticultural Society and the local colleges. In addition to books, we get requests for microfiche copies of genealogical records (most recently from the PA State Library), sheet music and recordings, and--in my first week there--engineering specifications for a Phillips screwdriver (those came from Penn State). Our patrons have a dizzying array of needs and interests, and Sandy, Steve, and the crew do their best to accommodate people

10:30 am: Finished my reference shift and returned to slogging through the DVD donations.

12:00 noon: Lunch from Cho Cho San--Shrimp lo mein, egg roll, wanton soup.  Tasty and relatively cheap (it's an expensive yuppie neighborhood, complete with Whole Foods)

1:00 pm: Our teen librarian went home ill so I'm back on the desk.  Phone call from one of our patrons who thinks we're all his personal librarians:

"I know you're new and all that...".
<<<Cringing inwardly...
"Can you renew my one movie (out of 10) for Monday?"

I explain to him our policy (he's well aware of it) about not renewing any items with holds, and that I'm not going to make an exception for him at any time.  He keeps one of our ILL staffers going constantly for obscure movies and tends to treat the rest of us like his minions.

2:00 pm: I head down to the ground floor security office to get my new ID. They print it off for me and I leave.  Works on the elevators and for the rest room--but--not for the offices and workrooms in my department. @#$@#%@#$!!! I went through this with my first ID

3:30 pm:  AF calls with a question on his Interlibrary loan--but starts by telling me that the direct line to ILL doesn't work any more (not true) and that he wants me to process his requests. He gave me his library card #, then I asked for his PIN.

"Never had one" (not true).
Found the PIN and continued where I found out that I couldn't process his request because he was at his limit (and I was getting close to the limit of my patience).  He hotly disputed it and proceeded to yell at me. He took it as a personal insult when I put him on hold or attempted to transfer him.  I finally contacted our ILL saint and she called him.

4:38 pm: Our boss (the patron for whom we're personal assistants) is here over my shoulder but not paying attention to me as I type, Thank God.  Going home in 20 minutes and not a moment too soon.

*--John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967.

O Danny Boy: Welcome Ireland!

Welcome to Ireland, country #63 on our countdown.

Continuing with DVD processing today. Cheers.

*--traditional Irish folk song

Language of Love*: Weeding in the Secret Garden

Welcome to my readers in Estonia heard from this week! As always feel free to comment, agree, disagree, throw brownies, etc.

I was handed a new project today: Weeding world language titles! Happy Happy Joy Joy!!!

I made the mistake of telling my supervisor I wasn't busy enough, so now I have the task of going through the foreign language collection, title by title, and checking for condition, circulation numbers, and value to the collection at large.  Never mind my last French class was during the first term of the Reagan administration.  The collection also houses titles in Spanish, Italian, Russian, German, Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese.

<<<Putting on "patience of Job" hat...

My supervisor says that it's something I can work on a shelf at a time, and that's good, because I'm imagining that this will not be a quick and easy process.  I'll keep you posted.

Onward...

UPDATE: I've finished most of the German-language collection and of the ~200 books in that collection, only three have circulated in the past twelve months.  The others that passed muster for weeding were either by major authors (Hermann Hesse), Nobel prize winners, or whose authors were prolific or members of an important writer's group.  I'm guessing that I've weeded a little over 50% of the total titles. 3/27/2017

*--Dan Fogelberg, Windows and Walls, 1984.

La Bonne Cuisine, part 2: My visit to the Culinary Literacy Center at the Free Library of Philadelphia

Welcome Latvia (#59) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (#60)! Don't be a stranger! Comment early and often!.

Large number of readers this week, especially from the United States, still no comments.  Makes me wonder about how my blog gets used or read or if it gets read at all.  Personally I think my blog is a gateway to another dimension, but that's just me.

Had a great time today  at the Culinary Literacy Center of the Free Library of Philadelphia.  Made a tasty Indian chickpea stew along with my classmates.  I chopped onions (weep, sniffle) and my hand (OUCH!).  Seriously, the cut didn't start bleeding till after I'd stopped chopping, so no blood in the masala, thank God.  I think all libraries should have a working kitchen like this one. I've seen rural and small town libraries that weren't as big as this kitchen. It's huuuuuuge, with commercial-grade ovens, grills, stoves, and stainless steel from floor to ceiling--and cleaner than any commercial kitchen I've seen.

So I'll end this post with what they started with today--what is culinary literacy?  It would appear that there's no industry standard yet, so perhaps the FLP is on the leading edge of programming for this concept in the U.S.  What do you think?

--*Leonard Bernstein, composer, 1947. Full title: "La Bonne Cuisine: Four Recipes for Voice and Piano".

What's New*: Another sea change in Scouting?

I'm reading about and listening to the kerfuffle about Scouting USA allowing girls who "identify as boys" to join Cub Scouts.  I think they could solve the whole problem--or at least minimize the impact--by making Boy Scouts fully co-ed, from top to bottom.  There's no shortage of female leaders in Scouting already, why not add female Scouts as well?  Scouting in most of the rest of the world is fully co-ed, and it's time that Scouting USA follows suit.

I'm the father of an Eagle Scout, and proud of my son.  His accomplishments thus far in life, including achieving Eagle, would not be minimized by girls being allowed to do what he did.

Obstinate parents who insist on putting their son in an all-male group can join Trail Mix Life USA, although I think those who do miss one of the salient points of Scouting organizations--to learn about and work with and come together as one stronger body with those who are different than you. That's a challenge, and one that American Scouting is up to--I hope.

*Bob Haggart (music), 1938 (originally entitled I'm Free); Johnny Burke (lyrics), 1939

One Step Up*, redux

I was just reminiscing with my supervisor about Betamax vs. VHS format with the same nostalgic bent as my father used to talk about life on the farm and gasoline at 12 cents a gallon. Plus ca change...

*--Bruce Springsteen, Tunnel of Love, 1987.

Same Old Auld Lang Syne*, redux

Just had my first evaluation for work. Not great, but not awful either--and totally fair and honest.  The one significant glitch notwithstanding, one thing I've appreciated about my new place of employment is the professional way HR is handled here. Can't say the same about other places.

Take more notes, don't forget so much stuff.  They DO love my approach to customer service--unlike a former employer of mine who referred to my skills as "primitive" (This from a man who wouldn't hire African Americans--but I should have expected as much being in York PA as I was then).

Don't fall asleep in public view. My words, not theirs...zzzzzzzz... My health issues jumping up and biting me.

Had a note on my desk when I came in this morning--"Never Give In: Never Surrender 2016)"  I was about to chalk it up to an anonymous message of encouragement, but then realized that it was a film title request for our upcoming Midwest Tape order. Six copies ordered.

One more gig for the year at First Presbyterian Church of Ambler PA on Christmas Eve.  This year hasn't been as good for singing--fewer Masses at Annunciation BVM, but more playing, I think. Three different versions of Leroy Anderson's "A Christmas Festival" is enough.

Here's to a blessed, eventful, Spirit-led 2017.

Onward.
Cheers.

*--Dan Fogelberg, The Innocent Age, 1981.