Same Old Argument...

I have a confession. I HATE it when people claim that a library "in the day and age of the internet" is useless. Pointless. Outdated. Dead.

This especially bothers me when an article is written touting that libraries are useless, pointless, outdated, and dead when the writer of that article admits to never having set foot in one.... 

Really?

I came across this amazing blog post by Ingrid Henny Abrams. She addresses this article with such fervor that I wanted to jump up and yell "Amen!" Must we scream our message from the tops of buildings to get the point across? We can't do it by ourselves. Ingrid brings up a valuable point that this type of article gets out there, yet where are our patrons? We need you! We need you to advocate just as loudly for libraries as those who are against libraries. Better yet, we can do this together.

As a side note, this woman's wardrobe is awesome! I wonder if I could get away with pink hair at  the library....that would be keen....

Overdue! Blog post, that is....

Pardon the library humour. I intended to keep up with this blog daily when I started out. Sadly, this has not been the case....nor will it be in the future. I have been, to quote Maurice Moss, a "busy Miss Lizzy". I will endeavor to post as often as I can however.

Cataloguing has been the bulk of my work at Wichita State University's Ablah Library. Manipulating records to increase findability is fascinating work. This is really the first time I have had the chance to perform subject analysis, albeit very little since most of it is copy cataloguing, but I have been able to add fields, other than subject headings at this point, to give patrons more access points for their searches. I have split my time between books for the regular collection and rare books in Special Collections. The latter has been my favourite focus. When I met with the curator of Special Collections, I knew we would get along well, and I can't wait to start working with her. From my CV, she knows that I have an appreciation and love for medieval and Renaissance topics, so she pulled out a copy of Fragmenta Regalia from 1641 for me to see. I actually got to, very carefully, peruse the pages. It's a beautiful book.

From working on the rare books collection last week, I have come across a number of treasures. One of the perks of the job was that I discovered the artist, Rockwell Kent. I have undoubtedly come across his work at some point in my life, as his style is very recognizable, but now I can put a name to the pieces. There is a donor who has gifted the Library with books containing illustrations by Rockwell Kent. Here is the link from the Archives of American Art for more information.

As a side note, there are pieces of equipment behind the scenes in Special Collections that each have pictures of the Marx brothers attached to them. I have no idea what they do, they are all identical, but apparently the "bad one" is in the back. That, of course, is Groucho.

I. Love. My. Job.

Today is day 2 as the Metadata and Digital Initiatives Librarian at Wichita State's Ablah Library. I've got a better grasp of what is expected of me, and I can't wait to get my hands dirty.

I didn't expect too much as far as cataloguing, but I will get to do quite a bit. When I started on my masters degree, I never thought that I would want to get into the cataloguing part of the job. I focused a lot on more I(nstitutional) R(epository) type of stuff. At first I was terrified at the thought of being let loose in the realm of the Catalogue. However, I have a lot of support to help me along the way, so I feel less apprehensive and much more ready for the new skill set that I will be taking on in the morning.

For now, I leave you with BlöödHag's 'Ray Bradbury'. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4ul-AWTCkM

Finally Settling In...

Just a quick update: Art and I made it to Wichita, KS last Friday with the help of his father, Clair, and brother, Andrew, and the Gas Money Faery (a big thanks to all of you!!!!). Getting through the maze that is Ikea in three hours was nothing to what we ran into in Rawlins, WY. Snowstorm Yogi...what a name. It was a harrowing trip through that state, but as soon as we hit Nebraska, it was absolutely gorgeous: lush, green farmland and rolling hills. It was the same entering Kansas. We passed Lindsborg, otherwise known as Little Sweden. We are definitely going back there at some point. 

The townhouse and the management office thereof are amazing. I will post photos when we have the place set up the way we like it.

I'll post again very soon. For now, I leave you with this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OGWrHkzpXc

This is a nice hotel....

 

...but the Internet's kinda slow.

Traveling Adventures

Hello, dear readers. I'm writing this in the banquet room of the hotel Andrew, Clair, Art, and I will be staying in this evening...and possibly tomorrow...only time will tell.

The roads from Sinclair, WY all the way to Cheyenne were closed yesterday due to winter storm Yogi. What a name....if we'd only brought our pic-a-nic basket maybe we could have appeased it. We turned around and head back to Rawlins. I'm pretty sure we ended up getting the last two hotel rooms in the town, and I cannot recommend the place. Unless you want to spend a sleepless night in a dingy, stinky room...then go for it. I had to keep telling myself we would make it. I know I have lived in worse environments. At that time, however, I was a smoker and had no sense of smell!

Despite my complaints, it has been a good trip overall. I'm just impatient to get to our new home. We have new Ikea furniture that needs assembling!

Hopefully we will be on our way to Wichita very soon. For the time being, we are safe, warm, and mostly happy. ;)

Some mood music....

Art and I will be heading for Wichita in a few days. We've both been listening to this song quite a bit lately:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LEKU7cBOak

"Now that the search goes on

For another time to live

I might as well be gone, but I

Tend to always come back in the end... In the end"

(The old dude rocking out reminds me of my dad, only with less white in his hair and beard.)

My awesome friend Amy mentioned this one the last time we hung out with each other. Seems appropriate as well. Thank you, Amy. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9ANOzmSKQg

"I'm goin' to Wichita,

Far from this opera forever more

I'm gonna work the straw

Make the sweat drip out of every pore

And I'm bleeding and I'm bleeding and I'm bleeding

Right before the Lord.

All the words are gonna bleed from me

And I will think no more.

And the stains coming from my blood

Tell me 'Go back home.'"