Gah!

Today has been a crazily busy day, but I like that. It also rained. I like that a lot. Rain is so refreshing, especially on a day where you've got to work really hard. It's nice to be inside working on a rainy day, and then it's extra extra nice to leave your work and go out into the fresh drizzle or downpour and let your worries wash away. :)
Yesterday was interesting-- it was my first day doing my new media report duty at the ORNL library. It was actually kind of fun! Everything went pretty smoothly until I realized that stories I was adding to the database were not being tagged as I would like. But my Media Report Mentor gave me a temporary fix and hopefully we'll figure out a long term solution. I also haven't gotten any feedback yet to let me know how close I was to being correct, but I look forward to the feedback so I'll know how to do better in the future. :) Have I mentioned that being a librarian is awesome? I got to answer some good reference questions today, and at my night job I got to chat with some stressed out students cramming for their final exams. Good times. Ooh, and that reminds me, I want to wish good luck to those taking comps tomorrow. Good luck!
I recently saw a very good movie. I wanted to write about it-- you've probably heard of it; it's called "Doubt" with Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. I actually caught the last 2/3 of it on TV, and then looked it up on Wikipedia and IMDB, and was so intrigued that I put it on my instant queue on Netflix and watched the first 2/3. I want to go rewatch the last 1/3 to make sure I covered all the bases. As a Catholic, it's a somewhat troubling film, because I don't want to believe that certain people are capable of behaving in certain ways, and yet we know that people are people. Just because someone says they are going to devote their life to helping people doesn't mean they won't hurt people. :( But what was interesting about the film was that I watched it under the assumption that the priest in the film was guilty. It wasn't until I read about the film (and play) that it occurred to me that he could be innocent. And now I feel guilty for assuming he was guilty! What's wrong with me? Anyhow the movie was really good. Can't say I'm a big Meryl Streep fan, but she was awesome in this. I urge you to check it out if you like slow dramas that make you think and feel.
Ok well that's enough for one night. Time to hit the hay. Behave out there, kiddos, and a final shout-out to Bethany Farmer, one of the world's coolest people.

Opening My Mind to New Experiences

Today was an interesting day at ORNL. I got to go hear a talk given by U. S. Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu. He talked about energy, climate change, and opportunities. It was actually pretty fascinating, despite my expectation that it would be on the dull side. I was glad to get to hear him speak.
I also helped identify a computer problem that has been limiting my ability to access fulltext articles for the past couple days. Apparently the problem is related to cookie session in Internet Explorer, so my workaround for the time being has been to use Mozilla Firefox. I have to say that I *love* the personas on firefox! I am using one now that is called "Japanese Tattoo" or something to that effect, and every time I open my browser, I smile. Who would've thought that such a little thing could make a big difference? I wish I could use firefox at all my workplaces, but alas, I cannot.
In other news, I'm interested in learning more about funky shoes that shape up your legs. Has anyone tried them, and if so, what do you think? At approximately $100 a pair, I'd need a very strong endorsement to even consider purchasing a pair. I'd love to hear (er, read) your stories!

Goals

Well, I failed in my attempt to make it to mass this weekend. I had the best intentions, but I got distracted by my desire to see some family that was in town. So today I read (what I hope were) the scripture readings for Sunday. The gospel reading was one of my favorites- it is John 8:1-11, and I don't know that because I am some phenomenal Bible scholar, but rather because it is sitting open in my other tab (thank you, tabbed browsing!). It's about the lady that the people want to stone to death, and Jesus tells them that one among them without sin should cast the first stone. I just think it's an awesome reminder to us to be aware of our own shortcomings. But it gets even better, because Jesus then tells the lady to go on, just don't sin anymore. Wow, if only it were that easy!
This got me thinking about goals. One huge life goal could be to just not sin. I mean, that doesn't even require active participation in anything- it's all passive. It's like the Hippocratic Oath's "first do no harm" bit. Why is it so hard, then? I guess because humans are naturally self-serving, and to avoid that is a challenge. But how am I going to go out and achieve all of my other life goals if I can't even master the "simple" stuff? I want to have a good career, be a great wife, maybe even be a mother one day. I want to be a good person, be charitable, exercise, learn, and grow. How can I do all these things? I'm open to suggestions.
Incidentally, I had a great time with my family. ♥
Oh, and I also got to see the Motorola Devour in action at Best Buy. It was awesome, but my technophile hubby expressed some misgivings with the software, so he's got me wondering if a Droid would be a better way to go. The Devour is so much more visually and tangibly appealing, though. Anyhow some new phones come out next month, so he is urging me to wait, and that is fine by me. Maybe time will reveal some more info that will inform my decision. I didn't want to spend all that money on a data plan anyhow. :p

Customer Service Out the Wazoo

A coworker from my evening job recently collaborated with me to provide some pretty cool customer service (if I do say so myself!). Basically a girl showed up at my campus in a panic because a powerpoint presentation she'd made at the other campus was not on her flash drive, and she was due to do the presentation in less than an hour. I called the other campus and had the librarian there check the computer that the student had used, and instructed him to please email me the powerpoint file if it was there. The student had to go to class, so I asked if she wanted me to text her to let me know if we'd found the item. She was so pleased and excited! She jotted down her cell phone number. Unfortunately, the file was not located, and I had to text the student to give her the bad news. But the good news is that she was really thrilled that we bent over backwards to try to help her in a pinch. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I want to give credit to my colleague, Carl, for trying to hunt down the file and for getting back to me so promptly. And thank you, technology, for making communication so easy!
Speaking of technology and communication, I am just dying to get a smart phone. Or smartphone. Which is it? I have had my eye on the Motorola Devour ever since the non-functional mockups showed up in Best Buy. But do I really like the phone? It's impossible to tell since the Verizon store does not have any working models. In fact, when I called Verizon to ask when a floor model would be available, I was informed that they might never get one. Now, how am I supposed to know whether I like the phone or not? I am certainly not going to buy one without trying it out. :( In truth, it may be a blessing in disguise that they don't have a floor model, because I really don't need to spend $30 a month on a data plan. I have too much to do as it is, and I've seen how ubiquitous internet is addictive to users and potentially irritating to neglected dining companions. ;) So maybe it's a good thing that I haven't gotten to play with one. But will that deter me from going back to the Verizon store for the third straight weekend to see if they have it? Nah.
In other news, there is a Tennessee Valley Chapter SLA meeting coming up in the very near future! April 3 to be precise. I am so excited because it will be my first chapter meeting EVER, as well as my first meeting as a chapter officer! I am the Membership Chair this time around, and thanks to the fantastic Erin Anderson and Christi Underdown, I've actually got some ideas to contribute. PLUS, the meeting is in Murfreesboro. My husband is going to go with me to Murf and we are going to meet with our advisor from our MTSU master's program. I am really looking forward to catching up with Tom, and possibly meeting his family. If we have any room left for food at all by the time we leave Murfreesboro, we are going to try to eat at Toot's. Toot's was one of our favorite places to eat in the Boro, and I really miss it, so we need to try to make it happen.
To top things off, the day after the SLA meeting is EASTER SUNDAY! Woo hoo! Reminding me of God's goodness. His mercy endures forever! :) Plus, I will get to see some of my in-laws, eat great food, and finally partake in chocolate. There's just so much good stuff going on that I can hardly stand it. With that being said, peace out for now!

Cornucopia of Random Minutiae

Today was a great day. I didn't accomplish everything I set out to, but I made a pretty good effort and I got quite close. I got some training on a new work responsibility, worked a shift at the reference desk, ate lunch with a friend/coworker (froworker?), helped some wonderful ladies shift our journal collection, and got some interlibrary loan orders ready to go. Now it's off to job #2! No, wait, let's go back and bask in the greatness of the day. I got to spend time with some really great people. The guy training me has been so kind to me, my lunch buddy really boosted my ego, 2 tech services lovelies voiced confidence in me and gave me their "seal of approval," and the journal shifting ladies made me feel like such a valued part of their operation. It was truly fantastic!
In a random bit of pet-peevery (is that a word? if it wasn't, it is now!), a lady at my night job removed a standard issue staple from her papers with her teeth. And there was a staple remover right there in front of her, within her grasp. So it looked a little uncomfortable and unneccessary, but to each his (her) own, I suppose. But then, instead of putting the staple in the trash (~2 feet away), she spat it out onto the floor. What fine human specimen do you suppose will get to pick it up? Hmm. It wasn't the end of the world by any stretch of the imaginiation, it was just one of those things that make you go, "Huuuuuhhh? Whaaaaaaa?"
I want to give a shout out of appreciation to Cora Smith. She's the library clerk at my evening job, and a very lovely person. She's also an SIS student. She resigned from her job yesterday, moving on to bigger and better opportunities in another state. She'll get to rejoin family and loved ones, and I wish her the best. Cora, we'll miss you. You are an awesome lady! I wish you success in the future.
Lastly, I want to say how much I adore Aubrey's Cafe. It's one of my favorite places to eat in the whole world. To be fair, there are several locations, and I am not too picky-- I never met an Aubrey's I didn't like. If you are ever in Knoxville, I recommend it. I like the Rooster Grill sandwich with the thick cut potato chips, and I also really enjoy the Rattlesnake Pasta. They have great (and free!) bread and butter to warm you up, too. Try it, and then try telling me it's not wonderful. I dare you! ^_^

On a Roll

It's been a nice week. I feel as if I'm on a roll, as one success follows another. I don't consider this bragging, because I have to confess that the successes are largely due to other people, luck, grace, circumstance, a Divine Hand... but nevertheless, I feel like this week has been a success and a boon to my self confidence.
I got some really sweet and sincere praise today from a coworker that I deeply admire, and it made me think about paying it forward. Nothing fills me with the desire to be a mentor quite like thinking about those that have mentored me. I am blessed at this stage in my career to have supervisors that value me and help me to grow. I am flattered that people offer me guidance and learning opportunities, and I am constantly surprised by how generous librarians can be. That's not to say that they're all saints, but my dealings so far have been overwhelmingly positive. And my customers are amazing, too!
Last night at my evening job as a reference librarian in a small, private college, a student was impressed by how quickly I found an article for him. He told me I was his favorite librarian EVER. It's corny, but it really made me feel good. (Thank you, Google Scholar, for making me look awesome.) I have so many students that I really care about, and I feel honored to get to help them. Is that cheesy? Maybe so, but I love cheese, so what do I care? :) Q'apla!

Life Lesson From Star Trek (TNG)

The other night, my dear hubby and I were engaging in one of our favorite pasttimes: watching Star Trek: The Next Generation. (I ♥ you, Netflix!) In the episode we were watching, Counselor Troi lost her empathic ability. She wasn't sure if it was permanent or temporary, but was trying to stay optimistic. Dr. Crusher cautioned Troi against false hope, to which Troi replied, "There is no false hope, only hope!"
That sentiment really resonated with me, as I have experienced a somewhat difficult personal situation over the past few months. Some days I think I subsisted on hope alone, because my faith (and admittedly, my maturity) was lacking. I'm coming out of it, thanks to an improvement in my situation, renewed faith, and sunshine. Still, I think it's good to remember that there is no false hope. There is only hope. :) God has been so good to me, and so consistently. What should I fear?

What Librarians Do

A couple of weeks ago, I was eating dinner with my husband and a couple of our closest friends; friends we have known for 15 years or more, that we see once or twice weekly. Somehow we were talking about advanced degrees, and one friend mentioned casually that he thinks it's stupid that yo need a master's degree to be a librarian, because "how hard is it to shelve books and check things out?"
I had to bite my tongue to avoid saying something hurtful, because this rude and ignorant comment really hurt my feelings. I understand that people don't typically realize what librarians actually do, so I was willing to cut some slack on the ignorance. I tried to explain that shelving and checking out can be done without a master's degree. I tried to let things slide, but as I was driving home that night, I was thinking: does my friend even know that I am a librarian? Is it possible that despite knowing someone for so long, he might not know what I do for a living? It made me wonder if I perhaps separate my work life and personal life too much. I was reminded of Chandler Bing on Friends, whose friends didn't know what he did for a living. And this got me to thinking: would a stranger think that I was ashamed of what I did? Nothing could be further from the truth!
I am so proud of what I do! I think I am in one of the greatest professions of all time, no exaggeration. True, I am not a doctor or a cleric; I didn't invent something incredible. However, librarians are so critical to the sharing of information. We're vital to discovery, and although we aren't social workers or psychologists, we are in a real helping profession. I love that my job gives me the opportunity to help others, to learn continually, and to serve society. I am proud to be a librarian, and I think it's time that people knew that. :)
I could go on and on about things that I love about my job, but rather than just regurgitate it here, I should live it. I am usually so concerned with offending people by pushing my views on them that I err in the opposite direction: no one knows my feelings on them. I should practice stating my opinion and perspective in a non-obstrusive way. It'd be a good experience to have, and isn't that what blogs are for?

New Blog- Woo Hoo!

I have had a library blog for awhile over at lycanthropology.livejournal.com, but I decided I'd like to start fresh with a blogger account. So now I need to see if I can move my old entries to blogger. I like that blogger is a little more recognized as a "reputable" blogging site. I've been a livejournal fan for years, and will probably stay affiliated with it, but it has a repuation as being somewhat emo and unprofessional. Not to imply that this blog will be professional or anything, but you get the idea. :) So I'm going to go play around now, and I look forward to coming back later to make an actual post with meaningful content.