Was awesome. I had little idea of how dry California actually is, even at the coast. The sequoias were so immense & gorgeous! They don't die of old age but fall over eventually. Kings Canyon is several thousand feet deeper than the Grand Canyon...beautiful rocks & roaring river & Grizzly falls; we enjoyed the attention of the Stellar jays. Point Lobos was fantastic: harbor seals basking on rocks breaking crashing waves, flocks of brown pelicans cruising by, black Cormorants & Oystercatchers on the rocks.... Then the trip from Monterey down to Gorda was hair-raising: the Pacific Coast Highway 1 was closed because of the fires, so we went on a hairpin road following the arroyo between the mountain ranges, at about 15-30 mph the whole way. We saw only a few firefighters' vehicles; there were no sideroads & only 1 turnoff--with a trooper guarding it--right where I was watching not only smoke but also flames from the fires. Of course this was the road Amy wanted to turn on! Eventually we found the Hunter-Liggett army base, went through it to the National Forest road, & began an even more twisty-turny, up & down, 5-10 mph drive. We did see Acorn Woodpeckers, a new species for us. We were exhausted by the time we arrived at the Treetops Resort, the Yurt place, which was great. Round tents with a clear roof to see stars, wood floor, running water; the lodge had great food & clean bathrooms; we heard elephant seals from dusk to dawn, saw a golden eagle, Western Scrub Jay, Spotted Towhee, quail, & turkeys. We visited the Hearst Castle, which has amazing artwork: sculpture from ancient Egypt, banners from the Palio in Sienna, Italy, wood ceilings from medieval Spain, famous tapestries from France, etc. Enjoyed our visit to San Luis Obispo, with the airy public library (our one chance to catch up on email) & the Natural Cafe. Then there was Malibu, with more hair-raising canyon roads & driveways, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and the Getty Museum, where Amy got us a private tour of the largest art history library in the world. There they not only measure the books' size, but also weigh them: shelving goes up to 15' & staff have to know ahead of time if they'll be able to handle the weight when an item is requested; they also use cherry pickers besides the stair-step ladders. They had a whole large room full of files about provenance, and scroll-holders for architectural drawings which are too large for flat files.
My photos are at the Picasa link on the upper left; Amy's are here.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Back from California
New photo album at Picasa with the trip.
American Library Association Annual Conference:
re: chat ref--about 30% of users are in the building but won't leave their computers to come ask questions, so it is reasonable to ask if they're present & if we may come to them.
RUSA Codes--liaising with users--the point was made that librarians from ALL departments teach (yes, including tech services). Based on their survey of all types of libraries across the US, time spent on liaison work ran from 11% to 31% of the workload. Liaisons would like more training; there is not clear standard on what liaison responsibilities should be. Liaisons should meet in small groups to share their current practices, challenges & strategies (e.g., how to establish trust as a new liaison, how to set boundaries). While there is no one way to do liaison work (varies by institution, academic discipline, personality of librarian), it is helpful if groups establish responsibilities & expectations in written form, and share these with each new librarian.
Media Literacy [Copyright & Fair Use]--owners retain the rights to "derivative use" (e.g., thumbnails of websites) but not to "transformative use," which adds value & uses the product for a different purpose than the original (e.g., using an entertainment film snippet in the classroom to increase communication skills & critical thinking by commenting on a social aspect of the film). Fair use is not supposed to stifle creative uses of that expression.
LITA Top Tech Trends--small literary journals & presses are going open access because it is less costly for them; we need to become better at manipulating data, visualizing it, using it; libraries can provide technology like scanners for circulation, provide in-house podcasting booths, etc.
LITA - Joe Janes--People are "in the library" when they are on our website, asking a chat ref question, renewing a book online, in databases, etc. They are interacting with info provided by the library or with staff. A library is all 5 of: place, stuff, support, interaction, & values. Libraries have to be somewhere (specific physical place) & everywhere. We need to ask: when don't the users want to be "in" the library? What is the library "in"? The user is the library, not the librarians or staff. [My, Kim's question for us: How do we make it easier for users to be the support & interaction & values?]
Monday we trooped to the Orange County Court to get our marriage license, with our conference friend Mara and our friendly Justice of the Peace Ken; had our brief ceremony; & are now legally recognized in CA, a few other states, & a few countries (Canada, Spain, Netherlands, Denmark?).
American Library Association Annual Conference:
re: chat ref--about 30% of users are in the building but won't leave their computers to come ask questions, so it is reasonable to ask if they're present & if we may come to them.
RUSA Codes--liaising with users--the point was made that librarians from ALL departments teach (yes, including tech services). Based on their survey of all types of libraries across the US, time spent on liaison work ran from 11% to 31% of the workload. Liaisons would like more training; there is not clear standard on what liaison responsibilities should be. Liaisons should meet in small groups to share their current practices, challenges & strategies (e.g., how to establish trust as a new liaison, how to set boundaries). While there is no one way to do liaison work (varies by institution, academic discipline, personality of librarian), it is helpful if groups establish responsibilities & expectations in written form, and share these with each new librarian.
Media Literacy [Copyright & Fair Use]--owners retain the rights to "derivative use" (e.g., thumbnails of websites) but not to "transformative use," which adds value & uses the product for a different purpose than the original (e.g., using an entertainment film snippet in the classroom to increase communication skills & critical thinking by commenting on a social aspect of the film). Fair use is not supposed to stifle creative uses of that expression.
LITA Top Tech Trends--small literary journals & presses are going open access because it is less costly for them; we need to become better at manipulating data, visualizing it, using it; libraries can provide technology like scanners for circulation, provide in-house podcasting booths, etc.
LITA - Joe Janes--People are "in the library" when they are on our website, asking a chat ref question, renewing a book online, in databases, etc. They are interacting with info provided by the library or with staff. A library is all 5 of: place, stuff, support, interaction, & values. Libraries have to be somewhere (specific physical place) & everywhere. We need to ask: when don't the users want to be "in" the library? What is the library "in"? The user is the library, not the librarians or staff. [My, Kim's question for us: How do we make it easier for users to be the support & interaction & values?]
Monday we trooped to the Orange County Court to get our marriage license, with our conference friend Mara and our friendly Justice of the Peace Ken; had our brief ceremony; & are now legally recognized in CA, a few other states, & a few countries (Canada, Spain, Netherlands, Denmark?).
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Off to ALA
Tomorrow morning, early, we'll be off to the American Library Association's Annual Conference in Anaheim, then up to see "big trees" at Sequoia National Park & King's Canyon, then over to Monterey & Big Sur, then home again. While in Anaheim, we will pick up our marriage license and be legally married (recognized in California, Connecticut, New York, Canada, & Spain). It's very exciting!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Vacation
I went to see some long-time friends in Seattle. I had more vacation than Amy, so I went alone (& we missed each other like crazy!). The coolest parts were going all over Vashon Island with Alice--woods & beach walks, "downtown" shopping & lunch--and going to Bainbridge Island with Carrie--to Bloedel Reserve which was very quiet & peaceful. The gatekeepers said it takes a couple of hours at a leisurely pace; we took 4 hours. Carrie read aloud from the guidebook & I pointed out the plants/flowers they mentioned, as much as I knew. We ate twice at a great bakery, fabulous desserts! I also enjoyed driving along Lake Washington, along a wooded trail-like road with beautiful views of the water. Carrie & I got caught up with each other's lives after 5 years of short letters...I feel more rested & relaxed.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Young at Heart
Great documentary about a chorus of folks from age 73-93. They do fairly contemporary rock songs, which take on a new meaning: "Do I stay or do I go?!" For a night, in this life, or...? Lots of laughs, some sniffling, & some very profoundly moving scenes.
Go see it, no matter your age. It provides a realistic & hopeful look at aging & is also cathartic.
Go see it, no matter your age. It provides a realistic & hopeful look at aging & is also cathartic.
Friday, May 9, 2008
D.C. visit
Thanks to ams & mas, and ps for suggestions, to my intrepid & agreeable hostess jl for accompanying me everywhere. Also thanks to host gl for his sense of fun! To both of our hosts, many gratitudes for their care & hospitality, & interesting conversations.
The dogwoods & redbud were in full bloom during the trip--this has been an extraordinarily gorgeous spring so far.
We went to the National Cathedral first, on a very rainy day, negotiating the Metro train & bus. The stained-glass windows were fantastic--I could have spent a whole day wandering around looking at them. We stayed for the organist's talk & brief concert at 12:30--a rush of sound in the choir where we were sitting. J & I had interesting conversations about Judaism, seventh-day sabbath, & the belief that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene--as he wouldn't have been allowed to teach children if he had been unmarried after a certain age.
The next day we went to the National Museum of Women in the Arts. I really liked the photos of Cheryl Ito, paintings of Rosa Bonheur, Joanna Boye, Fanny Churberg, & Anna Boch. Then we walked down to the White House & I took photos of buildings, statues, churches.
On the 3rd day, we went to the U.S. Botanical Garden at the back of the Capitol--I liked the jungle part of the Conservatory best because it reminded me of Australia. Then walked around the Capitol building--beautiful but heavily guarded. One can't go into the building at all any longer except by getting a tour pass months ahead from one's congressperson; it is frightening to see men with big guns standing at the ready on the steps. Then onto the Native American Museum, which is larger than I had thought, so we just saw a portion of it before eating in the cafeteria--lots of interesting Native foods from around the country. Back to pick up Amy & on to the National Zoo, to see the pandas & the beautiful plumage in the Bird House.
4th day--walked around the National Mall, photographing the Smithsonian Castle, seeing the gems (Hope diamond; immense copper sheet from the Keeweenaw) in the Natural History Museum, walked around the Washington Monument, Lincoln & Vietnam War memorials.
5th day--took it easy, walked in a riverside park where Jack-in-the Pulpit & Indian strawberries were blooming, & saw an immense Copperhead snake sunning itself on a rock in the middle of the water. We were safely on a bridge overlooking the river, I'm glad to say.
On the way home, stopped at Magee Marsh about halfway between Sandusky & Toledo, where we saw many Great Egrets, a Black & White warbler, a Palm warbler, dozens of Martins, Tree & Barn swallows, & Killdeer.
The dogwoods & redbud were in full bloom during the trip--this has been an extraordinarily gorgeous spring so far.
We went to the National Cathedral first, on a very rainy day, negotiating the Metro train & bus. The stained-glass windows were fantastic--I could have spent a whole day wandering around looking at them. We stayed for the organist's talk & brief concert at 12:30--a rush of sound in the choir where we were sitting. J & I had interesting conversations about Judaism, seventh-day sabbath, & the belief that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene--as he wouldn't have been allowed to teach children if he had been unmarried after a certain age.
The next day we went to the National Museum of Women in the Arts. I really liked the photos of Cheryl Ito, paintings of Rosa Bonheur, Joanna Boye, Fanny Churberg, & Anna Boch. Then we walked down to the White House & I took photos of buildings, statues, churches.
On the 3rd day, we went to the U.S. Botanical Garden at the back of the Capitol--I liked the jungle part of the Conservatory best because it reminded me of Australia. Then walked around the Capitol building--beautiful but heavily guarded. One can't go into the building at all any longer except by getting a tour pass months ahead from one's congressperson; it is frightening to see men with big guns standing at the ready on the steps. Then onto the Native American Museum, which is larger than I had thought, so we just saw a portion of it before eating in the cafeteria--lots of interesting Native foods from around the country. Back to pick up Amy & on to the National Zoo, to see the pandas & the beautiful plumage in the Bird House.
4th day--walked around the National Mall, photographing the Smithsonian Castle, seeing the gems (Hope diamond; immense copper sheet from the Keeweenaw) in the Natural History Museum, walked around the Washington Monument, Lincoln & Vietnam War memorials.
5th day--took it easy, walked in a riverside park where Jack-in-the Pulpit & Indian strawberries were blooming, & saw an immense Copperhead snake sunning itself on a rock in the middle of the water. We were safely on a bridge overlooking the river, I'm glad to say.
On the way home, stopped at Magee Marsh about halfway between Sandusky & Toledo, where we saw many Great Egrets, a Black & White warbler, a Palm warbler, dozens of Martins, Tree & Barn swallows, & Killdeer.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Update
Went to D.C. for vacation as a tourist, which was interesting; stayed with friends who were absolutely lovely & hospitable.
Re-read a favorite SF GLBT novel called A Paradigm of Earth, by Candas Jane Dorsey, a Canadian whose writing is as good as Margaret Atwood's and less depressing, though still dystopic. To me, it's about grief--feeling a sense of "otherness," living with it, coming back to life slowly, connecting with others, the slow renewal of hope.
Lots of grief lately--the Michigan Supreme Court's decision that no partner benefits may be offered by public institutions, A's recent illnesses. I feel "other" & depressed, tired, uncertain.
Re-read a favorite SF GLBT novel called A Paradigm of Earth, by Candas Jane Dorsey, a Canadian whose writing is as good as Margaret Atwood's and less depressing, though still dystopic. To me, it's about grief--feeling a sense of "otherness," living with it, coming back to life slowly, connecting with others, the slow renewal of hope.
Lots of grief lately--the Michigan Supreme Court's decision that no partner benefits may be offered by public institutions, A's recent illnesses. I feel "other" & depressed, tired, uncertain.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
