Feral Librarian Tales

Our venture... day two

2012-01-19T22:54:00.001+08:00

Dearfriends,

I am verymuch afraid that you may be very disappointed with me as I am such a sadcorrespondent, my apologies for the tardiness of this update on our activities.These are the main events of day two of our venture to Sydney.

It startedout as a very fine day and we were elated to have pleasant weather for ourchosen day for a walk around Sydney. Themaid took an inordinate amount of time to unpack and she kept complaining offatigue (I cannot see why as the silly creature had a good night’s sleep inpleasant surrounds). When finally, I had finished my toilet, and she haddressed my hair to my satisfaction, we ventured forth to find some sustenanceto sustain us for the day.

Our firstconcern dealt with (even though we had a small occasion, dear friends, of ‘Men won’t ask directions…) we discoveredthat the light rail conveyance ran under our holiday abode, we took quickadvantage of a 3 day family pass and ventured forth. This conveyance was verypleasant and staff were very helpful with directions. We alighted, dear friendsat ‘Central station’ and managed to negotiate the reasonably confusing ticketpurchase and platform selection and rode the train to Circular Key. Just aside,we do not travel overmuch on public transport in our quiet country town.

Whatbeautiful vistas greeted our eyes on alighting from the train and climbing thestairs to the street level, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House, the botanicalgardens and the beautiful bay. After many sets of stairs and braving the strongwinds at the front of the Opera House, there was no chance of a chill as it wasstill quite warm, we sat for a while in the tranquil gardens overlooking thebay, recovering our strength and viewing the many craft under sail.

Returningto our lodgings we rested briefly before attending the cinema, a new type ofplay on a device that may catch on, showing moving pictures. The feature wassomething about an impossible mission.

That is allI can recall of our adventures and as I am now quite fatigued I will say goodnight dear friends, until next I write.

Yours inexhaustion,
Mrs Bennett

Postscriptum: The maid continues to be fatigued, I believe she has been affected possibly by 'the lag of the jet' , we must ge her a tonic tomorrow to brighten her up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@Kalgrl
#blog5daysAustenese

I am in a blog challenge with other librarians, that is, to write 5 blog posts in the style of Jane Austen, I cannot but say that I have indeed found it a difficult challenge.

the other participants are:
@KRidwyn, blogging at Hmmmm
@Girlwithshoess, blogging at Justgirlwithshoes
@jobeaz, blogging at Macaronic
@jzgarnett, blogging at Randomly Yours, Julia

A letter to my friends..day one

2012-01-16T22:58:00.000+08:00

My dear friends,

It behoves me to write this day to inform you of recent events in our lives, so you can, if you should so desire, share our adventure.I wish to recount our journey to the beautiful city of Sydney and what befell us there.

On the first day of our venture, we set forth in high hopes and mild agitation at the journey to come. Flying high in the skies is always a breathtaking experience considering it is not a natural state for man to fly, however it is a necessary step to cross this great land of ours. Fast horse drawn carriages have nothing on the speed and might of these metal birds that take us on these journeys.

After having taken the time to oversee the maid in the packing of my trunk, (alas, she is sometimes forgetful and a small trial to me), to ensure that nothing would be left behind and my best outfits were included, and fortified with a small imbibe at the local hostelry, we set off.

Included in our journey was to be a small break in the city of Adelaide, a fine place and one of, so it is said, many churches. We did not stay long in this fine state, only long enough to partake of a light refreshment and change carriages, for the next stage of our journey. I entertain hopes of a longer visit on our return journey.

Mr Bennett was in a fine fettle and our dear Victoria was excited about the coming treat to visit the finer establishements in the city and take in the views of the much lauded opera house and the bay on which it sits.

The staff who attended to our needs on the journey and the captain of the ship were very pleasing and kept us entertained and comfortable. Mr Bennett was delighted on being regularly apprised of the weather conditions and speed and height our conveyance would reach.

After many hours we arrived at our destination. Mr Bennett secured another conveyance to take us into the city and we were soon at our lodgings. The building itself was large and had many twinkling lights, which possibly gave it its name, "The Star". Our rooms were perfectly suited to our needs and the bathing room was more than adequate, boasting a deep bath in which to wash off the rigours of our journey. (I blush as I convey this to you, however I know you would want to know we were comfortable.)

A welcome from our hosts was on the picture box on the wall, and we decided on a short walk to try the air and prepare for our rest. We admired a goodly number of fine establishments and purveyors of goods on the walk, esp. an exquisite patissier. The ladies in the party determined to return over the next few days for a closer look at the many items on display.

After this we retired for the night and I will leave the events of the next day for another page.
I do hope that this missive finds you all well and that no-one has succumbed to the summer heat.

Yours in fine fettle,

Mrs Bennett

Postscriptum, I should also mention that the maid packed my favourite perfume incorrectly (as I said a trial to me, but she has been with the family for a long time) and it had spilled in my trunk, thankfully not through my clothes, but enough to make it necessary to air out the smaller trunk for a number of days.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@kalgrl
#blog5daysAustenese

I am in a blog challenge with other librarians, that is, to write 5 blog posts in the style of Jane Austen, I cannot but say that I have indeed found it a difficult challenge.

the other participants are:
@KRidwyn, blogging at Hmmmm
@Girlwithshoess, blogging at Justgirlwithshoes
@jobeaz, blogging at Macaronic
@jzgarnett, blogging at Randomly Yours, Julia

25th December 2011

2011-12-28T12:58:00.000+08:00

The rather splendiferious tree decorated by MS14, we left behind, and all our pressies - woe. (Shh...we did have a small carpet party in the lounge and open a few before we went away, shhh...)I spent the few days between coming home from Perth and going to Esperance, (it felt like) running at full tilt to get everything done - I hope I didnt forget anything, it was such a blur..

Much fun, food (thank you to SIL and Niece) and more fun and food was had by all.After cleanup, most of us went to early rest. (note to self - remember *nothing is open in Esperance on Christmas day - Children get hungry again - must take/buy food for other meals as service station stuff is edible but...)

We made Ninja Gingerbreads to take, but didn't get time to ice, so Ms 14 and I did a 'reasonable job' of decorating on Christmas eve in the hotel room. They were well received. (one small nephew loves 'the rocks' - silver decoration and he loved that we put 'a lot' on the gingerbread.)They were a "little pink" for ninjas so good thing we don't have a final photo. @kalgrl

December 24th 2011

2011-12-28T12:23:00.003+08:00

On December 24th we, all the family visited Stonehenge - Esperance.This is a (to quote the 'fact sheet') "complete replica to scale of the original "Stonehenge" in the UK. The children had a great time running around the standing stones and playing hide and seek, while the adults took many photos.

"The structure is aligned with the summer solstice - Esperance WA. The station stones will be positioned on this line to allow the sun rays to pass through to the altar. The summer solstice is the longest day of the year (22nd December)and the sunset on the winter solstice is also in alignment, which is the shortest day of the year (21st June)."

"137 Stones of Esperance Pink Granite quarried adjacent to the Beale's property in Esperance, Western Australia."It was interesting and is deliberatly not a 'ruin', but a replica of the original.In conversation with the owner my SIL discovered that there had been weddings and other ceremonies at the site, but that she wouldn't allow 'pagan rituals'.(My mind wondered/giggled at that, as it is a commercial venture and it does cost $'s to enter the site, but hey everyone has a 'personal line' :-)

The gift shoppe had some interesting pens in local timbers, that @flexnib would maybe have liked. :-)@kalgrl

December 23rd 2011

2011-12-28T11:46:00.000+08:00

December 23rd was 'Travel day for Christmas' which just happens to also be my birthday :-)Woke to lots of Birthday wishes facebook and twitter and then a drive down to Esperance for Christmas.The cake was given to me by my lovely Niece Jo (thank you) and was 'White Chocolate mudcake with Passionfruit syrup".All the Bennett, Van Viersen family joined us for dinner at the Taylor Street Jetty Tearooms.Thank you everyone for a lovely evening.

#blogjune Day 30 - 'Last day Capricorn 23'

2011-06-30T22:37:00.009+08:00

June 2011 - A wonderful Sharing Month.

A'giggle' of Librarians at the tweetup (with a-ma-zing hot chocolate)

Last day of June 2011.
Sunset today at 5:15 pm - Corner of Brookman and Lane Streets - Kalgoorlie Western Australia

It has been a long month professionally with a lot happening in the schools on the campus, and at MPOW, still nothing resolved fully about changes so 'heidy ho'...

It is semester break for the University students, however the Highschool have one more week and TAFE finished officially today. We are quiet and getting the jobs done that we can only achieve in the 'quiet' times. We also had two staff off this week at a Senior first aid course, (so I am feeling safer already)one on long service and two casuals away for semester break.

For a sense of personal achievement, I published my first LibGuide today, I felt I had learnt enough, through all the hints and tips in the emails from Perth colleagues and my own reading, to work out how to put it together. Ongoing learning curve there.

I love being a Librarian, and even though it can be very stressful and isolated at times, it is a wonderful thing to help someone find what they want, even if it is only the 'stapler'. (4x today :-)

Another huge plus was I enjoyed my first 'tweetup' on the weekend and my only regret was not enough time to talk MORE with all the Librarians who came along. Thanks to @lutie for arranging such a wonderful treat (and her a-ma-zing texta pen). Everyone was waving ipads and ebook readers and nametags and hot chocolate and talking and talking and laughing and sharing. so good! Wonderful to meet face to face.

I hope your month was enjoyable and you read and laughed and shared as we did.
Next...
July 2011

@kalgrl
#blogjune

ps* sorry about the 'Logans Run' joke in the title, but sometimes phrases remind me of movie lines and this old scifi was full of 'last days'. *grin*

#blogjune day29 'keeping score for June 2011'

2011-06-29T03:43:00.003+08:00

I have been a bit busy, buzzing around and doing. It is nearly the end of June and I feel the need to count up the successes and failures of the month, to see the score...
(things in no particular order... )

1. Began #blogjune with a passion and managed to blog 17 days straight (win)
2. Covering for staff on long service at work and spread myself a bit too thin... Feeling the pinch of tasks not complete and rushed for time constraints - poor time management (fail)
3. Went to my first 'tweetup' with a beautiful group of, sharing, giving, chatty, calorie loving :), wonderful Librarians. Just soaking up the enthusiasm was brilliant! (win)
4. Not enough time spent with @sputty11 and @flexnib - need to rectify that... (fail)
5. Joined 'Bennett nerds ahoy' at Supernova... With all the trimmings of fanboi fun... I love inventive, creative and slightly cracked people, and this venue rocked with that! (win)
6. Geek Souvenirs acquired - tardis cookie jar with noise and light, 'don't blink' and 'I kissed a timelord and liked it' t shirts, 'trueblood' - bar and grill' 1/2 apron, 2 new covers for my iPhone. (win)
7. Funeral of a friend (sad fail)
8. Spent time with my family, doing things we like to do (win)
9. Didn't blog everyday in June (fail)
10. Haven't 'yet' read all the wonderful blog entries that friends are contributing to #blogjune (fail)
11. Started reading fiction again (win)
12. Extended family stuff - Got the date wrong for friends daughters birthday again, sent hoody too small to nephew for his birthday and lost receipt. Horrid, short, tired phone call with brother. Dad not well, Mum coping. Aunty not well. (cluster fail)
13. Was late for work on my early start - twice (fail)
14. E- books and e-book readers - time to assess and evaluate - time management (fail)
15. Hugged Ms 14, Mr 19 and JB more and tried to be as supportive as I could with all their projects. (win)
16. Planted start of new garden at front of house. (win)
17. Began writing and editing book (win)
18. Joined committe for important anniversary of theatre group - organizers 'r' us (win)
19. Was joyful for friend who achieved success and new position at work and Europe trip (win, win)
20. Taken time to breath, a couple of times. (win)
21. Clear wardrobe - domestic task for June . (fail)

Time to stop and count coup:
Win = 12
Fail = 9

Well I do believe I have achieved my eagle feather for June.

Dear family, friends and 'tweeps', I hope you all can count June 2011 as a win.

@kalgrl
#blogjune

#blogjune day26 &17 Barry

2011-06-26T08:50:00.001+08:00

Last Friday I went to a Funeral of a friend. I seemed to lose my 'blog mojo' and become more introspective and wasn't ready to blog then. So here is last Fridays blog.

Barry was one of nature's gentlemen.
He was a lovely man who was generous with both his personal time and expertise in mechanical areas. He would spend time helping people, patch that bike tyre, get that missing part or stopping to chat.

He also treated people well and always had a kind word for all. I probably don't know all there is to know about Barry, I am sure he had his very human moments, like the rest of us.

I got to know Barry when he was 'going steady' (can't say dating as the word doesn't seem to fit the man, brylcreme and Slim Dusty were more his style:)with a close friend. She was recovering from a bitter divorce and had over some years a few difficult relationships.

Barry treated her well, flowers and laughter were in her life. He was nice and courteous and treated the members of her extended family well.

Unfortunately Barry smoked, heavily as did other members of his family. His sister was suffering with cancer and dying. My friend asked him, if they were to continue their relationship would he give up smoking? He would not. Her decision then, to protect herself from further hurt was to end the relationship. Barry stayed a friend to her and her family and helped them in many ways.

The irony is, that friend died of cancer in 2004. Barry was working and right up until the day he died a couple of weeks ago.

I was a friend of Barry and he taught me the value of enjoying what you do, valuing those closest to you and what a true generous soul is like.

I hugged my family more this week.

RIP Barry.

@kalgrl
#blogjune

#blogjune Day 16 - reading tonight

2011-06-16T22:36:00.001+08:00

Been out to a meeting -time poor today. Hope you all had a good day. Just a quote to finish the busy day.

'The best of a book is not the Thought which it contains, but the thought which it suggests; just as the charm of music dwells not it the tones but the echoes of our hearts'
Oliver Wendell Holmes

Goodnight -read well.

@kalgrl
#miniblogjune

#blogjune Day 15 - alas poor Kobo..

2011-06-15T22:50:00.004+08:00

The day I talk about my Kobo, and my sadness at annoying things

I have a kobo ebook and I like it. It can be a bit clunky when compared with even the flashy new versions of itself, no wifi etc. But it is a good practical easy to use e- reader, were it not for the vendor of my choice.

I chose to buy this from Borders in Australia. I had few problems and managed to follow the reasonably convoluted trail when I had a difficulty, which mostly was a time thing, "just wait, the problem will right itself" and usually it did.

I started to encounter other annoying difficulties with upgrades and compatability about the time Borders went into receivership, so help was necessary. I worked the problem until I had a query in with the helpdesk, and waited. The answer that came back, didn't make a lot of sense in the scheme of my concern, basically they suggested I download software I already had in the Kobo.

About the time this became frustrating, I got my iPhone and I have been exploring that as a tool for everything, including e-books.
Consequently my Kobo has been neglected and lies dormant on the bedside table. (still at the top of the pile.)

I am now a bit further down the track recovering slightly from i-madness and feel the need to get back to the e- book, and I have to my mind a couple of choices.
1. Buy a new ebook ... Easiest thing to do, but $$
2. Use the Kobo with a new vendor.
3. Sit down and actually get my head around the stuff from borders, if I can, and if it is actually worth doing.
4. Purchase i-pad.

Problem with all of this is, time, skill, upgrade necessary, $$$ and what I actually want. Which is a light portable book.

I have been looking at the new e-books that take notes and do all sorts of 'new fangled' things, and I do 'lust' after a new one. However, I do like my Kobo and would hate to just chuck it when it has a lot of life in it yet. (evil thought no. 1 - I could give it to Ms 14... Then I would need a new one :)

I am sad that I was so annoyed with the bookshops closing and that has affected my joy of the first e-book I have owned, and I didn't keep up.
Also the iPhone is so easy to use, it makes everything else seem harder.
I also am a very visual learner and convoluted upgrades do my head in.

(evil thought no. 2 - I am leaning towards combining 2 of the choices above.)

Anyway, time for a ponder and a sleep, however Tony Delroy's issue of the day is the decline of the book shop, so I may have to listen.

@kalgrl
#blogjune

#blogjune Day 14 - 5 book meme

2011-06-14T21:54:00.011+08:00

What am I reading now?
Twitter links mainly, to blogs for June!

The last book I finished?
The City Who Fought - Stirling & McCaffrey

What do I want to read next?
The Mary Smokes Boys (started, not yet finished)

The last book I bought?
Agatha Christie "murder at the vicarage' (paper)
The second ship -book one of the Rho Agenda (e-book)

The last book i was given?
50th anniversary copy of
'To Kill a Mocking Bird'
present from my Mum as she knows I love the book.

The quiz needs a lighter vein so, Musicals!
Song & musical please...

'What they want is what you see,
Keep the best of you,
Do the rest of you...'

Goodnight
@kalgrl
#blogjune

#blogjune Day 13 ...don't look now...nothing is going on...

2011-06-13T22:25:00.003+08:00

I was thinking only a month ago that I had nothing to do.
The play had finished, work has slowed a bit as classes had finished and it was mid term and after Easter and I had submitted the paper I had written for NLS5. (Which by the way I havn't heard anything about as yet...)

Then,

- work took off and I have so much to do I am slightly dazed at the end of each day.

- I have committed to helping organize a celebration weekend for the Theatre Group I belong to, 80th anniversary in October. + helping with the history.

- I have been on a committee to, which if I am honest, I haven't be able to add much value, until recently and I have two urgent jobs to complete for that group. Both of which will take time.

- I was sick with the flu, which has taken 2 full weeks to shake and I am still tired.

- I am planting a front garden. To try to become water wise, we killed off all the grass over a couple of months and now we are planting natives and weed mat and mulch. We are making it up as we go along. ( we tried sugar cane mulch and that stuff looks like straw, got rid of it and put down good dark organic mulch, which looks a lot better and probably won't catch alight if some passer by throws a cigarette on it. Might put in a vege garden later and the sugar cane mulch might be good for that.)

- I started to get interested in baking again, it is winter. Made "Cappucino Cupcakes" this weekend.

- for some reason after not watching the last series at all, I am now addicted to Master Chef.

- Reading is on the eyephone and a lot of interesting links on twitter... forget fiction at the moment.

- #Blog every day for June started....

I could add more to the list, however the point is not to whinge but say I am grateful that I have so much in my life and am now just a little bit wistful for one month ago. :-)

The quiz -
Play and character please.

"Well we can't all come and go by bubble!!"

@kalgrl
#blogjune

#blogjune Day 12 - lists

2011-06-12T22:15:00.003+08:00

Some people I know are great at lists.
I am a bit quixotic with them.

Sometimes I forget, i am working with a list or to actually read it.

Any way, a list of tasks for the weekend stars are complete...

Sleep in (didn't happen - tried)
*Go shopping for specific items for ms 14 and JB
Go shopping for socks for me (bought the incorrect size - have to go back, sigh :-(
*Go shopping for Snuggys for 3 x Ms 14
*Cook cupcakes for sleepover (took 3 visits to the shop for forgotten ingrediants)
*Arrange some cleaning prior to sleepover (I was not popular)
*Get some mulch and spread it (yay! JB did this)
write some of current writing project
*take images of Piccadilly Locality parks (long story)
*go to movies with friend
tidy up wardrobe
complete washing and folding
Write blog post for Day 12

didn't get to the writing, washing or folding and brought the wrong socks as picked up the incorrect size.
I am setting myself a task of shorter lists and more productivity, as this weeks skill test. My challenge is to complete the list this week.

1. Need to finish LibGuide
2. Place new PC in training room
3. Complete de-selection of 610's.

"Tally Ho...

Ok back to the quiz, another easy one today...
John Nebauer (Adelaide)won the first which was "Romeo and Juliet" - Shakespeare Yay!

Character and name of play please

"To lose one parent, Mr Worthing, may be regarded as misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness."

@kalgrl
#blogjune

#blogjune Day 11 - Hogwarts 'alert

2011-06-11T21:43:00.004+08:00

Currently sitting in the front room as there are 3 x 14 year old girls having a "Hogwarts" movie marathon in the main room, wands are being wafted, sorting hats abound and they just ate the biggest 'feast' of nachos, with 'ginger' butter beer and lollies that make you roar like a lion. I believe they are onto the 3rd movie at this stage.

Dobby has 'helped Harry', Snape has swished along the corridors in his black cape and the girls all have a snuggy blanket which can double as a school robe or make you a Dementor. It is a lot of fun, for them. (we hope they are quiet by 12:00)

In one of the 7 things meme that @jobeaz wished that the world of Harry Potter was real, well she needs to get together with these girls, they know the spells, they know the characters, they know the story, put themselves in a Hogwarts House and they love it all. I have noticed that their tastes have changed over the years, once they all wanted to be Griffindor, now the dark side is a bit more attractive it seems with two wanting to be in Slytherin. (Vampire emo's unite!) Its all a load of fun and they are having a ball.

It is suiting us (the parents) as we are in the other room watching the recorded shows we missed this week and finishing a movie 'Limitless', which we started last weekend.

Real worlds are colliding with imagination here this weekend and the imagination is winning. Thats not a bad thing. We all need some time out, I hope you are all having time out over the week end.

Time for the quiz, trivia abounds... A bit more obscure this time.
Play and character please :)

"You can be young without money, but you can't be old without it."

Play nice.

@kalgrl
#blogjune

#blogjune Day 10 "To meme or not to meme..."

2011-06-10T23:23:00.003+08:00

Just to finish the meme...

Seven things I can do well

1.Bake - I can bake
2.stage manage a play
3.keyboarding - (not typing - I haven't used one of those in years)
4.read
5.quick study on new shiney things
6.listen
7.tea, I can make a good cup of tea

Seven things I can’t do but wish that I could

1.Build a garden (attempting this right now)
2.patchwork quilting
3.haiku
4.write
5.remember names of people I have just met (it is a disease, what can I say)
6.sing well ('well' being the 'key' word here - i sing badly all the time)
7.cook (not the same thing as baking quite different)

Seven phrases I’m known to use

1.Holy crap!
2.bollocks
3.can I help you?
4.shitake mushrooms
5.murphy is alive and well
6.good decision
7.how's that going for you?

Ok now I'm going to start a small quiz to copy shamelessly the Bun-toting Librarian's quiz idea and start one of my own.

a quote...(easy one to start)
and I would like - characters name and play

"but soft, what light through yonder window breaks"?

Goodnight
@kalgrl

#blogjune Day 9. -meming continued...

2011-06-09T22:15:00.003+08:00

Seven random facts about me

1. I used to shoot air pistol at targets.
2. I ran a coffee shop, with my parents.
3. My favourite style of firing clay pots is pit firing. Had some beautiful results in black firing.
4. Big geek - read , watch and enjoy sci fi.
5. I have very few housekeeping skills.
6. Lived in Manapouri for two years as a child. Near Milford Sound in NZ.
7. Performed 'Everyman' at the Dolphin Theatre at a UWA summer school, taught by a colourful character called -Maggie Wild West.

Seven things I want to do before I die

1. Paris
2. Make a heritage quilt (can't sew much)
3. Go to the space station
4. Write an interesting sci fi short story
5. Go to 'interesting theatre' at the west end London
6. Sleep a night through ( I live with a snorer)
7. Ensure my children have the best start we can give them.

That's all with meming... Goodnight
@kalgrl
#blogjune

#blogjune Day 8 'meaning to meme'

2011-06-08T22:01:00.002+08:00

I ran out of time today, so a quick meme to keep up with blog a day for June.

Seven things that scare me

1.running spiders (huntsman)
2.suspenseful shock movies
3.falling
4.really loud storms
5.large angry dogs
6.illness in family members
7.nightmares

Seven things I like

1.jb
2.mr 19
3.ms 14
4.fabric
5.music
6.ebooks
7.My iphone

Thats all folks.
@kalgrl
#blogjune

#blogjune Day 7 - Sparkling with Confidence

2011-06-07T22:56:00.005+08:00

I had the opportunity to go to a "Sparkling with Confidence" workshop this evening organised by Pippa Baxter and other Teaching Staff at the Eastern Goldfields College. Thanks to them they decided to share their good fortune of a presentation from this noted speaker with the community.

The presenter was Rachel Green (pictured taking a photo of the attendees with her camera).

I hadn't had and opportunity to hear Rachel Green speak before and this seemed an excellent opportunity to participate in a workshop and garner some of her insights into gaining more confidence.

She was an engaging speaker and can make a room laugh, as she will tell you herself, when explaining the difference between boasting and talking about strengths.
You don't need 100% confidence, which is very hard to achieve, as long as you have enough confidence to be doing what you need to be doing.

Using an example of learning how to drive an automatic car (a new area for her) she explains that you need to break what you need to do into smaller steps, and just do what you need to do to move forward one step at a time.
(reminds me of the question - "how do you eat an elephant?" and the answer "one bite at a time".)

After a very humerous story involving a parrot and a silence retreat, she really started me thinking about choosing to practice being confident.

Also giving up the "stinking thinking" and not thinking "what if?, the bad thing might happen and thinking the opposite and choosing to be happy and confident and dealing with things only if/when they occur.

Know your strenghts and realise it is not boasting to talk about your strengths to others and think positively!

A really good tool is to visualise a really happy moment and use that to calm yourself if you are having a crisis of confidence. Replay that memory as you need.

Came away after talking to some new fantastic women, sharing our strengths and with a renewed energy to practice feeling more confident and taking one step at a time.

So go eat your elephant, i've already started on mine:D

@kalgrl
#blogjune

Day 6 #blogjune - End of Semester One 2011

2011-06-06T18:04:00.009+08:00

6 sure signs its the end of first semester and start of exam period,

1. Its very cold (and surprisingly, wet...)
2. The clients all look very tired
3. Long overdue items are returned and excuses made (some work, some don't)
4. Staff have the look that says - shorter hours are soon :D
5. Lots of coffee/hot drinks are being consumed by everyone
6. Some clients we have never seen before, turn up for "the notes"....

Best of luck to all our clients in the next two weeks... enjoy the semester break.
@kalgrl
#blogjune

Day 5 -#blogjune

2011-06-05T22:33:00.002+08:00

Day of rest.
And
'the only water in the forest is the River".

Big geek me:)

@kalgrl
#blogjune

Is my world smaller, or just compact?

2011-06-04T08:09:00.003+08:00

I have been, since October last year, exploring using my iPhone for most of my web interaction. This has pushed me to discover if things can be done on the phone, and if not direct, then is there an app or other tool to use.

This morning I am in bed - still with the flu lingering and as I had time (something unusual in my world) I wondered, after reading some #blogjune entries on my rss feeds (which I am currently trying to work out how to add more via teh phone) if I could write an entry on the blog via the phone. This is that entry. Day 4. ( yes I know you probably all do this already, however it is new for me :)

Apart from the length of the sentence seeming to be going on forever, I thought I needed to adjust this manually as I go, as with a text editor, however.. It seems I just needed to change the view. Lol (pribably too much twitter). I am not sure how the published version will look.

I tried to add a photo, however it wanted a URL or pc to get the pic from, didn't seem to want to choose from the many photos on my phone camera. Don't think this is the phone or the blog, just me not prepared. ( tried to add an image from flickr, but it wouldn't take, even though it said it did upload? )

This is a link Ruminations to Con's blog. That seemed to work ok. :D

Thats all for now, (headache is back) enjoy your Saturdays.
@kalgrl
#blogjune
( I hope - pushing publish now....)

Bouquets and perspective…

2011-06-03T14:55:00.002+08:00

Thinking... come home with bad headache, however can’t ‘turn the brain off’, it seems so I started to think about our service we provide at our branch library.

I received the university magazine in the mail yesterday and instead of thinking, 'I know most if this from emails, work blogs and other internal communications', I read it. (Home unwell and wanting distraction.)

It was full of good things, like the new Engineering Pavilion opened by PM Gillard and new ways to treat stuttering. (My father-in-law stuttered, so personally interesting to me.)

On the last page of the magazine is a section called 'in_perspective' and this issue it is a contribution from the Director of our School of Mines, talking about the school, the two campuses and the makeup of the student body for the school. Also included are his efforts on the world stage to encourage international staff and students to join the school.
The school started in 1902 in Coolgardie and was moved into Kalgoorlie soon after.
It is a 'leading mining education school' and 'operates in the same place as the mining industry' (Hall, S. 2011 p.20 ‘Cite’)

This story made me pause, and I started to examine our branch library's contribution to this arena on this campus. How we do things, and who we connect with.

We open daily to help our students with their information needs. Classes are held in information seeking skills and other tools. Also daily, we give a multitude of answers to questions ranging from, 'can you help me find this 1959 book on metallurgy, I can't remember the author' to 'can you help me with printing on plastic overhead projector sheets (remember those??) to overlay some test results, and then scan to print?' (Staff then needed to give a quick class in scanning and text editing skills at the same time.)

More and more our services are moving online, and our local library staff are coping quite well with learning new skills and the rapid change, in our academic environment. We recently moved into a new managed operating environment, (MOE) with the staff and student PC’s and they are all coping well, despite losing all their ‘favourites’.

Our atmosphere we try to keep as a friendly one and I like that we give a human face to our service. This can include joking with the student that returns his reserve item in his pyjamas (student accommodation is next door) to avoid a fine, to allowing an ‘out of town’ (from Kambalda, Coolgardie or various mine sites) client extra minutes to complete the essential photocopying after closing time. To actually being able to read old ‘floppy disks’ with a ‘flash drive’ adapted reader, for that geologist with the important information he had forgotten to migrate to CD.

We also make welcome our international students and endeavour to help them with some of their language concerns. Our English language skills resources are very well used. During a late shift, I have weekly lively discussions with our casual staff member, who is completing his PHD in metallurgy and is originally from mainland China. We chat about Australian idioms and slang he has heard and he usually wants to explore the varied meanings of words. I still remember our discussion about 'biscuits' what they were in different countries, and what was a 'scone'?

I realise that our staff, albeit small in number, endeavour on a daily basis to
make a good contribution towards our student's information seeking needs. I realise that as ‘the librarian’ while I have learnt a lot, I am still on a steep learning curve. I have also realised over the past three and a half years that a great library staff, make a difference.

I believe we should be proud of our efforts, in bringing a great information and library service to this ‘leading mining education school’ (2011). I do, even more now I have stopped and given the idea some thought and brought it ‘into perspective’.

Bouquets to the Curtin Library-Kalgoorlie Campus Staff, you rock!

@kalgrl
#blogjune

..on the second day of blogging

2011-06-02T09:38:00.002+08:00

On the second day of blogging.. the family let me sleep.
Thank you all for your thought and comments.
And I hope those who are also unwell are on the mend (CW)(and other tweeps)

Most interesting thing today was discovering Blueberries in the freezer and instant porridge in the cupboard. I hope this means I am on the mend as feeling slightly hungry. Max (our wonderful red kelpie) is still my companion and is giving me mournful looks as I won't let him on the bed.
that is all ..head about to explode again.
Blergh...

@kalgrl
#blogjune

on the first day of blogging...

2011-06-01T15:48:00.003+08:00

Max my companion

On the first day of blogging my true love said to me,

Stay in bed you are not well,
I'll ring your work and them I will tell,
I'll get you some soothers and friends of the fish,
Take some time and this tea and give the day the miss...

a post, and it has a dog picture (bonus)...back to bed for me..
@kalgrl
#blogjune

5 things about 5 things 1 year ago and sadness.

2011-03-24T14:05:00.004+08:00

5 things that were on my mind on the 23rd March 2010;

1. writing a paper to present at a conference (In collaboration with a friend)
I am doing this again, but feel I have grown and am endeavouring to do it on my own. Only time will tell if I am any good at it at all.

2. the storms in Perth yesterday and the damage done.
Other parts of the country have had terrible weather this year and Perth is in a drought at the moment. Kalgoorlie however has had a lot of rain for the start of 2011. What a difference a year makes to the weather conditions. It is hot again today, after a few days of nice autumn weather.

3. the heat - the air conditioning is not working in the staff areas
This Is Fixed and works fine!!!!

4. the 25 or so jobs on my desk
New jobs - trying to have desk zero - cleared and dealt with by end of the week. Not working yet, cause I am still a bit of a paper fiend, but trying.

5. new staff - hard to find

We have a wonderful new staff member as of the 1st March this year.

We have however had three in that position since this time last year who have left for various reasons. Not the work, things like, family committments, to move to Canberra for a graduateship and moving to another town to follow a career change.

so thats how things have changed over the past year for those 5 things....
Teresa

Feeling reflective today and sad.
My mother just called to tell me my Uncle Harry had died.
Uncle Harry was always a person who was interested and alive, he was a mechanic, owned a garage and worked for the RAC. Recently he and my Aunty celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary to which I was unable to go, and I am sad about that.
RIP Uncle Harry. I send my love to my Aunty and their children.

TB
@kalgrl

A 'tweet' story in 5 tales of tweeting @ 140 characters or less

2011-02-22T15:14:00.004+08:00

1. Librarian joins the group and follows as many interesting 'tweeps' as possible commenting and favouriting and learning new things

2. Others follow her back and many new conversations begin

3. Questions are asked - answers given - all in 140 characters or less

4. A community is building that care and share and are professional to their fingertips and back again

5. And then...

@kalgrl

Happy Birthday to Andrea

2010-10-12T23:00:00.001+08:00

Happy Birthday Andy, I hope you have a brilliant day on Saturday, sorry I can't be there.

Teresa
@kalgrl

ALIA Access 2010

2010-10-01T14:03:00.010+08:00

RAIN RAIN RAIN in the DESERT

Part 1 - Travel and Brisbane

Attended the ALIA Access 2010 Conference in Brisbane.
MPOW supported my application to go and they were very generous to do so.
I was co-presenting a paper with @flexnib and we were going to get together on the Wednesday. The reason, we live 600kms from each other.

Day 1 Travel Day
Tuesday 31st August - flight to Adelaide and then to Brisbane

Delayed at the Kalgoorlie airport as the cloud cover was low and the planes cannot land without a visual confirmation of runway.
There are a lot of people on the flight to Adelaide and we all had coffee/other drinks, and go to know each other while waiting. (eventually we ordered Pizza!)
The plane circled for a while and then went back to Perth and we all went home. (apparently the people at the other end in Adelaide were flown back to Melbourne and then to Perth.)You can plan for everything apart from the weather. I still wonder if the people I was talking to actually made their appointment on the Gold Coast.

Day 2 Tour day and Conference (not really - Travel day 'Take 2')
Wednesday 1st September - flight to Perth and then to Brisbane

Fortunatelty for me the airline sent me new tickets for the next days flight and I was set to travel again. The weather was still 'filthy', however this time the pilot decided to land. Thank you to the crew as it was still heavy cloud cover and rain rain rain.

(To convey how unusual the rain was, we had 6.8mm for the rest of August and 7.8mm on 31st. September's rainfall so far has been 31.6mm on the 1st and 2nd. Nothing else for the entire month so I consider myself lucky to be able to actually fly out on that date.)

I won't say much about the 4 hour flight from Perth to Brisbane apart from,I was
down the back near the toilet,I had seen the movie and Brisbane looks lovely at night from the air. Arrived at the Brisbane airport as it was shutting down for the night - cleaners directed me to the exit and a taxi. Saw the couple I had been talking to sorting out their hire car they were a day late picking up - they still had an hours drive to the Gold Coast. Nice taxi driver into the city and the Hotel reception were glad to welcome me as they said I had been considered 'Missing In Action'. (I did phone them..)

Had been texting and emailing @flexnib throught all of this as she may have had to present on her own if I could't get out of the desert 'because of the rain'. I was feeling bad about that,as we could have got together on skype, but we thought the Wednesday was ours.

Got into the hotel about 12:30am and it is a nice room, yay! Arranged to meet @flexnib for breakfast at her hotel at 7:00am and fell into bed. I was 1/2 an hour late, but she forgave me.

Day 3&4 Brisbane
Brisbane city is bright and shiny - most importantly WARM! and I found it easy to get around. I taxied, walked and ferried around the city. I missed all the tours on the day before so I peeked into a few buildings and walked around as much as I could in the two days.
Not that I had far to go, as the Convention Centre was just across the river.
Walked on the Friday and you could get to the conference centre from my hotel in 15 minutes, walking fast.

The dinner was 'choose a resturant from the list and book', my choice was "Alchemy Resturant and bar" -Alchemy Resturant which I strongly recommend. I had a lovely meal and chat with Librarians from all over the country, including one from our Perth Campus and two from the State Library of Western Australia. The food was good! The owner made a special treat at the end - he cooked some honey comb and a cherry bite in liquid nitrogen - very unusual, I liked the cherry one as it was sour and full of flavour. The Ferry ride back to the Hotel after the conference dinner was wonderful.(Sorry for my 'childlike joy' -desert girl here - we don't have rivers :-)The ferry wove back and forth across the river like a bus letting people off on either bank. It was comfortable and refreshing on a warm evening.

Day 5 travel back to WA
I had an eleven o'clock flight from Brisbane airport and I left early as I was warned traffic can get heavy, even on Saturday.
The taxi driver took me straight to the airline departure terminal and I glimpsed a docked cruise liner in the river on the way, which left me musing what exotic ports it may be travelling too.
The flight home to Perth was fantastic - near the front of economy, no one in the seat next to me. In-flight movie was new and Kobo was working fine. Relaxed.
Spent a couple of hours at the Perth airport and purchased JB an outrageous single malt for Fathers day. 1 hour flight home to Kalgoorlie in 50 minutes - I think the pilot was in a hurry.

Thats the travel - next installment - 'the conference'

Kobo - e-book reader - a review

2010-08-28T16:12:00.005+08:00

I have a Kobo e-reader, I have had it for a couple of weeks.
It came from New Zealand via Borders Bookshop. (there were none in Aus.)
I was sure it was the one for me when I picked it up a the Bookshop and
it was so light and the screen was easy to read and it had been recommeded
by @flexnib.

The first adventure was to learn how to use it - relatively simple to
turn on and begin to set up for reading the 100 novels that come with.

Charging was easy and working through the download of software was fine.
Moving around the books and selecting was easy, the reader bookmarks for you
and remembers where you are. The screen is not back lit and I like that,
it is about the size of a small paperback. You have a couple of choices with the
font and size. Books can be in alphabetical of title or author and you can put
PDF documents on the reader. (not tried that yet.)

I read a couple of the books included, Dracula and Alice's adventures and
then decided to buy an ebook from Borders.

The first thing I had to do was to download the upgrade of software. that
took a while and a bit of 'round the houses' guessing.

The I went to the book store and chose an e-book from a favourite author,
cheap as it had been out a few years and a good one for the first experiment.

Thats when everything went haywire - I clicked the boxes handed over the
money and nothing happened. The book was supposed to transfer to my account from there I could sync to the e-reader.

From there I followed a trail to find some help, as I assumed an incorrect
step on my part was the problem. the Homepage of the bookshop did not have
a visible contact for help, and I went down a wrong alley seeking information.
Honestly the Kobo people are very helpful, it just wasn't their problem.
Finally tracked down a 'help desk' for the bookshop, put in a query and
tah dah, they answered - generic email - which stated one problem they were
having was with downloading e-books and it should be fixed soon!

Four days later the book was ready to be sync'ed. Just my luck that they have
problems when I am downloading the first book - leads to insecurity of the
biggest with new tech.

I then decided to leave the purchasing of books for a while and read the 100
and try to down load some old Sci Fi from online sources.

At this point I have downloaded e-pubs, but I have yet to work out how to move
the files to the e-reader. When I have more time to figure it out I will.

Today I successfully downloaded three books from Borders and it all went very
fast and easy. the problems they had are now fixed. I need the books for
#ALIAAccess - airport waiting etc. (Yay!)

@kalgrl

mid week madness @ teh library

2010-07-29T22:57:00.004+08:00

midweek madness abounds
student assistant to hire (many applicants - all with merit)
new branding @Library (arrgh not again) change all the signs etc & can we get the new font?
staff away & staff just back
diggers and dealers - wheeling and dealing all week next week
big tent in the carpark - parking at premium - will be worse next week
cold still with a leetle sun in the middle of the day- then the wind picks up
cherry pickers with workers replacing guttering on the next building
cherry pickers with workers putting up the big tent
cherry picker going through the cement on the pathway that does not take weight!
art gallery putting on show for wheelers and dealers - much art moving about
teleconferencing till dusk and beyond

sheesh, semester starts next week and we are all tired already!

decisions about new iphone or htc desire..... (but thats just me..:-)

not that its all like that. Met a lovely lady researching the Murchison Goldfields and we helped her to find a lot of information in the library. Helped some new clients discover EndNote and databases.

@kalgrl

thoughts at end of busy days....

2010-07-03T23:24:00.002+08:00

"thoughts fly high
winter drift
blown away in fast falls"

I have needed a focus this month as I am again on the road to doing too much.

July focus....

Recommit, Refocus, Rejuvenate
by Fion Lim

As I sat on my bed
Pen in hand
Journal on lap
Mind splitting in tearing directions

My mind has declared vacation
Leaving my heart frantic
Mister Time mercilessly ticking by
A fresh year advancing fast

Reviewing months before
Alas some goals failed to materialise
Even when birthed from best intentions
Lack of focus escalating tension

Stop and take a deep breath,
Breath in breath out relax
Clear away clouds of mind fluff
Affirmations seeping through in comfort

Repeat, reaffirm, reassure,
Clutching these affirmations
Like a lifeline to regaining balance
Slowing down erratic heartbeats

A new chance to recommit will come again
Weaving up moments for one to refocus
Cuing one to rejuvenate as and when
Finally gathering my scattered wits

Affirming gently in my heart
Recommit, refocus, rejuvenate
Recommit, refocus, rejuvenate
Recommit, refocus, rejuvenate!

@kalgrl

a month of sharing

2010-06-30T21:48:00.004+08:00

what a fabulous month it has been for sharing.
#blogeverydayforjune

i laughed, i cried and i read till it hurt.

Practicing gratitude for Wednesday.

i am grateful this month for;

1. the marvelous wonderful sharing group librarians and information professionals are
2. the stories
3. the recipes
4. the visuals
5. the learning
6. the links

i am grateful for the most useful tool which was the netvibes page set up by Kate Bunker. (we are not worthy... :-)
here
i am very grateful to @flexnib for getting us all motivated!

The month was a challenge, and i did not achieve the goal of 'every day', however i participated, cleaned up the blog and began writing/sharing again. Thank you all for a wonderful reading/writing month.
@kalgrl

Yesterday was Monday

2010-06-29T20:20:00.006+08:00

29 titles
I like books and I like inventive titles, especially SciFi titles, here are a few I enjoyed... (in no order at all :-)

'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman
The Watchers in the dark
I, Robot
Do Androids dream of Electric sheep?
Consider Phlebas
A Sound of Thunder
Fondly Fahrenheit
Scanners Live in Vain
Day Million
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
A Princess of Mars
Stainless Steel Rat
Mortal Engines
The Ship Who Sang
I have no mouth, and I must scream
Flowers for Algenon
The Forever War
A Touch of Infinity
Nightfall
The Bicentennial Man
Starship Troopers
The Cat who Walks Through Walls
Flatland
The Nine Billion Names of God
The Roads Must Roll
Surface Tension
Time's Arrow
A Canticle for Leibowitz
Make Room! Make Room!

(I ran out of time, so I haven't put the authors, but they are all easily found on the web.)

Sorry about the 'cute little kitty' it cracked me up. Many things in Sci fi are cute until they eat you.. :P

@kalgrl
#blogeverydayforjune

Hi ho Hi ho, its off to a workshop we go....

2010-06-28T18:53:00.006+08:00

Working on the practical exercise.

Went to a "Disaster Management" workshop today.
Set up by the Collections Care Co-ordinator for this area. (Thank you Elaine.)
Here are some pictures from the day....

'Non significant' fabric objects drying

Our 'Significant Objects' air drying.

We had a great presentation by Kay Soderlund from Preservation Australia.
The morning was spent on learning how to prepare a plan for your organisation in the event of an 'event', and in the afternoon we did a practical exercise in working with objects and paper that had been damaged by water.

This kind of plan has been in the conversation/planned training of organisations in this area since the 5.2 earthquake earlier in the year, and we all discovered we didn't have one when it was needed. A large number of the groups from the area, largely complacent to the earth moving as we were used to the mine blasts on a daily basis, discovered a renewed interest in disaster planning.
Now all we need to do is write up a plan for our Branch Library and pass along notes to the other branches.

We did this in the Kalgoorlie Town Hall, banquet room with beautiful pressed tin ceiliings and chandeliers, (I forgot to take a photo of) and it was Freezing!!
Had to feel sorry for Kay who had been in Broome last week, where it was hot,(but then, she was in Broome, lucky her!). I do believe hypothermia set in and I began to feel very sleepy from the cold. (It had walmed up to a balmy 12.7C when we broke for lunch.) Lunch was provided and Yummy.

All in all a good, productive day!
@kalgrl
#blogeverydayforjune

Women in Science Fiction

2010-06-27T23:43:00.004+08:00

Which of the 117 authors listed on Sandra McDonald's periodic table of women in science fiction have you read?here
So excited to find this list as there are many Authors on it I haven't read, or maybe...?

italicised: Authors whose books I own & Authors I’ve read something from (short stories count in both catagories). Plain font: authors i've never heard of, but will now I have a list to track them down :-)

Andre Norton
C. L. Moore
Evangeline Walton
Leigh Brackett
Judith Merril
Joanna Russ
Margaret St. Clair
Katherine MacLean
Carol Emshwiller
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Zenna Henderson
Madeline L’Engle
Angela Carter
Ursula LeGuin
Anne McCaffrey
Diana Wynne Jones
Kit Reed
James Tiptree, Jr.
Rachel Pollack
Jane Yolen
Marta Randall
Eleanor Arnason
Ellen Asher
Patricia A. McKillip
Suzy McKee Charnas
Lisa Tuttle
Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Tanith Lee
Pamela Sargeant
Jayge Carr
Vonda McIntyre
Octavia E. Butler
Kate Wilhelm
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Sheila Finch
Mary Gentle
Jessia Amanda Salmonson
C. J. Cherryh
Joan D. Vinge
Teresa Nielsen Hayden
Ellen Kushner
Ellen Datlow
Nancy Kress
Pat Murphy
Lisa Goldstein
Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
Mary Turzillo
Connie Willis
Barbara Hambly
Nancy Holder
Sheri S. Tepper
Melissa Scott
Margaret Atwood
Lois McMaster Bujold
Jeanne Cavelos
Karen Joy Fowler
Leigh Kennedy
Judith Moffett
Rebecca Ore
Emma Bull
Pat Cadigan
Kathyrn Cramer
Laura Mixon
Eileen Gunn
Elizabeth Hand
Kij Johnson
Delia Sherman
Elizabeth Moon
Michaela Roessner
Terri Windling
Sharon Lee
Sherwood Smith
Katherine Kurtz
Margo Lanagan
Laura Resnick
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Sheila Williams
Farah Mendlesohn
Gwyneth Jones
Ardath Mayhar
Esther Friesner
Debra Doyle
Nicola Griffith
Amy Thomson
Martha Wells
Catherine Asaro
Kate Elliott
Kathleen Ann Goonan
Shawna McCarthy
Caitlin Kiernan
Maureen McHugh
Cheryl Morgan
Nisi Shawl
Mary Doria Russell
Kage Baker
Kelly Link
Nancy Springer
J. K. Rowling
Nalo Hopkinson
Ellen Klages
Tanarive Due
M. Rickert
Theodora Goss
Mary Anne Mohanraj
S. L. Viehl
Jo Walton
Kristine Smith
Deborah Layne
Cherie Priest
Wen Spencer
K. J. Bishop
Catherynne M. Valente
Elizabeth Bear
Ekaterina Sedia
Naomi Novik
Mary Robinette Kowal
Ann VanderMeer

I do believe I have read a few more than I have stated, but if I couldn't remember I have left it out. Going now to follow the list and see where it leads.
@kalgrl
#blogeverydayinjune

end of the week -Bitz

2010-06-26T19:50:00.003+08:00

Max our dog looking quite worried because I was between him and the heater! (or it could be the camera)

Reading - 'Unshelved' picked this up at book sale - Dewey and the gang

Listening to - Triple j hottest 100 Vol 16 (currently COG - Bird of Feather)

Thinking about the play (Sound of Music - Stage Left Theatre Company - pretty good production and we had some musicians from the WAAPA orchestra) we saw today, the cold and if dinner is ready yet and my boy out to an 18th party.

Realising that I am tired with challenging week with staff shortage, one on holiday, contract staff left a week earlier than expected and new staff member starts on Monday. Long hours on desk for team members still on site. Training to organize and I am so ready for a holiday!

Enjoyed this week - Cocktail party at the Mining hall of Fame for launch of the new exhibit. Farewell of staff member going back to Lebanon to live with her family (to clarify - morning tea was nice, florentines and speeches, her leaving wasn't!)and booking a holiday for christmas and my birthday (which is far too close to christmas).

how was your week? hope you enjoyed it.
@kalgrl
#blogeverydayforjune (or sorta)

Two Things Meme

2010-06-23T15:29:00.005+08:00

A meme by any other name is still a blog post :-)

Two names you go by:
1) TB
2) kalgrl

Two things you are wearing right now:
1) gold bangle from JB for wedding anniversary
2) staff ID

Two things you would want (or have) in a relationship:
1) trust
2) humour

Two things you like to do:
1) read
2) paint on fabric

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1) test the sound on the interactive white board with Queen song
2) another truffle (presi from US)

Two things you did last night:
1) looked at Singapore hotels online
2) watched NCIS

Two things you ate today:
1) Apple
2) cheese and tomato sandwich

Two people you last talked to:
1) FeralMB
2) JB

Two things you’re doing tomorrow:
1) work
2) buying 'Sound of Music' tickets

Two Favorite Holidays
1) Melbourne in Autumn
2) Southwest WA in spring

Two favourite beverages:
1) tea
2) brewed ginger beer

Two things about me you may not have known:
1) I was the 'Ghost of Christmas Present' in Scrooge the musical
2) I can throw pots - *on a wheel

Two jobs I have had in my life:
1) research assistant
2) health food shop assistant

Two movies I would watch over and over:
1) Cabaret
2) Stargate

Two places I have lived:
1) Manapori - NZ
2) Mt Beauty - Victoria

Two of my favourite foods:
1) sticky black rice
2) fresh mango

Two places I’d rather be right now:
1) Singapore with family (going soon)
2) France

@kalgrl
#blogeverydayforjune

Sunday Desk....

2010-06-20T22:41:00.003+08:00

Items in no order of importance that happened today on Sunday Shift at desk!

1. payment terminal crashed - 10 minutes to work out what was wrong, thanks to casual staff that helped put it back together. :-))

2. lots of very tired students on this the Sunday in the middle of the exam period.

3. the student with the 'winning smile' who tried to con me into letting him have more than his fair share of overnight loans & early. (what didn't he understand about 'Exam week', in demand items and sharing??) Later on before closing I let him have 3 as no one else was standing in line and I would hate it to be on the shelf and not being used! (even then he tried for a 'sleep in' return time.)

4. 'anatomically correct disgusting drawing' found in computer room handed in by, thankfully a mature person, who just suggested I shred it, done!

5. student with many fines trying to borrow 'in demand' loans with another students card, without written permission. (he eventually paid his fines and took the book he needed - I didn't feel bad as he has been doing this for three years.)

6. philosophical discussion about families being the same the world over with casual staff who hails from mainland China. This was over a cup of green tea.

7. Post grad. student from South America, dropping into campus for two weeks, asking about conference papers. Found some!

8. face mask on to flush loos in mens toilet when opening - uggh. (only joking about the mask, not the loos. arhh country livin' gotta love it. - cleaner doesn't come in from friday morning until monday and it can get...) much hand cleanser/sanitizer applied.

9. going home time came and we went out into a little rain, Yay!

@kalgrl
#blogeverydayforjune

What makes you happy?

2010-06-19T12:35:00.003+08:00

via @flexnib from creative circ

Family evenings on cold nights, talking, eating and playing Wii sports and MarioKart.
nice walk on cool but sunny day
Queens Park - Perth WA.
Music - I have very eclectic, 'uninformed' taste - from classic on up.
Musicals - with a story such as Dr Horrible's sing along blog and 'Rocky Horror' (gotta love those tunes :-)
New shoes
Animoto
Bread and butter pudding with cream
Tea, hot (wish I had a replicator like C'ptn Picard)
'Classic' Science Fiction short stories - this genre has it all going on with some very fine writing. I love it when I discover a new 'old' Author.
SFX magazine - spoiler alert!
Max our red kelpie - he is always pleased to see me!
Opening things - from Mail to a brand new book! (simple soul me :P)
Big old trees with history, big leaf canopy and root system.
@kalgrl
#blogeverydayinjune (or sorta :-)

“Make room-Make Room”

2010-06-13T12:17:00.003+08:00

Personal visual collection 'de-selection'.

This past week in our area we finally have most of the ‘digital TV channels’ and we are enjoying the choice. Many people we know are ‘upgrading’ their hardware, skipping a generation or two in the upgrade. My background music this morning is from Channel 10, a channel new in our area.

I also had a conversation with JB about new DVD’s he has and where should he store them. And this started a discussion again about “purchasing digital” and not having storage concerns, but that is another days post.

We have not ‘deselected’ for a while, actually since we moved last and this is nearly 10 years.

I began thinking about some of the criteria we use for de-selection at work. One is, how often something is used in the past 10 years. Coupled with this thinking is the fact I am a pack rat, and never throw anything out, ‘in case’, I do believe I should at least ‘Make room’ for JB’s new DVDs, in a place other then the floor in the lounge room.

The videos have to go… many are just TV recording for time shift and we need the space. Some may need migration to DVD if they are of family significance such as children’s birthdays, weddings etc. but otherwise they need to be de-selected. This outdated format is space hogging and rapidly moving towards a situation of no ‘playback’ hardware as our player/recorder will not be replaced. We still have one of the models that had a DVD player and a video recorder/player combination.

The main reasons we haven’t completely ‘gone digital’ in this household has been reluctance to rid ourselves of ‘favorite’ programmes in older formats that may not be replaceable and costs involved with the whole changeover process. Oh, and pure laziness while we still have the playback hardware. It also was the case that some movies or series were not as easy to purchase, in newer formats and some things may never be migrated if there is not a ‘market’ for the changeover.

The thing is no-one in this household uses this format now, or hardly ever! We all view online or digital and DVD in computers or other means. Time shifting of programs is not a problem as most channels time shift for you, online. If it were not for the fact we were looking for a copy of a movie we couldn’t purchase, at that point, I would not have remembered we had most of them.

Having a household that wasn’t ‘born digital’ with ‘digital natives’ living in it creates funny situations, as with my daughters reaction to the videos when I unearthed them to look for ‘Fern Gully’ to show her, how like ‘Avatar ‘ the story line was. ‘What are those, they are dusty and old and didn’t we have it on DVD?’ DVD itself, now an ‘old’ but current format and will probably for the generation after her, be her ‘old dusty collection’.

My plan of action is to make a list of items I believe ‘I needs’ to keep (pack rat again), and then see if I can get a new format copy, before ditching the old, much like at work. I still worry about my Aussie movie collection and wonder if I can replace them all, as larger foreign markets have bigger demand, however I realize I need to “make room”.

This makes me wonder if I will feel the same about migrating formats with favourite books to digital. Oh no, running away from that question to watch “Paperback Hero” on video. :-)

@kalgrl
#blogeverydayforjune

Leonora

2010-06-10T20:36:00.004+08:00

Leonora is a small town in the Goldfields of Western Australia.
It is approximately 2 hours (230km)from Kalgoorlie on a lonely road only alleviated by the even smaller town of Menzies which is about 1 hour from Kalgoorlie. Leonora is on the crossroads, sort of a 't' shape where the road goes on to Leinster, a slightly more modern mining town or Laverton in the opposite direction on the road to the central desert and many small communities.
This is a very dry country, the temperature was a minimum of 4 degrees and a maximum of 17 degrees today.

The town has a small amount of tourism from the Gwalia historic mining part of town and the Historic Hoover house. (named after Herbert Hoover, US president who worked there around the turn of the 20th Century as an engineer and this was his home) I believe you can stay there. Population of approx.1500. Two hotels, 1 motel, 350 houses.

I have been to this town a couple of times,a visit to the school when i worked in another area and stopped for a drink on the way to Leinster. Like all small towns,there is a lot community spirit. However if you are new and unsure of the culture it may take a while to feel at home.

Its actually in the middle of nowhere, much like Christmas Island, really.

This week the Australian Government relocated a number of Asylum seekers, families, to a disued mining camp in the town. Media took photos of them behind their fence. Children were in the paper on the front page as, "child looks through fence" or some such. Apparently you have no rights as a child in this situation.
It must be horrific to be flown from the middle of the ocean to the middle of a desert, and then be on show like something in a zoo.

Apparently it is old news at this end of the week, and is forgotten now.
I haven't forgotten and I hope that the good souls of this small town deal with this situation with care and if they are able, support these families, whatever the outcome of their applications.

@kalgrl

What's unread by the bed....

2010-06-09T22:42:00.003+08:00

Meme
10 titles I haven't read on the shelf near the bed... and why...

1. Breath by Tim Winton
not sure why I haven't read this yet, think I need a space of time.
2. Incite magazine
came in the mail today
3. Uglies by Scott Westerfield
brought for Ms13 - in my patch for some reason
4. Nancy Wake - by Peter Fitzsimons
bio of our greatest war heroine (born in NZ :-) not in the mood yet
5.Infernal Devices - Philip Reeve
Saving for the holidays
6. The ship of Brides - Jojo Moyes
Recommendation from friend -not sure its my type of book
7. Deep Water - Peter Corris
new author for me - started sort of
8. Life of Pi - Yann marterl
Bought cheap at a student bookshop in Melbourne - next on the list
9. The Canterbury Tales - Chaucer
impulse pick from work catalogue
10. The Black Madonna - Traci Harding
book three in a series - losing its appeal

There are at least 10 more...
Whats unread by your bed? and why?

@kalgrl
#blogeverydayforjune

interactive white board nil - librarian one!

2010-06-08T20:52:00.003+08:00

http://www.woodlandschools.org/files/pages/whs/whs_class_oflynnp/ed3.gif

I 'e-worked out' how to use the 'ink layer' on the interactive whiteboard today.
Feel quite chuffed with myself. Thank you PLN for hints and tips and links. Plan to tackle a new part of it each day, time permitting. Resting on my laurels now with glass of nice white.
#NTS Important thing to remember for today. Put the pens back into the holder before you can use the interactive keyboard - only 1 input device at a time!

@kalgrl
#ablogadayforjune

'e-worked out' my term for when i use a mixture of reading, online and playing around until I get it...

meme for Day 7 - busy

2010-06-07T13:32:00.003+08:00

Day 6 - Prince of Persia and sundry Sunday things....

from Ruminations a meme for Holiday Monday...

Do you snack while reading? Yes. usually something small and not messy to be lifted from a bowl so I don't have to pay attention to the action.

What is your favourite drink while reading? Tea.

Do you tend to mark your books while you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you? I have trouble marking books. I simply don't see it as something i can do as they possibly won't always be mine.

How do you keep your place? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book open flat? I use what is handy, a bookmark if I have one, receipt for the book, shopping list etc.

Fiction, non-fiction or both? Both, mainly fiction.

Do you tend to read to the end of a chapter or can you stop anywhere? End of the next chapter.. can't stop easily.

Least favourite way of stopping? interruption i.e. not my choice to stop.

Are you the type of person to throw a book across the room or on the floor if the author irritates you? I only ever threw one book, and that was because it was a perfect story up until the last chapter. The author let you have full control of what you wanted to make from the story and then, he explained! in the last chapter, virtually ruining the entire story, well for me anyway. I felt I didn't need it explained.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away? No I usually just guess from the surrounding words the meaning. If it really bothers me I will have a look later. (in Fiction. In non-fiction I have the dictionary beside me.)

What are you currently reading? Makers - Cory Doctorow, The girl who played with fire - Stieg Larsson and a few more and Blogs, lots of blogs.

What is the last book you bought? $5 special from the newsagent on Saturday - "Hidden Power" by Judith Cutler

Do you have a favourite time/place to read? in the morning.

Do you prefer series books or stand-alones? no preference.

Is there a specific book or author you find yourself recommending over and over? I read a lot, and only recommend if asked. I unfortunately have a terrible memory for authors and proper titles. I remember the stories and my experience when reading. Can't recommend if you can't remember what it is called.
As a classic science fiction reader, I probably 'talk about' the short stories of Ray Bradbury, "There will come soft rains", or "Flowers for Algenon" by Daniel Keyes and "Yesterday was Monday" by Theodore Sturgeon. (online search as aid to memory here:-). I do remember recommending "I Robot" (Asimov) recently, however forgot to tell them it was short stories.

How do you organize your books (by genre, title, author’s last name, etc.)? fiction by Author...non fiction by where I place it on the shelf (or more rightly, where it fits on the shelf), no oganization.

Barbara’s additional question: background noise or silence?
Depends what I am doing, usually quiet hum of household if concentrating.

Egads! this has taken me longer then I wanted it to take...bye.
@kalgrl

Blog Birthday - 4th !

2010-06-05T20:05:00.008+08:00

Just recently I passed my 4th 'Blog Birthday".
When I started this blog I was in a different position and it feels like another world.

Some ecletic things that were happening at the same time:
Twitter started in March 2006.
2006 was the international year of Deserts and Desertification.
It was Mozarts 250th Birthday
Star's babies were born in 2006, Kingston, Moses and Suri.
Pluto was demoted :-(
The third in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne of Japan was born.

The thing is, the item I most remember was Pluto was demoted to a rock, so upsetting.

I even knew a rhyme from childhood to remember the planets, and to top that all off the books on the shelf on the solar system were now so, yesterday.
Pluto is God of the Underworld, how can you de-planet a God?
Still not over that.:-)

Anyway happy #blogeverydayinjune

@kalgrl

cupcake is from here
de-planeted pluto graphic from here

MY new favourite kitchen thingy!

2010-06-04T20:36:00.004+08:00

TGIF - short blog today.
My new favourite thing in the kitchen. Wonderful retro measure for dry foods.
english cups, american cups, ounces, grams.

@kalgrl

A graduate engineer walked into the library...

2010-06-03T22:48:00.003+08:00

In a special library at a mining company where I worked we had a yearly batch of graduates from all spectrums of the industry and it was really wonderful to watch them go through their programme and experience the interesting angles at which they would approach their work.

Some would have new approaches to old problems, like the one when presented with the problem (a favorite one to give the graduates every year) of 'wood picking' from the ore, went off to the hospital and asked to use some of their equipment to work out his solution.

(This problem, briefly explained, is the pulling of old wood, from disused underground works, out of the ore mined from the pit. The extra carbon from the wood interfered with the process of extracting the gold.)
His solution didn't work, but he married one of the nurses from the hospital.

Some of these graduates were very young, older hands would enjoy sending them off to the store for a 'long weight' or some striped paint. The storemen would just send them to a chair in the office, and get back to work, which, after a while so did the graduate.

I have met a graduate that insisted that there must be a 'standard' for everything, if only he could find the number to order it. I met a graduate that showed me an erupting volcaneo online,one that was interested in extraterrestrial geology, and one that built a boat. Working in this library I purchased items on all manner of subjects and ordered papers from many interesting conferences for seemingly obscure subjects, and enjoyed all of it. They were an interesting, vibrant and stimulating group.

Where I am working now is at the other end of the education cycle. We recently had a graduation and more graduates went out into the industry, where I hope they meet the old hands and have a company library to ransack and a Librarian to torment. I hope she/he gives them the one paper ever written on 'Wood Picking', and they finish their graduate programs with ease.

Some of them come into the library, with their families. Telling them tales of nights spent searching for information for their 4th year projects or other important assessments. These students often stop to thank the library staff,and then go off to their new exciting careers in the industry.

Ah bless, lets hope they don't have a 'long wait'. :-)

Good night! @kalgrl

'a blog a day, helps you...communicate!'

2010-06-02T10:58:00.004+08:00

Today is a good day, very busy.
Small post to carry on with the committment of #blogging every day in JUNE!
(For which i can lay the credit at Ruminations door)

This has renewed my interest in my blog.

Today I am thankful for;

1.JB who brought me a drink of tea at 6:30am
2.Tweeps for tweets ;-)
3.My manager for support
4.@flexnib
5.'the team' @kal

back to the coalface now - literally (except its gold and ore and other mining tech.)

State Library of WA discard book sale in Kalgoorlie

2010-04-24T12:45:00.009+08:00

Went to the State Library's book sale "here all weekend" in Kalgoorlie. Opens later on ANZAC Day. [Dawn Service maybe for us.]

The choice does not seem as wonderful as last time, needs thoughtful picking over. Also you need to go over the three days as new 'stock' is put out each day.

The items that caught my fancy are below;

Non Fiction
The Beader's Bible; over 300 great charts for beadweavers - Claire Crouchley
The Brontes at Haworth: a life in letters, Diaries and Writings - Juliet Gardiner
Star wars: The essential Guide to Droids - Daniel Wallace
The Potters Palette - Christine Constant and Steve Ogden
The Wind In the Willows Craft Book - Di Campbell
The techniques of Indian Embroidery - Anne Morrell
Gardner's Art through the ages - 8th ed.
Step-by-Step Dollmaking - Barbara Marsten
Glazes and Glazing Technique - Greg Daly
Creative Photocopying: ...for crafts, design... - Stewart and Sally Walton

Fiction
Astely, Thea 'Coda'
Dick, Phillip K. 'Paycheck'
Eliot, George 'Silas Marner'
Greenwood, Kerry 'Queen of the Flowers'
Hugo, Victor 'The Hunchback of Notre-dame'[Needle, Jan trans. Hughes, David Illus.]
Marston, Edward "The Railway Detective'
McCall Smith, Alexander 'Tears of the Giraffe'
Rankin, Ian 'Watchman'
Robb, JD 'Purity in death'

Short Stories
Astely, Thea 'Collected Stories'
Nebula Awards Showcase - 2003 "the years best SF & Fantasy
The Year's Best - Australian Scinece Fiction and Fantasy - 1997

JB's
Australia's Motocycling Heritage - Jim Scaysbrook
Phillip Island: a history of Motor sport since 1923 - Jim Scraysbrook

Might go back tomorrow, can't keep a reader away from these things.:-)
@kalgrl

5 things ...

2010-03-23T15:20:00.003+08:00

5 things on my mind at the moment;

1. writing a paper to present at a conference
2. the storms in Perth yesterday and the damage done.example @ 1 library
3. the heat - the air conditioning is not working in the staff areas
4. the 25 or so jobs on my desk
5. new staff - hard to find

Tea now and thinking to do

PD on my mind

2010-03-02T10:45:00.001+08:00

10 professional things learnt this past year,
(2nd year of professional appointment)

1. Try to be evenhanded in all your dealings,
things often turn out different to expectations.

2. Chair for selection Panel for new staff.
(good for CV. Time wise - nightmare to organise.)

3. The need to develop a thicker skin.
Remain compassionate, and still make decisions. (the buck stops here..)

4. Things don't remain the same, just wait - change will come.
(you won't necessarily like it.)

5. Professional staff don't necessarily want to share.

6. Acronyms (unexplained) are the 'bane' of online learners
google does help if you have a vague idea what you are looking for.

7. Ask

8. Professional development is still work, and you need to 'work' at it.

9. Patience is hard to develop (esp. with builders and HR)

10. Statistics are important.

Personally

1.Let family things happen, don't stress.
They will still happen and you will be too stressed to deal.

Library Day - January 25th 2010

2010-01-26T18:47:00.005+08:00

One day in the Library life - (gosh it has taken me three days to complete this post #busy)

Sharing what I did in one day at the Library.

8:00 leave for work in car.
8:10 Stop at coffee shop for flat white and Banana Maple Muffin.
8:20 Arrive at work - turn off security and turn on lights and loans desk computers
8:30 Go to office to work on expenses for trip to MPOW main campus, greeting team as they arrive. Library doors open to clients.
9:00 Turn on email and remember arranged (2009) to show Humanities team tour of new facilities - prepare.
9:30am Receive email from Humanities team leader - she is on leave for the long weekend and will not be in - cancelled tour.
9:30 Email (still catching up from leave)
deal with tasks from email:
including new item request from lecturer - interesting title for reusing "past use by date" mining open pits, "101 things to do with a hole in the ground".
& where is the item I requested? - another lecturer - send email request for update.
(realise left diary at home - sigh!)
10:00 phone call from Mr 18 - he has a place at his university accommodation village - phew - much paperwork to be completed, but still... :D
!!celebrate with tea and breakfast muffin :D
10:15 received phone call from potential employee L/A position - gave relevant information.
10:20 colleague dropped in to enquire about L/A position - for his spouse. ditto
10:30 help client register-on and use the new printing/photocopying system
10:45 check new items received while on leave, now on display. Have to keep up
11:00 Mail - tub from main campus contains new item I have been waiting for, open mail - complete tasks from mail and sneek a peek at book on "Personal Learning networks"
12:00 Desk - and also help colleague move desks to new area. (relocating computer etc.) Various tasks on desk - mainly new copy card system and loans of scanner.
13:00 lunch
14:00 various tasks arising from morning activities including sorting out details of recruitment for Library Assistant
15:30 Reference/enquiries Desk
17:00 Home

glass of white and new book - bliss

Australia Day 'gratitude'

2010-01-26T18:27:00.003+08:00

Good things:
the land
the people
the opportunities
the joy at simple pleasures eg.
floating thong 'record' at Cottesloe beach

Always liked the 'Third' verse...

Beneath our radiant southern Cross,
We'll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To advance Australia fair.

This original version was composed by Peter Dodds McCormick

Enjoy the fireworks in Perth y'all :D

ponderings on a hot Sunday - help in the library...

2010-01-24T10:12:00.009+08:00

Avoiding the thought of going out in the heat, 34.7C (94.46F) at 11.00am, I was reading a travel blog of a friend librarian who was visiting Europe (reading about being cold can be fun, but I am not sure I would like the experience) and his account of a Monday visit to the new 'Amsterdam Central Library'. It is an interesting account of the services, the wine bar at the front and the eating area with great views. The thing he found lacking, besides the lighting on the 6th floor being "some of the worst shelf lighting I've ever seen in my life!", seemed to be, in his opinion, helpful staff.

After some unsuccessful attempts to interest staff in his queries about the Library, the stock, the building and other information that interests Librarians visiting other libraries, he goes on to say,
"I've taken a lot from this building with regard to design, layout and stock but there is NO substitute for trained, professional and helpful staff to make the library successful."
The blog entry is here if you want to read it Wightbear's wanderings.

I was thinking he might have enjoyed more a visit to DOK in Delft, I know that is a place I would like to visit :-)

Thinking further about the staffing of Libraries, it brings me back to thinking about MPOW and our team. We in our small branch, are changing our approach to answering queries and visibility, altering our thinking from 'got to get to the back room to finish that task', to siting at the desk and completing tasks, if we can, between queries from clients.

We have recently had a facelift at the front desk area of the library. At the entrance, we had a black blank wall of returns slot and hidden processing area that did not give any one entering the library a view of helpful staff anywhere. With the renovation we have a hopefully inviting 'Help' desk, with client seating that actually faces the entrance and a new computer room, here open when the library is open, off to the side of that desk.

The mission this year, and hopefully the team will be able to cover it :-) is to staff that desk at all opening hours and 'help' clients with queries.
We know that more and more services are electronic, and we are being asked more often how to access these services. From simple queries about passwords (not so simple a lot of the time, given our different schools and client range, yr 11 to post grad), to how to decide which electronic database would be best for a given subject. Given also that we are a resonably fully employed town, with a lot of part-time study, a great number of our clients also work and have family responsibilities. If we can smooth the way for a client that has only a set amount of hours to complete a task, well, yay!

Our team already swings into action when a query from a client or a visitor to the area comes in, however we had found this could be delayed by the layout of the entrance statement and the confusion of where to go for information. We have discovered that while we may be a university library branch, we are the only technical library in this area and we have certain obligations to support the community we live in. We have a lot of visitors researching, personal and other topics and they rely on the information they can find in a quick visit, so 'onward and upward' with the new renovation.

I suppose my point is, that my friend had little time in Amsterdam and an interest in gathering information for his topic. A smile and a helping hand would have gone a very long way to achieving his purpose, and also would have given a different, better impression of the service from the beginning.

On a personal note - Yay team!

Tuesday gratitude....

2009-12-29T08:56:00.002+08:00

I have much gratitude this week,

1. Family
2. doctors who fit people in... you are wonderful
3. my brother, despite all odds - unfailingly cheerful for others
4. books - quiet moments amid the noise
5. airconditioning

kthxbai
I have to go shopping now....

"those schoolgirl days...."

2009-12-20T12:16:00.004+08:00

End of an era in this household.
Ms12, our youngest, graduated from Year seven, which is the last year for Primary education,here in the West of Australia.
She had a graduation assembly and a really nice dinner dance on the next night.
Hats off to all the teachers who have influenced her and helped her in her primary education.
Her last teacher was a new graduate, young, and totally professional.
She introduced good homework, took them on camp, and inspired my daughter to read more.
What more can a parent ask for then that? Thank you Miss Lamb.
We, as parents realise that this is the last of 13years association with the same school.
This is a long time, these days for any relationship and we will miss some aspects, and not others.
Notes- the day before, I wont miss those...Smiling helpful staff, I will miss.
Bouquets to all dedicated teaching and support staff everywhere.

Library 101

2009-11-01T14:55:00.007+08:00

FromHere!

Beginning of the week gratitude....

2009-10-05T19:44:00.003+08:00

I have things to be grateful for this week, even at the beginning,

1. Panadol
2. Husband
3. Tea
4. warmer weather
5. my own bed....

I am really grateful for the opportunity to go to Perth to the #ASLA2009 Conference and the Library camp Perth 2009.
I will appreciate it more when I am well...(just sitting up for a few minutes to appreciate lying down again soon..)

{Sneeze}
@kalgrl

Beautiful

2009-09-01T14:36:00.002+08:00

let yourself feel. from Esteban Diácono on Vimeo.
Olafur Arnalds - Music

let yourself feel. from Esteban Diácono on Vimeo.

Perth Library Camp 2009 - Unconference

2009-08-31T20:20:00.005+08:00

Why not sign up for the:
Perth Library Camp 2009 - Keeping the Fire Burning
Perth Library Camp
I attended the 2008 unconference and I thoroughly recommend the experience, just for the networking alone.

I looked at gadgets, tinkered with apps, listened to Library Staff from many different types of Libraries talk about their experiences with Library 2.0 and the 23 Things devised to increase knowledge of the new technologies now being used in Libraries and on the Web.

I was slightly overwhelmed by the amount of information and new tech on offer, but I choose a few of the 'things' to work on in the past year.

Only 100 people can sign up and the unconference rules are: here
SEE you there! :-)
Kalgrl

Shanachie Tour "Downunder" - Brisbane City Council Library

2009-07-05T14:38:00.002+08:00

What a great Library, loved the spaces and the 'fast floor'...

Brisbane City Council Library from Jaap van de Geer on Vimeo.

@kalgrl

Books you remember...15 of them...

2009-06-27T13:53:00.009+08:00

Via Ruminations

"Fifteen in Fifteen minutes"

the fifteen that I remember with ease seem to fall into two basic categories,
SciFi and historical.. I was a voracious reader and my neighbour 4 years older than me had an interesting bookcase, as did my Grandfather and my Mother.

A Traveller in Time - Alison Uttley (Mary Queen of Scots/war time Britian)
Dune - Frank Herbert (Control, complete control of yourself..)
Dragonflight - Anne McCaffery (Dragons and SciFi mixed)
Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes (So tragically sad and well written)
I Robot - Issac Asimov (the robotic laws etc.)
Time enough for love - Robert Heinlein (longevity to the max)
Consider Phlebas - Iain M. banks (my introduction to his work)

These old Shades - Geogette Heyer (Historical novel with witty hero)
A tale of two cities - Charles Dickens (Historical novel with noble tragic hero)
Forever to Remain - E.V. Timms (Historical Novel...family saga exodus to W.A.)
Les Miserables - Victor Hugo (Huge 'soap opera' in with 2 or more noble heroes)
Katherine - Anya Seton (Historical novel about the mistress of the Duke of Lancaster/ black death, Chaucer etc...its all in it)

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Wild Swans - Jung Chang
The Riders - Tim Winton

Most of them are not classic literature and I am not aiming as Flexnib says at a "Highbrow list" just memorable - for me, reads.
Cheers
@kalgrl

What Dewey No. are you?

2009-06-27T13:44:00.002+08:00

What can I say? I am the 300's apparently :-)
Cheers
@kalgrl

Teresa Bennett's Dewey Decimal Section:

353 Specific fields of public administration

Teresa Bennett = 0585912544500 = 058+591+254+450+0 = 1353

Class:
300 Social Sciences

Contains:
Books on politics, economics, education and the law.

What it says about you:
You are good at understanding people and finding the systems that work for them. You like having established reasoning behind your decisions. You consider it very important for your friends to always have your back.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

Midweek gratitude....

2009-05-13T15:49:00.003+08:00

Things I am grateful for this week,

1. books lent me by good friends
2. great department at Library that Rush orders when we need it!
3. Husband who makes me lunch
4. Team who are sharing the tough roster
5. reading "the princess bride" to an interested child...
6. new Star trek movie that was a laugh from start to finish!

and tea, this week brought to you by "Peppermint".

live long and Prosper..

FeralTB aka @kalgrl

Book wars - "a new hope"....

2009-04-21T10:06:00.001+08:00

I do like this, I do.
Kalgrl

Twitter with music

2009-04-13T23:41:00.003+08:00

Found a new toy....Blip.fm
I am a DJ on Blip.FM, what will be my listening pleasure this evening.
It's twitter with music...or close
I thought I was tired of the bright and shiney...not yet it seems!
peace out.

Gratitute....

2009-03-21T17:42:00.002+09:00

Things I am grateful for today...

1. Lovely walking weather
2. JB
3. eeepc
4. BBC Good Food mag. (from which I am cooking "Aubergine, Tomato and Red Lentil Curry"
5. Lemons on the lemon tree, soon for 1st harvest! (& lots of olives for harvest in may)

Kalgrl (aka FeralTB)

Busy busy busy

2009-02-27T14:57:00.003+09:00

New year and we have started fast, the high school (yrs 11 & 12 only) college on our campus has 610 students. The School of Mines has a few hundred on campus and a few hundred off campus!and I am not sure how many are at the TAFE!

Information Literacy classes for the High School seem to be well received. Been including "pop Culture" images and it seems to be catching their interest. After a session i have been giving a frisby to the ones who can answer a question and someone has it right each time! So something is working.
Have delivered some classes to the Nursing and Education students, both higher Ed and Dip. through the TAFE.

The classes for the School of Mines start next week and the lecturers are getting me to deliver over two weeks, databases and then Endnote,, in a lab in their buildings. Had to get the IT people to give me a crash course in using their equipment, usually a quick study me, so should go ok.

Downloaded the new version of Endnote to my eeepc last night, just to remember how to do it!
(btw my new 'leetle' mouse [belkin] is working like a charm...i<3 it!)

Getting the hang of the next G portable modem stick thingy (technical term that), don't like the way the phone co. rip your remaining money off you at the end of the month if you are a leetle late recharging grrr!

On a personal note I am grateful for:
1. Supportive family
2. Supportive Team
3. as Cptn Pickard says, "tea hot, earl grey" (& others)
4. opportunities to increase my knowledge
5. husband teaching son to drive!
All for now Kalgrl!

New Year starts with a rush....

2009-02-20T09:16:00.003+09:00

I auditioned for a play...in December, and it is a good drama and murder set in the 1880's England along the Thames down from London. Got a great part and am now, Miss Fiske, Leonora Fiske... The play is called "Ladies in Retirement" (on at the Goldfields Arts Centre in early March - small plug there :-))

Things I had forgotten,
How hard it is to learn a lot of lines!!!
How interesting it is to work closely with a small cast of new people.
How busy I am at the start of semester 1, eeeep!
Making props is a lot of fun, researching what 1880's mail looks like this morning.
Letting emotions loose on stage, while not real, can still feel very real.
1880's costumes in February Australia are very hot!

I am enjoying it immensely and trying to keep all aspects of life together, smiling at family, agreeing to do that class...etc I MUST remember if I do it again, I shouldn't go for the good drama at the start of the year!
The lines are getting there, off to make some 1880's mail now..bye kalgrl

Literacy, information literacy and needs...

2009-01-31T08:32:00.003+09:00

I have been thinking a lot about the information literacy needs of the diverse group of students that are on the campus this year. I consider the script approach taken by my colleagues in the big city campus and wonder if it would even impinge on the minds of the teenagers in the High school or the Tafe.

I was reading Dorothy Porters "El Dorado" and in one verse she succinctly put something that spoke quite clearly to me what I have been watching in my own children and the larger population of students;

The child in this situation didn't leave a note about her whereabouts, didn't think pen and paper at all! (shock, horror)She had been texting her father, however his phone was switched off... and the protagonist was remembering that this,

"..generation
is gadget-savvy,
but otherwise totally-
unapologetically-
illiterate."
Porter, D. (2007. pg. 322)

There are many 'key' words in the verse, but I think 'unapologetically' really nailed it, they don't care (sorry, even think about) if we care about our way of doing things, and why can't 'we get it'.

"Illiterate" in my dictionary is:
1. Unable to read or write. and 2. not knowledgeable about a particular subject.

However they are knowledgable about their particular subjects.

Images of the past year at this point float through my mind;
my son struggling to read a novel for the subject we still so strangely call "english", chucking it aside and then,

-texting 3 friends, (reading and writing),

-searching for a particular YouTube video, (keywords in use here),

-updating his myspace and adding visuals to make his point, (photos, graphics etc. He has facebook as well but its not as visually manipulative as myspace),

-playing online with "randoms" in a game on xbox, (gaming and social networking
some of the time the game is UNO, which I find amusing)

I have been reading about getting beyond the bullet points in presentations and others are talking about the same thing, so I think if it can be visually stimulating and not too many words to blur their minds, I might just crack it...now to work out how to do that!

off to do some social networking and think ..FeralTB-) (aka kalgrl)

Wednesday

2009-01-08T10:20:00.002+09:00

Sorting some of the books in the pile beside the bed :o))
Kalgrl

First lines 2008

2009-01-01T21:17:00.002+09:00

I have been looking back over my blog for the past year and have listed first lines from the first post from each month, It gave me the impetus to re-read some of my thoughts and besides the cringing :o} I remembered a lot about the year from each entry. Here 'tis, {+ some new comments from me...}

January
Well it was a long 4 days, with the last day of deliberations ending at 4.45pm. {jury duty}
February
Wishing I was somehow at VALA, Wishing I could sit in on a brilliant paper. {thoughts aloud as to why conferences don't have online components you can pay to attend??}
March
Are you relevant? Have a look at this video. {mmmm..??}
April
Today I worked, yes I know it is Sunday, however the ten students waiting for me to open the library door were very grateful! {working on weekends}
May
I was pondering on the fact feminine hygiene products attract GST but condoms don't??
June
The 106 books most often marked as “unread” by LibraryThing’s users.
July
I was/am very excited to be going to the Library Unconference, Library 2.0 and beyond: getting our hands dirty, in Perth Western Australia in August... {calm down grl lol}
August
Just quickly, I highly recommend you read this post and look at the attached video's....
September
I saw a lot of buzz in the last couple of weeks on 'Clickers", around MPOW.
October
Can't find a reason to blog at the moment... {tired I think}
November
I am pretty sure the only 'rule' he didn't break was using a mobile phone... {funny library rules vid}
December
Cool, from TypoGenerator.

Roll on 2009 kalgrl :o))

Idea from Librarians Matter

Happy New Year - 2009

2009-01-01T09:47:00.004+09:00

Happy New Year everyone, I hope the new year brings with it many activities which you enjoy and you keep safe and happy!
Found this youtube video via HeyJude
1 year in 40 seconds

In many ways I feel this is how 2008 has passed, extremely quickly.
I have learnt a lot and hopefully I will be able to gather the bits I need in a coherent fashion and move forward!

From an idea on Flexnib's blog
Ruminations
I thought I would
'practice my gratitude' today and think of 5 things I was grateful for in the past year, so...
1. Loving family and friends
2. Living in this country
3. Generous colleagues
4. Librarians (a bunch of wonderful, sharing, brilliant people!)
5. Opportunities

Oh and I have to add
6. Tea, I enjoy tea in its many forms, black, green, peppermint etc.
(I should add I am not sure of Chai tea yet as milky, flavoured, weak tea is not a favourite of mine! I probably just haven't found one I like :-)

And now, please enjoy...

Happy New Year. FeralTB-))kalgrl.

Shanachietour NLS4 Melbourne interviews

2008-12-23T09:19:00.001+09:00

Christine Mackenzie interview from Jaap van de Geer on Vimeo.

Information Literacy

2008-12-19T07:13:00.003+09:00

In the past few days, I have been planning for next year's information Literacy classes, emailing Academics, offering classes and asking for indications of requirements.
The three levels on our campus, Yr 11&12 High School, Tafe and Higher Ed (Mining, Nursing & Education) are quite diverse and I am endeavouring to devise programs I can adapt to each level quite quickly.

I found this YouTube video via '@kgs' on twitter about an information literacy program. It is positive and I was interested in the students views on gathering information, especially the comment from one student that she 'asks the librarian, but has to remember that she/he will not be grading the final paper'. - Wikipedia featured prominently as a 'kick off' search page to start research.

PIL2008

Some student quotes "the more you know the more you realise how little you know".
I discovered "how to nail it down and sort through" the information and "how to ask a question".

I can just hope that the students on this campus will be encouraged to ask a question and learn how to nail the information they require!

We have the year 10s here for orientation this week and they are remarking 'how big' the library is compared to their Middle school library. I am encouraged when they ask 'if they can come in on Wednesday' which is the class free day for them.:o))
All for now, last day 2008. Yippee FeralTB-) (aka @kalgrl)

The holiday are coming, the holidays are coming...

2008-12-18T07:18:00.002+09:00

Everyone is tired and not sleeping well, the end of the year is nigh!

Libraries are cleaning
sorting sorting sorting
doing those close down jobs
that have new year meaning.

Have we signed the contracts
have we sorted the roster
everyone is flagging
spirits need a bolster!

The end of year lunch beckons
we need to hurry up, to stop!
then we have a few days left
if we still need to shop.

Lets do that last minute 'Referencing'class
lets pick up a sick child from school
its best not to envy the colleague, already on break
think what she is missing ;-) the fool!

Put the furniture up on the tables
The new year clean is due
let the papers be cancelled(oh dear just remembered that!)
all the students are enabled

for Online access WE Hope!!

To all the tired Library workers the holidays are nigh!
Enjoy FeralTB-) (aka @kalgrl "mistress of bad poetry & holiday wishes :-)")

New toy, Wordle & cloud Memory

2008-12-14T21:19:00.005+09:00

New Eeepc 1000H as early birthday pressie Yay! (playing as Librarianidol says 'new toys = fun' !)

I was pleased to discover the the new Eeepc will create a wordle, the old computer didn't have the Java to do it "or the memory...filled it up, now working on another memory space.:-) Wordle

Bit worried about the family 'memory cloud' in an increasing number of older computers in our family I.T. graveyard! going to have to work on that. I am a 'steptoe' at heart and keep everything, it all truely needs a clear out, reshape and a delivery of the old to the sone to take apart and explore!!
nuf now tired goodnight FeralTB-) (aka Kalgrl)

NLS4 (rescued blogging the conf...post)

2008-12-05T13:32:00.004+09:00

I thought I had lost the post below when the computer cut out on me at the symposium. I thought I would post as it was and do a longer one when I get time: so here was my first abortive attempt to 'Blog a conf..'

(...going away now to do the many things booked this week!)

New lIBRARIANS sYMPOSIUM 4

Blogging the conference is fraught with difficulty, finding a computer!!

We have broken for afternoon tea and I thought I would share a little in my 15 mins.

Opening address - CEO Vic. State Library
We Need "new energy, new ideas, new questions, new ways to assess the past and imagination..." there was more, but I lost it in the listening...

Janette Wright - CAVAL described her experiences in the Librarian profession, and encouraged all delegates.

Margy Anderson introduced the "dark side" engaging vendors from DA, Raeco and Ebsco.

Michelle McClean, wants us to stay ahead of the Curve...with taking personal responsibility for our careers.

A/Prof Gillian Hallan introduced the e-portfolio (fired up to learn more!!)

Petra Colliingwood - RMIT talk on being "PROACTIVE OPPORTUNIST!"

Jill Benn & Michelle Brennard talked about Mentoring from both sides.

Katie Watson gave us ideas on getting 'Bang for our Membership Buck"

There were many more and I will put more up when I have more time!
FeralTB-)

Cool

2008-12-02T12:21:00.002+09:00

from TypoGenerator from TypoGenerator

FeralTB-) (aka kalgrl)

ALIA membership

2008-12-02T11:39:00.006+09:00

Received in December 2008 - ALIA membership certificate, badge, card.
I had debated for a while about becomming an ALIA member, mainly because, living where I do I couldn't think of much they could 'do for me'.
This reminded me about the paper Katie Watson gave at the symposium, about "getting more bang for your buck" from your membership. That is "getting the best experience and value for money..."
The basic premise being, do you look at your membership as a 'showbag' or an 'investment', and I realised I was doing the former.
Time to change that...:-) kalgrl

Revampin' the blog...its time

2008-12-01T12:07:00.003+09:00

Blog news:
I had decided on revamping the blog some time ago, did some art work for the banner and promptly lost it with a computer failue at home.
So here is the new look, slightly different from the one I had intended, but not too bad.

Other news:
NLS4 I am off to the New librarians Symposium 4 in Melbourne this week. I am looking forward to the conference, the program is looking wonderful!
The debate topic will be very hot I think... from

Librarian Idol in his post of Wed. Nov. 26th...

"that all librarians who were trained in the pre-Google Age should be required to requalify for professional accreditation"

Going along feeling like I have a interest in both sides, having retrained from Library technician to Librarian recently, and now working in my first position as an Academic Librarian.

The Conference is being held in the centre of Melbourne and it will give me an opportunity to catch up with other 'new Librarians' and my brother and his family.
It is a social whirl, with dinner at the MCG and a cocktail party. (I have google mapped the places I need to go to :-)

A very interesting week ahead.

All for now, Feral TB-)

Pathway to work

2008-11-20T07:52:00.002+09:00

More Spring then Summer at the moment.

Librarian

2008-11-16T00:19:00.004+09:00

I am pretty sure the only 'rule' he didn't break was using a mobile phone...

"Meet me in the Reserve..." rotfl FeralTB

Mining Expo Schwag

2008-10-28T13:59:00.002+09:00

The Goldfields Mining Expo is on again, the industry is 'excited' and they have a lot of exhibition booths, many more then previous years. My University has a booth and interest is being shown in the Post-grad courses at the School of Mines.
I picked up some 'schwag' on a visit there this morning. I particularly like the football.Feral TB-)

Angus and Robertson Top 100 Book List

2008-10-08T19:26:00.001+08:00

Can't find a reason to blog at the moment...
Found this list on CW's blog....

This year’s Angus and Robertson Top 100 Book List.
-read the bold ones
-in my to do list italics

1 Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling
2 Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
3 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
4 The Obernewtyn Chronicles - Isobelle Carmody
5 My Sister’s Keeper - Jodi Picoult
6 To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee
7 The Book Thief - Markus Zusak. read about 1/2
8 Breath - Tim Winton
9 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
10 Break No Bones - Kathy Reichs
11 The Power Of One - Bryce Courtenay
12 Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk
13 Magician - Raymond E. Feist
14 The Bronze Horseman - Paullina Simons
15 Mao’s Last Dancer - Li Cunxin.
16 Memoirs Of A Geisha - Arthur Golden.
17 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
18 Cross - James Patterson
19 Persuasion - Jane Austen
20 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
21 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
22 The Secret - Rhonda Byrne
23 Marley and Me - John Grogan
24 Antony and Cleopatra - Colleen McCullough
25 April Fools Day - Bryce Courtney
26 North & South - Elizabeth Gaskell
27 In My Skin - Kate Holden
28 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
29 A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
30 The Other Boleyn Girl - Phillipa Gregory
31 Nineteen Minutes - Jodi Picoult
32 Atonement - Ian McEwan.
33 Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
34 Pillars Of The Earth - Ken Follett
35 The Pact - Jodi Picoult
36 Ice Station - Matthew Reilly
37 Cloudstreet - Tim Winton
38 Jessica - Bryce Courtenay
39 A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle
40 The Princess Bride - William Goldman
41 Running With Scissors - Augusten Burroughs
42 Anybody Out There? - Marian Keyes
43 Life Of Pi - Yann Martel
44 Seven Ancient Wonders - Matthew Reilly
45 People Of The Book - Geraldine Brooks
46 Six Sacred Stones - Matthew Reilly
47 Memory Keeper’s Daughter - Kim Edwards
48 Brother Odd - Dean Koontz
49 Tully - Paullina Simons
50 Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom
51 The Catcher in the Rye - J.D Salinger
52 Eragon - Christopher Paolini
53 Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
54 It’s Not About The Bike - Lance Armstrong
55 A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
56 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry. Really enjoyed this one.
57 The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
58 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
59 A Fortunate Life - A.B. Facey + extra on the set of the miniseries
60 The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley
61 The Notebook -Nicholas Sparks
62 Water For Elephants - Sara Gruen
63 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
64 The Host - Stephenie Meyer
65 Dirt Music - Tim Winton
66 Eldest - Christopher Paolini
67 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon about 1/2 before I had to give it back...going to get it out again
68 It - Stephen King
69 World Without End - Ken Follett
70 Emma - Jane Austen
71 Temple - Matthew Reilly
72 Little Women - Alcott Louisa May
73 Lean Mean Thirteen - Janet Evanovich
74 Scarecrow - Matthew Reilly
75 American Gods - Neil Gaiman
76 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
77 P.S, I Love You - Cecelia Ahern
78 All That Remains - Patricia Cornwell
79 The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch. saw the lecture on YouTube
80 Past Secrets - Cathy Kelly
81 The Persimmon Tree - Bryce Courtenay
82 Husband - Dean Koontz
83 Plain Truth - Jodi Picoult
84 Wicked - Gregory Maguire
85 Spot Of Bother - Mark Haddon
86 Always And Forever - Cathy Kelly
87 The Road - Cormac McCarthy
88 Cents & Sensibility - Maggie Alderson
89 Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris
90 The Shifting Fog - Kate Morton
91 We Need To Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver
92 Everyone Worth Knowing - Lauren Weisberger
93 Hour Game - David Baldacci
94 Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay. 95 The Woods - Harlan Coben
96 Half of a Yellow Sun - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
97 Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
98 Scar Tissue - Anthony Kiedis
99 Infidel - Ayaan Hirsi Ali
100 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks

28 out of 100.
mmm maybe I need to read a few I have in waiting, they are on the list!
Which ones have you read?
FeralTB-)

A few of my favorite things...the weekend brings...

2008-09-15T11:21:00.003+08:00

Lemon Tree in full bloom...lemons this year!
My Daughter - her Art - "Don't take a photo Mum, it's not finished"
"Rolo Caramel Cupcakes" Icing was a challenge, but worth it!

Feral TB-)

Where Was I?

2008-09-06T20:51:00.004+08:00

Where was I?

A meme.

Princess Diana’s death - August 31, 1997
On holiday, driving across the Nullabor to NSW. Didn't really believe that it was real until they announced she had died. I remember feeling very sad for her children.

Margaret Thatcher’s Resignation - November 22, 1990
Huh? did she resign?

Attack on the Twin Towers - September 11, 2001
Tuesday night - just arrived home from night class to find my cat 'Samantha' having been run over on the road next to our house. Spent an hour recovering the body, burial and blubbering... Sat down to recover a little and thought the movie on was a disaster thing, until I was shocked to realise it was real!

England’s World Cup Semi-Final against Germany - July 4, 1990
Had to blog this...my husband, both English and an FA cup soccer fiend had no idea. Apparently, it was a penalty shootout with Germany winning, but the big memory thing is the fact one of the English players cried on the field when he was yellow carded and not able to play in the final, if they got in...or something.

President Kennedy’s assassination - November 22, 1963
huh?

Where were you?

From
Ruminations

FeralTB

Clickers....'lets poll the audience..."

2008-09-06T14:55:00.004+08:00

I saw a lot of buzz in the last couple of weeks on 'Clickers", around MPOW. The emails were flying on taking lessons on, how to use them, arranging time to view etc. BUT none of them actually stated just what a 'clicker' was??

So I wandered off to find out just what they are...

This is a really informative page
UC Santa Cruz which states;

"What are classroom student response systems?
Better known as clickers, these little remote control devices are used in classrooms to enable the real-time display of students' answers to instructors' questions."

So much like the tv game shows that give the contestant a chance to find out what the audience thinks the answer may be, clickers can give a lecturer an immediate answer to a stated question from students. The student can do it anonymously.

Here is a youtube video on the subject, from the same page,
"From the Centre of Instructional Innovation - Western Washington University"

So "Polling your audience" has caught on in education circles. Another way to actually find out, at the time of a lecture, if the message is geting across might be very enticing to some educators. At the same time they may have to change the format of delivering that lecture to accommodate the immediate feedback.

At least now I know what clickers are...FeralTB-)

Library Anarchy.....

2008-08-28T10:08:00.001+08:00

I want one, FeralTB-)
Librarian 'T'Shirt

Its all in the details....

2008-08-27T14:17:00.003+08:00

Blogger is playing with my settings, or I've missed an upgrade or something, as the previous post had paragraphs etc, now it looks like one big stream of words...going away to try and discover why....html is closing up the white spaces, which it hasn't before...hmmm I better do some reading...bother...FeralTB-(

Stay out of the Shadows.... or not...

2008-08-26T22:41:00.005+08:00

Watched Dr Who on Sunday and it was set in a library, where the shadows will eat you. Scared me silly, I am still checking under the bed for "Proper Dave".

And that got me thinking about Libraries in popular culture. They are still a popular place to set novels and TV shows. Really scary things happen in the dark, in Libraries. One of the most recent I read was by Matthew Reilly, "Contest". This was a gladiator bout held every thousand years to replace war and it was held in the (and I quote the back cover) "Brooding labyrinth of towering bookcases, narrow aisles and spiralling staircases". (2001, Pan ed.)

"The Librarian" was a movie where the titular 'Librarian' was recruited to save the world from the 'bad guys' and had a lot of supernatural help." Even "Ghost Busters" has a dark library with ghosts shushing the noisy people.

I have to say that this has not been my experience of Libraries,(really, no kidding you say...lol) not many dark forbidding corners in the ones I visit. I just wonder what it is in the psyche that makes some of us look at the library in this way? Is it the possible implications of the contents, all that imagination stored? Is it the dust, the older books, the scary Librarian? Or are these places so naff and out of date they need spicing up? Popular culture really tries to do this, in my minds eye, I can still see Indiana Jones smashing the floor of the Library in Venice to find the burial place of the Knight, timing it with the Librarian stamping books, so he wouldn't notice the noise...Years on and I still want to go there! :0)

Strangely naff (sorry, my word of the day) things can also happen in Libraries, books dissappear, especially when they are in demand! Staff go troppo and talk to themselves, wandering around with bits of paper, looking at things, muttering and then walking away. Getting excited when they find a ghost book, that is, a book that was never entered onto the Library system, so doesn't exist. Moving things around, only to move them back again, just to keep the interest up, and the clients needing us! Anyway, go and have a look in the Library shadows, it can be pretty interesting in there!

Oh and anyone want something on China....yes I know the Olympics is over, but we received new items this week on just that subject! (so last week, sigh!)

Thanks to the "Lipstick Librarian" for the link to the following...I wonder what would happen if Andy could read? His imagination would be really scary :-) FeralTB

Just quickly....Advice for our Boys!

2008-08-24T11:57:00.004+08:00

Fell into this site courtesy of the STM magazine in the Sunday Times (Western Australia), "21st century boy". I showed it to my son, and he is still laughing. Have a look.
FeralTB-)

Photos from the unconference

2008-08-24T10:39:00.007+08:00

Art works in front of the State LibraryMezzanine floor - showing new childrens wingAre Wii fit?Looking up from the elevator area at the State LibraryGoing off to join flickr now...new task for the day! :-)FeralTB-)

Unconference Library 2.0, "Getting our hands dirty"

2008-08-23T20:33:00.005+08:00

Just back from the Unconference held at the State Library of Western Australia.Had lots to choose from in the timetablefrom 11.00 to 11.40, we learned how to create a "Google Gadget".(note to self: got to learn some more html)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~In the next session we learnt some more about, Twitter, plurk, friendfeed, idneti.ca, twirl, ping, hellotxt, and google reader...(phew! so many to choose from, so little time...:-)Nick (the presenter) showed us a torrent of social network tools!!! and he is so involved in everything!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Lunch was yummy gourmet pizza, oj, and other fresh treats!After lunch we had some Wii gaming and guitar hero, much fun was had on these!(those library people really like wii boxing! mmm ;-)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Then I attended the "Inspect a Gadget session". There were many wonderful 'gadgets' on display and now I REALLY want an 'Eeepc'. (I am going to wait until the new one comes out as advised at the conference.)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The next session was a discussion on encouraging reluctant users (staff mainly and clients) and the ideas that went around the table were very interesting.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The final session I attended was on 'facebook and Libraries' presented by two Librarians from Edith Cowan University (Julia Cross and Lutie Sheridan). This was very interesting as I had not heard much about the experiences in setting up an 'organization' on Facebook, and have come away encouraged to try it for our High School Students!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~We had a big discussion on the merits of what we did in the day and a bit of a debate at the end, a wrap up and evaluation...In all, I was really encouraged to try a lot of the new 2.0 tech I still hadn't, go again next year and actually talk about or present some of our 'desert' library experiences. FeralTB-)oops did this post in a hurry and tired....edited now :-)

Digital divide....its choice as well

2008-08-18T10:41:00.003+08:00

The digital divide reared its head again in my domestic area this week, and I realised that there are a lot of people who for may reasons, their own and outside sources, choose not to immigrate.
My daughter, because of her scores in the year 5 testing at primary school, has been offered 12 free lessons from a tutor. The govt. gave me the option to choose my own tutor or go through the school.
I choose to pick out my own tutor as I had one who was excellent, at english, math and physics, and already helping my son with his studies. She is in much demand and had to shift few things around to accommodate my daughter, I was grateful. I told her about the 12 lessons that would be financed by the government, and she agreed to sign up. This is where everything started to unravel, she signed up and learned that she had to report and be reported upon, online.

This tutor lives in a small 'hamlet' if you will, about 70 kms from our fair city. She has no internet, a mobile that works as she approaches the city and no computer skills. She teaches in another smaller town closer to her home, but most of her clients are in our desert city and she travels a lot to achieve this. She has a goat, chickens, a life style that suits her and family links to the land that keep her in her chosen place. She tells me she has no need for a computer, its her choice.

I can't imagine a life without email and other ways of socially networking, this lady whom I consider a friend, talks to people and has a cup of tea and a chat. She uses exercise notbooks for the tutoring and my son has learnt more about math from her than any computer lesson he has taken through another tutoring method.

I can't help wondering what the world would be like if some of these intelligent, articulate and warm people enter the 21st century and get online, maybe they will, maybe they won't, but I consider myself lucky to retain her as tutor for my children, they are learning!
FeralTB-)

Read this post ( not mine the linked one...)

2008-08-06T11:43:00.004+08:00

Just quickly, I highly recommend you read this post and look at the attached video's....
Librarians Matter on 'marketing-media-and-change'
and if you don't have a laptop, hook up a Wii..
Bye Feral TB-)

oh and Paris Hilton for President! (If only to see the white house pink!) lol

Magnigraph generator

2008-07-29T18:47:00.004+08:00

This is the photo of my dad from a previous entry.

Magnigraph
I always lke a good "generator", that is, software that creates software!
Create your own, I did...
FeralTB-)

New toy

2008-07-26T20:17:00.005+08:00

My new toy, I need to learn how to use it, actually using it is fine, however, downloading to it is a learning curve. Its 8gb so I should be able to view a few vodcasts and play some music. It has radio, expandable memory (through an SD card - yet to buy that), microphone to record, photo, date & time and an organizer...

Its about the size of a credit card and about 10mm thick. The screen is 5cm by 4cm and very clear.

It has intuitive and really responsive controls. The menu structure is easy and sound is clear and I watched a movie without any problem on the video. Colour and clarity very good. just need a case for it now.
Going to play.
FeralTB-)

Newsy items...

2008-07-25T23:20:00.002+08:00

Sent out a newsletter this afternoon to the academic library community in our desert town...amongst other thing offering information literacy classes, a list of new items on the shelf and newsy items about our shifting things around in the library.
The responses until I left work were,

1. A quiet reading area, are you expecting the students to read?

[well yes, some of them do.]

2. This title you have in your new items list, I ordered it ages ago with my credit card. You haven't got my copy by mistake have you?

[well no, I don't think it would be...offering three or four reasons why it wouldn't be his copy. Not including the information that, to know which copy belongs to whom is part of our job!8-]

3. Can I have a copy of the photo you put in the newsletter for the *school* site, I am updating it and it would look good next to the link for the Library.

[well yes, here it is.]

Interesting ecletic mix of responses, but hey, I have an audience!

Semester starts on Monday and we have already been seeing a few students roll back into town from holiday jobs, the big smoke or OS for the long break.

I have helped a new student from Indonesia find his way around the catalogue, met a new academic from Africa and answered a phone query for an undergraduate student from Chile. (I wish I spoke more languages, currently I think I need about 5 more!)

Email from IT, "those 66 boxes you were expecting at the end of August, will be delivered next week..." (our treasured IT boffin is leaving so he is sorting things out before he leaves us...its BAAD day today, so thank you I.T. boffin and please come back we need you!)

Ahhh Semester 2, I can smell the brain power burning already!!
FeralTB-)

Big fish

2008-07-22T23:12:00.002+08:00

Happy Birthday Dad

Always full of tales of the big one that didn't get away:-)

It was his birthday on Monday. He lives quite a distance away from us and I hope he had a good day!
FeralTB-)