Category: librarian

It’s aliiiiiiiiive!

So, we unleashed the UK Library Bloggers wiki into the wild back in March, and crossed our fingers that it would be ok, out there in the Scary World, all on its own.

And so far, it seems to be doing just fine, yay! There are of course the regular spammer attempts to “subtly” insert adverts for dissertation work, and all sorts of less…erm…wholesome products within the entries, but the email alerts about text amendments that go to the administrators of the wiki (Phil, Jo and I) means that the first person online and able to, goes in and removes that material and blocks the creator. This has worked really well so far, and unwanted content doesn’t stay on the wiki for any real length of time.
And the best bit is the librarians and info professionals who’ve been adding themselves to the wiki! I created a backup in March before we “unlocked” the wiki, and at that point there were 115 institutional / professional group blogs, 83 librarian blogs, 5 Chartership blogs, 8 information professionals blogs and 8 industry supplier blogs.
There are now (as of 5th July 2010) 135 institutional library blogs, 90 librarian blogs, and still 5 Chartership blogs, 8 information professionals, and 8 industry supplier blogs.
So, the biggest increase has been in institutional blogs, with a small increase in personal library bloggers.
I will (at some point in the near future) be going through the wiki and checking all the links of the ones added prior to the unlocking off the wiki, and removing the “dead” ones. I’m planning on moving those entries into a “dead blogs” section – I think it’s worth keeping the links available, for interest.
So: if you haven’t added yourself, go do it now – you’ll be in good company!

Happy workday to meeeeeeeeee!

Oh yes, today I’ll have been with my current employer for 5 whole, entire years (of course, I started work on a weekday, not a weekend, but lets not be picky here). And long may my present employment continue: I do enjoy my work, there’s always something interesting to learn each day, and I have a fabulous and fun boss who supports me and encourages me to explore any techie interests I have. These are rare and wonderous things to be able to say, and I know it. *I am now touching wood and doing any other superstitious manoeuvres to avoid bringing disaster upon me for these outrageous statements of happiness and contentment*

For someone in their early thirties (ok, thirty one, but early thirties sounds much more grown up), to have been in the same position for anything over a few years is slightly uncommon, and it seems this sort of “settled” employment is something that the newer generation of professionals are unlikely to have. There ain’t no such thing as a “job for life” any more, but is that a good or a bad thing? I suppose it depends on whether you’re moving on from a position because you want to, or because you have to. A voluntary move must be an exciting thing, and I can sometimes find it difficult to keep track of professional friends, as they suddenly announce they’re off to pastures new!
So, what are your expectations in a job now? A few years, then moving on? Or staying for as long as they’ll have you?

Library love

So, there’s a new website to “Find a fitty”, the irresistible person you may have spotted working at a desk, or strolling through the shelving in your university library? That’s pretty…innovative.

Ahhhhh, s’all different from my day *gazes off into middle distance*
Back then, in the olden days of the 1990s, nobody had a laptop, we had pens, paper and temperamental photocopiers. It’s hard to look attractive while furtively swearing at a machine that’s copied a sheet of pure inky black for the 5th time, despite all the settings being fine, a trick usually reserved for when you only having enough credit for 5 copies on your copier card and need to be in a lecture in 5 minutes. And of course you didn’t want to attract the wrath of the librarians, so all frustrations had to be expressed in a whisper. Or a note on the back of the miscopied page, filled with swear words. All of this may lead to a red face, dishevelment and generally high levels of irritation. Not particularly conducive to romance, really.
However, my Uni was also well known for having carrels…individual study rooms, lining the outer walls on certain floors, with nice views to the outer world. Lockable, with a glass panel to the side of the door…you know, nice and…kinda private.
In the later evening hours, if you were unlucky enough to glance in the window of the wrong one, you might get more of a biology lesson than you had planned for…alternatively, you could regard it as a bonus, impromptu anatomy lesson.
Meh: websites, removing the excitement from library life!