Misadventures of the Monster Librarian

Saturday was an eventful day. After cleaning the bejeezus out of the house on Friday, and setting up all morning Saturday, we were ready to host company. Over 30 people came to the pool party: roomie M's coworkers, her family, my family, and a few assorted friends. Too much good food (which means no groccery shopping this week), good music on the radio, and great company made for a really nice afternoon. The weather cooperated for the most part earlier in the day, providing sun for swimming, though it hid behind trees later in the day and the water was a little cooler. I especially enjoyed the pool since I learned that morning how to clean it. Skimming and vacuuming, a most exciting task for the first 15 minutes, until my muscles began to ache from all the pulling, dipping, and scooping, that 2 hours later produced a leaf and grass free pool. (The pool is inground and we had just cut the grass that morning). I was so pleased with the pool that I suddenly became aquatic girl and spe...

For those of you who may remember me writing about Dead Celebrities Lady , some months back, well, she called again today. She is the woman who calls the library occasionally to get information on when famous people have died. I imagine her sitting at home checking the names of dead people off a list, maybe crotchetting their names onto doilies, or possibily just thinking up ways to bring these dead celebrities up in conversation. "Did you hear that it is going to rain today?" "No, but did you know that Eleanor Roosevelt died in 1962 of 'aplastic anemia, tuberculosis, and heart failure .?'" Today Dead Celebrity lady wanted to know the years that Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt died ( Eleanor in 1962, FDR in 1945). While I was typing this she called to let me know that she was looking through her uncle's records, and wondered when Cab Calloway died (1994). Had to smile in spite of myself. I realized how much I had missed talking to Dead Celebrities L...

All I know of the Detroit 1967 Riot is what I have read in history books and he ard in interviews, so this won't be a reflection like the Woodward piece. In writing this I hope to do little more than remind people of the sad events that took place 40 years ago, this past week. The Detroit Riot, which took place July 23, 1967, began after white police tried to break up a party of Black Detroiters celebrating the homecoming of two Vietnam veterans. With dozens of people taken into custody, other left behind felt that they could no longer handle the inequalities of these meausres. Thus began the looting and rioting. Many attribute social inequalities, poverty, and racial tensions as the cause for the riot. "By all accounts, Detroit was NOT a blighted city in 1967. However, the city was dealing with issues of white flight, job loss due to automation, and corresponding tax revenue loss, as well as the social ills of the period. Some key factors are often cited as contributing fact...

Two anniversaries happened within the past couple of weeks that I would briefly like to note. Deemed at one point US 10 by the US Govt., then later M-1, Woodward Avenue was developed as a road that would go from Detroit (starting at Jefferson Ave., near the Detroit River, where you can see across to Canada) to Pontiac (where sections of Woodward are still known as "The Loop.") Woodward Avenue stretchs across 22 miles of an old road "where Indian moccasins padded and cattle trod the Saginaw trail, giving way to horse-drawn carriages and then automobile tires speeding up the world's first interurban 'superhighway.'"~ Susan Whitall But was is really important aren't the dates or size of Woodward, but rather the influence that the road has had, and maybe more importantly the people who have walked or driven over this road. It was a foot and horse beaten path forged by many native peoples of this land long before the white men came. It was a road trod upo...

It is that time of year again. While those of us that took Spring/Summer semester classes are frantically finishing, newbies-new students for the Fall semester-are surfacing on campus to clog the Student Center and food court and generally get in the way of those of us that are trying to get to class or work, in their attempt to get "Oriented" to the campus. I love the fact that I am not one of them, and walk past with an air of knowing where I need to be, as they scuttle along-like freshwater crabs crawled out of the Detroit River-behind Orientation leaders wearing T-shirts in our obnoxious school colors of gold and hunter green. Watching them reminds me of the adventure I began just last fall as I began classes here. It is with almost a year under my belt that I consider Wayne State as familiar as home, and I am glad that I am far past those first few unsure weeks. This morning, not long after I had settled in at my desk, a man and woman approached the desk, asking about th...

Some tips on Library etiquette that apply most everywhere else too, just replace Reference Desk with wherever you work, i.e., the counter at Burger King or Hooters, or your desk in a crowded office, in a high rise somewhere. Do not eat a deli sandwich, or other food items that contain strong onions and then decide to sit close to the Reference Desk and pour out the story of your paper's life. Do not smoke multiple cigarettes and then decide to sit close to the Reference Desk and pour out the story of your paper's life. Do not ask someone questions and then cut the person off before they can answer them. Do not leave your phone in a purse, set next to the Reference desk, leaving it, only to have it go off-with the ringer on the loudest setting-set to music that sounds Cyndi Lauper worthy. (I wish I could have seen what I know was a confused and frantic look on my face as I tried to figure out how the Smurfs had set out a lyrical warning-swear to God it was the most fruity ring ...

Interesting... Ode to the Midwest by Kevin Young I want to be doused in cheese & fried. I want to wander the aisles, my heart's supermarket stocked high as cholesterol. I want to die wearing a sweatsuit— I want to live forever in a Christmas sweater, a teddy bear nursing off the front. I want to write a check in the express lane. I want to scrape my driveway clean myself, early, before anyone's awake— that'll put em to shame— I want to see what the sun sees before it tells the snow to go. I want to be the only black person I know. I want to throw out my back & not complain about it. I wanta drive two blocks. Why walk— I want love, n stuff— I want to cut my sutures myself. I want to jog down to the river & make it my bed— I want to walk its muddy banks & make me a withdrawal. I tried jumping in, found it frozen— I'll go home, I guess, to my rooms where the moon changes & shines like television.

Feeling nostalgic...or something today. Heard this song and it made me think of a different time in my life. The first time I heard this it was playing on TSOldtimers "Sad Songs," CD, in my car, and we were on the way to pick up my brother from the airport. He was coming for a short weekend in Massachusetts to visit the farm, and then we were going to embark on a road trip back to our parents house in Michigan (through MA., New York state, and Canada). I remember feeling sligtly homesick for Michigan when I heard this song, and even glad at the prospect of going home for a spell. Though hearing it again today I realized that I was homesick for Massachusetts. Thinking of the idea of home, I managed to find this quote. Too true. "The country I come from Is called the Midwest" ~Bob Dylan Here is a link for the video of Half Acre , sung by Hem.

Picture on left: Purdy side of the library, picture on right Krege side of the library. This was the original library at Wayne State, now called the Purdy Kresge Graduate Library. The buildings are connected by the first floor only...interestingly, useless design. It seems as though nothing is working today at the library. Days like these I wonder if technology is really an advancement. I still have conspiracy theories about it, but I will save those rants for another day. The printer has been down on my floor since I came in. A service call put in to our contracted printer-fix-it man has gone unanswered. I posted a sign, warning the students of the problem, also offering the suggestion that printing is still available downstairs. I now have a sign hanging on my desk that says, "due to a denial of service attack originating from off campus on the WSU mail servers, incoming and outgoing e-mail is currently experiencing significant slowdowns..." What this basically means (what...

I can't believe that I am at my 100th post...this coming after I fought the idea of starting a blog for nearly 5 years. How does one celebrate such a milestone? I searched google for a while, looking at other's 100th blog postings and...got no inspiration whatsoever, so I guess I will share a story. Since I have no great words of wisdom to impart, I have decided to reflect on becoming a Librarian. Monster Mom and I were having lunch together the other day, talking about my nieces and nephews and their recent misadventures, when I asked Ma what I was like as a kid. Mom told me about how I used to go to the library with her and I would pick out as many books as the librarians said I could (many of those were the height of technology-those classy-"when you hear the bell ring, like this **, that is when you will know to turn the page" books). Once back home, Mom said I would get my Fisher Price tape player (which I still have-by the way) and put the tape in and follow alo...

I swear to God, this is too good to make up. A real phone conversation: Man: I know that the President's name is George Bush. But what is his fathers first name? Me: His father sir? His name is also George. Man: What was that that you said? Me: (Speaking a little louder) His father's name is also George, sir. Man: Now slow down a minute. Did you say that his name was also George? Me: Yes sir, that is what I said. Man: You said yes. Me: Yes sir, his name is George. I said yes. Man: Ok, thank you. I thought it might be one of those MTV things when they call to see if you can keep your temper to get the money, then when he didn't say anything like that, I looked around for the Candid Camera. Some days I love my job.

In the past 5 days I have gotten a few wonderful and pleasant surprises. 1. On Saturday my best friend Married K gave me her old mini Ipod, which is in great shape. I named it Blue. This picture shows what it looks like. She also left on all of her music and some books. I love you Married K! You are the best! 2. Went with Brother A3 for dinner at our sister and brother-in-law's house ('rents were also there). My nephew Monster A, who took a few steps over the past few weeks, surprised us all with his daring feats (pun intended), of walking all over the place. Monster A is 13 and 1/2 months. Monster Aunt is so proud!! 3. Not to be outdone, Monster Niece S (big sister to Monster Nephew A) went potty 3 times while I was there! Go Monster S!! 4. Last, but not least!! GF friend Amos called this morning to tell me that she and C.J. got engaged!! I am a terrible friend, and forgot to ask how he proposed. Wedding is at least 2 years away since Amos is still finishing school. Big Congra...

Yesterday was a long day...I stayed up all night Monday to finish my Collection Development plan, managing, to spend nearly all of my $5,000 dollars, though I was not able to find reviews for all of the materials that I wanted to add to my collection. Making collection choices without reviews to back up the decision makes it seem as though you were just choosing resources to choose them, so I am hoping he grades mercifully! I finally finished my project at around 6:30am, went home and made my roomie breakfast, laid down for a 15 minute nap, then got back up for work. Yesterday was a long day at work and in class. I had prepurchased my tickets for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (this link is for an interesting review) and that was all I could think about all day. It is amazing-I was so tired all day, but by the time that we got to the movie theater around 11pm, for the 12:01a.m. showing, I was wide awake. What an experience! I didn't join the Potter bandwagon until after...

The gogillionth annual P****'s Pond 4th of July Party took place on Saturday...July 7th. The annual tradition is that friends and family of CatholicLand 's family get together-some people showing up as early as Friday-to tent out for the weekend in the yard-for this day of family, friends, good food, games, a bonfire, and fireworks. The party goes until well after dark, with some people (usually friends of the P****'s boys) staying until Sunday afternoon. This is probably the third or fourth time that I have gone, in the 8 years that I have known the P****'s family, though the last time I came was summer '02 while I was still an undergrad. This year was no different, though less painless, as I avoided a run in (laden with sexual tension) with Capt. Frustrated. Anyway, while I was waiting for friends to show up, I began to notice the sub-cultural groups present at the party; 4 distinguishable groups at this gathering, that you too, may have noticed present at a f...

Since I don't have any kids to brag about, like Mummy Dearest's adorable rug rats, I will do the next best thing. I am posting pics of my niece Gala (who is nearly 2 1/2) and my nephew Noah (who will be 8 mos. soon!), who live in Cali with my Bro and sister-in-law. Gala looks a little like I did when I was her age, though my hair wasn't quite that curly, and Noah looks like my brother Adam did when he was little. It is amazing how different they look from my sister and brother-in-law's fair skinned, blondies, Syd and Aidan. They definitely got a lot of Lucia's Mediterranean tones (She is from Spain). This is me doting...dote dote dote!

Much like the countdown that I have been keeping for the release of the 7th Harry Potter book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, I have been counting down the end of my Masters Program (Dec. ’07-5 more months! Woo Hoo!), but closer than that is the end of the Spring/Summer semester. Finals for me fall between the week of 7/23-7/30. One take-home final due 7/23. One in-class written final on 7/24. And a final paper/presentation due 7/30. Turned the case study from hell in last night. Actually, once I got going I was able to write enough (8 pages, 9 with the Bibliography. However, after last nights’ class I am feeling as though I should have resolved the situation in the case study differently. It was about an unruly, long-time employee. I got the impression that the professor thought that we should “can” her, but I guess I am too nice. I said that we should offer her a different position within the library, somewhere less in contact with the public, on a trial basis, with the unders...

F inished; both it seems the paper and I like a storm That is my Haiku for the day. I finished my case study. It is now 5am, the birds are chirping and I need to get home and sleep. Need to be back here at the office at 9am for work. Today is going to be a long day. Thursdays I work an 11 hour day, then I am meeting a friend tonight at 9pm.

Today was the kick-off of the Annual Firecracker 500 , on WOMC 104.3 , which is the oldies station that I grew up listening to. I was reminiscing with one of the guys at work, rememebering being 13 and laying on my bed, writing in my journal and listening to the Firecracker 500 and just soaking up the music. He laughed and said, "I remember laying on my bed when I was 13 and the music wasn't 'oldies,' it was the music of the time." (He is my parents age.) The Firecracker 500 happens every 4th of July-they begin counting down the Top 500 (determined every year by votes)-playing the oldies starting with #500 at 10am the day before July 4th, finishing sometime on the 4th, at which point they replay the list for the rest of the day. I love it! I came in this morning and by the time I put the radio on they were already at #485, now we are at #402...I can't believe I have heard that much music today! I bopped through The Beach Boys, the Jackson Five, Jerry Lee Lewis...