Returning to the Blog

This is my first shift at the Homer Babbidge Library since finals week.  I am working at the iDesk, not the express desk.  The responsibilities are largely the same: patron assistance, item circulation.  This morning I drove to work from Greenwich, Connecticut where I was visiting loved ones.  The drive to campus took approximately 1 hour 45 minutes.  Route 15 was lovely and I found myself wishing I spent more time with paper maps of my home state, Connecticut.

The library is quiet.  I am thinking about the value of this blog to the reading public.  There really isn't much value, I estimate.  The text reads like a personal journal, with the redundant theme of being composed in a library.

Perhaps I am too critical; but a blog is a public, published space.  Published work should have some value to readers.

When my boyfriend announced that he had found the blog and read it, I realized the potential power of this blog to connect me to my community, to demonstrate my personal and professional enthusiasm for libraries - and perhaps one day develop it into a more exciting web space.

By the time of my university graduation, I hope to have some published library research to share in this space.

The university library continues to be quiet.  One or two face-to-face patron interactions, one phone call regarding the open status of the 24-hour study room.

Since I wrote last, I attended the ACRL conference, took my finals and completed my first spring semester at the University of Connecticut.  Today marks the completion of my first full week as a summer student worker at the UConn Adventure Center, with weekend shifts at the library.  My library boss, who is a great guy, has justified concerns that I will exceed my 40 hour student work cap.

This time next month, I will be on the west coast - in California and Seattle.  It is a trip that I do not feel prepared for... what libraries will I visit?  What will my travel arrangements be?  How much will I spend?  Will I attend the ALA annual conference?  Or will I spend the week in the Sierras with my family?  Then, at the end of June, I am bound for Spain.  I feel that so many variables currently stand between myself and that Europe-bound plane flight.  I need to do preparatory management of my finances and personal life.

My grandparents are visiting from North Carolina and have been in New England since Wednesday.  They depart this upcoming Wednesday.  That thought begins my to-do list, which will end this blog-post.

- Finish this shift at the library (ends 5pm)
- Buy birthday/graduation present for Corri, birthday gift for Mitch, drive to Windham
- Sunday night rest, Madmen, & letter writing (bonus: finances, scholarship, fitness, travel planning, pleasure reading, practice spanish, library MOOC)

- Monday morning: pre-work workouts, finances (check-in w/ financial aid)
- Work 12pm-8pm, then drive to Zack

- Tuesday: Rowing, grandparents, home, then work
- 12pm-8pm, then home

- Wednesday: workout, mail letters, then work
- Visit with Grandparents, McKelvey (Wednesday evening) then Zack's

- Thursday: Rowing, then home then work

- Friday: morning workout, then work, then weekend


I promise not to return to this blog until I've curated some real content.

Almost Blogless Week: 4/13/15 - 4/17/15, Normal Shifts

I didn't cover for anyone this week; which means I worked...

Monday 9am-11am

(Tuesday: UAC 10:45am-12pm)

Wednesday 1:15-3:30pm

Thursday 3:45pm-4:45pm *training w/ Kim & Chris
(Thursday: SUP 7:45pm-10pm)

Friday 1:15pm-3:45pm 
(Friday 3:45pm-6pm)

Parentheses are for work @ the UConn adventure center.

I envision a library that also rents camping, outdoor recreation and adventure equipment to its patrons.  I wonder if there are existing examples of this.  I am having difficulty finding examples via Google.

Katherin, librarian from Loomis Chaffee, shared a link of awesome library internships with me.  I really enjoyed when she took me on a tour of the Loomis Chaffee Library.

Also, I reached out to Janice - leader of the Tolland Public Library friends group.  I am planning to attend their May 4th meeting @ 11am.

On May 8th, I will attend the ACRL conference w/ Joel in Worcester, MA.

Friday, 4/10/15, 9-11AM, 1:15-3:45PM, & Training Recap

Voyager.

Alma.

Community borrowers.

And the typical morning shift (covering for Jaylen), whilst working on Spanish homework.

4/8/15, Wednesday, 1:15PM-3:30PM

"No Dells, no macs, 1 iPad," said Steve.

It's a busy afternoon for the library.

4/8/14 Wednesday, 9-11AM, Covering for Jaylen

Jaylen is getting her wisdom teeth pulled out of her head.  I'm covering for her today, Wednesday, from 9-11AM and Friday 9-11AM.  The traffic is pretty steady; a lot of lap tops have gone out, as well as study room keys.  Before this shift, I went to physical therapy in Gampel.  I brought the icing (GameReady) portion of my physical therapy to work with me.  The ice bag rests beneath the information desk right now, melting.  I've concluded my icing session.

Steve briefs me on decision-making and organizational hierarchy, in the context of the library, an overpriced reserve DVD, and the Cuban mission crisis.  We talk about staff negotiations (regarding demands to take complimentary classes @ the university) and then about the perks / distinctions between different types of library jobs.

Last night, the UConn women team won the National Championship title for the third time in a row, tenth time overall.  I stayed on campus late for my 5-730pm Financial Management class and then dinner @ Chuck&Augie's with Neon.

This morning has been nice.  I lost misplaced my keys and almost biked to campus.  The weather is cloudy and shows signs of possible precipitation.  David messages me sweet things on google chat and I am feeling like the luckiest girl in the world.  I am so looking forward to spending the weekend with him.

Spanish class soon.  Kayaking in Brundage pool tonight.

I am not behind on school work and it feels nice.  Now is the time to get ahead.
The Downtown Storrs project is not going terribly smoothly.
I need to get my EcoJournal completed.

I'll be back @ the library today for my 1:15-3:30pm shift.

Helping patrons has been fun.  I love my job.

Best,
Samantha

4/4/15 Saturday 10am-4pm, & 4/6/15 Monday 9am-11am

Today is about survival.

Saturday shift was wonderful.  I never checked in with the blog during that incredibly long shift (coverage @ main desk for Lais), but it was a great shift.  Slow, fluid, modestly productive.

My most memorable patron interaction was with a deaf women who wanted to a community borrower.  She was looking to take out a reserve DVD about audism.  I haven't had community borrower training yet (that will happen this week and next week on Thursdays w/ Kim and Chris), so I signed the DVD out to the woman on my student card.  She brought it back a few hours later.  I was very happy to see here and she seemed very grateful to me.

Micaela, a girl whom I was friends with in middle school, just walked past me and exited the library.  Steve enters.  He is carrying two bags at his side, like I was this morning.  I have to return all my rowing gear this week.

An outline for today's work session downtime and today's to-do list in general:

@ work goals

1. This Blog Entry
2. WGSS Film Response Essay (then print)
3. Readings for UNIV2600 (Salem) and response
4. Spanish HW?
5. Fix Fall 2015 semester schedule

Then...

• Go to Spanish class
• Go to Gender and Globalization class 
• Wilbur Cross: get proof of registration for classes (in the fall)
• Finish assignments:
• Salem (reading response, etc)
• Financial Management
• Problem set 6
• Condition Analysis group project work
• Make presentation slides
• Delegate
• Upload all relevant CAFRs
• DMD
• Group project
• Ad showcase (email, if no response via Facebook yet)
• UNIV3820
• Journal
• Group project
•  LINGUISTICS
• STUDY!!!!!
• WGSS
• Group project
• Spanish
• Homework?
• Start researching Salamanca
• Summer travel planning
• Email Mario
• Pay for trip
• Mario PT @ 1:30pm
• Go to post office
• Call tricare
• Go to UNIV2600 class @ 4:40-5:30pm
• DMD group meeting (Bishop)

I wonder if Joel comes back today.  I hope so!  I want to talk to him about summer hours.
Okay.  Crunchtime.  As David would say: Gogogo.     Glhf.
I get to see him this weekend!

The Monday morning shift is slow today.  Only two patrons so far and one of them really belonged to Nanette.  She was looking for young adult books in Spanish.

Long term goals.  I swear, I'll pay them some attention soon.  Today, however, is about survival.

4/02/15, 6pm - 12am, Covering for Lais

Tired.

3/30/15 & 4/1/15, Monday and Wednesday Shifts

April Fools!  I accidentally forgot to log out during my 9-11am shift on Monday morning.

During that shift, I was also asked out by a lady!  (Whose number I lost by accident).  Other memorable events that occurred?  I cannot recall.  But I was late to my rowing practice that morning, and consequently worked out on my own.  Subsequently, yesterday (Tuesday) I was cut from the team.

Yesterday was a difficult day.

3/27/15, Friday 9-11AM, Covering for Jaylen

I must prioritize a diario for Spanish class during this shift.  I just got done with a 90 minute rowing workout (circuit); freshly showered and wearing my tiger dress.  Spoke with David and Barbara this morning.

3/26/15, Thursday 215-3PM, Covering for Abby

Abby is sick.  I'm covering the small piece of her library express desk shift that didn't conflict with my existing schedule.

We need to sanitize the equipment, I think.  Amy, high school best friend, exits the library and I wish her luck on the exam she is about to take.

Most importantly, we need to clean the laptops, headphones, iPads, and counter-tops.  The black iDesk counter in front of me is covered in accumulated dust and fingerprint grime.  I assist a patron with a book renewal: Oil Culture.  The afternoon library traffic is steady and I wonder about the number of patron that circulate in the building on a daily basis.

We need laptop chargers.
We need a maker space.
We need a library student club.
We need pillows in the upper floor window cavities.
We need overnight events designed to familiarize the student body with our space.
We need to dream of the future, of future possibilities and innovations.

I need to explore Dodd, and I need to better learn the history, staff, story, and functioning systems/elements/intricacies of the Homer Babbidge Library.  I want to learn about how other libraries function and what other roles in librarianship might look like.

Chris, my coworker, enters the library and we chat about shift coverage and eye brow grooming strategies.

French airplane crash has made NYTimes headlines. 

In my student agency class,

3/25/15, Wednesday 1:15-3:30PM HBL ... Presentation!

Too little time to post!

Homer Babbidge, Back Again, Monday 8pm-12am

I'm at the library instead of the basketball game.  I am covering my coworker's shift.  She covered my shift over the weekend, at the end of spring break.  It's the least I could do and I'm happy to have the extra hours.

The library is fairly busy.  There's a lot of foot traffic and a lot of laptop circulation.

My friend Shaheer stopped by the front desk.  His eyes were red-rimmed from lack of sleep.  Biomedical engineering major; and leader of extracurricular groups.  Recipe for red eyes.  We exchange updates and chatter about life.  He invites me to a Palestine Student Association dinner with speakers and dance performances, to be held Friday, April 3 in the Rome Student Ballroom.

I parked outside the Bookworms cafe entrance to library.  This evening, I parked in the circle, on a patch of pavement with diagonal white stripes.  I hope the parking police aren't on the prowl... hard to say with there being a basketball game.

Earlier, I parked legally - in one of the handicap spots.  Walking towards the Homer Babbidge building, both times, I envisioned an architectural remodeling of our brutish building.  Homer Babbidge Library (HBL) was built in the 1970's.  If I am someday a rich donor, I should like to see a Louvre-style glass pyramid added to the top of the building.  It would be called "The Atrium" and it would be filled with plant-life, room to stretch, and recuperate.  It would feature high-tech, collaborative, innovative, maker-spaces and a MOOC center.

The Atrium would be a great architectural improvement... and very functional.

The Spanish homework that I fretted over this morning is not due until Friday.  It will be a personal, historical account of Colorado's Black Forest Fire.  In Spanish.

Tonight, I fret over these things:
- Exam content for Linguistics (office hours 8:15am tomorrow)
- Midterm presentation (for tomorrow), handout prep
- Food System Profile: Edible Insects (not yet started!!! due Wednesday)
- Getting enough sleep

I'll leave you with some video meditations on Library Spaces:

3/23/15, Monday 9-11AM

I've got Spanish on the mind.

So it goes with the inner workings of a student librarian.

Homer Babbidge is busy.  A flood of patrons washes through the NO EXIT gates in front of me.  I would wager a guess at 5 patrons / 10 seconds.  I sip tension tamer tea from a thermos on the counter at left.  There is sharp pain in my gut.  I ignore it and assist patrons: room carrel key, directions to electronic classroom, anthropology textbook on reserve.  I am happy.

Chat with my coworker, Kathleen is built on our mutual understanding of what it's like to be recovering from a fibula ankle fracture.  We are both still limping, having survived the winter season in Connecticut.

My life has been rich with library visits recently and a future digital media project seems likely.

Last weekend, I visited Yale's Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, as well as their Divinity Library, where I studied.

A small-town Greenwich library also featured in my recent library explorations.

This morning, I got on a stationary bike for the first time since breaking my leg in January.  The return of cardio was accompanied by a return to watching TedTalks.  The following talk was an inspiring analysis of what the future might hold for the design of libraries and other public spaces.

 

Now back to that Spanish homework that's been haunting me.  When is it due?

The transition out of spring break may not be smooth one.

Adios.