Shiny pencilcase time

Yes, it’s back to ’school’ after a lovely relaxing week in North Yorkshire – spent reading, exploring, eating fish and chips and feeding carrots to the resident goats, Basil and Spangle. Most bucolic. Particularly enjoyed reading the book Tunnels and its sequel Deeper – definite cult potential for the younger generation (and big kids there). Also greatly enjoyed 3 Big Finish Doctor Who audio adventures (for the fans they would be The haunting of Thomas Brewster, Brave new town and Sisters of the flame). Only problem was this meant I couldn’t snooze off on the journey!

Back at the ranch, inbox is suitably full to bursting, mainly relating to bookings for IL classes. Timetabling continues to be a headache. Time travel may become a necessity rather than a luxury. Summer school students are around this week, and I actually have to teach them in a few days so did lots of ordering of materials etc. Am anticipating several early starts or late finishes this month!

CDG National Officers are busy bees writing their reports for our meeting next Monday and dealing with professional niggles of one kind and another. Have a surreally premature discussion with the Past President about Christmas cards. And Scottish Division meet this Wednesday and hopefully will be full of dreams and plans for the coming year!

I do miss the Olympics, though…

A little lightheaded

Today I feel a little lightheaded; ‘unpleasantly like being drunk’, as Douglas Adams put it (‘What’s so unpleasant about being drunk?’ / ‘You ask a glass of water’). Having topped up the sugar levels just in case, I put it down to eyestrain from too much scrolling through online timetables. Ah, timetabling; a joyful experience. Trust no one; rooms don’t have the projectors they claim to have; some tutors have entered no data at all for their modules; I definitely haven’t yet mastered the art of being in two places at once. Otherwise right now I’d be sat at home with my feet up instead of at my desk.

Small and select gathering of just two book group members today, but we have a lively discussion over lunch about ‘Their eyes were watching God’ by Zora Neale Hurston. Suspect some colleagues dropped out of today because the language took a bit of getting into. Deep South is a long way from Tayside. Next month we go youthful and tackle ‘What I was’ by Meg Rossoff.

This is turning into an unexpectedly long week, frittered away in email threads here and there, sundry admin and liaison tasks, and small snacks of a more or less healthy nature.

Apocalypse when?

Back to work after a nice weekend with visiting friend. Ate lots of carbs, drank lots of wine, watched lots of Olympics. Loaned and returned books: we are on a quest to find things that are positive and life-affirming, but it seems my whole collection fails this mission. ‘I see you have lots of F. Scott Fitzgerald’, says she. ‘Er, yes, that would be alcoholism, relationship and mental breakdown laced with the excesses of the Jazz Age’. We’ll keep trying.

Olympics: Nicole wossname thoroughly deserved her gold medal in the cycling road race. Made Headington Hill look like a gentle undulation, then there was the torrential rain… so many reasons why I’m not an elite athlete… Breakfast much improved by two golds in the swimming, even if our boys missed out on the diving. Hey they all looked fab to me. Really quite clever at somersaulting backwards off stupidly high places.

Last night I watched Apocalypto, Mel Gibson’s latest language-no-one-actually-speaks, bloodthirsty offering. Was quite good actually. It exposed my woeful sense of history though as I was puzzled to see Europeans turning up in nifty boats at the end. I thought the Mayans and Aztecs and those dudes were like thousands of years BC, back when we were mostly saying ‘ug’. Apparently they were still around in the 16th century. How have I missed this vital information? Could we not have skipped a few terms of spinning jennies and checked this out instead? Also I want my money back from Sid Meier as he always made theese civilisations out to be reasonably peace-loving.

Talking of Ug, I hope you’re familiar with Raymond Briggs’s Ug, boy genius of the stone age and his search for soft trousers. Marvellous. Poor boy castigated for questioning mum and dad about the value of sleeping under rock duvets when there are warm furry dead things lying about… Twas ever thus with progress.

Aaaaaahhhhhh

<nonsense>

As a child, I used to frequent East Ham Swimming Baths, usually in the company of a particular friend. The cafe did a mean cup of Horlicks and would sometimes inexplicably give you more than one cup each and only charge you the usual price. We developed all manner of conspiracy theories about this and used to work out devious methods and superstitions to guarantee the extra portions. (Incidentally this young friend and I also developed conspiracy theories about something called ‘trick bombs’, otherwise known as any old piece of junk found on the street or on Wanstead Flats, the local dogwalking haunt.) This is what happens when children are over-exposed to Marxism at a young age

But I digress. My point is that the same experience applied to my day of struggling to migrate portal pages. The web editor has a mind of its own. I have to fiddle with the HTML, then with the Editor, then back to the HTML, in order to correct the size of the section headings. When I do things in a certain bizarre order, eating pistachio nuts, humming the 1812 overture and stirring my Diet Coke widdershins, it sort of works out.

Met with one of my preferred company reps today, talks plain English, has personality, responds to your emails and doesn’t inundate you with spam, you know the kind. Also met with the PGCHET programme tutor. It’s getting complicated as I am now both a student (reluctantly) and a tutor (less reluctantly) on the PGCHET course. Not quite sure how I’m going to fit it all in next year…

…but I will have to try and fit it in due to the grand Objection setting extravaganza whereby I commit myself to 6 impossible things over the course of the year, or else get thrown off Tay Bridge. Am thinking of blowing objections/-ives list up to A1, laminating, wheeling on every week so I can laugh at what I haven’t achieved. Much as used to take place on the Friday Night Armistice back in 1997 with Labour’s election promises (anyone remember – the lovely Armando Ianucci and friends?)

Ooh and we had our 3rd Book Group meeting. Charlotte Mendelson declared generally enjoyable, good writing although most of the characters drove us batty. Am glad to be an only child. Next month we are reading Their eyes were watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.

Hey, can anyone out there recommend any good Big Finish Audio Doctor Who titles for my holiday? It’s a month away but I am desperate for the break already and half the fun is in the anticipation of specific pleasures…

</nonsense>

Bad librarian: no biscuit

I see I have been playing hooky for a whole week. Mea maxima culpa. I am a bit of a tease in the Web 2.0 world – a Facebook chat here, a few Flickr photos there – more commitment issues than the Doctor. Incidentally, I have been shamed into posting again by a Nameless CDG Member who reads it entirely for the DW content. Nice to know I have a role in life…

So, what have I been up to in the last week?

• Working. I do have to do some occasionally. It’s all heads down as we panic and rush to achieve silly numbers of tasks within unrealistic deadlines. Wrestling with HTML on the new library web pages.
• Attending the CILIP Equal Opportunities Panel. Lots of talk about the forthcoming positive action scheme. Shame the pilot will be in London – could be years before it filters up to Scotland. And round here I pretty much count as an ethnic minority.
• Reading: Diana Wynne Jones – Deep Secret (great fantasy convention setting); RED magazine (for the train journey); Charlotte Mendelson – When We Were Bad (for Book Group).
• Getting rejected from a job interview I went for. Boo. They kept me hanging on for a full week. I was special but not special enough, it would appear, despite my attempts to connect with them on a higher plane by discussing Murakami.
• Horseriding with colleagues – this was the IS Ride-out #4. I was assigned to the affable Max, who put up with my blatant incompetence charmingly and stopped for only a few snack breaks.
• Watching Prince Caspian. Georgie Henley couldn’t be more perfect as Lucy. Susan’s lips are alarming. Eddie Izzard as Reepicheep stole all our hearts.
• Watching the Doctor Who finale. What could be better than David Tennant? MORE David Tennant. NAKED David Tennant.  Alternate reality Doctor with no commitment issues. I am a cheesy whatsit and I loved the team round the Tardis console (only they should have let Jackie drive). Davros fantastic and looking evilly hot in his leather doo-dab. Red Dalek rocked. Altogether satisfying end to a surprisingly strong season.
• Watching Doctor Who #4 in The Invasion of Time. Worst ever Sontaran with bucket for a helmet and holes for his un-made-up eyes to see through. Not enough Leela (action wise not flesh wise!) and totally implausible romantic end.
• Watching the tennis. Federer vs Nadal. Nice. Add them to the two David Tennants and it’s fantasy soup. Oh dear, better be careful I don’t get filtered for bringing the world of blogging into disrepute.
• Trying to catch my breath after the first trimester of Presidency, quick scan to see what’s coming up and what I should be doing.

This afternoon I get to set objectives with my line manager. Rather hoping they bear some actual relation to my job and are not just baubles plucked from the Principal’s Christmas tree. They have to be SMART. Which as far as I’m concerned is just one step away from SWOT and PEST and a mere hop, skip and jump from a hey nonny no. Where’s Blackadder when you need him?

In which we raise the bar and meet a writer

A very quiet day back at the office today after a whirlwind trip to London. The filing frenzy came upon me and now stuff is sensibly arranged, I can find it, and my desk looks shiny and bare.

Raising the bar was a great success. Everyone turned up, and there were no technical hitches. Speakers were all excellent, and workshop leaders managed to be universally interactive and keep to their time constraints, no mean feat. Dr Paul Ayris welcomed us to UCL and spoke about their work on Investors in People. Anne Poulson and Ian Snowley offered us an unofficial masterclass as they reviewed their own careers and focused on leadership and personal motivation to succeed. We enjoyed a range of workshops – first up I got to hear Jacky Berry speak on managing stress for improved performance, which featured a case study of the BMA. Jacky was good-humoured and her empathy came through as she tackled this difficult area. We heard about the wonders of bug lists and the perils of orange creates, before we broke for a relaxed lunch featuring some lovely fruit and cheese – a welcome additon to the usual conference menu. (Though not a patch on Peebles of course!) I didn’t get to hear fellow conference planner Helen Blanchett run her session on scenario planning, but it sounded lively!

Afternoon saw workshops from Caroline Williams from Intute on managing change, and Veronica Fraser on influencing skills, as well as parallel sessions from Lesley Robinson on making a business case and Ayub Khan on achieving personal goals. (I was sorry not to be able to be at all of these!) Both Caroline and Veronica were thoughtful, well prepared and informative.  Bruce Madge rounded the day off with a thoughtful assessment of marketing based on his experience at the London Upright MRI Centre. He managed to sweep through marketing, USPs, medicine and art and still leave time for a leisurely and pleasant chat to leave people feeling inspired. I even let him have a free plug for The Bearded Pigs, but he wasn’t makin’ any bacon any time soon.

All this plus the airy cloisters and the contribution made by our bijou exhibition – CDG, PTEG, Intute, Netskills and Sue Hill Recruitment. The conference planning team rewarded themselves with a well-earned bottle of Pinot Grigio before deciding to run a similar conference in 2010, keeping the same title, so we can spread the word and let others experience such high calibre speakers and enriching programmes.

The best was yet to come. Having boarded the 1800 from King’s Cross, I decided I couldn’t face one more train sandwich and oppted instead for a proper meal in the on-board restaurant. Chap sits down opposite me, I make the usual pleasantries such as ‘how far are you travelling’ and ‘how was your day’, then we progress on to ‘what’s your line of work’. He’s a writer. ‘Oh, what kind?’ I ask. Children’s books – this sounds highly promising. To cut a long story short, my dinner companion is none other than highly respected author Marcus Sedgwick, on his way up to a festival in Melrose. I try to get the fan bit over with fairly quickly (having read just two so far, The Foreshadowing and Blood red, Snow White and we then have a great chat about books, reading, readers, writers and publishers. Too bad I didn’t have a notebook to hand… anyhow, Sedgwick is a capital fellow and I shall certainly be looking out for his future releases.

In which we traverse the hump of the week

Afternoon, the sun is shining today and despire being woken up obscenely early by said burning orb, am definitely feeling perkier today. This may have something to do with Developments on the career progression front…

Day job wise, have a couple of reasonably productive meetings and – shock horror – actually complete the task of drafting 6 programme annual reports.

Also looking forward to Raising the bar in London. UCL is a great venue and if we get sunny weather it will be idyllic. We have a strong programme and it’ s a joint effort between CDG and PTEG, exciting and possibly could lead to more joint working in future.  I hope the delegates enjoy themselves and I know they will come ready to contribute and network enthusiastically. And maybe we will be raiding the bar afterwards.

Must have plenty of train reading about my person – I have Allende’s Paula; When we were bad (Charlotte Mendelson); Update; and no doubt some suitably trashy magazines.

Squashed tomatoes and stew

37 today… getting dangerously close to the big four-oh. Am I still in my mid-thirties or have I crossed into the shark-infested waters of the late thirties? Never mind, I get to play my lovely new cherrywood recorder that smells all yummy. Mr Amazon may smile upon me also.

Book group today, fairly much did a hatchet job on Notes from an exhibition by Patrick Gale. Contrived? Possibly. So much tragedy in the family and yet so hard to really care about any of the people. Have agreed no more tortured artists and something fun for next time (jury still out…)

Reporting is taking over – information literacy seems to be one strategic document after another these days. Trying to write programme reports, made stupid decision to start with programme where I have the most extensive input (biomedical sciences). Need to map so many variables against each other that I will require at least seven dimensions. Analysing things brings me dangerously close to uncontrollable weeping fits. (So decided extra cake and clothes shopping trip were in order…)

Frined reports that her nearly 2 year old has a vocabulary of 10 words, one of which is TARDIS. Good lad: he’ll go far.

Hopefully succeeded in convincing PGCHET examiner that she wants us to include information literacy input intot he taught module. We have all-singing all-dancing plans plus theory and content to go. Fortunately she is a social software enthusiast so we may be able to satisfy that angle. Programme tutor keen on fireside chats over nice wine in the local Tasting Rooms, he wants to start including IL tutors as regular part of the team, can you see where I’m going with this?! (Excellent conflict of interests as I am also a reluctant student ont he course, and have just hopefully scraped a C in the second module, aka Curriculum Deisgn, aka Module of Doom). If I write module 3 based on reflections on teaching input to the PGCHET I may in fact disappear right up my own module descriptor.

Surely it must be time for a little scampi and chardonnay?

Honey, I’m home

Back at work today after a flying visit to relatives in Lagartera, a village in Castilla La Mancha. (That’s Spain, for the geographically challenged.) The dusty dry bit in the middle, about 2 hours drive from Madrid. I say dry, but I seem to have a knack for coinciding with unprecedented torrential downpours. Lucky I packed the mac; should have thrown in the gloves as well. Did lots of eating and drinking and reading (all good things).

Visited the family’s flock of sheep (9 at the last count) and was quite impressed. Kirsty is the ringleader, then there are Morag and Shona (who according to the locals should be made into rissoles and according to my anthropologist stepmother provide social stability for the group), also Angus, who has to date sired Douglas, Davina, Lorna, Aileen and one whose name escapes me. Go Angus! Sheep are not intended for meat or milk or even wool, but will primarily be used as heavy duty lawnmowers.

Was present for the annual Corpus Christi fiesta, the first time I’ve seen the place actually come to life and show a bit of colour. Normally it’s rather drab and slow. At Corpus they strew fennel and wild thyme branches on the ground, and people set up altars outside their homes with the family’s lace and embrodieries all displayed, flowers and little Jesus figures (let’s not even get into the theology, let’s enjoy the cultural experience!) It’s a result if you can get some small children dressed up in the local costume to sit and look rustic in front of your altar. (They don’t sacrifice them or anything…) Anyhow, a unique event to witness and I look forward to uploading my photos on Flickr and Facebook at the weekend.

On my travels read Clare Morrall’s latest, The Language of Others – great story, rather sad but compelling as is all her stuff. And a good Brummie lass into the bargain! Also threw in some Marquez, Allende, Hello and Gardener’s World. Marvellous.

So, work today, meeting with the Head of School to twist his arm into taking out a shiny new multimedia subscription. Also trying to write a paper for another senior academic, struggling to fit it into the agreed sides even after reducing to point two font. Doing everything in fits and starts between my travels, but actually find this does help the focus at my desk.

Tomorrow is our Revalidation course in Edinburgh, a small but hopefully happy band of travellers coming together to think about taking the next step in their careers and CPD. Just read Margaret Watson’s excellent book on Portfolios, was inspired but a little awed by some of my colleagues’ case studies! (Ayub, I thought Fellowship was achievable by mere mortals but after reading your itemised submission list I’m beginning to doubt it!)

All issues big and small

Busy times as the Career Development Group National Council is almost upon us – Monday and Tuesday see our biggest business meeting of the year, and for 2008 I am its Mummy. Yikes. We have some wighty matters to discuss including finance and governance. Monday night also sees my Presidential Reception at the beautiful British Library, in the company of around 70 of my assembled colleagues – fellow group members, Past Presidents and officers, the great and the good of CILIP, even my boss (although I did warn him off staying at the Tavvy…) I am expecting another night when style will triumph over substance (hasn’t Boris shown us that…) and I will be relying on my trusty Jackanory binder for moral support and pre-menopausal memory lapses.

Flicked through the Big Issue yesterday, Lisa at Dundee Station always saves me one. The seller’s profile at the back this week caught my eye:

“I want to better myself, and books can help you do that. It’s mainly biographies I read; crime and sport stuff… True-life stories by people who’ve had a hard time are more interesting to me than fiction because real people have got a story to tell. Their experiences can make you think”.

I don’t agree about fiction but I do agree on the enabling power of books! Librarians should stop apologising for the books!

Also been enjoying Young Musician of the Year category finals on BBC4 this week. Technical ability goes without saying; it’s more about the performance, how to communicate with your audience, how to choose the programmes that will delight and inspire them. Sound familiar?