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…

Aaaaaahhhhhh

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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?

Please sir, my brain is full

Wow, what a full week. Today I was back at my desk after two days of professional travels and talks. Yesterday was the annual pilgrimage to muggy Peebles (as opposed to peevish muggles) for the CILIPS Branch & Group Day. Arrived to bacon rolls – marvellous. What did the veggies have, I wonder? Caught two thirds of the presidential address – was in the relay room with dodgy sound link. I did suggest turning sound off and putting some Hawkwind on, as we used to with Masters of the Universe, but they weren’t game. Always end up squirming and thinking I should go forward and confess yes, I’m English and yes, I’m a loyal supporter of CILIP otherwise known as ‘expletive expletive Ridgmount St grrr grrr dour scowl’. To be fair it was more considered and less vitriolic than some I’ve heard. Recovered composure in time to deliver CDG Scottish session with the esteemed Isabel Hood (known reader of this spielette) on ‘Revalidation, Fellowship and the Timelord’s Guide to CPD’. Shameless abuse of analogy – for ’sonic screwdrivers’, read tips and tools, for ‘companions’, read mentoring and networks… audience indulgent, let us witter on and took part in the reflective paper exercises willingly. Or maybe they were writing their holiday packing lists. Ghost of Employer Present was there and even engaged in asking pertinent (as opposed to impertinent) questions.

After the slap-up lunch it was time for professional sector surfing, so went to hear about fabulous Library 10 music service in Helsinki and then got the lowdown on graphic novels and comics from rather wonderful Alan Grant, who I had not previously discovered. He confirmed what I already suspected: all publishers (bar one or two goodly souls) are evil money-grabbing b*stards. Well maybe they aren’t but like Damian Nobbs in my 8M class, they are tainting the rest by association.

This weekend I will be celebrating my official birthday. Hold the gifts; the real day isn’t till June 12th, but like the Queen I have to spread my engagements and make much of my jubilees. So it’s garden centre for some nice bedding plants, lunch out with my husband (CILIP widower) and go to see Indiana Jones. Might even be home for you-know-who set in the you-know-where, staying out of the you-know-what.

Information underload

Bother it, another day nearly over and I have failed to plant any more seeds in the blog patch. Day Job was taken up with urgent stuff, finishing a key paper, some meetings with reps (who were mnore than averagely personable for company reps), making difficult decisions about collection management (stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before…)

Also having a little personal dilemma about whether or not to apply for a job I’ve seen. It’s appealing but there would be material sacrifices. Also sense that my appetite for change, which has always been quite healthy, is on the wane and I’m starting to lose confidence in my ability to seize new opportunities. That is evidence if anything is that I really should be thinking about moving on…

Write a little review piece for CDG Scottish Division newsletter, reflecting on my first two months as CDG President. It’s been challenging, sometimes stressful, but there have been some real highs. I’m trying to stay on top of everything and hold it all together, but I don’t know whether it’s working. Still feel quite daunted by the whole thing.

Busy the rest of this week – tomorrow I join in a Show & Tell day for SALCTG, speaking about my use of wikis in 1st year information literacy. On Thursday it’s the CILIPS day at Peebles and I’m looking forward to co-leading a workshop on the Timelord’s Guide to CPD. Who makes up these titles?!

Stay out of the shadows… and don’t blink…

Incomings and outgoings

Yesterday saw our first official Revalidation course up at Causewayside in Edinburgh. I joined with Margarets Forrest and Chapman to hopefully cover all points of view – CILIP as award provider; the assessor; and the candidate. We hope we created a welcoming and positive atmosphere, and indeed the afternoon did seem upbeat (even though we left a glorious summer day outside for an overly air conditioned windowless seminar room). It was a small group, and most people seemed comfortable asking questions. Ventured slightly into Fellowship territory at the end of the day. I think I will go for it. Well, maybe. Next year. Or the year after. When I’ve had both arms broken by my activist colleagues, no doubt.

Have you noticed how some names are more hallowed than others in the profession? I don’t mean specific individuals; I mean literally certain names. ‘Margaret’ is one such name. Chapman, Forrest, Watson and more. ‘Sheila’ does well too: think Corrall and Webber. ‘Keith’ gets about – Trickey, Nockels, Wilson. In my first library post, I worked with 3 Janes, 5 Annes and 7 Sues. It did get rather muddly. I’ve met a couple of Amandas on my professional travels, so that bodes reasonably well. (Did you know it means ‘charcoal’ in Lusoga?) I wonder whether there are any inauspicious names for information professionals? ‘Louis’ would give rise to some bad poetry, I imagine…

Back to Chateau Inbox today and hard at it all day with documents to finish, critical meetings and discussions, plus a host of new electronic resources each with their own peculiarities and demands. I’ve had to resort to using flags on my emails and it’s starting to look like an Olympic opening ceremony.

Tomorrow a musical interlude – off to Glasgow for the Scottish Recorder Festival, an annual jamboree with guest stick-waver and a nice lunch in between playing sessions.  Looking forward to being uplifted and achieving something with my fellow players – the ultimate in quick wins – see a piece for the first time, play it, rehearse, improve, perform. Also get to dip into some more short stories on the train.

Don’t forget – this week’s Doctor Who promises an ultra scary story set in a Library…

Up close in Cardiff

Well, this is a jet setting week, today finding me at home in the twilight zone somewhere between Cardiff and Dortmund (should that be the title of a concept album?)

Our CDG National Conference took place yesterday in the fabulous venue of Cardiff City Hall. Never in all my years of giving notices have I had to instruct people “Ladies, turn left at Hywel the Good’ or ‘Gents, take the left just after Henry VII’. We had showers and sunshine too, so I take back my comments about waterproofs

Our speakers were energetic, passionate, interactive, experienced, communicative… they also complemented each other fantastically and left us slightly overwhelmed with their array of issues and case studies and thought-provoking comments.  Liz Jolly held the audience captive as she described work undertaken in Info Services at Salford Uni to push professionalism way up the agenda – establishing mentor and mentee support networks and paying for staff CILIP subscriptions.  Richard Beveridge asked us what we actiually cost our employers and urged us to think about our value and how we can demonstrate our worth tangibly. The audience rose to the occasion too, asking and answering questions and joining in exercises to choose bags that represented them (from Lyndsay Rees-Jones’s world-famous bag collection) and to dissect job descriptions and write competency-based interview questions under the supervision of Laura Perrott. Lori Havard spoke about storyboarding for e-learning at Swansea Uni, prompting me to think how much time we invest in students’ information literacy and how little in our own colleagues’ learning. Lunch was the usual carbo-fest but we needed our strength to keep our brains ticking over all of this stimulation.

Our AGM was followed by a whistle-stop tour of our professional future from new CILIP Councillor and Aberystwyth lecturer Judy Broady-Preston. People were still making insightful comments and asking searching questiojns at 4.30, when it really was time to pack up and leave.

Sue Hill’s own brand champagne went home to be enjoyed responsibly by six lucky raffle winners, adding £30 to our international project funds.

And yes – I did get to visit the Doctor Who Up Close exhibition in Cardiff Bay – and brought home a wee Dalek and Cyberman for the shelf…

The so solid crew

Only a bijou blogette today – it’s Saturday after all, and I’m busy packing my bag to fly to Cardiff tomorrow for the CDG National Conference. Hand luggage only, so have to do a purge on my rucksack for dubious items. I once had a mini stapler confiscated at Belfast Airport. Harruummph. I loved that little widget. Pile all my liquids into a sandwich bag. Why are liquids so evil anyway? I look like a Boots employee and/or a hypochondriac when all the little lotions and potions are bundled up together. Taking a laptop from work – fretting about whether it will work or not on the day. Writing thankyou cards for speakers – a nice little job that gets me thinking about the programme, I think it’s a strong one and I know most of the speakers personally, which is nice. I’ve prepared my opening spiel, which is all about… yes you’ve guessed it… and it’s on in half an hour so I’d better exit the blogosphere tout de suite…

The time warrior

Well, after a week focusing a bit more on the immediate work environment, it’s time to catch up on all things CDG. I’ve spent this afternoon drafting papers for our National Council meeting which is only a few weeks away now – it’s the biggest business meeting in our calendar and I’m exhausted just thinking about it! Plus we have our Scottish Division AGM tomorrow at the Saltire Centre, Glasgow Caledonian Uni – I’ve visited before but I’m always interested to see how university libraries look (and sound!) at different times of the year. And this time next week I’ll be on my way to Cardiff for our national conference on workforce development.

This week’s Doctor Who classic DVD has been The Time Warrior – we’re back in the 1970s with Jon Pertwee. A Sontaran finds himself stuck in the early Middle Ages and has to make the most of the primitive technology he finds there. Meanwhile some scientists go missing from modern day England – the Sontaran officer is forcing them to work for him on some circuitry. Hot on their heels is of course the Doctor and, having stowed away on the TARDIS, investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith. It’s a marvellous meeting of multiple eras and personalities. I hope that we as information professionals can take something of Sarah’s approach – no nonsense; brave; able to process new situations and sources quickly; able to wear dubious fashions and still look cutting edge; able to connect with those around us, even when they may be hostile axe-wielding maniacs.

A further thought with reference to last night’s new episode: the Ood are ‘born with their brains in their hands’ – do librarian Ood have extra big hands in order to carry the collected wisdom of the ageas and to do their customers’ thinking for them?

Rainy afternoon

I’ve spent the afternoon emailing Divisions with feedback on their Divisional Plans. The 2008 programme for the group is considerably more inspiring than the miserable weather I can see from my study window! There are intriguing events, appealing pub quizzes and walks, visits to all manner of interesting workplaces – army libraries, cathedrals, colleges, the BBC and more.  The Framework of Qualifications is in safe hands with our dedicate team of Candidate Support Officers – look out for a course near you. We continue to reach out to students, to under-represented groups and to our whole membership, whether it’s through events, informal get-togethers, meetings, social technologies, newsletters and more. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at our May National Council and hearing more about the work on the ground.

But I can’t just stand here blogging all day – I need to warm pizzas and pour wine in readiness for the second episode of the new series of Doctor Who. (Oh stop sighing, it’s my blog and I’ll obsess if I want to!) Just for the record, yes I did enjoy the first episode, yes I do think Donna will work out fine as a companion (I loved that she had a boot full of suitcases ready packed, including hatbox), yes the Adipose were silly but who cares, that’s entertainment! (Cue Jam intro…)