Lithuanian 101

Crazy day today running around being the different dramatis personae in the extravagnaza of registration and induction. Running scripts mainly involves punching numbers into a system. Induction presentations, on this international week, I like to jazz up with a few forays into European languages. Drew a blank on Lithuanian so asked the student in question to teach me something ‘Laba diena’, if you didn’t know, means ‘hi’. Then there’s my all time favourite, Air Traffic Control or Fat Controller, general foyer management duties. Basically herding cats. Had a few escapees during the course of the day.

Distinct lack of breaks, sanity or actual useful work done – par for the course though. Have to watch the inbox though as sneaky extra information literacy classes wend their way into your timetable, as do all manner of absurdities. And people are surprised when we’re not at our desks waiting on their every call. DON’T YOU KNOW THERE’S A FRESHER’S WEEK ON?! Wake up and smell the Rescue Remedy.

Looking forward to a weekend thinking about anything but universities and systems…

Preventive measures

Working from home today in the hope of killing off a cold in time for student registration and induction, which rather alarmingly start tomorrow. Apparently summer has finished. Tell that to all my flowers that are desperately straining their buds and scanning the skies for the most momentary of sunbursts. Lots of rota juggling, calendar filling up so fast and so comprehensively that I may have to ask an equestrian colleague to supply use with ready-filled team nosebags. Should I start pencilling in my bathroom breaks or do I just cross my legs and hum the Marseillaise?

Actual proper classes what are supposed to make sense start all too soon – revisiting presentations, worksheets, demos etc and have the familiar sense of having far too much to say and far too little time. Trying to forget everything I ever knew about Athens (which wasn’t much) but keep catching myself out with off campus access and such delectable joys.

A busy week for CDG Officers, who met on Monday for a marathon agenda which inevitably overran, merging seamlessly into an unexpectedly pink bottle of Pinot Grigo (Pinot Barbie perhaps? Another hint at a summer we never knew?). Lots going on – our Seal of Recognition application has now been submitted and we wait with bated breath… team is shaping up for 2009 and though it is always sad to say goodbye to those who have worked alongside us and shared all the highs and lows, it’s exciting to look forweard to fresh eyes and talents on the committee… Umbrella is less than a year away and our programme is fuller than ever… on the down side, various organisations are falling over themselves to gain entry into our coveted Basement of Doom, whence are consigned the uncooperative, elusive, rude and downright incompetent bodies we occasionally find oursleves dealing with. Yes I know I shouldn’t end a sentence with a preposition, but. End of.

We can’t find reverse

Another random day in a random summer. Today I am yet again wearing sandals and a bohemian summery outfit and it is pouring with rain outside.

Go to a meeting I’d forgotten all about where Registry are demonstrating the new online registration system. Call me an old cynic but I can’t see how it will work for brand new students – far too many screens and decisions and payments involved. More bottlenecks than the Tesco crash-bash.

Then a team meeting which is supposed to be short but which grows arms and legs. Ends in a traipse up to the journal shelves to try and undo some of the damage we did earlier in the summer by making hasty decisions under pressure. For good measure go and identify a load of duplicate copies of computing books to try and ease the pressure in the 006s. Course, I would’ve done my annual stock edit for computing if it hadn’t been for all these other pesky reports and nonsense to manage.

Finally write up my UC&R conference notes, remembering what a good time I had in Liverpool hanging out with lovely librarian types amongst all the lambananas!