adventures and observations of a library graduate student in montréal

Miss Conduct of the Boston Globe Magazine explores how libraries might be allowing the idea of what it means to be public to disrupt what their mission is as a library.

But I do think we have the right to pick up a new Alexander McCall Smith or study for an exam without feeling threatened–and a large, unwashed, clearly unstable man is threatening to a woman, or an elderly person, or a person with children who need protection. In their zeal to remain “public,” are libraries in fact driving away significant segments of the public they are meant to serve? Are they emphasizing “public” at the expense of “library”?

Surely there’s a middle ground, but where do we toe the line? Thoughts?

This article is wonderful for anyone who often finds themself in a teaching / training position. Oh, if only more faculty would follow these wonderful guidelines.

Ten Tips for New Trainers / Teachers

Cumulative GPA: 3.96

It was the first term did me in, and in particularly, one horrible partner. Oh well, them’s the breaks. I don’t think school grades are any indication at all of how intelligent someone is or how successful they’ll be, but gosh darn it I just spent two years and lots of moneys to get that degree and I want to brag a little bit!

Also it means I can disregard those horrible dreams I’d been having about completely messing up a final assignment, or missing some sneaky assignment entirely. That will be nice. The best reward, of course, is simply being done with school.

Miles and miles beneath the wheels,
we made it back under a shining sun,
mostly - but buffeted by biting winds -
it didn’t even snow on us ’til Washington.

And now home.
Like an ointment I wait for it to sink in,
to fill the vacancies and mend the lacerations,
to calm and to nourish and to fill -
I’ll overflow with everything that’s been lacking -
I’ll merge my Dionysus with my Apollo
and find peace in my passion and
slumber in my wine.

As I sleep, dreams of assignments overdue,
assignments I’ve already done,
assignments who may only haunt me through ghosts.
I’ve overcome them all.

Home.
I’ll never ride out, now,
without knowing when and how I’ll return.

It seems like I’ve hit the road a lot over the past few years. Oh well. I think this will be the last time for awhile, anyway. We’re heading out tomorrow. Oly, here we come! :)