Way past my due date!

That was too easy, but it's not every day you can mix a library joke with obstetrical humor, right? As some of you may have noticed, I took leave last March, now have the second of two of the world's cutest children, and have failed to update the blog in about six months. I promise to more regularly appear here in the future. Other than  the obvious, the really important thing is that I have shiny new databases to unveil. Want a personal demo? Come visit me at the desk, and prepare to be dazzled.

Breaking news!

The Bolt has gone online! Moving from its traditional paper format to a digital one, Out-of-Door's own student newspaper debuted today in its shiny new form. Faculty adviser Ken Sommers and his team of hard-boiled journos made the switch after what was no doubt careful deliberation and some gentle polling. So, for the latest in ODA news, events and of course those bold opinions, visit The Bolt at http://theodabolt.com/.

100 days and counting

Pictured above: Miss Mandel as wise, constant Penelope, wife of Odysseus, and Mr. Woods in his guise as President Truman. Mr. Woods claims not to like what his countrymen call "fancy dress," but I think his scarlet bowtie is quite dashing. Don't tell him I said so.

I can't believe it's been almost two years already, but I remember writing this very post at this time last year. Here at Out-of-Door there is a lovely tradition upheld by the senior class, in which the students honor their teachers with a dinner when 100 days of the graduating class's final year are left. This year we were able to hold the event in the new Black Box Theatre, part of the new Arts Building that opened this past fall. As ever, it was a glowingly special occasion - I know last year I derived tremendous satisfaction from hearing how my colleagues affect the lives of their students every day, and I am pleased to count myself among their number. This year I had the pleasure of hearing words from Anika P. and Sarah H., two articulate women with bright futures on the horizon. I am glad to have had some small impact on them during my short tenure here so far, and so although I am taking my leave on March 19th and do not plan to return to work until August, it's because of students like them that I will be back for the Senior Dinner in June, and commencement exercises shortly after.

Overheard in the library

"Math is cool!" Really. I heard that with my own ears - the speaker was sitting right next to me as I was covering some books to get them shelf-ready. She meant it. She and two classmates were working on some fairly advanced math problems to prepare for a test, and they had a kind of dawning epiphanic moment when it all came together. It was nice just to be nearby.

Also overheard in the library is Miss Mandel's impassioned plea for some help with shelving the books. It's a mostly physical task but takes a little thought too, and that should be worth something. And it is! If you give me an hour of your time, I can give you community service credit. See me at the desk for more info.

Thunder Fun Day, complete with real thunder!

Not only is it Friday, it's the day before Thunder Fun Day. Tomorrow is the Fourth Annual Thunder Fun Day on the Uihlein Campus at Lakewood Ranch, a day filled with games, music, food, and, well, fun. This year, some actual thunder too - the weatherpeople are predicting some potentially exciting meteorology out there. Never fear! Activities and events (including the cakewalk) are scheduled to take place under tents and inside the Petrik Thunderdome, so Fun can happen no matter what's going on in the sky. I plan to be there with my #1 Son and his grandmother, so Fun is a virtual guarantee. Thunder too, apparently.

So come on out and join us - it's going to be a rainy Saturday, so you can't go to the beach, cut the grass or wash the car. Instead, hear some live music, play some games, eat a little popcorn and be with your friends. And . . . if you're curious about the weather you might be seeing, we just got a five-volume set of the Encyclopedia of Weather and Natural Disasters, so there's no need to stay underinformed. See you there.

Second semester, third trimester

Welcome back and Happy New Year! I haven't really discussed it on the blog because a) it's not really library-related; b) I don't want to be one of those irritating women who talks about nothing else and c) people under the age of about 25 generally find it uninteresting or potentially even icky, but . . . that's not just post-holiday weight gain I'm toting around.

I suppose it does become library-related when the librarian goes on maternity leave, though. So, exactly as we began the second semester here at school, I started my first trimester - I've got just three months to go before I take home Bundle of Joy #2 on March 24. Let me get this list of FAQ's out of the way first, and then we'll get back to the books:

1) It's a boy. We're planning to call him Rory.
2) I'm doing just fine, thanks for asking.
3) It is actually OK if you rub the bump as long as we've met at least once.
4) If you'd like more specifics, feel free to ask. Otherwise . . . see above.

Perhaps more significantly, I spent part of last semester re-labeling all the literary criticism to make it easier for you to find books for your research papers and I'm exploring wonderful new databases for electronic materials. Also, the library received a lovely gift that will allow me to purchase some terrific new resources for the study of Shakespeare and Elizabethan England. I'm looking forward to what the future holds - here and at home, too.

Coming in to the home stretch

It's been on everyone's lips today: having just returned from Thanksgiving, we have two weeks left till the exam period and just three weeks overall till it's winter vacation. Where did the time go?


But don't panic! Instead, start revieweing your semester notes now, eat a nutritious dinner every night, follow it with a solid eight hours of peaceful slumber, and wash those hands. You don't want to sacrifice 16 weeks of work to a germ or two, and it would be tragic to have studied carefully all term just to go off-course at the last minute. So be sensible this year, although it just wouldn' t be exam time without injecting a little last-minute drama into the proceedings, would it? So say it with me now: "HOLY COW. I AM TOTALLY GONNA FAIL THIS TEST. I STAYED UP ALL NIGHT AND ATE PURE COFFEE GROUNDS RIGHT OUT OF THE JAR AND I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT THE KNIGHT'S TALE IN CHAUCER MEANS."

There. That's done. Now breathe deeply, return to your textbooks and grab that highlighter. And let me know if I can help with those final essays or paper revisions, OK?