Saturday, June 5, 2010

Ad H.O.C. Irony?


How's the "Value Added" Home Office Clean-up going? Slowly, but thanks for asking anyway. But possibly of more significance are the treasures that are coming to light. Sort of more like an archaeological dig than a library cull.

The latest dusty tome to emerge is "Getting Organised" (ISBN 0826467709; Continuum Publishing 2004). What a find! Unfortunately it got lost again with the hour, but at least it got photographed before it slunk back into the chaos ...

Friday, June 4, 2010

A Short Treatice on the Nature of Human Uniqueness ...

Excessively wet and dismal weather certainly encourages the Muse; it is indeed tempting to create some half-witted pun revolving around "reflecting" and the size of the puddles. Just this once I might refrain. But no promises, mind.

So, when pondering the generic advice to "avoid negative people", it occurs to me - from the subatomic perspective at least - that if the whole of any society was "positive', this would create an unstable environment. Speaking ionically rather than ironically, all that positive charge would generate a force that would blow itself apart. And there are some who would say that this is already happening as we observe global unrest and daytime television programming.

My good friend Spike Milligan once said "blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light". Not that I know Mr Milligan personally or anything, but I've got quite a few of his books. At the time of writing I don't know if Mr Milligan has mine.

However, given that someone now (!) needs change for the photocopier, I will terminate this brief but mildly ponderous (couldn't resist, sorry) task and attend to the minutae of everyday library life ...

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Library Blog Awards

That publishing company who write to Yours Generally to advise that Warrior Librarian was nominated for their Library Blog Awards has now announced the winners.

There were 5 categories; academic, general interest, public library, school library and "quirky".

In keeping with our fine tradition of fouling up just about everything, we didn't score a place. Although the award information states that the 'judging criteria' are available, and does indeed name the judges for four of the five categories, there is no information regarding "quirky" library blogs. And probably just as well, as we also have a fine tradition of naming names ... which is a whole other story.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Always read the small print ...

Here's a neat little trick ...

To apply for "seed money" for a schools-community partnership, Schools First puts the terms and conditions of the grant application into Latin. And then requires applicants to sign that they have read and understood the requirements.

I guess that's one way of making sure that the money goes to those schools who incorporate Classical (if somewhat dead) languages.

But we're all techno-savy and information-literate, right? So why not use an online translator? Geez, I wish you hadn't asked that. "Phasellus annoyance large not is bibendum not venenatis if not transitory ..."