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 ...

And today I did shelving ...

No, not as in "put the books on the shelves" ... as in "unpack the metal frames, brackets and shelves, get a screwdriver (and a big mallet) and assemble them". And THEN put the books on the shelves.

The final result looks great, but it's still not something I'd like to have to do every day - or even every month, year, gig, lifetime ...

So we went from this (left hand side pictures) to that (right hand side pictures).












The colour/color change can be credited to either an innate artistic flare, or to photographic incompetance. You choose ...

Weeding, Culling, Stocktake and/or Inventory

Sure, you’ve got a whole document on your library’s policy for removing material from circulation, and the auditor’s are quite happy with statement’s like “damaged beyond repair” or “not borrowed for 50 years”. But let’s show some consideration for those future generations that follow in our footsteps, and may be in need of an Emergency Laugh. Why not demonstrate some creativity in our reporting?

1. Removed (with long tongs) due to malodorous fog surrounding item
2. Item contained photograph that resembled librarian’s ex-husband
3. Reading Circle members suggested that book be removed as an acceptable compromise to breaking staff’s kneecaps
4. Superceded by any of the last 20 editions of this encyclopaedia
5. Too many books on this shelf - something had to go. This was ‘it’
6. Critical accumulated mass of book lice residing in book found to exceed OSH maximum lifting recommendations
7. Font size too small; budget request for electron microscope reader refused
8. Hazardous Materials Team refused to handle item, so it could not longer be shelved

Ah well ...