Unauthorized Cincy Report

Some might argue that some of us have too much time on our hands and that we should get the students back ASAP!

The Maven

Once upon a workday dreary, while I pondered weak and weary
over many a thick and cryptic volume of computer lore
while I keystroked, teeth a-gnashing, suddening there came a bashing
as if something wildly crashing, crashing at my office door.
“’Tis the wrecking ball,” I shouted, “crashing at my office door,
only this and nothing more”

Ah, distinctly I remember - it was in the bleak December,
when I spread architectural plans about my floor
eagerly I wished the morrow, from these plans, surcease of sorrow
with a newly built library to explore
an edifice all scholars would explore
only this and nothing more

My office split and open, when, with many a stride and saunter,
In there stepped a stately maven of the learned days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made she; not a minute stopped or stayed she;
But, with mien of cultured lady, perched on the shelf beside my office door -
Perched near a bust of Rambam beside my shattered office door -
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

In clouds of dust, and glass shards flying
I cried “Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But your knowledge I am seeking, for our services worth keeping
How can we continue loaning books to the students at our door?
and reference service to the rab. and grad. students at our door?
to faculty, community, and more?”

“Should we move to other spaces, with empty shelves and office places?
I fear students won’t find their way to our temporary door.
Should we use e-mail, chat, and faxing? on our resources, quite taxing!
But we want to serve our patrons just as well as in the days of yore
For the theses, dissertations, and research papers galore
all of that and then some more!”
Quoth the maven, “Ommmmmmm”

The Party’s Over Now…

These are post-graduation blues –
You can add on music if you choose.
The party’s over now – you’ve all moved on,
And we feel oh so left alone :-(


Alone, did anybody say alone? Does it mean that we can actually do some REAL library work??? Not that answering reference and location questions isn’t work – we love these little interactions! Especially when we all emerge triumphant from the stacks after finding the elusive item that stared you in the face, or when we repeat that one mouse-click that yielded only frustration for you, and made the icon open on the screen to the heavenly music of Microsoft ®….
I feel a little like the Sandra Ho character from Grey’s Anatomy who, in yesterday’s season finale was left at the altar by her fiancé. She struggles to take the beautiful chocker off her neck, while Meredith literally cuts her loose from her wedding dress, as she is screaming: “I’m free!” - and you can practically feel the relief washing over her whole being.
OK, so it wasn’t so bad during the semester – but do you know how much we got done today??? The fact that I am sitting at my keyboard and actually writing today is a miracle, especially since it is not closing time yet, and I’ve already finished checking a small gift of books to determine if they belong here…And Sheryl caught up with her stuff, getting busy with planning a new digitization project (stay tuned…); and Joel had time to prioritize his work, and, I believe, had some fun with a project or two. And now they want to prepare materials for binding?! My cup runneth over!
Make no mistake, though – we miss you already! Some of you will come back to continue your course of studies. Next month we will get busy with our summer programs in education and communal serve. In August we will happily welcome the new class. By then we will be craving your inquiries, questions, good humor and presence, but until then – can we enjoy the quiet just a little?

To our newly graduated educators & communal workers, and to our newly ordained rabbis – be-hatzlahah – much success on your way. We can’t wait for your next request – this time as our alums. Your library cards carry a lifetime membership guarantee :-)

yaffa

Wanna Wiki? - Musings of the Techie

Now that most pages have been moved to the new template and we've worked out most of the little glitches on the new library websites, the question has come up ... what next?

One thing is to create new pages on topics that hadn't gotten covered. Like this new page on finding music resources. I'm also working on a life-cycles page.

But the page that has me stuck is the Rabbinic literature page. This is a large complex body of literature. I started a page here, and covered Mishnah, Talmud, & Baraita, but when I started looked at Midrashic and Halakhic literature, (not to mention Cabalistic,) I got a little overwhelmed.

So I started mulling over how to take advantage of other people's expertise in this area. I'm looking into setting up a wiki (think Wikipedia on a very small specific scale) HUC students and faculty could sign in to add to the pages and share their favorite books, translations, websites, searching tips, databases, etc. Anyone interested?