42 Things!

Some folks out on the interwebs have posted lists of 40 things they want to do before they turn 40,* and I've been inspired. Unfortunately, I'm a little late to the game, so I'm going to shoot for 42 things before I turn 42 on January 7, 2014. As many of you know, the number 42 has galactic significance, so this seems like a good year to try new things!

Here's my list. Thank you for following along!

1. Renew my passport. You never know when you might have to skip the country win a fabulous international vacation.

2. Try six new Crock Pot recipes. (Why six? Well, it's a nice, non-intimidating number and is one-seventh of 42.)

3. Read (or re-read) 42 Newbery Award winning books. (Eventually I want to read them all.) (Follow along with my list here.)

4. Listen to three new-to-me songs each week. (My list is here.)  

5. Blog more, shooting for at least two posts per month.

6. Finish an article on group processing in archives and submit it for publication.

7. Revise a previous devotion/blog post and submit it to My Ministry Minute.

8. Learn to crochet a hat.

9. Bake a cake from scratch.

10. Lift weights an average of twice a week. (Jennifer has said I can count toning classes toward this; thank you, Jenny!)

11. Figure out WordPress.

12. Donate (at least) 25 articles of clothing to charity.

13. Work on some kind of puzzle (jigsaw, crossword, etc.) at least twice per week.

14. Read something every day (this is an easy one for me).

15. Meet some more of my online friends in person.

16. Play my flute again (even if not in public).

17. Take 42 self-portraits during the year.

18. Send 42 pieces of handwritten mail during the year.

19. Visit a new-to-me state.

20. Walk a 5K for charity; try to raise $420.00.

21. Visit a new-to-me state park in Georgia.
22. Lose (at least) ten pounds.
23. Complete a Whole 30 diet program (I've done this before and want to do it again.).
24. Schedule and complete a wellness assessment at work. Do it again next year to compare the numbers.
25. Unplug for a day: no computer, no phone.
26. Watch seven "best picture" winning movies that I haven't seen before. (Here's my list.)
27. Go to a petting zoo. Take pictures. (I've been to petting zoos before, but it just seemed like a fun thing to do again.)
28. Get back into good enough shape to walk 30 minutes straight on the elliptical machine. COMPLETED! Managed this on my first try, 1/15/13.
29. Read one of Shakespeare's plays that I haven't read before.
30. See a play on campus.
31. Go to a concert on campus.
32. For one week, get 30 minutes of exercise every single day, even on the weekend.
33. Go on a Rose Hill Ramble.
34. Take some kind of crafting class during the year.
35. Have a facial.
36. Write about my completed experiences in a journal. (I'm a journal hoarder.)
37. At least once per week, play a game with the XBox Kinect or the Wii Fit.
38. Sponsor/"adopt" an endangered animal.
39. Have a slumber party with my two BFFs; possibly turn this into a girls' weekend if our schedules permit.
40. Go to a firing range.
41. Re-read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, at least the first four books of the trilogy. (Yes, I mean that. There's a fifth book I haven't read yet.)
42. Buy a new towel. COMPLETED! I ordered this one.

And away we go!






*Aside from Helen, I don't know any of the people whose lists I linked to; my apologies if there's anything offensive out there.

Happy 2013!

Time to blow the dust off the ol' blog and say hello. In lieu of new year's resolutions this year, I'm planning a list of "42 things to do before I turn 42" (I've missed my chance at 40 before 40, I'm afraid, and 41 is almost here). One of those goals is to blog more, so maybe I'll actually do it this time!

Hopefully this is just the first of numerous posts for 2013. Hold me to it, ok?

He Is Exalted

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." - Psalm 46:1, NIV


"Come and see what the LORD has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. He says, 'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'” - Psalm 46:8-10, NIV


I've always liked the "God is our refuge and strength" and "Be still and know that I am God" parts of this Psalm. The verses are calming, something I can focus on when I'm feeling overwhelmed. They're among the earliest verses I learned in Sunday school, and I've always held them in my heart. 


Tonight, though, I looked at verses 8-10. In verse 8, God has "done" these things. He has devastated areas, depopulating them, bringing desolation. What? This doesn't make sense! In verse 9 God seems to be on the right side of things again, ending wars all over the earth. But look at how he does it! There's nothing calming or peaceful about breaking bows, shattering spears, and burning shields (or possibly chariots)! This isn't the God I think of when I'm resting in the quiet of verse 10. 


I think the quiet of verse 10 isn't the God I like to envision, holding me and soothing me after a rough day at work. This is the sudden, tense quiet after a crash, a storm, or a battle. God has actively destroyed the tools of war! Hear the snaps as not just thin arrows but heavy bows are broken! See the flames devour the shields and chariots! Now...


...there is quiet. But God tells us in that anxious quiet that he's in charge here and that he will be exalted. Oh, yes, he will. 

Day 6: What's Your Calling?

"For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully." - Romans 12:4-8, NIV


Today I had a terrific meeting with my faculty reading group. We've been looking at The Heart of Higher Education as we move toward an integrative learning framework this fall. One of the professors mentioned "vocation" and "calling." I wondered what, if anything, my few readers had to say about that? Do you feel like your job is just that? A job? Maybe a piece of a career? Or is it what you were called by some higher power to do?



I've had two former colleagues say that they saw in me a spiritual gift of administration. I hope they're right. 


During our discussion today I had a current colleague thank me for the "energy" I brought to the conversation. I think I was energetic because I felt passionate about what we were discussing. It feels like when you love what you're talking about, you have an innate energy to provide to others.


A few years ago, someone asked if I considered myself a "minister," because he saw my job that way. I haven't seen that in myself, but it has caused me to ponder. Am I ministering to others in what I do? Am I in my current position for a reason? Whose needs am I meeting?


What about you? Are you using your gifts in your workplace? How?


© Laura M. Botts, 2012  


  

Day 5 of Lent

"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying,'Take and eat; this is my body.' Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.'” - Matthew 26:26-29, NIV

As I understand it, the Sundays during Lent are "mini-Easters," days of joy in which Lenten deprivations need not be observed. In celebration of this Lenten loophole, I give you the verses above from "the last supper" of Jesus and his disciples without commentary. They celebrated the Passover meal together before life as the disciples knew it changed forever.

I hope you've had a good day today!

© Laura M. Botts, 2012  

Day 4

"At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.' At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted^[g] by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him." - Mark 1:9-13, NIV


Today I decided to look at the Revised Common Lectionary readings for a writing prompt, and I found the verses above. I think most church-goers are familiar with the story of John baptizing Jesus as well as with the story of Jesus's temptation in the wilderness. But I'm not sure I've ever thought about the two being connected.


As soon as Jesus receives the Holy Spirit and is affirmed as God's son, the Spirit sends him out to endure forty days of temptation. Wow. What if we did that in our churches? "Congratulations on your baptism! We're glad you decided to show us that you've accepted Christ. Now, just to make sure, we're going to toss you in the desert for close to a month and a half of Satanic temptation. Relax, you'll do fine..." 


I have to say I'm glad we don't do this! However, I think God wants us to know we could handle it if we had to. See 1 Corinthians 10:13 for the evidence: "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 

Remember that when you feel tempted. Jesus went through it, and he came out without giving in. God gives us a way out and won't let us endure more than we can handle. We, too, are His beloved sons and daughters. Hang in there!

© Laura M. Botts, 2012 

3rd Day of Lent, or "A Blogger in Search of a Topic"

"Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones." - Proverbs 3: 7-8, NIV


As I was thinking about what to write today, I tried to remember what had happened at work. I spent two hours in a meeting with our faculty senate, which is always interesting, but which didn't really yield any blog fodder. I also worked on a request from the university's marketing department for photos and captions from 100, 50, and 25 years ago. Also interesting, but not terribly exciting.


Then I thought back to early this morning. I was chatting with a colleague when our administrative assistant appeared and presented me with a gift. Ok, it was really for my department, but you get the idea.


She handed me a brand new first aid kit for Special Collections. It doesn't have everything we'd need for a serious emergency, of course, but it has bandages, an ice pack, some painkillers, and other assorted basics for everyday boo-boos. Sometimes that's all we need: enough to get by until we recover on our own.


Sometimes, though, that's not enough. We need real healing. Sustenance. Repair. Something that goes deeper than a Band-Aid®. We need something to heal the deepest wounds of our hearts and souls. For the Christian, that something is God, accessible to us via prayer, whether in audible or silent words, or even in our "wordless groans," as in Romans 8:26.


Do you need something more than a bandage and a painkiller? See if talking to God will make a bigger difference for you. It certainly can't hurt.






© Laura M. Botts, 2012 


     

2nd Day of Lent

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV


Uh-oh. Look at those words up there. "Always." "Continually." "All." Once again, I find myself falling short of God's will. If I had written this letter, it probably would have said, "Rejoice when things are going well, pray when you need something, give thanks when you have something to be happy about..."   


But that's not what we're told to do. The verses remind us to do these things ALL the time! How on earth is that possible? Well, on earth it probably isn't. With some heavenly help, though? Maybe then we can tackle them. 


I don't think this passage is telling us that we will always be happy, that if we follow Jesus, life will be peaches and cream, or a barrel of monkeys, or whatever idiom you'd like to use. I see it more as reminding us that no matter what is going on, we can rejoice as Christians if we remember the bigger picture. Praying is just talking to God, right? And I regularly talk to myself "without ceasing," it seems. How much better off would I be if I spent that time talking -- and more importantly, listening -- to God?


If you have never read Corrie Ten Boom's book, The Hiding Place, let me recommend it to you. In thinking about these verses from 1 Thessalonians, I was reminded of her story about being thankful for fleas. Yes, fleas. You can find a transcription of that story here. I certainly can't say it any better.


I hope that this little post will remind you ME to look for the joy in every situation, to give thanks for things that seem insignificant, and to quiet my internal chatter long enough to listen. Lent is a season of preparation, not of despair. Look toward the joy, and be thankful on the journey.     
  


© Laura M. Botts, 2012 

Happy Lent! (Nothing about Archives)

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” - Colossians 3:23-24, NIV

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season of Lent. Although the whole church calendar ultimately leads us to the joy of Easter morning, we focus on it most during this part of the year. For the next forty days, Christians around the world will spend time reflecting on Christ’s journey to the cross. Many of them will make sacrifices designed to draw them closer to God. Some will give up a favorite food or a particular behavior, trusting in God to help them through any temptations they face along the way.

I’m a lifelong Baptist and have never done “the Lent thing.” My church celebrates various seasons of the liturgical calendar, but not to the extent that many other congregations do. It’s still kind of new to me. I asked some friends what they were giving up for Lent, and was intrigued that some of them choose to focus on positive additions to their lives instead of doing away with something. As one said, “I don't think it's about giving up for giving up's sake. I think it's about doing that which brings you closer to the love of God.” Another friend suggested writing something every day, a devotion or meditation. I had been thinking about doing some writing, so I liked that idea. I’m no biblical scholar, but I wanted to do something tying scripture or inspirational writings to my life and work (and whatever else I might think of).

So here we are, Day 1. I don’t promise to write every single day, but we’ll see what happens.

I chose the verse at the top from http://www.sandersweb.net/bible/verse.php, a site that came up in my search for a “random Bible verse.” The site says that they use a preselected list of verses, but you get a random selection from those choices. In light of my desire to write about work, I thought it was appropriate. However, I don’t want to try and explain Paul’s (or anyone else’s) theology; my only goal is to share some reflections on my thoughts about the verses or writings I find. So, back to Colossians.

There are days when I don’t feel like giving my all at work, or at home, or in the church choir, or when I’m shopping at Walmart. But this verse tells us that we should work wholeheartedly at WHATEVER we’re doing. Wow. That’s not easy, is it? Certainly not for me. But as a Christian, it’s what I should be doing. I’m not working for my own glory and recognition. I’m not working to make my boss happy, although she probably appreciates it if I work hard. No, I’m supposed to work at whatever task is at hand “as working for the Lord.” If you ask me, that sets the bar pretty high.

But keep reading. The incentive for me to work hard and serve Christ is mighty compelling. An inheritance? That sounds good. “An inheritance from the Lord as a reward”? I can’t think of anything I’d rather receive when my shift on this earth is over.

© Laura M. Botts, 2012 

Time for Some "Library Day in the Life" Fun! #libday8

That's right, boys and girls! Those zany librarians (and archivists) are at it again, posting about what we do all day. Guess what? We don't spend much time reading books and shushing patrons!

Yesterday I tagged a few Tweets with #libday8, but after seeing some blog posts by some of my library heroes, I decided to try a timeline format today.

6:30: Got up and (eventually) out the door.

8:15: Arrived at library. Turned in book. Chatted with colleagues about books we've enjoyed recently. Helped dean take down panels from an old exhibit that is no longer on display.

8:30: Opened Special Collections. Checked calendars, email (quick read through), and socnets. Discovered that teh Googlez think I am a 55-64 year-old female with no interests (if I ask it when I'm in Firefox). Well, ok, then. (In Chrome, by the way, I'm 25-34, female, and am interested in rock music and Los Angeles. Who knew?) Started this blog post.

9:00: Technically, the department is now open. I'm expecting a researcher at 9:30, but I'm not sure which boxes she needs from the collection she's researching. I've put a copy of the finding aid out for her and will pull the boxes when she arrives.

9:09: More email to read and respond to. Some random books were found in our loading dock/technical services area, and they're coming to Special Collections. Assistant has arrived now. Caught up with her. Sorted through some gift books to see how many we'd like to have cataloged (three). Took books to cataloging. Picked up mail and sorted it. None for me! Yay!

9:30: Quick email check. Delete, delete, delete. Don't want to start anything big since researcher is expected. Looked at some suggested titles to read during an upcoming research day. Need to pull some after the patron arrives and gets settled. Now back to checking the catalog for gift books.

10:15: Researcher is here and underway. Pulled boxes for her to use. Discarded old duplicate directories we didn't need. Chatted with tech services colleague about a cataloging project. Roamed the stacks and selected a few titles for my research day. Answered email from boss that will require sending another email for a status update on a digitization project. Sent that one. Also contacted art faculty about some student photographers I need to have photograph some artifacts for a display. Updated calendar to reflect a meeting I've added for tomorrow afternoon. Updated online membership directory for the Academy of Certified Archivists.

11:00: Did some database searching for more research day material; scribbled some notes. Researcher needed another box. She hopes to come back later in the week to do more digging. Quick socnet perusal. Printed out a journal article.

11:35: Did a little reading of an article for a faculty reading group that meets next week. Researcher has departed. Read over an obituary for a well-known Baptist minister. Skimmed an article on "Career Satisfaction of Young Archivists" by Amber L. Cushing. Printed that out for further review. Skimmed and printed an article on sociology and office relationships. Seeing "reciprocity" and "kinship" made me miss my anthropology classes. Should do more reading on that in my free time.

12:00: Time for a lunch meeting!

1:50: Meeting was good (wellness and spirituality). Picked up our mail (3 boxes of journals and a box for the archives). Sorted out that the volunteer isn't coming in today. Now off to learn about "thin clients." *whoosh*

3:40: Stayed awake (it was a battle) in the meeting. Learned some useful things. Now for more email and to see if a researcher who just appeared needs anything.

3:55: She needs to scan. Haven't installed good software for that on the computer in our reading room since we got a new-to-us computer. Found a work-around. Checked a file for the group she needs pictures of, but we don't have much.

4:15: Battling with the second of our two scanners. :(

4:55: Ok, finally got all the scanning done. Assistant talked to a potential donor with some old magazines; I'll contact him tomorrow. Time to take my pile of books down to circulation and head out.

Stay tuned for more adventures later in the week!

So Long, 2011!

Greetings, friends! It's time once again for a little bit of reflection and some goal-setting as we kiss another year goodbye.

From last year's post, these were my 2011 goals. Let's see how we did, shall we?

1. ...because another archivist saw my QR code post and asked if I would like to be part of a session she was proposing for the annual meeting of the Society of American Archivists in 2011. We got accepted! Yay! So 2011 will mark my first presentation at a national meeting. Gulp!
2. That meeting will be in Chicago in August. Additional travel is planned for Houston in March and, I hope, Dallas/Ft. Worth in May. I'm already chatting up online friends about possible get-togethers!
3. What else do I want to do next year? I'd like to read more C.S. Lewis, so that's definitely a goal. I also hope to read more books from my library that I discover while browsing the shelves. They may not be current best-sellers, but they'll be things that catch my eye in the stacks.
4. Also, I still have a number of unfinished goals from 2010, and we'll see how those progress in the coming year.

Goal 1: Survive the SAA meeting and my presentation therein. I did! I was part of a terrific panel on using technology in the archives. I met some great folks from other institutions, and we enjoyed learning from each other. The audience had some good questions for us and seemed to enjoy the session. 

Goal 2: Go places. Went to Chicago, Houston, and DFW as planned. Also went to Pennsylvania five times (with New Jersey included once) for a total of three funerals. As much as I enjoy traveling, I could do without the funerals in 2012. On the up-side, I was able to hang out with a variety of my internet friends and met some for the first time. 2011 included visits with (in no particular order) Jim, Joy, Will, Patricia, Heather, Scott, Janet, Joe, Kristin, Kirsten, Harvey, Yolanda, Zulema, Daryl, Kesha, Anne, Maria, and Marcia.

Goal 3: Read stuff. I didn't read as much C.S. Lewis as I intended, but I did finish The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and Mere Christianity. Hopefully I'll read more in 2012. As far as reading diverse books from the library stacks, those ran the gamut from Mary Roach's Packing for Mars to Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God and from Jon Gordon's The No Complaining Rule to Robert M. Edsel's Monuments Men. If you'd like to keep up with my reading, feel free to add me on Goodreads.com.

Goal 4: Keep meeting old goals. Well, let's just say I'm a work in progress!

So where does this leave me as I stare down the barrel of 2012? What would I like to be looking back on this time next year? Hmm. More travel, as usual. I'm hoping to hit Austin, TX (maybe with some time in San Antonio), again in March and to take my first trip to San Diego, CA, in August. If I can work it out, I'd also like to hop over to the UK in the spring to visit a friend who will be teaching a study abroad course there. That will mean renewing my passport, so I'd better get on that.

Professionally, I did receive my promotion to Associate Professor this year (yay!), but there are always areas in which I can grow. I'm still the ACA Webmaster, and I've enjoyed serving on the board. I'll also be finishing up the second year of my term as SGA Secretary. At this point I don't have any speaking engagements scheduled, but you never know when that could change. (Need a speaker for something? I'd be glad to consider it!) 

Beyond that? Who knows? We'll just have to see where we end up. Happy 2012 to you, dear reader! I hope it's a good one!

Cheers!

Precious Memories

I was asked to share some thoughts about hymns in preparation for my church's hymnal dedication service, and the response was positive enough that I thought I would post my remarks here. Happy reading!

As many of you know, I spent six years working as the librarian and archivist at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and another three as the popular music archivist at Georgia State University. Those two jobs provided me with a lot of exposure to all kinds of music. I learned that many famous performers got their start singing church music, either alone, with family groups, or in church choirs. I also learned that some singers used hymns as inspiration for their pop music hits, such as when Ray Charles changed the words of “I’ve Got a Savior” and recorded “I’ve Got a Woman.”

As many of you also know, I now work as the head of special collections at Mercer University. You may not be aware, though, that Jesse Mercer, the esteemed Georgia Baptist minister for whom the school is named, compiled and published hymnals in the 1800s. These early hymnals did not include music, only words, and they were small enough to fit in a pocket.

As much as I love sharing trivia about music, though, most of my experiences with hymns are more personal. I ended up deciding to share a few memories with you today.

My father is a retired Baptist minister. I grew up in south Monroe County and was raised on the songs in the 1956 edition of The Baptist Hymnal. (We had enough copies of the 1976 edition for the choir, but not for the congregation.) The choir would occasionally mix things up and sing from The Country and Western Gospel Hymnal if the music director felt rebellious.

In months that had five Sundays, the fifth Sunday night was a “Singspiration” service. Instead of a regular worship service, there was special music by the choir, solos, duets, quartets, and so on. There was always a time for “congregational favorites,” and attendees called out the numbers or titles of their favorite hymns. You could almost always count on somebody requesting “The Old Rugged Cross” or “At Calvary” during that time. The music director would jot down five or six songs, and we would sing the first and last verses.

Speaking of that, I don’t know the third verses of most of the hymns I learned as a kid. We always sang one, two, and four. Except, of course, if we were having revival. Then we sang through all six verses of “Just As I Am” until everyone was hoarse.

The hymns I grew up with are still some of my favorites. The lyrics and music have stayed with me, and I still think of them from time to time, not just when we sing them here. Nothing is more comforting than remembering “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” if you’re feeling low.

I’ve enjoyed singing hymns from the new hymnal. It’s got a nice mix of old favorites and some newer songs that aren’t just repetitive choruses but really have some theology in them. I’d like to encourage all of you to come back tonight and bring some friends for a time of worship through song. Thank you.

Another exciting round of "Library Day in the Life"

Yes, friends, fiends, and fans, it's time for another exciting week of "Library Day in the Life" posts! Follow the fun on Twitter by searching for #libday7, or see more at http://librarydayinthelife.pbworks.com.

My own day thus far:

• Before 8:00am - stop to pick up lunch and some cookies for today's going away party for two colleagues.
• 8:15 - 8:45 - check in with colleagues to find out what I missed by being out for professional development on Friday.
  
• 9:00 - 10:00 - check email and voice mail to discover an urgent reference request for a campus department. Start digging. Find out from assistant he is working on same question. Email campus department and learn that they have already answered one part of their question.
  
• 10:00 - 11:00 - library management group meeting. Discuss fall plans (we're short on reference and subject librarian help) and brainstorm ways to survive. Deliver report from library communications committee on next steps.
• 11:00 - 11:30 - open snail mail from Friday, delegate contents of some envelopes, put other items in box for student to file.
• 11:30 - 11:45 - start blog post on #libday7. Talk to circulation desk about fall student hiring.

That's it for now!

God Is My Travel Agent

This week I did something I don't think I've ever done before. I attended the funeral of a person I never met. And it was awesome.

First, a bit of background. Frank was the brother of my good friend Jim, whom I met online (via FriendFeed) a couple of years ago. Frank was diagnosed with sarcoma last spring and battled cancer courageously until succumbing to it on January 19. The FriendFeed community had been following Frank's journey through Jim's posts, joining as virtual members of "Team Frank" and trying to support the family through our prayers and good wishes. We even had specially designed logos that a number of us used on FriendFeed:


and



(Kudos to FFer Jeremy for his great designs. The extra F in Frank is for FriendFeed, by the way.) Eventually the Team Frank movement even made its way to Facebook, where a number of Frank's real life friends and supporters used the logos, too.

And now, back to this week. We knew Frank was fading fast, but all of his virtual fans were still shocked and saddened when we found out about his passing last Wednesday night. We mourned with his family and friends, crying and posting messages of support for his family and each other. We shared posts and photos from his sister Maria's Facebook page as well as songs and videos to encourage everyone involved.

Some FFers were even closer to the situation.

Jim is a pastor, and Frank had asked him to conduct the funeral service. Jim requested and received help from his pastor friend Will and from a FriendFeeding nun, Heather.

Over the weekend, my husband and I were talking about the funeral plans. He said he didn't mind if I wanted to go; he could stay home with the dogs. Well, of course I'd love to go, but how on earth could I manage it? I'd have to get from Georgia to Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and last-minute plane tickets aren't cheap. I looked at some tickets online and found some reasonable prices, but that didn't take into account getting from the airport in Philadelphia to the funeral in New Jersey or finding a place to stay. Was I really up for renting a car or trying to find some kind of shuttle service?

Cue FriendFeed. On Sunday afternoon, I posted that I wanted to fly to PA/NJ for the funeral but was having trouble with the logistics. Heather and her husband, Scott (yes, she's an Episcopal nun, so she can be married), were driving up and offered to meet me at the airport Monday night if I needed them to. Patricia, another FriendFeeder, was planning to drive up Tuesday morning for the funeral and could also get me from the airport. Pastor Will was on the road when I posted but said he would call from home. I updated FriendFeed with the possibilities.

At that point, Heather commented: "Be not afraid - your path will be made clear." And you know what? She was absolutely right.

• Will called me and said he could pick me up from the airport and even provide a place to stay.
• The cheapest flight I had seen on Travelocity that afternoon was from United. It had disappeared, and I was getting nervous. The next time I logged in after talking to Will, a new flight was there from Airtran. And it was four dollars cheaper than the missing United flight.
• I was pretty sure I could get time off work, but I needed to go to a Monday morning meeting. I texted my boss to see if I could take Monday afternoon and Tuesday off. Yes, no problem.

I made my reservations, firmed up plans with Will, and made the trip. The service was wonderful, and I got to meet Maria as well as Jim's parents and family. After an amazing lunch at Cafe Antonio's, Will and I said our goodbyes to the family and headed to the airport. Will apologized for dropping me off so early, almost two hours before my flight, but said there wasn't really any place to hang out at the Philadelphia airport. I told him that was ok, thanked him for his kindness, printed my boarding pass, and went through security. When I got to my gate, there was no flight information on the screen and no customer service representative there - it was too early. I walked to the next gate just to make sure my flight hadn't moved, and I saw the screen there read "Atlanta, 5:38." Hmmm. My flight was scheduled for 7:03.

I asked the Airtran employee if they had any available seats. She asked if I had a seat on the next flight, and when I told her I did, she said she had some available. She changed my reservation, handed me a new boarding pass, and sent me down the ramp. No charge.

I ended up getting to my house at the time I should have been landing in Atlanta.

Every single thing about that trip worked out perfectly. I couldn't have asked for anything better. So I leave you with this thought:

If a nun ever tells you, "Be not afraid - your path will be made clear," you had better believe it.

Rest in peace, Frank.

A Year in P/Review

(in which our intrepid archivist attempts to kill two metaphorical birds with one blog post)

'Tis the season for posting lists of what we've learned/done/survived in 2010 and what we hope to improve upon in 2011. There are a number of wonderful bloggers out there doing this, including my friends Colleen Harris and Aden Penn, and they have inspired me. However, y'all know I'm lazy -- errrr, efficient -- so I'm going to do mine all in one post.

2010 in a Candy-Coated Shell (tastier than a "nutshell")

Let's see...

1. I did a good bit of traveling, and I had a blast! I added two new states to my list of places I've been: Arizona and Arkansas. I also went to Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Alabama, Mississippi, and Washington, DC. I visited Memphis, TN, as a tourist with my friend Pam. If you ever find yourself there, go to the Stax Museum and the National Civil Rights Museum. GO DIRECTLY TO THESE MUSEUMS. Do not pass go; do not collect $200. Just go. You won't regret it. (And you can get a combo ticket for the two and save a little money.) I also saw Pat Benatar and REO Speedwagon in concert in Minnesota. :)
2. I met new old friends! I have terrific online friends, and nothing pleases me more than meeting them in person. This year I was fortunate to add to my IRL* list (in alphabetical order) Abigail, Aimee, Amber, Becky, Carmen, Cecily, Colleen, Dan, Greg, Jason, Jim, Julian, Ken, Laura N., Luis, Marge, Mathew, Michelle, Rochelle, Scott, Tony, and Will. And I got to see Harvey and Iris again! Yay!
3. There was professional development fun! I submitted an article to a journal (still waiting for publication, but it should be out soon), gave the devotional at one meeting, attended a conference on undergraduate research, and was selected as the webmaster for the Academy of Certified Archivists. I also supervised an MLIS capstone intern who digitized some of our Civil War materials, served on the committee for the library's new student research award, and gave short talks at meetings of our public services department and the campus Faculty/Staff Christian Fellowship group. Busy times!
4. I spent a good bit of time working on my promotion application for work. Even though librarians are not tenure track faculty at MPOW**, we have academic rank. Although I was eligible to apply for promotion last year, it was just entirely too busy to even consider it. This year things were a bit more manageable, so I went for it. I'll keep you posted (I won't hear anything for a while yet).
   
5. I experienced the yucky part of management: dealing with layoffs. Although there was nothing pleasant about it, I did learn some things. And I'm glad that that was the first time I've ever had to deal with it. I hope it was the last.
   

And where does this leave us as 2010 winds down? Has your friendly Superstarchivist learned anything this year? Hrm. Well, I've learned:

1. that even though I didn't know anything about Joomla or being a webmaster, with some training and patience, I can make it work. (In the words of Mr. B, I can "smack it until it cries.")
   
2. that although I may not know a ton about social networking, I can put together an informative and reasonably entertaining presentation for others about it.
3. that posting something about QR codes was smart because...
   

Looking Ahead: 2011 from This Vantage Point

1. ...because another archivist saw my QR code post and asked if I would like to be part of a session she was proposing for the annual meeting of the Society of American Archivists in 2011. We got accepted! Yay! So 2011 will mark my first presentation at a national meeting. Gulp!
2. That meeting will be in Chicago in August. Additional travel is planned for Houston in March and, I hope, Dallas/Ft. Worth in May. I'm already chatting up online friends about possible get-togethers!
3. What else do I want to do next year? I'd like to read more C.S. Lewis, so that's definitely a goal. I also hope to read more books from my library that I discover while browsing the shelves. They may not be current best-sellers, but they'll be things that catch my eye in the stacks.
4. Also, I still have a number of unfinished goals from 2010, and we'll see how those progress in the coming year.
   

As Aerosmith says, "Life's a journey, not a destination," so I shouldn't feel bad about not doing everything I wanted to do this year. I'm a work in progress!

Thank you for reading, and happiest holiday wishes to you and yours. I look forward to seeing you in the rest of 2010 and all next year!

:)

LB


*in real life
** my place of work

Random Day in the Life

No, it's not time for an official round of "day in the life" postings, but I'm doing this one for myself. It's Monday, and I've been at work for about 45 minutes. So far I've:

• chatted with a colleague about some boxes in the mail room
• gone through email
• perused a campus newspaper before filing it
• cranked up iTunes for some motivational music
• jotted down the call number of a book I want from the stacks

I'll update this throughout the day, I hope.

• checked out the book
• rescheduled afternoon meetings (maybe)
• approved vacation days for my assistant; put them on calendar
• researched info on copyright and unpublished 19th century documents
• looked up an obituary for a researcher; photocopied page for biographical file
• helped ILL student find a periodical
• asked assistant to create bio file on man whose obit I looked up
• made to-do list
• emailed legal counsel about copyright and letters
• answered email about church history booklets
• printed materials for university files
• printed items to review for afternoon meeting
• looked over spreadsheet pertaining to a collections shift
• proofed document on library closings (for inclement weather and such); delivered to author
  
• returned paper clips and binder clips to supply closet
• put a flyer on an upcoming exhibit in the staff lounge
• looked up a possible speaker for a campus group
• found project for student assistant to work on
• responded to an email about an upcoming research conference on campus
• worked on newsletter that needs to be mailed ASAP

Lunch break.

• back to newsletter
• meeting prep
• two meetings
• chatted with assistant about instruction session he handled today
• emailed faculty member about upcoming instruction session

That's about it!

Library Day in the Life, round 4

It's time again to see what those crazy librarians are up to! Hooray!

Library Day in the Life wiki

"C is for Challenge" at "T is for Training"

Maurice at "T is for Training" has issued a challenge to the TifT Google Group to answer each of the following questions in a sentence or less.

Here goes nothing!

1) Your One Sentence Bio
I'm a zany archivist in the middle of Georgia.

2) Do you blog? If yes, how did you come up with your blog name?
Yes, I found "superstar" when looking for "words ending in -ar" that I could add to "archivist."

3) What is your professional background?
Music librarian/archivist at a music museum, archivist of popular music collection at a state university, now a university archivist.

4) What training do you do? staff? patrons? types of classes?
I'm not really a trainer, but I do work with student assistants in the archives and teach the occasional instruction session for undergraduates.

5) What training do you think is most important to libraries right now?
I'm a big fan of anything that takes trainees (in my case, students) to the next level of independence and helps them find things on their own.

6) Where do you get your training?
Workshops and listening to the "T is for Training" podcast.

7) How do you keep up?
I don't; I do use RSS feeds and other people's FriendFeed links, though, to see what's happening.

8) What do you think are the biggest challenges libraries are facing right now?
Lack of financial resources and a fear of change among some of our leadership.

9) What are biggest challenges for trainers?
See number 8.

10) What exciting things are you doing training wise?
Nothing I can think of, but I'm looking forward to going to a workshop next month on undergraduate research.

11) What do you wish were you doing?
Right this minute, I'd rather be sitting on a beach.

12) What would you do with a badger?
I would feed it very carefully.

13) What's your favorite food?
Anything chocolate.

14) If you were stranded on an island, what one thing would you want to have with you?
A potable water treatment system.

15) Do you know what happens when a grasshopper kicks all the seeds out of a pickle?
Seven redheaded unicorns, because a ladder goes two ways.

16) Post it notes or the back of your hand?
Post-its; I have a thing for office supplies.

17) Windows or Mac?
Windows.

18) Talk about one training moment you'd like to forget?
Can't think of anything right now.

19) What's your take on handshakes?
I prefer hugs.

20) Global warming: yes or no?
On a cold day like today, I say, "Bring it on!"

21) How did you get into this line of work?
I've posted about it before.

22) Why is the best part of your job?
I'm guessing Maurice really means "what" instead of "why," and I'll say it's the wide variety of things I get to do.

23) Why should someone else follow in your shoes?
If you have a passion for connecting researchers with sources, archives are a great place to work.

24) Sushi or hamburger?
Hamburger, please, with cheese.

25) LSW or ALA?
LSW, of course!

26) What one person in the world do you want to have lunch with and why?
My friend Angie in Colorado; I haven't seen her in almost 20 years, and we need to catch up.

27) What cell phone do you have and why?
A Samsung Juke; I wanted one I could use as an mp3 player, and I really like it.

Happy New Year from A to Z

Inspired by recent postings from the Hedgehog Librarian and the Guardienne of the Tomes, this is my first inspirational blog post for 2010. I liked what both of them had to say, and while I don't claim to possess their ways with words, here is my own feeble attempt. I'm stealing the Hedgehog's idea of "A Year of 'Up.'" Thank you, Ms. Hedgehog!

My 2010 "Up" Alphabet

Ante up: commit, follow through, and finish tasks.

Back up: provide support.

Call up: stay in touch with friends.

Dig up: scan and scrapbook photos from the past.

Eat up: try to have more fruits and veggies.

Fire up: get enthused about projects, and encourage others to see things in a positive light.

Give up: donate stuff I don't need.

Help (someone) up: be aware of others' needs, and meet them when possible.

Irish up, don't get my: stay calm.

Jump up: volunteer.

Kick it up: try something new - learn a new crochet stitch, listen to new (to me) music, etc.

Look up: spend time in prayer and meditation.

Move up: set and meet professional development goals.

Neaten up: keep the house and office under better control with a little effort each day.

Open up: share what I know. Be available. Listen.

Push up: try to get more exercise.

Queue up: arrange, organize, and prioritize tasks.

Rest up: get enough sleep.

Saddle up: travel somewhere new.

Talk it up: promote ideas and events at work and church.

Use up: don't buy new things until the old ones are gone.

Vacuum up: tackle the dog hair more often.

Wake up: get moving a little faster in the morning.

eXpect "up": forgive me; I just couldn't find one for X, so I'll just go for anticipating positive things!

Yuk it up: laugh more!

Zip it up: shut up and listen.

What I've Learned

Today's posting comes from 37 years on this crazy little planet. I cannot take credit for the ideas below, but I hope you'll find them helpful. They were shared with me throughout my life by teachers, friends, and family who made lasting impressions. Feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments.

• Praise in public; criticize in private (and do so positively even then).
• Don't bring up the problem until you can propose a solution.
• Listen.
• Make somebody else feel like the most important person in the room, but do it sincerely.
• You have something in common with every person you meet. It may take some time to find it, but it's in there.
• You matter. Would you treat others the way you treat yourself? Probably not.
• Take the time to find out something about somebody else. Connect.
• Hire good people. Trust them to do their jobs.
• "Get it looking as good as you can as fast as you can." (from an archives workshop on donor relations)
• Smile.
• Say "please" and "thank you."
• When in doubt, ask.
• Let your passion shine through.
• Sparkle!
• "You know more than they do." (offered by a colleague when I was nervous about my first library instruction session)
• Give it back, or pay it forward. If you share when you can, others will share with you in your time of need.
• You never have to say something in an ugly or meanspirited way.
• Help people.
• Try not to turn someone away empty-handed. "Let me find out" or "let me show you" is better than "I don't know." (learned in the library world)
• Lead the way. "Come with me!" is more helpful than trying to give directions. (learned in a customer service workshop)
• You can be an administrator without being a leader.
• Say "I'm sorry," and admit mistakes.
• It's ok to be human.
• You can't do it alone. That's ok. It doesn't make you weak to admit that!
• Try to understand. If you can't empathize, sympathize. (And sometimes that's all you can do.)
• You don't have to memorize it if you know where to look it up.
• The right kind of humor helps most situations. Don't go for the laugh at someone else's expense, though.
• Pray. Meditate. Center. Focus.
• Be grateful.
• Let people know you appreciate what they do for you.
• Do something thoughtful and unexpected.
• Be a mentor.
• Get involved.
• Encourage.
• Keep your promises.
• Read something in print every day.
• Leave it better than you found it.
• Ask how you can help, then do it.

The trouble with this kind of posting is knowing where and how to end it. So, in the immortal words of Daffy Duck (from "Robin Hood Daffy"), "Yoiks and away!"