I’m running on fumes today. TIGR meeting was okay. I had to multiplex during it, searching for research articles on the NCSU Libraries website. I love their “Ask a Librarian Chat” function. You connect live with a librarian who helps you via a chat screen. What’s cool about the application they use for Library Help Chat is that the chat script is in a pane off to the right, maybe one-fourth of the screen. The other three-fourths of the screen let’s you not only view what they’re doing, but also participate if you want to, too. This lets you learn as they are helping you, and you can take over when they’ve gotten you to a place you know how to continue from. I love it.
Of the three articles I have to research and summarize by Thursday night for my meeting with Tanya and Will after class, one was available online, so I could print it; one had been moved to the satellite archives, so I had to fill out a request to have it retrieved and sent to me via email; and the other one was only available in hardcopy on the 8th floor of the library.
We had book club lunch today, and discussed Eats, Shoots, and Leaves, which was a lot of fun. Mary was in hysterics reading sections of the book, and her infectious laugh made us all laugh. Janet was unable to attend.
I met with Dana, Dave, and John from 3:00 until about 3:40. It was a fun meeting; we laughed a lot, even though the subject matter was not at all funny. Some times you just have to laugh to keep from crying.
I left work at 4:30, stopped by the post office to check TCW’s mailbox, and had a bitch of a time finding a parking spot. The box was stuffed with mail, a ton of returned newsletters. Our mailing list is out of control. We are wasting a ton of money getting returned items. This must be covered at our board meeting tonight.
From there, I went to the library, and to the 8th floor stacks, and found the hardcopy of the periodical containing the article I need. I sat in one of the desks by the windows, and summarized the article, and will type that up before I meet with Tanya and Will on Thursday. It’s really neat learning the ins and outs of the library, how to do research, and find various things you need.
Dr. Dicks’ class was okay. I felt somewhat lost in there. Evidently, they got behind last night, so were covering stuff last week that I didn’t read as I thought I’d missed it and I was too busy reading this week’s assignments to try and catch up. Also he kept referring to adding things to our project notebook, which I haven’t even started, and am not sure what project it’s supposed to be for. I need to send him email tomorrow to either catch me up that way, or schedule 15 minutes of office time with him. I’m lost in there, and I don’t like that feeling.
I got to CUCC right at 7:30, and Robert, Wayne, and Beth were standing outside, unable to get in the building, in the rain. Someone was working the Helpline and had the key with them out of the lockbox. Wayne had knocked on the window, but evidently they were still on the phone. We waited until almost 10 till, and the person evidently was still on the phone. The Helpline averages less than one call per shift. What are the chances that tonight there’d be one, right at this time, and it would last over 20 minutes. I got my cell phone out and called the Helpline number. It was indeed busy.
We finally decided to go to Whole Foods (formerly Wellspring) and hold our meeting there. It was rushed, but we finished at 9:00 since the place closes then. We have three big events coming up in October, and I don’t for the life of me see how we’re going to pull them off.
I called Robert on the way home, and we caught up on each other’s day.
At home, I had an AIM conversation with Robert, sent a note to those folks from whom I ordered that book, and still haven’t heard from, and then gave them a scathing rating on amazon.com. Tomorrow, I need to call AMEX and open a dispute on their charge.