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This week has been very interesting, and somewhat overwhelming. The library has a new orientation process. I'm the 3rd person to go through it (the first went through 3 weeks ago). This basically consists of me wandering around the library (which I'm told is over 1,000,000 sq feet...no joke), and meeting with all sorts of departments to see how they run, and how it all fits into the grand scheme. This has been incredibly interesting, but I've spent precious little time in my own department. Today will be my first full day in Children's with no outside meetings. (Though orientation isn't over, and on Tuesday I don't spend a single minute of my 7 hours in my own dept.)
So, what has been some of the highlights? Well, I spent two hours in telephone and virtual reference on Tuesday. It was very cool, and reminded me what I gave up to go the children's route. It felt like a modern version of the movie Desk Set, except they were using the computers, not fighting against them. I got to watch an online reference chat through MassAnswers from the other end.
Yesterday was incredibly neat. I geeked out for a while in the brand new Digital Imaging Lab. There I of course knew basically the entire dept, as we all went to Simmons together. The one giving me the tour was in my first class (his as well) back in 2003,and he lives down the street from me.
One of the most amazing tours was of the Rare Books dept. I got to hold real Summarian/Akkaidian (I forgot to ask which it was) cuniform tablets in my hands!!! That was incredible.
The funny thing about it all, has been just how many Simmons people I know at the library. A great many of us have been hired in the last couple years. There is a major re-org coming up (I know because quite a few of my meetings have been about that), and they clearly are doing something specific in their hiring. But it's been nice for me seeing so many familiar faces.
I've got a couple of funny stories, but I must get to work. Ta!
So, what has been some of the highlights? Well, I spent two hours in telephone and virtual reference on Tuesday. It was very cool, and reminded me what I gave up to go the children's route. It felt like a modern version of the movie Desk Set, except they were using the computers, not fighting against them. I got to watch an online reference chat through MassAnswers from the other end.
Yesterday was incredibly neat. I geeked out for a while in the brand new Digital Imaging Lab. There I of course knew basically the entire dept, as we all went to Simmons together. The one giving me the tour was in my first class (his as well) back in 2003,and he lives down the street from me.
One of the most amazing tours was of the Rare Books dept. I got to hold real Summarian/Akkaidian (I forgot to ask which it was) cuniform tablets in my hands!!! That was incredible.
The funny thing about it all, has been just how many Simmons people I know at the library. A great many of us have been hired in the last couple years. There is a major re-org coming up (I know because quite a few of my meetings have been about that), and they clearly are doing something specific in their hiring. But it's been nice for me seeing so many familiar faces.
I've got a couple of funny stories, but I must get to work. Ta!
