Library choices

I've taken it upon myself to spend today kind of messing up the 'system' of the library I'm trying to transition from old card catalog to computer. There are some major things wrong with the way that some of the books are numbered. Usually, I just go with whatever number they've already got on them and ignore the fact that it's completely wrong. Each book has a card (obviously, since it's still a card catalog system), and when I've brought up the fact that a number is wrong, the person I tell isn't happy about having to change it and it becomes kind of a hassle. Nobody uses these books. I'm the only person who has taken most of these books off the shelf in decades, probably. The dust is ridiculous. Anyway, all this is to explain my daily predicament: When is the number SO off that I feel I need to take it into my own hands and re-arrange the entire library? The answer came today when dealing with a set of periodicals from Norway that has been given the same exact number as another set from Norway and causes duplicate numbers for entirely different books. I mean, we're not talking about the same museum just changing the name of its periodical and so they decided to keep the same number. We're talking about putting the same number on a periodical from different institutions. The real issue will be reshuffling the shelves when I try to fit these back in. What I really feel is that since nobody uses these books, it would actually be possible to completely weed the collection and get rid of a ton of these books and instead maybe use a small budget to purchase books that the students actually would want to use. But, no. That's not my job. And that's not a priority at all. It makes for a sad little neglected library. And a sad little neglected library student.

Last night I went to a farewell dinner for a friend of mine who is moving back East to where she grew up. She worked at the State Library when I worked at the Archives and we became friends. She's super wonderful and really really an asset to whatever institution she's a part of. She was taken completely for granted and it's a real shame that they're losing her expertise because of the behavior of a couple of people. I'm not sure how many people are going to be left at that place. On the project that I worked on, there are now only 2 of the original 5 left. Two of us left last summer, and now one more is gone (the head of it). And all three of us (despite being from different divisions) have one person in common as part of our reasoning for feeling that we couldn't stay. The office is mis-managed beyond repair at this point, I think. The best thing is for people to get out, if they can. Some people don't want to be chased away and they view those of us who jump ship as allowing one or two people to bully us out. There is a point at which a person has to choose either not being chased out or choose to be happy again. No job should ever come down to that sort of a decision, but sometimes it does. As for my friend, I've seen her a few times over the last few days and this is the happiest I've seen her in years. A month ago she wasn't even planning on quitting her job or anything. Thirty days later, she's all packed up and moving halfway across the country back to her family. It's so good to see her happy again and smiling and practically bouncing with good energy. It reminded me of how I felt when I left last summer. It was so wonderful, knowing I wouldn't be stuck there any longer and feeling total relief and happiness. When you feel that after making such a big decision, you know you've made the right choice. So, my super happy buddy leaves Missouri this week with no job yet, but I feel very certain that she'll be scooped up by some place back East and they'll be really lucky to get her.

Good luck, Tricia! I will miss you!

Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. My soul was just slapped. One of the art preparators just vehemently said that Frank Sinatra was "just a rich little mafioso boy who couldn't carry a tune". I am currently trying to hold back the angry eyes. I'm happy to say that I'm not the only one who appears to have just felt insulted. One of the curators and the educator are standing up for Ole Blue Eyes. This particular art preparator is the sort of person who has a lot of opinions, but who you sort of wonder from what information exactly they were formed. I think he just likes to get a rise out of people by saying things like that. But, he seems to be extra-vehement on the Frank Sinatra subject. Whooo buddy, it's getting bitter in here. I will gladly offset the blasphemy by providing my internet space with the loveliness and classiness that was Frank Sinatra.