Nueva Jersey

I said yes to Rutgers!

Sent in the admission acceptance and everything. Hopefully the Obi-Wan stamp will get it there a little faster.

Spitzer

What are we to make of powerful men who can't keep it in their pants? Or at least can't keep it in their pants in a discrete manner.

I don't know. I think Bing's assessment is fairly apt--powerful men tend to be assholes.

What I think is more interesting are the ten million stories regarding the legalization of prostitution and additional ten million stories on the "Stand by Your Man" phenomenon.

I don't really think about prostitution much. My problem with the discussion is that it assumes that all types of prostitution are the same. The woman on the street working for her pimp is really nothing like Ms. Dupre These are two completely different levels of body selling. Maybe the best remedy for prostitution is decriminalization rather than legalization. This would protect the women on the street but let the high-class call girls continue their (apparently highly prized) services.

The Stand by Your Man thing has got to stop! Please, political wives, just let him stand there and look stupid. He deserves whatever comes his way because of it.

Figuring stuff out.

I've thought about getting my Ph.D. since I was in grade school. First, it was going to be in Mathematics, then Psychology. The life of a professor really appealed to me. The teaching, the office, the idea of tenure.
I majored in Religion in college and immediately embarked on my academic career.

It was the biggest mistake I ever made. After two years of grad school, I was burned out. I was in tears when I heard my last papers had to be in two weeks early in order to graduate on time. I wrote the papers (they were incredibly crappy) and graduated. I had applied to and gotten into the Ph.D. program, but turned it down. I was 24 and had been in school since I entered pre-kindergarten at 4. Enough was enough. I needed to work.

But then, I couldn't find a job. All that education and nothing. I temped for awhile and finally got a job at a law firm as a legal assistant's assistant. The work wasn't bad and it paid well but I didn't want to do it for the rest of my life. So, I went to library school.

I really like being a librarian. I get to help people find stuff and the work isn't overly stressful.

But, I've decided to go back to school. Again. I think it's a good career moves.

But I'm not always sure this is the best idea. I'm excited about my topic but maybe I should just make some money. What if I do all this school and, once again, have trouble finding a decent job? Do I really want to spend the next four years or so living on a students salary? It was one thing when I was 22 and library school was only one year--at 32 it's a whole different story. I'll be uprooting my entire life for what? More education? Will having this education truly raise my earning potential? I wish I could see that this will be worth it because at the moment, I'm just not sure...

(I promise not to have too many diary entries on this thing. I'm just not thinking about much else at the moment.)

Change might be coming....

I love this picture.

The brown kid looking with admiration at the brown guy running for president. President. Of the United States of America.

Incredible.

I like this picture too. But for completely different reasons.

Healthcare

Just watched 60 minutes. They featured a segment on the health care crisis in America. A group called the Remote Area Medical goes around the country providing medical care to the un- and under- insured.

Remote Area Medical was originally created to go to remote areas in the developing world and war zones. Not the United States.

Like the woman at the end of the segment, I wonder why the richest country in the world can not take care of it's own citizens. It makes no sense. It's ridiculous and embarrassing.

No matter who gets elected, I hope they will work for universal coverage.

Ridiculous Fashion

It's that time of year again. Fashion Week is over so the New York Times publishes its cash cow, TMagazine.

And what craziness we have this year. Under "The Goods:The Must Haves" you'll find a $36,000 purse. That's THIRTY-SIX THOUSAND dollars. For a purse. I couldn't even bring myself to buy a $400 handbag at the Coach Outlet.

The Times also features some poor model wearing these "shoes". No, they don't have a heel. Do you think women need a heel on 5.5 inch platform shoes? What's wrong with you? Fashion is pain.

Back...maybe.

So I'm thinking about starting this thing up again b/c I have a lot going on and it's fun to tell the whole world.

Things that are happening:
1. I applied to Ph.D. programs and have been accepted into two so it looks like I'll be going back in the fall.

2. I was asked to submit a book proposal based on the article I published. I should be working on it right now but instead I'm writing this blog.

3. My relationship with my boyfriend is overly complicated at the moment.

4. Obama! (but I'm voting for the democrat no matter what)

Funny!

I know it's been a long time. Again.

But this is really funny: Camel Toads

Published!

This morning a nice, big package was waiting for me beside my mailbox. "Haworth Press" it said. "I didn't order anything from Haworth," I thought. But as I picked it up, I remembered, "My article!" They sent me three copies of the journal. I'm too afraid to read it--the editing process was a nightmare. But I did look at my name in print.

Knox, Emily. "How One Part-Time Library Staff Member Can Provide Interlibrary Loan Service" Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery & Electronic Reserve 17:4 (2007): 87-94.

Boo-yah!

A keeper

I got sick on my last night in Paris and came home sick yesterday. I walked into my apartment and promptly went to sleep. So, I didn't go to the grocery store. Or get my hair cut. Or do my laundry.

But, my boyfriend brought me my groceries. From Astoria. This might not seem like a big deal but Astoria is about an hour and a half away from where I live. He brought the groceries, made sure I had everything I needed, and then went home. An hour and a half back.

Paris, je ne t'aime pas...

I was wrong when I wrote that Paris was multicultural. It's multiracial but not multicultural. People from all over the world live there but they are all...French. No group seems to have made any sort of mark on Parisian culture. Yes, there are Asian and Middle Eastern restaurants but that's about it.

I found this most readily displayed in clothing. Everyone dressed tastefully but boringly. Lots of black and neutral colors. I sat at a cafe and watched the people go by for about an hour and a half and nothing was all that interesting.

Paris seems to be missing sub-cultures. There were no skateboarders or kids from the hood or anything. I did see three semi-Goth kids but other than that it was just a bunch of French people in different races. There also wasn't much of a night life.

This lack of multiculuturalism also showed up in advertising. Although France is full of brown people there are non in ads anywhere. Everyone is white including all the mannequins.

I can see how the hijab issue became so volatile in France. The country, or at least Paris, is a melting pot of fondue rather than a salad bowl.

Paris was beautiful. Everywhere you go there is some magnificent statue or building. I can see why people love it there. It must be nice to wake up every day and be surrounded by beauty. But there was no undercurrent of excitement rising from the street and, for me, that's what makes a city.

Favorite things:

1. Musee de Quai Branly--I didn't actually go in (8 euro entrance fee!) but the building itself is amazing.

2. Les Deux Abeilles--A little cafe with EXCELLENT food.

3. French wine. Especially sancerre.

4. The Louvre--too many beautiful paintings but awesome nonetheless.

5. Le Metropolitan--it is ridiculously clean and easy to get around.

And here are pictures. I haven't labelled all of them but they are in reverse chron order with pictures of my friend Nathan's wedding at the end.

French Keyboqds

So, did you know that the French keyboard is completely different from the English one?
The A, M, and W are in a completely different place.

I finally found an internet cafe near my hotel but i cant type too much because of the crazy keyboard.

France has been pretty great. After visiting the Louvre (which has a starbucks btw) I ate lunch at the cafe Marly and had the best croque monseiur ever. I'm not a huge fan of french food in general but the sandwich was great. it was also 12 euros. 18 dollars. Have i mentioned that France is expensive? After lunch I walked to La Place de la Concorde and then back to my hotel.

Yesterday I went to Notre Dame and I happened to be there during Mass. It was strange to be a tourist during the service.

I also walked up all the steps to Sacre Ceour. All of them. I wandered around Monmartre and had an excellent Italian Lunch.

I'm sorry this is so short and unspecific but the keyboard is driving me crazy. Ill have to right more after I return.

Ah France

One of my favorite historical concepts is An Embarrasement of Riches. It is sometimes used to describe the Dutch during the 16th and 17th century when they were ridiculously rich and drove up the price of tulips. The Dutch have nothing on the Louvre though. Every chambre, hallway, courtyard or whatever is filled with magnificent art. Your eyes start swimming.

France is quite lovely and much more muliticultural than I expected. I didn't see much of Nice but I had a lovely time at my friend Nathan's wedding. Unfortunaely, while I was waiting for the train to Paris, I receivd horrible news--my father had a heart attack. He's okay but they had to put in a stent and do an angioplasty. I didn't sleep much last night.

Now I'm off to eat and wander around.

Au revoir!

Trapped in the closet

Of course, you knew he was a Republican before you heard the entire story. But still--how cliche can you be? A freakin' men's room!!?! At the airport?

Let's get creative closet cases!

Tattoo

So, it's about three inches in diameter and it's the Rebel Alliance symbol from Star Wars. It's also a lot darker than it looks in the picture which was taken without a flash.

Flowers and Questions

I have a single red rose on my desk at work.

People keep asking about it in non-direct ways: "A rose?" " You must be in love." One person asked if I have a suitor.

All I tell them is that I didn't buy it myself and I didn't want to take it home on the train.

It is beautiful, though, and it makes me happy. I haven't gotten flowers in a very long time.

People are awfully nosy...

Colors

My school is going through hard times at the moment. Money is tight and none of the staff (except for union employees) were given standard of living raises. We have not received SOL increases for four out of the past five years.

To make us and themselves feel better we are having Thursday Ice Cream Socials. They're a little silly but it's nice to get a break from work and see everyone. Each week we honor a different department. This week it was the Children's Garden, the preschool on campus.

All the kids were at the social. One little girl was wearing a pink SpongeBob
SquarePants shirt. When she saw my shirt she shouted "Pink! Look, I'm wearing a pink shirt too.!" And we started to play the color game.

"What other colors are in my skirt?" "Green, Black." "What color is SpongeBob?" "Yellow."

Then she pointed straight to my face and said, "Brown!"

"Yes," I said, "I am brown." And then we just kept playing. I couldn't stop laughing though. She sounded so innocent when she said it. To her it's just another color in the rainbow.

Soul Mates

(I'm feeling sentimental lately. Sentimental and a little sad.)

Do you believe in soul mates?

I never know how to answer this question. Do I believe that there is someone out there that is perfect for me? Yes, and I've met them but it hasn't worked out. What if they live on the other side of the world?

I think that I believe in electricity. That feeling of pure lust that you sometimes get on the subway, or in the library, or in a restaurant on the other side of the world. All you can think is "Yes, right here, right now, just ask."

But then there's that other type of electricity. You meet someone (say...at a library conference) and they say something and you say something and then they say something back. And you keep talking and talking. Then you think "I know this person...I've known this person forever."

And, of course, he's getting married.

Maybe should not get involved with your soul mate. If things don't work out you may be destroyed.

Maybe the slow build is better.

Celebs in New York

I'm still working on my library conference posts. It's taking awhile. That's definitely something you should do the day you go...I'll remember in the future.

Re: the last post. Hopefully God will stop laughing soon.

But, in other news, I saw Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel at the ballet on Thursday. I'm not usually a celeb nut (although I once screamed when I saw Malcolm Gladwell on the street) but it was awesome to see them. Mr. Diggs is HAWT and I wanted to tell Idina that I cried (actually sobbed) during "Defying Gravity."

I didn't.

I just kept my cool and walked out the door.

Library Conference?!? Sounds exciting! Part 1

(This post has been driving me crazy so I'm just going to finish it and post it...sorry that it's not polished.)

I feel like I've spent the last month at library conventions. When I tell people how much fun they are I get funny looks. "Uh, yeah Emily, hanging out with a bunch of librarians. That sounds great..."

Y'all just don't know what you're missing.

American Theological Library Association Philadelphia, PA
ATLA is an organization in transition. When people hear "theological" they think "Christian," but the Association of Christian Librarians is a different organization. There are a lot of evangelical Christian libraries in ATLA but so is Jewish Theological Seminary and secular institutions like Yale and Harvard.

The ATLA conference is wonderful. It's tiny (about 350 librarians) and everyone is really nice. The programs at Annual offer a lot of good (and relevant) information.

I arrived in Philly on Wednesday after a lovely train trip. The conference was at the Doubletree on Broad Street. One of the best things about the conference is that I have my own room. Pure bliss!

The actual program part starts Thursday morning. I slept through the plenary so my first meeting was "Professional Ethics for Theological Librarians." Most librarians subscribe to the American Library Association Code of Ethics, but ATLA has discussed having its own code for several years. This is difficult since ATLA is full of people on opposite sides of the political spectrum. The guy who ran the program is starting a wiki to which I will contribute.

I went to the Reading Market for lunch and then wandered around the city. That night we had a diversity dinner at one of the best restaurants I've ever been to--Alma de Cuba. (ATLA isn't very ethnically diverse so there were only about 15 of us.) If you are ever in Philly...you must eat there.

I worked a bit more the next day. Missed the plenary again (whoops...but I did work out instead) so my first program was the diversity roundtable title "Present and Future racial Diversity Issues of Theological Librarians." As mentioned above, ATLA is not very diverse. Of course, neither is librarianship in general. This year the group discussed cultural, religious and racial diversity in our collections (Which books on liberation theology must your library have) and talked about doing annotated biographies. I think I also volunteered for the committee to turn us into an Interest Group. Can't remember though...I'm sure someone will let me know.

Next I went to "Collection Development of the controversial Issues in World Christianity -- Maintaining Balance in Light of the Religious or Academic Tradition We Serve." There's not much that's controversial in my library. I had a book called Sex Priest on display for awhile and no one said anything. I was really there to hear how other people deal with controversial books. Apparently some prolific Catholic theologian is now on the wrong side of the Vatican and some requests were made to remove all of his writings from Catholic seminary libraries. None of the librarians at the meeting complied. Awesome...

Then we had denominational meetings (went to Anglican/Episcopal) and I walked around the city in the evening. Found two used bookstores and bought books I don't need but felt compelled to own.

Saturday was at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary just outside Philadelphia. First session was "Dealing with Challenging Patrons" presented by the Public Services Interest Group (I'm a member of the PSIG Board). A large part of a public service librarian's job concerns customer service. You never want a patron to leave the library unhappy. My notes say the folowing
1. When the patron leaves ask "Did you find what you need?"
2. Challenging patrons --> Can you make that person your friend?
3. Your goals as a librarian don't match the patrons goals (this is the familiar 'librarians like to search; patrons like to find')
4.The patron is not always right but they can be wrong with dignity.

This stuff sounds pretty basic but it's difficult when your dealing with actual human beings who have a paper due in 3 hours and they just started writing. Trust me.

Next I went to "Building the New Community" about Web/Library 2.0. I hoping to do a short training on it for NYATLA sometime in Spring 2008.

Then an introduction to a new peer reviewed journal, developed by ATLA, called Theological Librarianship. Finally the conference ended with a reception and banquet.

I know that this is a rather lame writeup but I've been working on this post for weeks and just wanted to finish it. Now I have to do the one for ALA...