Strange Weather, Fighter Jets, and a Chicken Rice Thing

It’s late on a Saturday afternoon.  I’m working on a paper about federated searching.  Greg is preparing our dinner (“a chicken rice thing” he says).  A very loud jet just roared over the city.  The sun is now shining after an extraordinarily wet, muggy morning.  So, what do I have to report?

I am well into my third term at Western.  It’s turning out to be the most busy so far, in terms of assignments.  Unfortunately my attitude toward school can only be described as increasingly apathetic.  With so little time left, I can practically taste freedom.  I’m learning that going to class in the summer isn’t easy.  Not that June has been particularly pleasant, weather-wise.  (Huh! Two more fighter jets just blasted over the building.  Either there’s an air show coming up, or we’re under attack.  Let’s go with air show.)  Anyhoo, my classes are interesting, for the most part.  I’m learning the most in “Information Retrieval” – all about databases and search engines, how they are built, how they function, how to use them to retrieve information, etc.  “Readers’ Advisory” is my fun class.  It’s what people probably imagine when I tell them I’m studying to be a librarian.  What do people read and why?  What are the various appeal factors?  What resources are available to help readers find reading material.  What are the genres and what are they all about.  Who are the major and minor authors writing in these genres.  And so on.  “Strategic Planning” is also a fun class, surprisingly.  What is a strategic plan, why do we need them, how do we go about building one.  Our major project involves working with a group throughout the term to construct a strategic plan.  Each group was given a different library scenario – ours is modeled on Sarnia’s public library.  My other two classes are somewhat less interesting.  “Managing Information Technology in Libraries” is by far the worst.  That’s what this paper I’m working on this afternoon is for.  The assignments are actually pretty cool – it’s the lectures that make the class so awful.  Ah well, less than 2 months left!

I’m still volunteering at the community resource centre with the youth leadership group.  It’s great fun – kids are hilarious!  We only go for an hour, but we are absolutely exhausted by the time we’re finished.  I really enjoy working with the group.  It’s so rewarding to build relationships with the kids and to see them respond so enthusiastically to our projects.  I’m now also volunteering in the library at the Ontario Police College in Aylmer.  It’s great getting some experience in an actual library setting!  And the drive out to Aylmer is gorgeous.  What a beautiful part of the country this is.

What else, what else…

I miss everyone very much, but it’ll be tough to get home for a real visit any time soon.   Next weekend we are heading to St. Kitts overnight for a wedding, but it’ll be a quick zip in-and-out kind of affair.  I have so much due for school over the next 2 months, my stomach churns everytime I think about it.  I have to remind myself to approach it one assignment at a time.  And not to spend too much time studying my calendar.  And to try to enjoy this summer instead of wishing the weeks away!  :-)

I think that’s it for now.  I can’t think of any more news to share, and I should get back to my paper.  (yuck)  Love to all!!