It's A Family Affair

Alright, the holidays are here and it's time for all the historic sites to gear up for their Christmas programs and open-houses. At my former employer's site, where I still occasionally volunteer, the Christmas living history program is held on the same day as my church's Christmas tableau. After a few years of whining by the older children about the Christmas tableau, I took them to volunteer with me at the historic site last year. This year, the younger children seemed to have no interest in the tableau, so with my wife's consent, I volunteered the whole family. While the historic site staff leapt for joy, the three youngest children (all boys) set up a howl of dismay that could be heard all the way to Bethlehem, PA about not being able to go to the tableau. At the same time, the three oldest (all girls) let out a screech of dismay that could be heard all the way to Bethlehem as well - in Israel. How dare I consider letting other family members participate in something that was just for Papa and the girls? Apparently when you're 15, 13 and 11, it only takes one year to start a tradition. So while I was forced to shame-facedly e-mail the historic site to halve our volunteer commitment, I secretly enjoy that fact that my three teens and tweens want to have special time with just me. That's my best present for the year.

WARNING - Angry Rant!

Just wanted to take a few seconds to make an angry, probably uninformed, rant. I'm part way through reading a Chronicle of Higher Education article about Google Books. In it, Sergey Brin a "co-founder of Google" makes this ridiculous comment," Often when I do a search, what is in a book is miles ahead of what I find on a Web site." Really?! How long did it take you to come to this surprising realization? Anyone this stupid, should not be allowed to be involved with the control of information in books. They shouldn't be allowed to read a book, touch a book, or even say the word, "book" unless accompanied by a non-retarded adult. Anyone out there that thinks it's a good idea for Google to have control of the digital book world, should be confined by the same restrictions! Rant over.

The True Cost of Outreach

During our college's orientation program, the students were sent on a campus-wide "scavenger hunt" to find some of the buildings and offices on campus. I thought that, as archivist, I should participate. After all, what's more obscure and hard to find than the archives? It was suggested that we have something for the students to do (in five minutes) and perhaps something to take with them. With my budget pegged in the really low four digits, I decided that I buying "promotional" materials (you know, rulers, tiny flying discs, key chains, etc.) with our contact information on it would be too expensive. I decided to give them something to do while they were here. They would race to assemble 1.0 cubic foot document boxes with the winner getting a chance at a campus coffee shop gift card. I figured I could afford a $10 gift card, even on my budget. Live and learn. How was I to know that college freshman lacked any kind of spacial/mechanical ability? After six groups of 8 - 10 students, I had a pile of 12 mangled and unusable document boxes. At an average cost of $12 each, I could have gotten them a nice full-sized flying disc with a color logo. On the bright side, the promo shop gave me a great deal on pencils that I can sell in my tin cup in the cafeteria to recoup my lost budget money!

College Students Signal Recession is Over

While in Austin, TX for the annual meeting of the Society of American Archivists, I had the opportunity to witness a bellweather event that goes to show that the recession is over after all. Walking back from a workshop held in a University of Texas - Austin classroom, I noticed a student gathering periodicals from a group of boxes like others that dot the UT-A campus. The (relatively normal & intelligent looking) student examined and removed newsprint periodicals from three of the four boxes, examining each before tucking it under his arm. He only glanced at the fourth box before he got back into his car and drove off. As I passed the boxes, I noted that they were all "entertainment" type papers (Class Break, Austin Nightlife, or some such) with covers containing giant tattooed bartenders or guitar playing artists. What was in the box that he barely looked at? The employment weekly periodical. It seems we'll be all right after all.

King of Manuscripts - Job Titles and the New Economy

As often happens, a discussion on the archives list (or some other) sparks an idea that really needs to be explored. As the realities of the new economy begin to set in, people are looking for an edge wherever they can find it, and for one reason or another, their employers are letting them have it - in name, anyway. I've recently discovered that I'm one of the few people at my level in the employee hierarchy who isn't a "director." I've never considered myself to be the director, since I have a staff of 1.25 employees (yes, that's one POINT two five) and a few volunteers. I recently noticed that the photographer is the "Art Director." The videographer? You guess it, Director of Video Technology. The webmaster? Director of Internet Technology. None of these people actually direct a staff.

So since I have infinite multiples of their staff numbers (zero multiplied infinitely is still zero, right?), I believe that my title should be a much more exalted one. How about Slayer of Silverfish. Patron of Photographs. Legionnaire of Letters. Dominator of Dust Mice. Hercules of Hollinger-TM Boxes. Enforcer of Finding Aids. My children, however, will enjoy the more likely Keeper Of Odd Knowledge (KOOK).

But before I end this, let me relate the potential titles of other, less exalted employees. Let's see, over there is the King of Crossword Puzzles. There, the Duke of Dawdling and the Knight of Nap-time. Guardian of the Water Cooler, and Galloping Gossip have already departed for the weekend. Enjoy yours.

Signed,

Baron of the Blogosphere