The Library

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We kept the library open again this Saturday. It was the last day of the Intensive schedule and many of the students who are part time students will return home with tons of homework and a lot of reading to do. They were busy today returning library materials, making copies of things they will need for home study and getting in the last few moments of precious library study time. We are very delighted with the caliber of student who is attracted to this seminary. They are certainly the ‘cream of the crop’ of students from Eastern Europe and a few other countries. Most of them are not merely bi-lingual but multi-lingual. It is hard for an American living in such a mono-lingual country to imagine folks who speak 3, 4, 5 different languages and speak them well. I also am quite amazed to see them reading Hebrew and Greek texts as well as the English and German which predominate the collection. WOW. So much brain power! The other side of the coin is they also have real personalities. They don’t seem to be book worms. We enjoy each meal and/or break time when we can sit and chat with students. They are so interesting and don’t seem to mind talking to two OLD folks like us. That is definitely a joy. We have always had so much fun with college students like the ones who have lived in our home or the ones we worked with in China. Now, again we are having plenty of smart, outgoing young people around us to make our worlds open wide.

I really didn’t know what to expect when they told us the library ‘needed volunteers’. In the past that has often meant someone had a big mess and needed help in figuring out what to do with the mess they had made. There is always the danger a volunteer can be stuck in such an awful situation. After 3 1/2 weeks here I can tell you we have breathed a sigh of relief. The library here is well organized, managed and run. All they need are more hands to do the work. The staff is rather small for a school of this size and they are all working as hard as they can. But they have big goals and want to do more for the students. So, we aren’t involved in anything that is uncomfortable. In fact, from day one when one of the students began to train us on the computer software we would be using, we have been put to work at interesting tasks. We are still learning more about the software and the library each day. The only sad thing will be about the time we feel we are totally knowledgeable about the library it will be time to come home. I want to tell you something that librarians will NOT believe. The person who designed the library and the work areas apparently talked to the library staff about how they work and asked for suggestions. In all my years of working in libraries this one has the best layout for the kind of work that goes on in a library. There are good desk spaces for the staff. There are bins and drawers and spaces clearly labeled for the work flow of ordering, processing and all technical matters. There are good windows with light for seeing what you are doing. There are deep ledges in which to put flowers and things to make the space attractive. The circulation desk is efficient with all the things you need close at hand. The computer sits at a level where you can work and see the monitor easily while seated so you can be doing some work as well as managing lending and returning books, putting things on hold, etc. The software on the computer allows you to manage all these functions and keepup with cash box, e-mail to and from patrons, etc. The barcode reader is nicely placed and the magnitizer and demagnitizer are located to either side of the computer. The book return is right at the circ desk. The little things you need are all at hand without wandering around hunting for them. Reserves are right behind you when you are working the desk and a cart for placing books to be shelved is there too. Interestingly enough the library manager just made the cart. Yes, I said made not bought. He priced the cart they needed and priced the cost of materials. He said he is a cabinet maker as well as a college prof and library manager. Obviously!!! He made a specialized cart with shelves and divisions for the functions needed. I know everyone can’t have a cabinet maker on staff but it really means this library can have exactly what they need!. I was impressed I can assure you.

The only problem in the library would be for a student who might be in a wheel chair. The upper floor of the library can only be reached by stairs as far as I know. There is a connecting door to the other wing of the building so it might have handicapped access. I think it would be necessary for a wheel chair bound user to ask for someone to bring books down. Since there is a dumb waiter, that would not be a big problem. The majority of the library is on one ground floor.

We will try to take pictures and post them some day of the various parts of the library that I find most efficient for the staff. They might be interesting to the librarians who are reading this. We miss our home town library staff. They also have a good facility where volunteers can work in comfort. But I know many libraries suffer from architects who try to make something attractive without concern for the staff or users. This library has the luxury of being in a handsome older building with arches, etc. It would be hard to pay anyone to build a building like this in the USA.

I mailed myself a pile of novels, I have checked out 4 or 5 books from this library. I have been here 3 1/2 weeks and I have finished two books and am reading three others. I need more reading time and less writing and working time. I will list my books and then go try to read a little. The only drawback about our living arrangements is that when you are living in one large space when someone goes to bed the other one needs to turn off the lights. Bill has been a dear and has been going to bed with blinders over his eyes. But I don’t want to push him tooooo far.
Richard Foster Freedom of Simplicity
Walter Brueggemann- The message of the Psalms
Karen O’Connor - Help, Lord! I’m having a senior moment-Nots to God on growing older. (this one is just for fun. light reading. The other two are more brain stretching.)

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Photos

Building F
Our apartment is located in Building F. "F" is by far the largest, tallest building on the compus. Though built recently the architecture blends in with the buildings built here over two hundred years ago.

Comments

[anonymous]

Happy Valentines - We miss you!
- Joyce Miller

[anonymous]

Enjoying your journal!
Thinking about you both daily! I feel like I'm reading a novel! Miss and love you both! Sharing journal with Doris! - Joyce Miller