Something New

I was reading a colleague's blog today and she had a map showing all the states she had visited. Whenever we went on family trips we would try and count up all the states we had been through so this was right up my alley. Here is my map.




create your own visited states map
I'm not crazy about how all the states I visited are red. I would have preferred blue. Now I think that in my family I would win the states competition (we are very competitive) but in the countries visited I am at a disadvantage, everyone in the family can top me I think but it is fun to have a map



create your own visited countries map

I love being able to have Panama and Ecuador on the map. Even though we just had a flight layover in Panama, I am still going to count it.

OSU Libraries Video

Today I learned that the promotional video that we had done for the Valley Library just went live. It turned out pretty good. The company that did it is run by an OSU grad and library donor. They also do some pretty hip travel videos that focus in on sections of cities around the world. The videos are at Turnhere.com.

Menucha

I just got off a Google Chat with Steve Ostrem and realized how not into IM/Chat I am. It is tiring. But in the conversation I realized that I had not said anything about the Oregon/Washington ACRL conference on this blog. I did give a rundown on it in my library blog, http://blogs.library.oregonstate.edu/jpollitz In that blog I am trying to do what Jonathan Miller has done, use a blog as a communication device with people he works with, http://rollins-olin-library.blogspot.com/. I was really impressed with what he had done with his blog.

So anyway, on October 26, and 27 the Oregon and Washington Chapters of ACRL met at the Menucha retreat on the bluffs over the Columbia Gorge. It was a beautiful place.

Here is a picture of the room I shared with one of our catalogers, Richard Sapon-White. We had to share a bathroom in the hall but it was no problem. I realize I didn't take a picture of the outside of the buildings. The buildings were not the type that knocked your socks off but they were cozy and it was a nice place for a retreat/conference. I didn't get a picture of the inside of the lodge where the meetings were. They didn't turn out well but that was an impressive space. Richard told me about the history of Menucha. It was the country lodge for the second Jewish governor of Oregon (1930-1934) and the name Menucha is Hebrew meaning "ever-changing stillness". The name fits well. We had plenty of time to walk around the grounds and it was very peaceful and the fog was always changing.

The best thing about the meeting was that it was only 20 minutes outside of Portland and this happened to work out great for me. About half way through the first afternoon my cell phone started to vibrate in my pocket. (I was a good conference goer and set it to vibrate rather than ring.) So I went outside to take the call. It was Adrienne telling me that she was flying to Portland that night and would be in town at around 9pm. Now that was right when the socializing for the conference was planned. I wanted to schmooze so I told her, "what a shame but I can't make it." Can you believe what a jerk? Well, Cely could and when I told her what I had done, she set me straight. So I called Adrienne and told her I would meet her and buy her some dinner. That night I hopped in the car and drove to her hotel and we got to spend an hour together at least. It was the best thing about the conference. Thank goodness Cely has some sense.

Halloween in the OSU Libraries

It was Halloween on Tuesday and the staff from the IT department and the OSU Libraries celebrated during lunch. The Clue Club won and I won for funniest costume.