Continue reading »]]> Pupil 1 – “Why is it so dark?”

Pupil 2- “Because it’s night time.”

The pupils in question are playing Minecraft (a game that they adore playing). The first child was also heard questioning how you got a door, why you couldn’t keep going forward at a cliff edge and how everyone else got a whole range of things.  Though apparently “There’s not a single circle in this whole game.” Finally the cry came “How do I get off this?”. Escape love, Escape.

Continue reading »]]> “Is there a ship in your dry dock?”

Clair’s inspiration for this came from the Burrell Collection.  There she saw a Victorian ‘Expectancy Glass’ (a vessel with which you toast a new baby’s health) which bares the message “May the launch of your little ship proceed well.”

(Just to be clear here Clair’s continued asking does not indicate that I am a pregnant merely that she wishes I was and I said if she couldn’t think of new ways to ask she wasn’t allowed to keep asking).

Continue reading »]]> Created by Bobbi Newman of ‘Librarian By Day’ the ‘Library Day in the Life Project’ is all about sharing what you do as a librarian and seeing what others do given how varied the profession really is. So I thought I’d share my day with you in honor of National Library Day and the ‘Library Day in the Life Project’.

So let’s start at the beginning in case anyone reading doesn’t know me – I am a school librarian. I work in a Scottish High School meaning I am dealing with pupils aged from about ages 12 (S1) to 17 (S6). These 6 years of school include the exciting highlight of the national exams and as a result pupils are usually split in two main camps – those that spend lots of the year worrying about exams or those trying to ignore them altogether. The library is a busy a popular place with most days seeing every period being booked by teaching classes and outside of school the room full of pupils. For the sake of full disclosure the day I’m about to describe was Tuesday 31st of January.

My day started with picking up the newspapers from the school office, laying them out and tidying away the old ones. Least that’s how it’s supposed to start in reality as I walked towards the library a pupil asked to renew books and when I got to the library I helped mediate an argument about why it was or wasn’t rude to tell someone to go away.

Tutor brings a welcome break and for 15 minutes the library is quiet save for the couple of pupils querying my request for them to do a detention for overdue books and a couple of pupils handing books in or taking them out.

Period 1 was supposed to see me teaching an S1 class but all the S1 pupils had headed off on an educational trip to the National Museum (I am so jealous I totally want to go but have yet to find the time). In fact within about ten minutes I’d gained the whole morning as my period 2 cancelled and my period 3 was another S1. So with about four hours I decided to tackle some of the backroom tasks I usually ignore until the holiday.

Least that was the plan, instead I spent the first hour checking the budget and making sure I wasn’t owed money for the books I bought and that I’d spend all the library budget for the year. Then I sorted the CPD budget book requests and made up that order. Luckily for me I pass the request down to the office for actual ordering so the process isn’t as time consuming as it could be. I asked some S6 studying in the library to talk quieter (repeat this for most of the morning) mostly as I don’t want to hear their versions of world history (we are all descendants of Irish and Vikings) or their take on politics (if the Falkland Islands were attacked we’d loose them) as it makes me want to either correct them or debate them.

I also sorted the overdue notices (with pupil help), this also involved finding tutor group codes for all the pupils and working out who stilled owed books, requesting letters home and detentions for those long term overdue. All of these letters went in the pile to take down to the pigeon holes. I replaced a vandalised celling tile, logged two lights that were out and requested the replacement of two locker locks.

Then there was the daily check and update of email, blog, twitter, and tumblr. I’ve a bunch of posts for the blog just now as pupils have done reviews in class and S1 were doing recommendations for the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. So I sorted some of these as well.

At some point during all this break happened. Fifteen hectic minutes when pupils request a varied range of thing including computers for homework, paper, scissors, staplers, and some even asked for books. It was a quiet break with only about 80 pupils thanks to the S1 trip.

Next I catalogued the books that pupils had already marked up for me. Plus I marked up and catalogued the pile that had been ordered to fill requests.  Added stickers to them all showing where they get shelved and checked them all in.  Next I wrote the request slips for those books and the other requests that come from other libraries (pupils had checked the two boxes of books in for me already), found the tutor groups for the pupils and added them to the pile to go down the the pigeon holes.

My head monitor was full of motivation and enthusiasm in her free period so helped me arrange a monitor meeting for the next day and updating the monitor lists (I sacked three this week, four have left school and I recruited five new S1 pupils). She also helped create a competition for National Library Day – a simple prize draw for a book if people gave us their favourite books. Even better this can be combined with World Book Day when we will share the choices everyone made with the wider school population.

I also headed off to the religious, moral and philosophical studies department to claim the free stapler, hole punch and warning tape they were offering. I’m thinking a banned books display with the tape, the other bits were for the pupils to use.

By the time lunch came round I was looking forward to a wee break, enjoying my current book and some bran muffins (made in the microwave I acquired just recently for the library). Alas three different members of staff called  or dropped in one with a book query and two looking for computer bookings so in the end I managed five minutes and about two pages.

Lunch is 45 minutes but the library is closed for the first fifteen minutes (so that should my lunch fail in the half hour before, I still get time to eat) and I enjoyed chatting with the monitors (40 pupils who help in the library). Conversation included such fun topics as being told ‘I own more than the Pope’ (the premise for such statement being that the library is bigger than Vatican City – it isn’t and I don’t), what animal is currently on  my desktop (baby otters -squee!) and pondering if yellow can be worn by white people (it can’t). At 1pm the library opened to a throng of enthusiastic pupils and, with the S1 back, numbers were back up to the usual 100 plus. When the bell finally rang, I made sure pupils were leaving out the correct door as (and say it with me people) ‘the library is not a corridor’. A quick tidy round revealed lost property consisting of two craft and design technology folders, a pupil’s own book, and a wallet, all of which I sorted and left messages for the real owners to collect.

The afternoon saw two teaching classes, both S2 English. For the first one we talked about books vs movies (sadly they weren’t the keenest readers so choices were things like Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Cat in the Hat). The second class typed up their folios of work rather than the genre lesson I’d planned (less effort on my part, though not as interesting for any of us). While supporting these classes I fielded queries for books and more requests to book computers. When the school day ended I encouraged those staying on to talk in quiet voices then I picked up my bundle for the pigeon holes and office and headed off to the office.

I picked up the post from my pigeon hole, apart from the usual stuff there was a free book from Pan Macmillan (thanks!). I dropped in the overdue notices, request slips and careers appointment slips (I support the Skills Development Scotland Careers Adviser who comes into school two days a week) to the various tutors trays.

I also caught an English teacher and chatted about resources in particular the continuing supply of the teen review magazine Teen Titles for the library and picked up yet more paper for the printers. Back up to the library to fix the printer, issue the two books I’d requested to myself (Postcards from the Edge by Carrie Fisher and Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle), check my email one last time and sort request for books not on the catalogue. Then it was a  final tidy round, lights out, doors locked and the librarian has left the building.

To read another example of my day have a look at another (more teaching filled day) as tweeted by Rhona Arthur and my post on what I did last year for World Book Day (or more accurately what I didn’t).

Continue reading »]]> The final part of the 4D challenge is exercise and trying something new. Now I can’t (apparently) count the exercise as something new despite the fact that the last time I did so much I was still in school.

I managed to use the Wii for the 420 minutes we decided for the month – well at least over 17 days since I’ve been able to use the living room. It went well, lots of personal bests and I’m finding I am improving (most of the time). So not dreading doing more next month as much as I expected I would.

So this left me with the final challenge – something ‘new’. First I thought some of the Wii fit games could count – after all a lot of them were new to me- but if the exercise didn’t count then the method of exercise was probably off the table as well. Next I tried some Sharon Fruit which was actually off (as in the fruit was bad not that it wouldn’t count). As a result it tasted well minging.

While this disappointing foray into unusual fruits might have counted, I felt it was a sad indictment of my life that my ‘new experience’ of the month was bogging fruit.

So I then looked around my life for other ‘new’ things. New to me this month include Carrie Fischer as an author and a range of new books but somehow these don’t feel like pushing boundaries, since by the very nature of me being a librarian, I see and read new books and authors daily.

I did use a PS3 for the first time – not yet for gaming (I’ve lost Tom to Skyrim so there is no time for me to play a game) rather Blu-ray DVDs and video streaming. In fact we watched a movie streamed through it from Love Film (as well as some other shows) and I reckon this could count as I’d never seen the movie. Tom recommended and I have to say he was right. So what was this exciting new discovery? ‘The Two Way Stretch’ a comedy crime which I’d recommend anyone to watch.

Just in case Clair feels this is still a bit weak (after all I have seen movies before and enjoyed streaming video) I picked up some cookies and cream Hershey’s Kisses. Despite what might be expected these are new to me (though not the kids in school one of whom was on three packs a day before Christmas) and they have the added bonus of being rather cute. As I have had Hershey’s milk chocolate before (up there with the Sharon Fruit frankly) I had low expectations but I was excited to discover that the white chocolate is much nicer, albeit very sweet.

So month one – done.

Continue reading »]]> Part of the 4D challenge is to create a monthly montage (after all everybody needs a montage).

J – Just the two of us – Tom and one of his nephews have a snooze.
(Not only has January had a fair bit of family fun it’s also been quite a lazy month with lots of snoozing).
A – Ailments Abound – Raleigh (bottom right) has his icky abscess, Horatio has a cold, Bothwell cut his eye and Tom and I have had a bit of a cold.
N – New Year – pic of the clock at Tom’s folks just after the bells.
U – Up with the Lark – on the plus side being late meant I got to see this pretty sunrise, rather than the dark I usually see.
A – Arthur Conan Doyle – Sherlock has featured a lot this month with my reading and the new TV series. Love it.
R – Rats – for once not mine but rather the puppets in ‘Mongrels’ a BBC series I’ve been enjoying watching this month.
Y – You looking at me? – Nelson showing he’s still the cutest rat.

Continue reading »]]> Part of the 4D Challenge is to read the same book as Clair and this month we choose The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.

So what was my opinion? I enjoyed it, very readable. Not my usual style of crime but a distracting story. I didn’t think it was as amazing as the hype would make you believe though the characters were very likeable. The crime story was a locked room style mystery where only so many could have done the deed but the truth had yet to be revealed. My issue was that the solution was predictable and as a result a tad disappointing. Having said that the other story strands meant that you were rooting for the main characters in a range of different areas making it a very easy and enjoyable book to read. I’m not rushing to read the next two books, or to see the movie, though I might well pick them up in the future.

As for the rest of this month’s reading:

Treasury of the Lost Litter Box and Masters of the Nonsenseverse by Darby Conley were both collections of one of my favourite comic strips – Get Fuzzy. If you haven’t tried it you really must so many of them having me laugh out loud. It’s a guy (Rob) his Siamese cat (Bucky) and a Labrador-Shar Pei cross (Satchel), it’s clever, funny and has so many wonderful lines.

One of my favourite strips is in ‘Bucky Katt’s Big Book of Fun’ and was a part of a series of strips of famous cat quotes. It saw Bucky ripping off ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost.

“Two slugs slithered on a yellow wood,
And sorry that I could not trample both,
Being one trampler, long I stood
And looked them down as feirce as I could
To where they sat in the undergrowth…

I will be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere sitting upon a fence:
Two slugs slithered on a yellow wood and I–
I ate the slug less trampled by,
And that has made all the difference.”

Genius. Everyone should read these. If you want a sample you can get a daily comic over at gocomics.com

I also loved ‘Wishful Drinking’ by Carrie Fisher. Based on her one-woman stage show this autobiographical tale is excellent. Funny (as in I laughed out loud in my library at it), I couldn’t put it down (clearly at no point did I encourage all my classes to read just so I could whip it out) and short (I reckon it took me about 3 hours to read at most). It’s made me want to read her other books in the hope that, while not as personal, they will contain her wit and flare for storytelling.

‘The Return of Sherlock Holmes’ by Arthur Conan Doyle wasn’t my favourite collection, though many of the tales were new to me. I wanted to read it after the dramatic conclusion to both the last collection and the BBC programme Sherlock. While I’m no clearer how the TV Sherlock will be resolved, I did feel Conan Doyle brought his character back using the Mark Gatiss method. (Wonderful ideas but not enough development of characters or plot before it is all resolved resulting in an unsatisfactory feeling of having missed a bit of they story). I can’t help but think Sherlock was very lucky that Watson was such a solid chap not to kill him for faking his own death.

Continue reading »]]> So the 4D Challenge includes doing something crafty every month and earning a badge. This month I designed the SS12  camp badge and earned my Postcard Exchange patch.

The SS12 badge was easier than past years as it was a very clear vision of what we wanted (there is a biscuit theme to the camp this year). There was a second design with some biscuits on it but this was clearly the winner before I even shared it with the committee.The real challenge came with conforming to the new Girlguidng UK rules on badge desgin.
 All one colour (despite what my limited computer skills suggest) – Senior Section Aqua and as far as I can tell all in line with the new guidelines. You might think this design looks a little like a Tunnock’s Teacake wrapper but since the trefoil can’t be part of a design this is clearly just coincidence.

My badge this month was the Thinking Day Postcard Exchange. It’s the units second year of being involved and it’s a fun and easy activity. You sign up to the list find people to swap with and send each other a postcard before Thinking Day. So I sent off postcards of pretty bits of Scotland  (and the girls are also doing this) so hopefully we’ll have a fun mix of postcards to share with each other for Thinking Day. There have already been about six through the front door from Germany, England and the USA.

and I earned a pretty new badge for my camp blanket.

Continue reading »]]> A while ago I was given this Weeping Angel painting by James Hance and when we moved to our new abode Clair helped me to ensure that it was packed facing a mirror (after all the as we all know the image of a Weeping Angel also gains the abilities of an Angel and will eventually become an Angel – frankly it makes you wonder how much this was a ‘gift’ giving someone something so dangerous).

So in my new place it is vital it faces a mirror.

The issue is that as you climb the stair you can block the view and you will also block it as you come down the stairs. So to give house guests a chance of surviving (and not being sent back to the past) I bought a ‘Keep Calm and Don’t Blink’ poster. 

I also provide a handy book on the subject - Touched by an Angel by Jonathan Morris which will hopefully help anyone unfamiliar with the danger they are in when using my bathroom.

I’ve accessorised with Tardis blue towels and bath mat plus a few other Dr.Who themed items including a clock. Though it looks worryingly like the Angel very nearly has the phone box. 

(and no of course I didn’t buy the kids Dr.Who magazine just for the free clock).

I’ve also acquired (a few were gifts including the Tardis that Ailsa gave me) some of the Character Building Dr.Who models.

The best thing about these is that while they may look like this today the regularly move into new positions (if Tom is involved it usually sees the Doctor being defeated). I also have a Tardis (no I didn’t buy the Dr.Who Monster Invasion magazine to get it) to store the extra bits in on the windowsill.

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