After I posted information about the latest issue of The University of Chicago Library’s newsletter, I found out that a new library building — not simply an automated storage facility as previously understood — is now being planned. The new library building will be realized with a $25 million gift and will be named The Joe and Rika Mansueto Library in honor of the donors. Joe Mansueto is founder of Morningstar, Inc. Check out drawings and links to more information here. Most of it will be underground, with the main visual clue to its location being a large dome sitting immediately to the west of the Regenstein Library where I used to work for a number of years. What’s interesting about this whole development is that U of C will hold a fairly distinct place among large academic and research libraries in that all physical collections will be housed on campus, whereas most other peer institutions have resorted to offsite storage. Oh and by the way, the new building was designed by Helmut Jahn. Pretty cool!
Monthly Archives: May 2008
Spring 2008 issue of LIBRA from The University of Chicago Library
I was glad to see the Spring 2008 issue of The University of Chicago Library’s newsletter, LIBRA, published this afternoon. This publication’s official audience is University faculty, students, and staff but it always provides an interesting glimpse into the Library’s workings and initiatives for those not affiliated with the University. This latest issue describes, for example, the reincarnation of the Eero Saarinen-designed D’Angelo Law Library into a 21st century space with emphasis on online resources and collaborative, inviting work space. This issue also contains an essay from Judy Nadler, director, that articulates her views on her participation in the Working Group for the Future of Bibliographic Control. This group’s work has been hotly debated and intensely scrutinized in the international library community so it is good to hear one representative’s perspectives about it. Another interesting article in this issue relates to a project called Project Bamboo, which I hadn’t heard about before.
I love cleaning and I’m a man
One of the most interesting — and sometimes the most entertaining — things that I track is search terms that someone used to get to my blog. There have been some real doozies or ones that just made me laugh but one I noticed today is one of the best: “i love cleaning and i’m a man”. Yep. Someone used that search phrase to get to FML. You have to know me personally to really get how funny that is.
How I feel about most meetings
Fun and games
This weekend we’ve had our share of fun and games. Yesterday the weather was cool and rainy but today it was perfect: sunny and in the high 60s.
In addition to getting another van, which was exciting enough on its own, we made a trip to the Chicago Botanic Garden along with 10 million other people (or so it appeared) to see the Spring blooms.
Cohen was a real stinker the whole time, running away when he was told to stay put, climbing on things he wasn’t supposed to, stepping in the flower beds, and on and on. Not sure what was wrong with him; maybe he was just more excited than usual. Brinley, on the other hand, was pretty quiet and meek the whole time. She has been unwell for a few days now with fever and sore throat so it’s no wonder. She slept on the way to the gardens and then sort of kept behind everyone else as we walked everywhere. Even though the place was crawling with people, more than we had ever seen before, it was worth the trip. The Spring flowers were gorgeous, especially the tulips.
We went on some walkways that led out into the lagoon a little bit and were amused to discover a great big ‘ol carp looking for us to feed it, surrounded by a large school of bluegills. (I wish I had had my fishing pole to catch those bluegills!)
Overall it was a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon. On our way home we stopped and ate a nice meal at Chipotle’s. Click here to see the full set of photos from the trip.
Getting our van serviced
One of my least favorite things to do in the world is wait in the customer lounge at a car dealership waiting for my car to be serviced. That’s what I’m doing right now. Like airports and other public places, car dealerships are about the least inspiring, coldest and blandest places in the world to spend any amount of time.
But this time my situation isn’t as bad as usual because I am at a Honda dealership where there is wifi access. I can browse the Internet, do some work-related stuff, write this blog post, etc. and therefore feel like I’m not bored to tears and/or wasting a lot of precious weekend time. So today I give thanks for wifi! May it spread everywhere and become ubiquitously available wherever I go!
