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Library Staff Association News

Published by the Library Staff Association of the University of Oregon Library System

No. 31, April 2001

Brain Sludge

I was listening to the radio this morning (yes, this morning, 4/2; this is known as "procrastination," something I am learning all about as an ADD trait as I am currently working with a psychologist to deal with my kid's recently diagnosed mammoth attention disorder that (surprise!) is quite often inherited…) and the DJs on the local station were talking about Brain Sludge. This is the stuff that clutters up your head needlessly when you would dearly love to be able to overwrite the data for some useful reason. They had Brain Sludge such as assorted commercial jingles from childhood.

I have tons of Brain Sludge, typically NOT commercial jingles, and apparently it's not only write-protected; it's also passworded and I will be darned if I have the first clue what the password is. I'm guessing it is one of those really uncrackable ones that you are always supposed to use, that isn't anyone's name or birthday, that uses a combination of upper and lower case characters and a few "special" characters thrown in for good measure. Anyway, it wouldn't be so bad, even, if I could run some sort of brain defrag-er and make some space available, but NO.

Things that reside in my brain that I would like to purge and can't:

My first grade two best friends' phone numbers (788-3055 and 788-3062, for Stephanie and Beth, respectively).
That classification G6 back when we had fee cards to go with our raised-lettering UO ID cards was not really a graduate classification, but rather a community ed one.
My PAC number for Duck Call registration, which was only useful to me a couple of terms because I was a pre-Duck Call student for the most part.
The phone numbers for Financial Aid and Academic Advising (3221 and 3211, respectively; I do not need this information daily or even annually, and it is easy to look up, after all).
Kingdom-Phylum-Class-Order-Family-Genus-Species.
Negative b plus-or-minus the square root of (b squared minus 4ac), all over 2a. I have not used this for anything at all since the 11th grade.
The combination of the lock on the locker outside my husband's dorm room during 1988-89, which we no longer have (14-0-14). Would like to overwrite this with combination of current lock, but am unsuccessful.
That I worked 13 hours a week the very first term I worked in the library (1987), and that my schedule included a 4-8 Monday shift.
The aerobics schedule and my workout program at Britton's Bodyworks in 1983-84.
Every address I've lived at since 1976 including the box numbers I got mail at in the dorms (Box 64231 in 1987-88 and 88-99; Box 68084 in 1991).
Every time I've ever put my foot in my mouth. I envy people who have the capacity to forget embarrassing moments.
The placement on the page of words in childhood favorite books. New copies of Charlotte's Web, my very first big favorite, but also Heidi, the Little House books, and many, many others, just feel vaguely wrong because they are different editions with different paginations. I am aware this is slightly sick.

Data and events I wish would remain stored in my brain, but which continually escape due to the evil influence of Brain Sludge:

Where the file to edit to write this newsletter lives. I have to log in, get a directory, choose the next directory down, get a directory of it, and so on, until I find the file. It would be a whole lot easier to just know where it is in the first place.
Assorted current passwords.
Birthdays of various relatives and friends. Actually, I remember them, but not until they actually occur. Noticing that a particular date is upcoming never causes me to realize its relevance until it is literally that day.
That I need to check on my kid's homework's completion before 10pm. How I am ever going to train him to monitor his own self in this regard given my inability to do so is a mystery to me.
To refill any medication before the day I run out of the existing supply.
How to correctly send a fax, something I have to think hard about all over again each time I go to do it.
How to attach a file to an outgoing email (ditto).
How to calculate compound interest. This actually would be useful to remember how to do easily, but instead I know how to calculate the volume of a sphere and surface area of a cylinder, which would be fine things to know if I had any cylinder-shaped rooms in need of painting, or if I needed to know how many liters of water it would take to fill a giant ball, but I just don't.

Brain Sludge that is doubly annoying because there is new substitute data but I keep on keeping the old:

Since OSU joined Orbis, OSU borrowers are coded in the 20's instead of the 30's in Janus; my fingers still type the 30 number
I still dial my old 1918 phone number when I dial in to Audix from another phone; I changed phone numbers 8.5 months ago.
I still half-expect orange décor in the first floor of Knight; it wasn't until I somewhat subconsciously color-coded my keys by sky-blue-dotting the Science one and orange-dotting the Knight one and realized how little sense that code would make to a lot of people that I noticed I still had that expectation. It's only been about 8 years since the orange-green-purple floors went away, after all.
I still try to use a password to get into the Circulation Statistics section of Janus, even though that quit being passworded years ago.
Where my mother keeps the spoons. This changed before I even left home, and still, I continue to look in the drawer next to the stove, where they haven't been for probably 14 years now.

I'm hoping this isn't some sort of calcification due to aging, evidence of the lost flexibility of my young brain--in which case I am fixing to be in a whole lot of trouble down the line. I would like it if all pieces of data in my brain behaved like this one: I always know where (what page) I was when I fell asleep reading, and this particular file does overwrite itself anew each time I fall asleep reading, which happens practically every night. I guess that's something, anyway. And something else to be glad about: from the number of people who called in this morning to report their own variants of Brain Sludge to the DJ's, this seems to be universal, or at least close (whew!).

--Lara N.

Primavera

Primavera Sale Pictures!

If you missed seeing the wares of LSA's Primavera Sale, we have the pictures to settle your curiosity. The Primavera Sale, held Tuesday March 20 in the Knight Library Staff Lounge, was a colorful success. The sale raised $200 for the Library Staff Association, and many library staff were treated to yummy treats for both their mouth and their eyes. LSA raffled off Paul Harvey's Deluxe Decadent Dessert, and the lucky winner was Dotti Clegg!

Many staff donated their creations to the sale. Among the selection were Pam DeLaittre's sheepskin rugs, Debi Baker's stadium blanket and dish cloths, Richard Bear's duck eggs, Jan Roberson's rocks covered with handmade paper, David Grange's wooden bowls, Harriett Smith's grape jam, Judi Byrum's duck towels for children, and Susan Mincks' apple butter and zucchini relish. Audra Loyal, Richard Bear, and Nancy Loya made greeting cards. Nancy Loya also sold paintings. In addition to all these crafts, there were cookies, brownies, cupcakes, fruit and beef turnovers, plant starts, bulbs, and seeds.

Thank you to everyone who supported the Primavera Sale!!

Paul Harvey's Deluxe Decadent Dessert, top view

Paul Harvey's Deluxe Decadent Dessert, side view

Paintings, covered rocks, and plant starts

Pam DeLaittre's sheepskin rugs and wool slippers

Wooden bowls, greeting cards, duck towels, and stadium blanket

Paintings by Nancy Loya

Greeting cards by Auda Loyal
Dish Cloths by Debi Baker

'FACT FILE' WINNERS

Cine-Files

Our March From the Fact File contest offered library staff an opportunity to predict the winners of the 73rd Academy Awards. This year's winners proved especially difficult to predict, but there were two staff members whose predictions proved more accurate than those of some nationally known critics. We had to hold a random drawing to determine that Stephanie Michel was the winner of a free video rental at Flicks and Pics, but Audra Loyal will be awarded a discount certificate for Flicks and Pics as well. Congratulations, Stephanie and Audra!

You can look up the names of the winners at:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movies/feature/oscar_winners_2001.html

Watch for the May issue of LSA News, for another contest From the Fact File.

LSA Contemplates Constitution and Bylaws Changes

As was announced via email to all employees, the Executive Committee of the Library Staff Association recently approved revisions to the Association's bylaws. The membership of the Association must vote to confirm changes to the constitution. Please be sure to check out the proposed changes. Submit your comments to the LSA electronic discussion board no later than April 13.

Diversity Doings

It's official! The Multicultural Resource Guide to the University of Oregon and the Eugene-Springfield Community has finally been published and is available for purchase at a cost of $1.50 each. The Office of Multicultural Affairs is handling orders and accounting. We will be adding copies to the UO Library collection and the Librarian's Office has copies that will be used for recruitment and development.

If you would like to see a copy of the print Guide, just ask any of the Library Diversity Committee members or take a peek in the Librarian's Office waiting room. The March issue of News & Views has a nice article announcing the Guide. Also, the Office of Multicultural Affairs hosted a small reception at the time of the Guide's release and gave the LDC a framed copy of the cover artwork by Betty LaDuke. Since we couldn't divide this wonderful piece among all of us, it will hang in the Librarian's Office for everyone to enjoy.

LSA NEEDS YOU!

Your staff association is now recruiting volunteers to serve for the 2001/2002 year. Several committees need your talents organizing our exciting events and gatherings. The Library Staff Association plans educational programs such as the upcoming tree walk and provides us with our well-loved Gonzo Review and Holiday Potluck. LSA also maintains the staff lounge, writes and publishes the newsletter, keeps a budget, and welcomes new employees to the Library. The Staff Association needs YOUR HELP to continue providing these benefits. Joining us is a great way to develop new skills and get to know coworkers from other departments!

Volunteers will be announced at the Gonzo Review in June, and the committees officially begin their work in August.

The Library encourages participation in LSA committees where feasible. Please see Lisa Sieracki or any of the volunteers listed on the current committees page.

Kudos!

Darrel Kau, formerly supervisor of Knight Library's Music Services, lately marketing director of the Eugene Ballet, is the new programming manager of the Hult Center. He is remembered affectionately by his many friends in the library for his incredible energy, and for being a great coworker. Among many other achievements, he was the chief organizer and reviver of the Library Staff Association during the 1990s. Darrel is a man of terrific talent. We wish him success in his new job!

Paul Frantz, Reference librarian, published "Waylaid by Beauty" in the latest issue of the Portland quarterly, Open Spaces.

It looks like David Landazuri, aka, "El Invisible" just become "El Visible." David was featured prominently on the cover of the Register Guard's "Ticket" section as a member of the famous ensemble known as Accordions Anonymous.

Welcome New Staff!

You will probably meet Betsy Kelly, Information Technology Consultant in Library Systems, as she prowls around doing computer inventories. And you might bump into Micah Champion,Office Specialist 2, in Library Personnel. Both started work in March.

April 2 is the first day at the library for Sarah Baldwin, Library Tech 2 in the Beach Conservation Lab, and Erica Rivera, part-time Library Tech 2, Current Periodicals.