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This website is an informal communication forum for staff members of the University of Oregon Library Staff Association. Contents and opinions expressed herein or on linked personal or external pages are those of individual authors and do not represent official statements, policies, or positions of the Libraries, the University of Oregon, Oregon University System, or State of Oregon.


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LSA News

No. 51, February 2004

If you have anything you want in the next newsletter, send it to lsaweb@lists.uoregon.edu .

Index

rain
Photo by Erik Dahl

Lessons in the Art of Anticipation

By Jennifer Rowan

Every year, during our spring Easter break from school, my parents would undertake the annual family pilgrimage of taking the kids to visit our grandmother out East. For us four siblings, this took the form of a marathon journey as it occasioned a one or two-day drive from our home in the industrial core of the Midwest. We alternately read comic books, succumbed to bouts of car sickness, and engaged in passionate skirmishes in the back seats as my dad lead-footed our station wagon down Highway 401 through the flat and dreary landscape of southern Ontario to Buffalo, New York. My mother invented a periodic distraction that she cheerfully termed "Good Mood Pills". These were actually M&Ms, and she briskly doled them out whenever we seemed to be reaching our whiny worst.

Although we'd been bustled into the car before dawn, it would be dusk before we finally reached my father's native soil, a scruffy Catholic factory town in Rhode Island on the Massachusetts border. We were still stiff from the 800-mile confinement but we kids were already thinking ahead to the highpoints of the annual visit. It was Easter week, but our anticipated pleasures did not include church, although each of us girls had a new dress, hat and white gloves for Easter Mass and grudgingly conceded it a fair and necessary trade-off. Like any truly meaningful pilgrimage, we had particular places we expected to revisit, and not least on our scale of importance was the obligatory trip (perhaps two) to Lowell's Dairy, an establishment famed for its homemade ice cream located about 45 minutes' drive into rural Massachusetts.

...(story continued)

The View From Hidden Spring

By Pam DeLaittre

For Christmas, Kirk ordered chickens. Not just any chickens … Barnevelder Bantams! We love our Rhode Island Red banties, but were also interested in the Barnevelder breed. It is also a "heavy" banty, the term used to depict the larger bantam from the "old English game" style banties that are the size of (or are themselves) cornish game hens.

Kirk had been watching the web for any advertisements for Barnevelders, only to discover that the breed, which is very popular in Holland, had almost been wiped out there by a bad illness that killed many thousands of chickens. Fortunately there are still some Barnevelders in the US, and Kirk found us a trio to order. A trio is a rooster and two hens. The problem has just been one of when to ship them. Yes, they are coming airmail -- not by their own power but with US Post Office wings. The post office will only ship live freight when the temperature is above certain levels, and won't ship around the holidays. There is a chance that the Dutch may have to come to the US to re-acquire Barnevelders, and we plan to have some available to sell if all goes right.

... (story continued)

A Savoury View

by Catherine Flynn

EATING OUT: VALENTINE VENUES

Cafe Soriah

The charming and dapper Ibrahim Hamide has presided at this neighborhood jewel for many years, serving inventive, syncretic offerings of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean roots. The menu changes regularly, but you can count on such favorites as lamb tangine and moussaka. He also indulges his guests in classic American dishes such as tableside Steak Diane. Comfortable enough for an everyday lunch, it is also the perfect choice for a special occasion. The patio is enveloped in scented vines, climbing roses and Italian lights in the summer, and is arguably the most romantic summer dining spot in town.

$$; lunch Monday-Friday, dinner every day; full bar; reservations recommended; 384 W. 13th Avenue, ph. 541.342.4410; wheelchair accessible.

Zenon Cafe

Zenon has an urban feel, noisy with the clink of glasses and conversation. On a busy night, it's downright raucous with energy. Located on a fairly stylish, busy downtown corner this is a place to see and be seen, partially due to the all-glass exterior. The bistro menu changes seasonally, and you will find everything from French patés to English cheeses to South American pork. The vegetarian menu could use a bit more variation, however, as they seem to rotate the same five or six dishes again and again. I often wish for a real cocktail here, but must make do with a selection from the well-chosen, reasonably priced wine and beer menu. In summer, the sangria is a swell choice. The dessert case is a glorious assemblage of fruit desserts and cakes of every incarnation; it seems wrong not to partake.

$$; breakfast, lunch and dinner every day until 11pm, midnight on Friday and Saturday; wine and beer; 898 Pearl St.; ph. 541.343.3005; wheelchair accessible.

Adam's Place

The setting is one of intimate luxury as you step in to the mahogany bar. Adam's suggests an upscaly English pub in its conservative elegance. The food here is just always outstanding. Imaginative without being cloying, top-notch ingredients shine in Adam's thoughtful preparations. Appetizers and salads should not be missed. Frequently, a fresh artichoke dish will be offered as an appetizer-- and if you are a fan, as I am, you must order these beauties. Anyway, you'll want something to nibble with your de rigueur martini. And frankly, that gorgeous entree plate of Sesame Encrusted Ahi with Jasmine rice, flowery pink pickled ginger and lime-green wasabi-- vision that it is-- may not entirely fill you up. Lingering over dessert and coffee is recommended-- as it's a lingery, retreat from the hub-bub sort of place. Coconut Panna Cotta with Tropical Fruit Compote manages to be silky rich, fresh and light all at once.

$$$; open at 4pm for dinner Tuesday through Saturday; full bar; 30 East Broadwa y; reservations recommended; 541.344.6948; wheelchair accessible.

The World Around Us

Diversity Committee Annual Report
By Edward Teague, A&AA Library

As outgoing chair, I'm pleased to share with you the activities of the 2003 Library Diversity Committee. Our efforts were varied and included publications, presentations, and outreach to campus entities associated with diversity issues. The committee continued to build upon past efforts to address its principle charge: to enhance our understanding of gender, ethnicity, and cultural and social issues as a means to enhance services. The 2003 committee consisted of Shirien Chappell, David McCallum, Karen Munro, Angus Nesbit, Edward Teague (chair), Ann Zeidman-Karpinski, and Laine Stambaugh (ex-officio).

Presentations

The committee hosted two presentations. In June, Mi-Hyang Kim, a visiting scholar from Korea employed temporarily by the Library, spoke on the library and information environment in her native country. In September, a presentation on the campus diversity environment featured speakers, Tim McMahon, Faculty Development Consultant at Academic Learning Services; Kimi Mojica, Interim Director of Diversity Programs at the Office of Student Life; and Chicora Martin, Director of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Education and Support Services at the Office of Student Life. About 40 people attended both speaking events. An attempt to host an Oregon Chatauqua speaker to speak on Latin American issues was not successful.

Publications

The group's publication activity was fairly extensive. Highlights are listed below.

A primary link for diversity-oriented sites, Diversity, was established on Iris, the staff intranet.

The Diversity Committee's public and internal pages were intensively reviewed and revised as needed. Diversity Committee pages:

The World Around Us replaced Diversity Doings as the name of the committee's column in the LSA Newsletter. The committee sponsored four columns in the five newsletters that appeared in 2004:

The Multicultural Resource Guide, updated last year, was reformatted (by David) to library web standards.

Karen, Angus, and Ann created an important new guide: Research from a Diversity Perspective. This unique resource facilitates the work of researchers whose perspectives (ethnicity, culture, sexuality, gender, age, disability, etc.) are not easily revealed in reference sources.

Outreach

An overarching theme for the 2003 committee was better understanding of UO's institutional 'diversity' environment and the best role the Library Diversity Committee could play in that environment. A desire to enrich campus relationships and avoid duplicative efforts was a motivating factor. A related matter was the committee's role in maintaining the Multicultural Resource Guide to the University of Oregon and the Eugene-Springfield Community, an award-winning diversity resource, in print and online formats, created by library staff in 1998. The committee resolved that the MRG should be hosted by another entity to enable the committee to focus on activities more associated with the library's mission. In the fall of 2003, Rose Thomas and I met with John Shuford, director of UO's Center for Diversity and Community (CODAC), who agreed to take on the MRG. The MRG is now hosted by CODAC. The development of a good working relationship with CODAC promises to offer more opportunities for collaboration. The hiring in 2004 of Gregory J. Vincent as UO's first vice provost for institutional equity and diversity should further bring clarity and improved communication about diversity issues.

As an outgoing member of the Diversity Committee, I have much admiration for this committee and its members whose genuine interest in our mission has been heartening to experience. The 2004 committee chair is Karen Munro, who welcomes your ideas about future programs.

Submitted by Ed Teague, Chair, Library Diversity Committee January 25, 2004

reddragon
Above: Red dragons (photo by Marion Obar)

FROM THE FACT FILE

Dying for Love

by TERRY McQUILKIN

With St. Valentine's Day happening this month, we turn our attention to love stories. But not all love tales end happily, and we've chosen eight stories of romance in which one or both of the lovers dies. The eight clues below refer to well-known novels, plays and operas; identify both the works and the characters whose deaths are described.

  1. After her love affair with a Russian count takes a turn for the worse, this title character ends her life by hurling herself into the path of an oncoming train.

  2. In this Shakespearian tragedy, a Moorish nobleman and general who "lov'd not wisely but too well" is misled into believing his wife has been unfaithful and smothers her, only to learn that he has been tricked. He then pulls out a hidden dagger and takes his own life. Be sure to name both characters.

  3. The title character in this Puccini opera watches as her lover falls in what she understands is a simulated execution. When she removes the blanket and discovers that his execution was real, she screams, and when the police agent advances to arrest her, she pushes him away, runs to the parapet and jumps to her death.

  4. Unhappy in her marriage to a aging country doctor, the title character has a romance with a young lawyer, then with a landowner, then returns to the lawyer. Knowing that her husband will eventually discover her affair, she takes arsenic and dies.

  5. In this Verdi opera set in Egypt during the time of the pharaohs, an army captain is convicted of treason and entombed while still alive. After his sarcophagus is sealed, his lover, the title character, emerges from a vault in which she has been hiding so that they may die together.

  6. Early in this story the heroine is raped by a dissolute member of a wealthy family. Later she kills the roué so that she can be with the man she really loves. They attempt an escape, but she is apprehended at Stonehenge and hanged for murder.

  7. In this musical theater retelling of the classical tale of star-crossed lovers, urban ethnic gangs—the Jets and the Sharks—replace the Montagues and Capulets. The boy is mislead into believing his beloved is dead, and in despair he runs into the streets, only to be gunned down by a member of the rival gang.

  8. In another Puccini opera, a geisha who married an American naval Lieutenant has waited three years for his return. He returns with his American wife only to demand that she give up the boy he has fathered—her precious son—so that he can live in America. Taking the knife her father had used to end his own life, the heroine commits seppuku .

After you've identified the ill-fated heroes and heroines and the works in which they appear, submit your answers to Fact File. Answers must be received by February 25. The winner will be determined by the number of correct answers; in the event of a tie, a single winner will be selected by lot. The winner will receive a Valentine's gift, courtesy of the Library Staff Association. (Hint: It might be chocolate, but hopefully won't induce "death by chocolate.") All staff and faculty of the University of Oregon Libraries are invited to participate, although the winner of the most recent Fact File contest is ineligible to win this contest's prize.

EVENTS OF INTEREST

As well as featuring upcoming LSA events, we'd like to get the word out about events staff are involved in that might be of interest to co-workers. If you'd like the world, or at least your co-workers, to know about something cool coming up, please email Harriett Smith or lsaweb.

LSA EVENTS

Mark your calenders now for the LSA Rock Wall Climbing Event on Monday, February 23! LSA has reserved the climbing wall in the Student Recreation Center from noon to 1 p.m. for a "brown bagging and climbing experience zone". Two Rec Center staff will be on hand for help and advice. There is NO charge to LSA members (if you work in the library you're a member) - you won't be charged to enter the Rec Center, and there will be no fee for climbing shoes or harnesses. Dave Peterson from the Program Committee says "It's a cool environment to have a lunch, watch your fellow LSA'ers, or participate in climbing. The restaurant there by the wall is currently closed but there's still lots of room to hang and eat."

NON-LSA EVENTS

On Tuesday, February 3, Kim Stafford, editor of Every War Has Two Losers: William Stafford on Peace and War will discuss issues of war and peace raised in the writings of his pacifist father, William Stafford, a nationally known poet who served as Oregon's Poet Laureate from 1974 to 1989. The talk begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Knight Library Browsing Room on the UO campus. A reception and book signing will follow the reading and discussion. In conjunction with the event, the Knight Library Press has produced a limited-edition, letterpress broadside featuring father-son companion poems by William Stafford and Kim Stafford. The broadside will be available for purchase after the event, which is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Office of the Librarian, UO Libraries, (541) 346-3056.

Pam DeLaittre invites you to the Cottage Grove High School Rhythm + Blues show, a benefit for the CGHS music program. It starts Wednesday, February 11 with a dress rehearsal at 7:30 p.m. for only $5. The actual performances cost $11 and run Thursday February 12 at 7:30 p.m., Friday February 13 at 7 p.m. and again at 10 p.m., and Saturday February 14 at 7:30 p.m. There is a Sunday matinee at 2:30 p.m. The last performance will be on Saturday, February 21, at 7:30 p.m. and will cost $6 per person or $10 per couple. The show is an effort to raise money for scholarships to help CGHS music students pay for the summer Band Camp program at the University of Oregon. Pam's daughter Margot will be singing, dancing, and playing the oboe. Tickets are available at the Bookmine. Contact Pam for more info.

Words from the Taoist Librarian

Based on the Ancient Teachings of Chinese Imperial Librarian, Lao-tzu (sixth century B.C.E.)

Teaching No.Forty-nine

The sage Librarian has no concern for her own needs.
She is focused on the needs of others.
I provide good service to people I like.
I also provide good service to people I dislike,
Because the Library is goodness.
I provide library cards to people who are trustworthy.
I also provide library cards to people who may not be trustworthy,
Because the Library is trustworthy.
The sage Librarian is shy and humble - to the world she seems confusing.
Patrons look to her and listen.
She is as guileless as a little child.

Teaching No.Sixty-eight

A good soldier is not violent.
A good fighter is not angry.
A good librarian is not proud or haughty.
A good administrator listens to everyone.
This is known as Professionalism.
This is known as the ability to serve people.
Since ancient times, this has been known
as the ultimate in Librarianship.

Credit to Andy Barnett's "Librarian's Lao-tzu"

Profile

Cataloger Jean Murphy was profiled in a recent issue of Inside Oregon. Murphy, whose comic strip "Bicycle Woman" ran in Eugene's The Other Paper, is a citizen activist and an avid proponent of public transportation.

Welcome:

To Kim Uyen Tran, Faculty Fellow in Metadata and Digital Library Services.

Congratulations

To proud parents Blake and Anna Scott on the birth of their new daughter (and first child), Josie Alanna Scott! She arrived in the world on January 11, 2004 at 8lbs 4oz. in weight and 20.5" in length.

To Laine Stambaugh, on the publication of her chapter, "Recruitment and Selection in Academic Libraries" in Human Resource Management in Today's Academic Library; Meeting Challenges and Creating Opportunities, Libraries Unlimited, 2004.

Goodbyes

A fond goodbye to Dennis Hyatt, Director of the Law Library, a longtime library staff member who retired January 31. Good luck to you, Dennis! We will miss you.

Been to an interesting conference?

Send us a brief report for publication in the next newsletter. Thanks!

 

Last updated: 030902
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