LSA News

No. 57, August 2004

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Dog Days Issue Index Homeland Security: of Sewers and Spalling and Other Domestic Skirmishes by Dvora Robinson Knight Riders: the Intrepid Bike Commuters of the UO Library by Jennifer Rowan Cycling to Work: Four Riders' Stories Dreaming at My Desk by Harriett Smith The View from Hidden Spring by Pam DeLaittre National Diversity in Libraries Conference Report by Karen Munro OLA/SSD Gateways 2004 Conference Report by Susan Mincks From the Fact File by Karen Munro Events of Interest Thanks Congratulations!

Smiley dog, by Raina Smith

Homeland Security: of Sewers and Spalling and other domestic Skirmishes

by Dvora Robinson, AAA Library, Portland Architecture Program

I've been having fantasies of the sort I've never had before, never imagined I'd ever have, and am certainly embarrassed to admit having. You know what I mean: condo fantasies. Fantasies of high ceilings, sleek new hardwood floors, open kitchens, no exterior maintenance, the whole works. 1.5 or 2.5 bathrooms, whatever that means. No yardwork. No siding to replace, no roofs and skylights to replace, no sewers to dig up and repair. I'm only 38 years old and I'm having condo fantasies. Me, the proud owner of a one hundred year old house in a great neighborhood.

It's been a tough five months for this particular homeowner. First there was the infestation of pantry moths. The recommended procedure of throwing out all crackers, nuts, flour, and pasta seemed only to aggravate the situation. I even threw out the salt and baking soda. The creatures reacted with a soft-fluttering vengeance, flying into my face when I braved the door to the kitchen. In the morning I'd look up and see hundreds of dark spots on the kitchen ceiling. It put me off my breakfast. Moth traps did nothing. I consulted professional assassins. Too expensive, too toxic.

Finally I found the ultimate weapon: my canister style vacuum cleaner. I stalked my prey every morning and evening, banishing dozens to the murderous tube. By then I was so traumatized by the moths that I covered the end of the vacuum cleaner tube when I turned the machine off: I had nightmarish visions of the moths flying out of the tube uninjured and undeterred. It took weeks of machine against moth combat, but eventually my enemy was reduced to a small wily force. As October gave way to November and the temperature dropped, I refused to turn on the heat, and finally froze the little buggers off. Just in time, too, since I was running out of layers to bundle up in.

Moths vanquished, my house was my own. Except for the mice. My moth battle had left me a hardened killer. Ignoring the no-hurt live-traps in the closet, I went out and bought some spine-breaking spring-loaded traps. I bated them with peanut butter and steeled myself for the inevitable task of corpse removal. Day after day the traps went unsprung, until finally one caught my broom during an unexpected cleaning foray. Outsmarted by my mice, I retreated strategically to save my strength for the summertime ant campaign. I'm sure condominiums are impervious to rodents, insects, and all manner of pests.

Soon after I gave up on the mice, the furnace stopped working. I was lucky that time; it was an easy and cheap repair.

Then the sidewalk inspector came by, and I found out about my serious spalling problem. I'd had no idea that it was so severe. In fact I had no idea of what spalling was. I'm still not sure, but I found out that correcting it costs $275. Or I could have done nothing, and the city would have come by, unspalled my sidewalk, and charged me $530. I decided to be proactive and support the local economy by hiring a concrete contractor.

But then came the worst, what hits a combat wearied woman hard: plumbing. I came home one day and smelled something very very bad. I took out the garbage. The house still smelled very very bad. Reluctantly I followed the odor downstairs into the basement. It wasn't pretty. It made me gag. I reached for my shovel, and breathed through my mouth. It took two days for the plumber to come, and even then it was not over. The sewer camera guys came and made me my own personal dirty movie. That's what they called it. They had more bad news - my entire sewer line needed to be replaced. They reassured me that it would only cost a few thousand dollars more than I paid for my used Honda Civic.

That's what got me thinking about condos. Condos don't have 100-year-old terra cotta sewer pipes with roots growing into them. Condos don't have overgrown weedy jungles in the backyard. In the condo of my mind, everything works. Nothing sticks, leaks, or refuses to open or close. The kitchen floor is easy to clean and gleams. Faucets gleam. Everything that is supposed to gleam, gleams. The heating works and even reaches the bedroom. And storage: there is lots of storage. It will turn out that I'm not a slob; I've just been under-closeted. Mildew and mold will be too intimidated by all the gleaming surfaces to even come near my tasteful, modestly priced unit. My condo will be walking distance from everything, and my neighbors will be my friends. My friends down the hall will cook for me and persuade me to take long walks with them in the rain. No, it won't be raining outside of my new condo. It will be sunny, cool, and the view of the mountain will be stunning. I won't even mind paying the monthly condo fees, which will be easily affordable with my new, interesting, and well-paid job. The kind of job that a condo-dweller has: creative, fun, for thirty hours a week, great benefits, that helps to make the world a better place.

Never mind the sewer repair: I'm calling a real estate agent tomorrow.

Knight Riders: the intrepid bike commuters of the UO Library

By Jennifer Rowan

Of the six permanent staff at AAA, three of us commute on bicycle and another walks to work; an impressive majority of non-drivers that caused me to wonder how many other Library people get to work by means of pedal power? I've been amazed to learn that not only are there many "bikees", but many or most are hardcore, year-round bikees! My requests for particulars brought out a half-dozen enthusiastic respondents although many other names were mentioned or were unable to respond due to vacation distractions or other obligations. Among them were Mark Watson, Tom Stave, Harriett Smith, Ed Teague and Corey Harper, who mentioned our bike-friendly community as one of the reasons he chose to take the job at UO. Many thanks to those who made time to answer the call!

All of those who responded to my questions are year-round, all-weather bike commuters. An affinity for the freedom and flexibility of biking, enjoyment of being out-of-doors, the cost and time savings over automobile travel and the chance to decompress after a day at work appear to be the primary motivating factors, according to our dauntless riders. The downside for most is negligible: Oregon winter weather was not cited as a particular deterrent although a stiff headwind was admitted to being daunting. Offensive behavior by the operators of other vehicles (including other bicyclists) and concerns about poor visibility are the biggest turnoffs. "If I get creamed on my bike," stated Paul Frantz, "I'm pretty sure it will be by one of those kamikaze cyclist jerks going the wrong way on a one-way street!" Rebecca Fisher and Bruce Tabb have each survived collisions with impatient drivers who weren't paying attention, while two of our intrepid commuters admit to being ticketed for rolling through stop signs. And biking activities beyond the commute? Annie Zeidman-Karpinski trained for a sprint triathalon a year ago and a few others dream about bike touring in the future but most are contented with their daily ride to the Library and are fairly satisfied with the available bike lanes and routes in the city. Now if only the Powers-that-be would finish the Fern Ridge bike path all the way out to Fern Ridge and add a couple of north-south routes through town… the biking would be pretty close to perfect!

Andrew Bonamici started bike commuting when he lived in Portland in the 1970s; semi-regularly since he began at UO in 1985, and consistently in all weather for the last couple of years. In Oregon's wetter months, he relies on fenders, rain shell and pants and neoprene boots that fit over his shoes. His route varies: living at 28th and Emerald means he can shoot down Emerald Street Hill in the morning and choose several optional approaches to the Library. He rides to work, he says, because "it is actually as fast or faster than driving, riding is fun and you meet interesting people at the bike rack. …most of all, I simply like riding, being outside and in motion!"

Annie Zeidman-Karpinski's proximity to a major bike route along 15th that runs from her west Eugene neighborhood to the UO campus has made her daily commute an easy decision; she has been riding to work since she got to Eugene almost two years ago. She used to commute by bike when she lived in northern California but found bike commuting too daunting when she went to library school in LA. The Oregon weather hasn't deterred her - she merely dons her Burley-made raingear and carries plastic bags for her stuff. Last year, when she was too pregnant to wear the jacket conventionally, she wore it over her shoulders like a cape!

Paul Frantz has also been a year-round bike commuter since he came to work at the UO library in 1987, relinquishing his bicycle only on days when the streets are icy. Rain pants and jacket, plus an extra (dry) pair of socks stored at work are adequate protection from the elements. He rides in from west Eugene using the bicycle/pedestrian bridge to cross 18th avenue at Westmoreland Park. He is able to observe the ongoing construction of the new Cesar Chavez elementary school as he heads east on the bike path along the Amazon canal continues to the Fairgrounds and then along 15th the rest of the way to the University. His reason for biking? "I can't envision getting to and from work any other way. I especially relish the transition coming home, the 20 minutes after work when I can get on my bike and make my way back to my home and family."

On cold days when he cycled to work in Chicago, Jon Jablonski wore snow pants, a Peruvian wool sweater and a nylon shell. In Seattle, he found his biggest challenge was the hills. Eugene, he says, is child's play in comparison. "All you need for year-round goodness is an Ortlieb roll-top bag and plastic pants. Oh, and you have to look out for the motorcycle cop with the Lech Walesa moustache. He gave me a ticket for rolling through a stop sign last winter!" Jon often uses the Willamette river bike path to get to the University, coming down 5th street and weaving through the EWEB complex, then from the bike path through the art studios and across Franklin Boulevard. The bike ride is quicker than using his car, in fact he believes he can pedal in from home in the same amount of time it takes him just to walk from the parking lot. And the benefits may seem obvious. "You get to see more when you move a little more slowly than in a car," he says. " Also, I feel a lot more connected to the weather when I'm out in it!"

The longest bike commute is paired with the Library's most hardcore rider: Rebecca Fisher has been commuting year round by bike since she started working at the Library in 1990. She comes in from Hawthorne Avenue near Fairfield Elementary School through the neighborhood streets over to Roosevelt Boulevard and to Garfield. Then, she zips down West 2nd to Blair, takes 5th street to the end and through the old cannery grounds, up Alder to the Bookstore for a coffee stop and on to the Library, a trip of about 5.5 miles each way. And she eschews rain gear unless it is actually raining when she leaves her house! Amazingly enough, she has only been totally drenched 3 or 4 times in 14 years but points out that residual dampness dries quickly in the dry Library air. Wind, however, is an aggravation. "Windy weather is the worst, I think. It takes longer to get here and it always seems to be blowing against me." But biking does provide economic and health advantages. "I can't afford a parking permit, and it would only be a hunting license anyway since I usually don't come to work until 9:30am," she says. " I also need the exercise."

The Joy of Riding: Four Stories of Bicyling to Work

Laura Damiani, AAA Library
I have been bike commuting for about 5 years - as long as I've worked at the University. For the most part it's been year-round, any weather. When I first started working here I was allowed to use the library's reserved parking spot because I close the library at 11:00 at night. This was sooo much more a hassle than it was worth. People constantly parked in my space so it was basically useless. I started getting frustrated and ruthless and having people towed! I bet DPS got sick of me pretty quick. So I (and the library) quickly gave up the space and I started to bike regularly instead and now I realize how much better off I am ... (story continued)

Bruce Tabb, Special Collections
I have been biking to work on and off since I started employment at the university twelve years ago. However, it was seasonal until LTD stopped offering bus service from my neighborhood, the Laurel Hill area, to the university. This happened about four or five years ago. Since then, I bike year-round, through good and bad weather... (story continued)

Jennifer Rowan, Visual Resources Collection, AAA Library
The year is composed of two periods for me: least pleasant are the grim dark months when I ride the bus from west Eugene to campus - dark going and dark coming home, umbrellas running rivulets down the aisle, a cacophony of unfettered cell phones spawning a tedium of insipid, personal conversations in the humid, claustrophobic space… and then the turning point when dawn's early light is deemed sufficient to take to the road on two wheels ... (story continued)

Stan Hall, Media Services, Knight Library
I ride a Long Wheel Base recumbent Infinity brand bicycle. This bike is made mostly of aluminum square stock. I've had to make my own modifications for comfort and as replacement parts. I rebuilt the seat and the handlebars, built a hitch for a trailer, and added a headlight and battery tube. I bought the bike about 10 years ago from a friend, who bought it from a friend ... (story continued)

The View from Hidden Spring

by Pam DeLaittre

I know there is an ongoing theory that chickens may be direct descendants of dinosaurs. I am utterly convinced now.

In early May, Kirk and I located a breeder of the French chicken breed "Marans", in Florida. I ordered a dozen dark-chocolate-colored eggs. At the same time, on the same day, Kirk ordered six bantam Barnevelder eggs from Maine. I contacted our postal delivery person, Mike, to warn him of the priority delivery packages enroute. On May 13, the Marans eggs arrived. But where were the Barnevelder eggs? We decided to go ahead and begin incubating the Marans eggs that day, expecting the Barnevelder eggs the next day. They didn't arrive until Saturday the 15th.

... (story continued)

Dreaming at My Desk

by Harriett Smith

Swimming

The best summer I can remember was the summer between seventh and eighth grades. That's because I spent almost every day at the local pool with my best friend. As a California girl, who had only been in Oregon for a year, I was used to doing a lot of swimming and playing in the pool, and it seemed only normal to keep doing that in Corvallis. My friend Sandy and I would meet at the high school pool, which at that time greatly resembled the pool at Gerlinger except for being outdoors, and would spend hours playing, diving, swimming, flirting with the boys, and telling secrets. We had great tans, could hold our breaths forever, and thought that every summer would be like that.

But over the course of the next school year we both drifted off to different groups of friends, and as the summers passed neither of us went to the pool so often. As the years went by I swam less and less, and finally not at all.

This summer, though, bids fair to be as close a repeat of that long-ago golden summer as is possible when one is grown up with a job and responsibilities. Last year my friend Jean coaxed me into trying lap swimming. Jean swims at least twice a week as therapy for her bad back, and she told me it would probably help mine too. I swam with her a few times at Amazon Pool last summer, then a little more dedicatedly last fall at Gerlinger during the free staff time after 5 p.m., but I really didn't get into more of a routine til this spring, when we started in at Gerlinger again after her hip replacement had healed. When Amazon opened, we started going there again.

Amazon underwent a major facelift a few years ago, and the pool areas are really nice now: a big pool for laps and recreational swimming, a diving pool, a pool for the littlest toddlers, a pool for the kids with a slide, and some water features like sculptures that you can get wet with. But I have to say, the women's locker room seems much as I remember it from pre-renovation days. The lockers certainly eat quarters just as resolutely as they ever did; many of us just trust to other people's basic honesty and the fact that no one would want our old jeans, and leave our clothes unlocked.

We usually try to get to the pool around 1 p.m. Jean meets me at work, and after a nice bike ride from the library, a change, and a quick rinse, we are into the warm pool and splashing away in the sunshine with the scent of weedy grasses wafting in from the park behind. Since I prefer the side stroke, I can watch the water and the sparkle of the fountains kicked up by the energetic swimmer in the next lane, and enjoy the deep blue of the sky and the background music of water falling, kids hollering, and divers splashing.

Jean is a serious lap swimmer. You can tell this because she has goggles, earplugs, and swims the crawl. I am a believer in "if you are in the water and moving you must be burning calories". My hair is braided and tied up, but I don't sport goggles or earplugs (though I have to admit that lately I've been considering both). I swim along fairly slowly in my old black suit, making a yoga breathing experience out of the movements of the sidestroke and enjoying the warm silk of water and cool surprise of air on my skin as I go. I never do quite as many laps as Jean, so I just keep swimming til she catches me and tells me it's time to stop. Since she's in better shape than I this actually works out perfectly because I'm always ready to stop by then.

The reward for our dedication, aside from the pleasure of swimming itself, is to sit in the hot tub for a few minutes while our muscles relax, and talk. There's always plenty to say. I don't think we've ever experienced a time in our friendship when either of us ran out of conversation! In fact, we need to be careful - if we stay too long talking in the lovely hot water, we come out so relaxed that the bike ride back to the library is a lot of work.

Next fall I'm sure we'll start swimming at Gerlinger again - it's free, which is a big inducement right there, and for me, close to work. But it just won't be the same as letting the wind blow us dry as we perch near the pool planning our next meeting. Shall we swim in two days? Go picking cherries tomorrow? Sing by the river on Thursday? In the mix of sun, water, and laughter, the summer is suddenly full of possibilities.

National Diversity in Libraries Conference

A Conference Report by Karen Munro

In early May, I attended the National Diversity in Libraries Conference (NDLC) in Atlanta, GA. The conference was sponsored by an appropriately diverse number of groups: the Association of Research Libraries, the Southeastern Library Network, the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, and the Historically Black College and University Library Alliance. A record number of librarians, library staff, and library students from all over the country spent two days discussing what diversity means to libraries, and sharing strategies for moving ahead together.

The keynote speaker for the conference was Raymond Santiago, Director of the Miami-Dade County Public Library System. Miami-Dade county is one of the most ethnically, linguistically, and culturally diverse areas of the country, with fifty percent of its population born abroad and almost seventy percent of the population speaking a language other than English at home (US census, 2000). Clearly, this presents the library with very different challenges and opportunities than those we face here in Lane County. It was terrific to hear about the creativity, humor, and inclusiveness that the Miami-Dade system brings into play, both in public service and in supporting diversity in the workplace.

... (story continued)

Gateways 2004: The Oregon Library Association Support Staff Division Celebrates a Decade

A Conference Report by Susan Mincks

I recently helped to organize the Oregon Library Association Support Staff Division 10th annual conference: "Gateways 2004: Celebrating a Decade of Conferences". It was held at the Holiday Inn in Wilsonville on Friday, July 16, 2004. Over 155 people attended.

The keynote speaker was Steve Hanamura, and his speech was on "The Power One Brings to the Workplace: Tearing Down the Walls with Collective Power vs. Personal Power". Hanamura spoke of the sources of power, empowerment, exercising good judgement, trust, and other things that play a role in power.

The speaker during lunch was Oregonian columnist Margie Boulé. Boulé mostly talked about her past. How she started out on radio, and went on to television to do the A.M. Portland talk show. And how ten years ago the head editor at The Oregonian called her and asked her if she would like to do a column for the newspaper. She had lots of good, funny, and sad stories to tell.

The three sessions had many subjects to pick from. To name a few: Patron Confidentiality; Author Talks; Laugh if You Dare; Cope III: Implementations for Library Staff; and Making Your Web Site ADA Compliant.

My favorite presenter was Leigh Anne Jashway-Bryant. She did Laugh if You Dare. Her web site is www.accidentalcomic.com. She's from Eugene and is pretty well known. I put a copy of her handout, called "The Huey, Louie, and Dewey Decimal System", on the bulletin board in the Knight Staff Lounge so people can read it.

The conference was a great success, and I urge everyone to attend the next conference in 2005. I will be an officer of the Support Staff Division for the coming year, September 1, 2004 to August 31, 2005. I'll be serving as Archivist, and I hope to be on the conference committee, where I'll urge the Division to consider Eugene as a location for next year's conference.

FROM THE FACT FILE

The World Around Us

by Karen Munro

You most likely know something about Cinco de Mayo and Hanukkah, but what about Yoondoonal, or Shampoo Day? (It's celebrated in Korea.) And do you remember the name of the person who delivered the keynote address at the Democratic Party convention last month? (Barack Obama, an Illinois state senator who is poised to become only the fifth African American in history to serve in the U.S. Senate) Test your knowledge diversity in our community and around the world by determining the answers to the ten clues below.

1. This American politician developed the concept of a "rainbow coalition" during his presidential campaign in the 1980s. The coalition embraced all ethnic and cultural groups, women, gays and lesbians, unionists, and poverty rights advocates, among other groups.
2. According to the most recent U.S. Census estimates, this percentage of Lane County residents speak a language over than English at home.
3. This California politician championed the rights of gays, union workers, the poor, and ethnic minorities. When his assassin received a light sentence due to his use of the infamous "Twinkie defense," there were riots in the streets of San Francisco. A school named after this politician was founded in New York City in 1985.
4. This landmark civil rights case overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and completely changed the face of American education by declaring that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal."

5. Hold your hand up to your mouth with your fingers together, your palm facing in towards you. Lower it and move it forward so that your palm faces up and your hand is extended out in front of you a few inches. You've just performed the American Sign Language sign for this phrase.

6. Students visiting from this country may pack an obento full of sushi, sashimi, vegetables, white or red rice, or noodles to take to school each day.
7. This Shoshone woman who spoke at least three languages was employed by Lewis and Clark as a guide during their trek to the coast of Oregon. She's now on the American dollar coin.
8. A band that includes members playing baraban, tsimbl, and tats is drawing on this cultural heritage.
9. This Hispanic-American civil rights activist worked as a migrant laborer in California before creating the National Farm Workers Association in 1962. He organized a boycott on grapes in 1968 that forced growers to negotiate contracts for higher wages, health insurance and safe working and living conditions for workers. An elementary school in Eugene was recently named in his honor.
10. As of Fall 2003, this percentage of UO students self-identified as ethnic minorities. (For math nuts, it was just one percent less of the overall student population than the incoming freshman class that year.)

Submit your answers to Fact File. Answers must be received by August 27. 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 gift certificate worth $5.00 toward puchases at the U.O. Bookstore, courtesy of the Library Staff Association. 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.

Karen Munro, of the Reference Department, is chair of the Library Diversity Committee. This guest Fact File column is a part of the LDC's mission of enhancing our understanding of gender, ethnicity, culture and social issues.

Events of Interest

LSA EVENTS

On Thursday, August 19, 2004 LSA and the Library Diversity Committee will team up to present "Food and a Film". The summer potluck party will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Knight Library Browsing Room. LSA will provide the drinks, the Library will provide the plates and cutlery, and participants will provide the potluck food! Emphasis is on foods of the world, (including the United States). The film to be shown is Islam, Empire of Faith. It's a three-hour PBS documentary, and we'll be viewing the first hour of it, covering the early history of the faith. It will be screened from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. The video "documents the rise and growth of Islam throughout the world" beginning with the birth of the prophet Muhammad in the 6th century A.D.

NON-LSA EVENTS

Heather Ward encourages all to enjoy a summer evening with Free Shakespeare in the Park, this summer presenting "A Winter's Tale". Bring a picnic, a blanket and a friend, and enjoy a magical evening of Shakespeare. Performances will be on the south lawn of Amazon Community Park every Saturday and Sunday in August at 6 p.m. Free Shakespeare in the Park is a non-profit organization whose mission is to bring, free to the public, an annual summer production of a Shakespeare play. Each play is outdoors, and with a cast of local teens, adults, and youth. For more information, call 682-5373.

Two staff members of UO Libraries will be performing at Zimfest (the Zimbawean Festival of Music), which runs August 13-15 at Reed College in Portland. Shamwari, a marimba band of which Terry McQuilkin is a member, is playing on Saturday afternoon, August 14 in Reed's Cerf Amphitheater. On Sunday August 15, Marilyn Mohr will be playing mbira as a part of the group Vakasara. Contact Terry if you want to know more.

Thanks

Thanks to Corey Harper and Terry McQuilkin, this issue of the LSA News features a search engine in the sidebar. Please let us know what you think. We hope to have this available on all our pages soon. Thanks to Carol Hixson for suggesting there was a need for this.

Congratulations

Congratulations to John Helmer who is one of six UCLA alums featured in the Library Journal article, "The Class of 1988" (LJ, July 2004, v. 129, no. 12, p.38-41). John's picture also appears on the cover!

Been to an interesting conference?

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

Coming in October...

LSA News will not be published in September. We will resume publication the following month. Among the features you'll find in the October issue: The Anti-Hiltons: Lonni Sexton profiles small and unique hostels, hotels and pensions around the world. On the Trail of the Nez Perce. Joni Herbst writes about her horseback adventures as a participant in the annual Chief Joseph Trail Ride.

Last updated: 080204
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