LSA News

No. 77, November, 2006

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

The Best Part is Getting There

story and photos by Lonni Sexton

With a flurry of falling leaves and a few more golden afternoons, Indian summer is drawing to a close. I noticed yesterday morning that a slick of ice covered the windows of the car. I shivered. It was time to haul out the winter coats. It was time to burden myself with layers of fleece and wool. Time to shrink in, to expose less of myself to the outside. It was time to bear the cold winds stoically, and to carefully tread the icy sidewalks in the ever decreasing light.

 I stood on the chilly sidewalk waiting for the bus. The hell with global warming, I thought crossly. I'm turning on all the lights when I get home. Also, I'm getting in a nice tub filled to the brim with steamy hot water. No more dieting, either. I want casseroles and cocoa. I want something warming, a nice tot of hot grog to take this damned chill off. I want my bones at room temperature for once. And speaking of that, I'm turning up the thermostat past 68°—maybe past 72°.

As I stood there daydreaming, a bright vision formed in my head. Golden sands ... turquoise waves ... nodding coconut palms ... A smiling man is handing me a plate heaped with spicy fried shrimp and a cold golden bottle of beer, with a lime wedge jammed in its mouth. The bottle glistens, droplets of condensation fatten and slide sensuously, slowly down the chilly glass bottle. Grateful for its coolness, I press it to my cheek. A group of little boys run by, dragging a boogie board across the sand. Just offshore, I see the heads of people bobbing in the surf. A high wave engulfs them, and they rise to the surface, screaming merrily. Under the sea cliffs, a fisherman in a boat tosses a net into the sea. Nearby, a surfer glides and swerves and finally tips off her surfboard with a splash. More laughter rings out and the nice young lady from the kitchen sets another icy bottle near my elbow. A large ripple is swelling in the bay, capped with white foam. The swimmers bob and squeal as it roars past them, dashing high up on the beach, engulfing my bare toes ...

(story continued)

Confessions of an Alcoholic

This article, written by someone who works in the University Libraries system and is uncomfortable revealing their identity, was submitted anonymously to the editors through a third party.

I recently celebrated my first birthday. How, you may ask, can someone old enough to be writing this be celebrating a first birthday? Well, it's been one year since my last drink or, if you prefer, my last drunk. I didn't ever just have one drink.

During the last year of my drinking I drank, almost daily, to the point of blackout. The physical, emotional, and spiritual toll that my disease was taking on my life was incomprehensible. There is a saying in the recovery world, "one drink is too many and a thousand not enough". As long as I stay away from that first drink, I'll be OK. Once I have the first drink I never know what will happen. As I once heard, "it's the engine that kills you, not the caboose".

I started drinking when I was 16 years old. I knew from the very first drink that I had found something that worked for me. It was a social lubricant for a seriously socially inept being. I was suddenly attractive, smart, and articulate; the absolute life of the party. I fit in for the first time in my life. I also knew from the very beginning that I did not drink like other people. Alcohol helped me to fit into a world that was totally alien to me.

(story continued)

Sefer Torah Dedication Enhances High Holy Days

by Jennifer Rowan

Autumn not only brings the initiation of a new school year, but in alignment with the Jewish lunar calendar, marks the onset of the Jewish High Holy Days. The approximately ten-day sequence commences with the Jewish New Year (in Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah or "head of the year"), then Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement, followed by Succoth, a holiday celebrating the harvest. This year, Rosh Hashanah began at sunset on the evening of September 22. The timing of a dedication ceremony during the High Holy Days for a Sefer Torah commissioned by Chabad House, one of the University of Oregon's two Jewish student centers, made it a particularly meaningful event for the many enthusiastic attendees.

Rabbi Daniel Dahan completing the Sefer Torah

Chabad House is a Jewish center and community resource that draws its philosophy and lineage from the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, originally founded in Eastern Europe by Rabbi Shneur Zalman (1745-1812) of the third generation of Chasidic Jews. The 1980s was a period of broad international propagation of Chabad Houses, each dedicated to the strengthening of Jewish observance, teaching and community of Jews (the word Chabad is an acronym derived from the Hebrew for wisdom, understanding and knowledge). Chabad House opened in Eugene in September 2002. It was founded by Rabbi Asi Spiegal, whose efforts led to the commissioning of the new Torah and who presided at the dedication ceremony in the Knight Library Browsing Room on September 27th.

The Torah is Judaism's most spiritually charged text, consisting of the first five books of the Old Testament written in Hebrew and produced in scroll form on parchment with wooden rollers. It is considered to be a replica of the document presented by Moses to the Jews 3,000 years ago. A Sefer Torah is painstakingly copied by hand to exacting standards by a sofer or scribe. The Chabad House's Torah was transcribed by Rabbi Betzalel Yakont of Israel who worked on it for almost a year, finishing all but the last few letters to be completed by another scribe, Rabbi Daniel Dahan of New York, at the dedication ceremony. The ceremony was attended by a dozen or more visiting rabbis, members of the local Jewish community and out-of-town guests and supporters. With the completion of the final letters of the document, the Torah was paraded to Chabad House in a joyous procession of music and dance.

LSA Year Starts with Dues Drive

With the start of a new year of Library Staff Association activities, it's once again the time when we ask that you support your staff association with your annual membership dues of $6. As in previous years, Library Administration has generously agreed to donate $3 matching funds for each membership up through December 31.

What does $6, the best bargain in town, get you? What do dues pay for? Well, our biggest expense is the annual Holiday Potluck, which costs approximately $450 to put on. Most of you know what a delightful event this is, but if you haven't been before, you're in for a treat! (Here are some scenes from previous years' potlucks: 2003, 2004, and 2005.) You might not realize how much things like plates, forks, napkins, tablecloths and coffee add up when we're serving the entire UO Libraries staff! The annual May Tea is another big event, costing between $200-$300, depending on how many retirees we honor at the Tea in a given year. It takes 83 dues-payers, including the matching funds, to cover the costs of these two events.

We also supply two newspaper subscriptions for the Knight staff lounge, the Oregonian and the Register-Guard. They cost $270, or another 30 dues-payers. Then there are refreshments for the Gonzo and other programs, prizes for the popular LSA News feature "Fact File", and other miscellaneous expenses such as cleaning supplies for the Knight Staff Lounge, adding up to another couple of hundred dollars. As you can see, the amenities you've come to expect from LSA do have a cost, and we do very much need your support in order to continue providing them.

We will have a dues collection table at the November 8 all-staff meeting, and you may also pay dues at the LSA Sale on November 30. Or, you can send or bring your dues at any time to Pam DeLaittre, LSA Treasurer, in Collection Development & Acquisitions.

Thanks for supporting your Library Staff Association!

Letter to the Editors

Dear Editors,

The September 2006 issue of the LSA News was as delightful as always. However, in your description of the Gonzo (wasn't the fashion show fabulous?), you refer to Los Invisibles as performing "a blues song 'purportedly' [my emphasis] written by the King of Thailand."

I'm a little disappointed that as a library publication, you didn't do your homework. "The H.M. Blues" is indeed a song composed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej early in his sixty year reign, and the printed music for it can be found in at least two volumes in our collections, along with other compositions by His Majesty:

Dontri chak phraratchaharuthai sun ruam chai haeng puangchon
THAI M3.1.B48 D6 1996

The music of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej MUSIC M3.1.B48 M86 1987

I suppose, that despite the participation of incoginto local royalty (i.e. Queen Slugretha Latifah Uleafa Gastropodia Jackson), Los Invisibles did not imbue this august composition with convincing dignity, and to that end, I'd like to offer your readers the opportunity to hear this tune straight from the royal web pages.

Instrumental big band version

Slower, bluesier Thai language version ("Chata Cheewit")

Unfortunately, our library does not (yet!) have recordings of the King's music, but these come from the best site (I'm tempted to catalog it) that I've found to listen to his stuff; it's not the most complete, but it is the most reliable, with the best sound, production values, performances, etc.

Not royal, but not without charm are the English language versions of the King's songs (include a go-go rendition of the H.M. Blues) by female Thai singer Jintana Suksathit.

Last but not least, we do own a video with brief snippets of His Majesty's music (including a marching band's version of the H.M. Blues):

Two faces of Thailand : a musical portrait VIDEOTAPE 02522

Your loyal reader,

David Landazuri
Metadata & Digital Library Services

David: I wrote the text for the Gonzo article, and I have to admit that I wasn't at all certain whether the King had really written that music—somehow it lacked a certain "je ne sais quoi"—but mea culpa and my apologies; I should have checked with you! After listening to these clips, I'm glad to agree that it's true: the King really does swing! Harriett

Organic Peppers, Lane County Farmers Market

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

Thursday, November 30, 2006: The date's been set for the Holiday Sale! Check out the Knight Library Browsing Room between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 30—a day that just coincidentally happens to be payday. It's your chance to get a jump on your holiday shopping and support LSA at the same time. There will be a big rummage table, jams, chutneys, and other tasty treats, wonderful fabric crafts and pottery, must-have jewelry, and generally all you'd expect from a Holiday Sale—you can even pay your $6 LSA dues. The only thing you won't see at this Sale is books.

This year's Holiday Sale raffle is not for a featured dessert but for what some may consider even more desirable than chocolate—a batch of Kaiping Zhang's wonderful potstickers! Thank you, Kaiping. If you can help with the Holiday Sale or would like to sell something, email Pam DeLaittre or phone her at 6-1826. If you want more information about the rummage table, email Lisa Sieracki or phone her at 6-1834.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006: Celebrate the winter holiday season with friends and co-workers as the Browsing Room is transformed once more for the Holiday Potluck. We'll gather as usual between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and as always there will be festive music, seasonal decorations, and good cheer to go around. Bring your favorite dish to share with your co-workers (sign-up sheets will be up in the staff lounge and library administration office soon). You are welcome to bring guests to the Potluck; please bring a little more food if you do so.

All dishes should be table-ready with serving spoons, and breads should be pre-sliced in a suitable bowl or basket. Microwaves will be available for heating your dishes.

If you can bring a turkey or ham to the potluck, have questions, or would like to help Social Committee with the details, please email Raina Smith or phone her at 346-1837.

Former employees who need transportation should email Stephanie Midkiff or phone her at 346-1661. If you can bring greenery for decorations, please contact Stephanie.

NON-LSA EVENTS

Friday, November 3, 2006: Bicyclists, please join your fellow velocipedians for our next Bike-To-Lunch. We will journey to Toshi's Ramen at 1520 Pearl St. for big bowls of ramen, a perfect meal in the early days of the rainy season. Meet at noon at the bike racks. Questions? Email Eliz or phone her at 6-2689.

Saturday, November 11, 2006: David Landazuri and Jean Murphy are participating in a short musical about breastfeeding called "The Leaning Tower of Motherhood" at 2:45 p.m. at the La Leche League of Oregon Family Conference and Continuing Education Sessions in the Bach and Sousa rooms of the Eugene Hilton. There is information about registration and the conference here but David thinks people should be able to get in to see just the musical without registering.

Announcements:

Library Staff Association Has New Chair. LSA has been some months now without a chairperson, but Harriett Smith has agreed to fill the gap for this year. She will be ably assisted by Dave Baker, who continues on as Vice-Chair, and the other great LSA volunteers on the various committees. We're always looking for new people to join the committees, so if you are interested at all look at this page and contact the committee of your choice!

People in the Library

Welcome:

Welcome to Matthew Coughlin, our new Learning Commons Student Coordinator in Knight Library. Matthew’s first day was September 7, though keen eyes will recognize him as a former ITC student assistant. He has lived in Eugene for the past six years, while he completed his degrees in Political Science and History, but he is originally from San Francisco. Matthew’s hobbies include playing soccer and drumming (another musician in the fold!). As this is a newly created position, Matthew is looking forward to setting precedent and working out all the kinks of his new job.

Congratulations:

A big congratulatory shout-out goes to Paul Harvey, recently chosen as an assistant bowling coach for Team USA’s delegation to the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games. The Games will be held in Shanghai, China, in October 2007. Bowling is the single biggest individual sport that Special Olympics offers, with over 200,000 athletes competing in bowling worldwide. Paul has been coaching with the Special Olympics program for twelve years, and has coached basketball and softball, along with bowling. He is not a bowler in real life, for, as you know, “those who can’t do….”

This will be Paul’s second time coaching at this level. He also was an assistant bowling coach for Team USA at the 2003 Worlds in Dublin, Ireland. The 2003 games were the first time that the World Games were held outside of the United States, and the tradition has continued with the 2007 Games in Shanghai. Approximately 7,000 athletes and 40,000 volunteers are expected to be present, along with thousands of spectators, which should prove to make a truly wonderful experience. Have fun in China, Paul!

On October 23, Library Personnel welcomed Jennifer Hufman to their department. Jennifer first started working for the UO Libraries in November 2004, in the Facilities and Purchasing Department. Her new job as a payroll specialist gives her a chance to work with a larger portion of the campus community. “I’m especially looking forward to meeting and working with the students that help keep this library running smoothly,” she says. In her time here at the UO, Jennifer has become active in the union, SEIU Local 503, and also with the LSA, as a member of the Welcome Committee. Be sure to say “hi” next time you visit Library Personnel.

Goodbye:

Although Marion Obar's official last day is in December, she will be leaving MDLS and the Libraries in the middle of November. Mo came to the Catalog Department on January 1, 1977 as a CETA worker, and stayed on through many changes. After her retirement she will continue to pursue her interests in travelling the world, playing with the computer, working on art projects, photography, and gardening. Best wishes for retirement, Mo!

photo by Stacy DeHart

The Library bid farewell to Travis Ritter, Library Network Manager in Library Systems, on October 13. Travis started at the UO Libraries on November 1, 1998, and for the last eight years we have been lucky to have that calm and patient voice on the other end of the line when we needed his technological expertise. Travis, his wife Kim, their son Adam, and all their pets are moving cross-country to Ohio to be closer to their families. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors!

Staff photos by Jen Lindsey unless otherwise indicated

Editor's Note

Jen Lindsey joins the LSA News team with this issue. Jen will be serving as a writer and photographer in the newsletter's "People in the Library" section, which includes welcomes, congratulations, and goodbyes. In addition, we expect that Jen will contribute feature stories from time to time.

Last updated: 31 October, 2006
lsaweb@lists.uoregon.edu