LSA News

No. 87, February 2008

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

Index I Love Eugene I Love A Slug by David Landazuri New Oregon Trails: Stories From the Road West Notes on the Performing Arts by Terry McQuilkin Eugene's Backyard Playground: The Great Outdoors by Laura Damiani Eugene is for Wine Lovers by John Russell Chinese New Year by Xiaotong Wang Liquid Sustenance by Catherine Flynn-Purvis Restaurants in Eugene: Editors' Picks Annual Holiday Potluck Dazzles the Senses Random Question From the Fact File by Terry McQuilkin Story Contest Winner Events of Interest Announcements People in the Library

I Love a SLUG
story and photos by David Landazuri

The author and 2006 Eugene S.L.U.G. Queen Slugretha Latifah Uleafa Gastropodia Jackson photo by Yvette Ryan

On a weekend in June, 1998, I was standing in the crowd at Saturday Market, watching the newly-formed group, Accordions Anonymous, and waiting to make my (pre-planned) debut with them by stepping from the audience to testify about my accordion addiction. A woman next to me, noticing my close attention to the band and in particular to one of its founding mothers, Lorelei Allen, asked "Is she the S.L.U.G. Queen?" I responded, "Not yet."

She definitely had the look: colorfully (some might say tackily or wackily) dressed, with black-framed glasses and plenty of attitude, yet cheerful at the same time. In retrospect, I think my fellow audience member had mistaken her for 1995's Queen Stella, though I was still years away from being able to make that distinction.

S.L.U.G. stands for the Society for the Legitimization of the Ubiquitous Gastropod. Rumor has it that this organization was born in the early 1980s in a hot tub occupied by Cynthia Wooten and other Eugene movers and shakers, who, perhaps inspired by noble Willamette Valley vintage, had conceived of this alternative to (or parody of) other cities' beauty pageants. Rather than perpetuating typical standards (no Rose Queen for us!), these originators chose as their tutelary emblem a lifeform more in keeping with the Pacific Northwest's soggy climate and Eugene's iconoclastic spirit: the humble slug.

(story continued)

New Oregon Trails: Stories From the Road West

Angus Nesbit, Law Library: My Oregon Trail

The first time I set out for Oregon, it was sight unseen. (The second time I set out for Oregon, I ended up in Sacramento, but that's for another library's newsletter). I had no friends (or enemies) or family — for those who make such distinctions — in Oregon. I didn't know about the mountains, but was aware of its tall trees reputation, and that a lot of these trees were evergreens. I had also pieced together the idea that Oregon had a beautiful and protected coast, though I didn't fully understand the concept at the time ("Wow! Who owns all these state parks?") Anyway, Oregon seemed like Maine, where I was from. I wanted to go to law school in a place where I might also want to settle. A place like Maine, but with more social, geographic, and economic elbow room. I loved Maine, but had limited job prospects (I was bad at crafts). I loved Maine, but hated the cold. I loved Maine, but was a young man and powerless against suggestion: when told to "Go West," I went.

(story continued)

Annie Zeidman-Karpinksi, Science Library: Our trip up The 5

My younger brother was living in Pasadena, and we were living 2 blocks from the beach in LA before I got this job. He was a little unclear about when I was moving, so we had this email exchange in the Fall of 2001.

Him: How do I get to your house?
Me: According to Mapquest you [paraphrasing] make a few turns to get on The 5 (as Southern Californians refer to Interstate 5), drive 826 miles, get off The 5, make a few turns and you're here.
Him: That's it? Getting to a Jazz club in West Hollywood is harder.

Luckily, our journey up The 5 in early September was pretty much that easy. Seth drove the rental moving van. I drove my trusty Geo Prizm. We stopped in Davis, where I had lived for several years and Seth had gone to law school, we got to see dear friends and stayed the night. We had a leisurely breakfast the next morning and drove to our rented house in Eugene the next day. Everything worked, nothing leaked, broke or sputtered.

(story continued)

Bruce Tabb, Special Collections: Adventures in Moving

When Alice Allen telephoned me in late March 1992 to offer me my first professional library position, I was thrilled. Alice had asked me during my interview if there were any concerns about the University of Oregon job, and my response was that the university was the sort of place where I hoped to end my career, not begin it. I did begin my career here, and I guess it's where I'll end it.

When I accepted the position, I was living in New Haven, Connecticut, about as far in the continental U.S. from Eugene as you could get. I worked with Laine Stambaugh and the University of Oregon Business Affairs Office to find a company to move my belongings. I believe it was one of the first years of a new Business Affairs Office program in which Pacific Northwest moving companies were offering substantial discount rates to new university hires. So, I was one of the program's first guinea pigs.

I called several movers. They were all quite friendly. I told each that I had no furniture, only lots of books and lots of high-quality kitchenware from Zabar's that I had collected over the years. I decided on a company, and its representative told me that there was an affordable, minimum charge for small moves, like mine, if I packed up my belongings myself, and she assured me there was no need for a costly estimate, though I emphasized several times that good cookware and good books are heavy. She also told me I could dictate the duration of the move thereby allowing me to take up to three weeks to drive across the country in a leisurely fashion.

(story continued)

Dean Walton, Science Library: A Western Migration

I need to say that my move to the West to work at the University of Oregon was not my first move to Eugene. My first venture to Oregon occurred back in 1989, and my two trips, both by car, could not have been more different. Nonetheless, I liked my first experience enough that I wanted to come back. I have always liked living near the mountains and the ocean. Back East I felt lucky because I always lived within 1 to 4 hours of each. And, when I lived in Thomas, West Virginia, an area that claimed to be the highest town east of the Mississippi, I was about only 5 hours from the coast. Later, when I found out that I could live in Eugene and be an hour from the beach and an hour from mountains 2-3 times the size of where I lived in the Virginias, I was sold. More importantly, back in the late eighties, I was excited to work on a research project out this way.

In both cases Interstate 70, Gateway to the Cornbelt, occupied much of my initial travel time, and in both cases I arrived in Eugene during the first week of October. The similarities end there. My most recent trip was scheduled to take 3 days but took 6. The first trip had no schedule except to arrive in time to start work. I had about a month, and I took every minute of that month.

(story continued)

Stephanie Midkiff, Law Library: Moving (North)West

My husband Gary and I always enjoyed hiking and backpacking in the west, and when I received a job offer at the UO about 11 years ago, we thought that was our chance. We thought, "Oregon — that's west." It wasn't till we lived in the Northwest awhile that we realized it's not the same. Now we say we have to go east to go west. But we doubt we'll ever go back to live in Kentucky or the East.

We made a 5-day trip to Eugene in December 1996 to scope out the place after my interview, and it rained every day. I recall driving to the coast and being stuck on Highway 126 near Mapleton where a huge boulder had blocked the road. And the housing prices were much higher than in Kentucky. We would pick up the brochures in front of houses for sale and take turns guessing the prices of homes. When we told our families that we'd have to pay more for a house and I'd be taking a substantial pay cut to come to Eugene, my brother-in-law said, "Well, obviously you're not going then, are you?" We figured if we didn't go now, we might never have another chance to live in the West, and we also (wisely) figured that money isn't everything, if you can have a job you enjoy going to every day.

(story continued)

Jennifer Rowan, Visual Resources Collection: The Heavy Load and the Long Road West

Oregon or Bust!

In all the years of growing up in the Midwest and many a camping trip with my family, we never crossed the Mississippi. My dad had lots of vacation time but could take no more than two-week increments at a time. Two weeks was time enough to circumambulate Lake Superior. It was also long enough to make a trip to the Smokey Mountains every fall and, one year, to accommodate an expedition to Montreal and the length of the Saint Lawrence Seaway to Quebec City and the Atlantic Coast of Nova Scotia. On the other hand, the roads leading West were simply too many and too far. My parents finally made their first trip across Canada to the California coast only after the three oldest had grown up and left home. My brother and his best friend went with them and still remember that trip as one of those pivotal life experiences, especially the week they spent with my parents' friends in Malibu where they hobnobbed with writers, surfers, musicians, starlets and models. Heady stuff when you're 15.

It is therefore ironic that my parents were largely responsible for engineering my move west in the early 1980s. My dad was retiring, and they'd already picked Eugene as their future home and bought land for the geodesic dome they had in mind. They waited around just long enough to attend my sister's wedding in January, put their house on the market and started meandering their way along the slow, deep, southern route.

(story continued)

Notes on the Performing Arts
by Terry McQuilkin

"The World's Greatest City of the Arts and Outdoors" is how the City of Eugene describes itself. Is that an over-the-top boast, or is Eugene really unrivaled as a place where one can experience both the outdoors and the fine arts? Laura Damiani comments on the outdoors elsewhere in this issue, and here I'll try to share some of my thoughts on the arts.

Until I came up to Eugene in 1990 to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Oregon, I'd lived my entire life in the L.A. area. During the 1980s, when I was doing some freelance music reviewing, I attended hundreds of classical music concerts. During my first year at the Music School, fellow students spoke enthusiastically about the Eugene Symphony, so I attended one of their concerts in Silva Hall.

It may have been big-town withdrawal or just the kind of snobbery that can come with being from a large metropolis, but I remember criticizing the concert with another grad student — also an Angeleno — enrolled in the School of Music, and we agreed that "this isn't L.A."

Eugene's Backyard Playground : The Great Outdoors
story and photos by Laura Damiani

View from Tire Mountain

Eugene’s greatest treasure is a gift from Mother Nature herself. What I love most about Eugene is not anything found within the city limits, but the nature that surrounds it on all sides. I think of Eugene as an island in a sea of nature. It is in a prime location within the state to enjoy all that Oregon has to offer in the way of outdoor experiences. For the outdoor enthusiast, the possibilities are seemingly endless.

I moved to Eugene from Chicago just over ten years ago. Much like the pioneers, I decided to move here sight unseen. The main element that drew me to Oregon was the fascinating nature found here. Being a photographer who is particularly drawn to nature photography, I knew that living amongst these grandiose landscapes was exactly what I was looking for. So I packed up my car with all my belongings and hit the road. It turned out to be the right decision, as I have found my bliss in living here.

I am continually amazed at the diversity of the natural beauty of this state. There are old growth forests, rivers, waterfalls, lakes, the Pacific Ocean, beaches and dunes, mountains and desert. People enjoy hiking, backpacking, biking, boating, rafting, rock climbing, surfing, skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling and more. My passion is hiking and backpacking, camera close at hand. There is little I love more than to backpack deep into the wilderness for a few days and literally get away from it all. And even after ten years of seeking out nature experiences in Oregon, I feel that I have only scratched the surface of possibilities and I am still just as in awe of the sights as I was on day one. I will never take it for granted.

(story continued)

Eugene is for Wine Lovers
by John Russell, with input from Katy Lenn and Christy Carmichael

As a native of the East Coast, Oregon has not been someplace that naturally comes to mind when I think of wine. California was on my radar, of course, doubly so as a good friend from college worked as a vineyard manager in the Sonoma valley. I also had a rather fuzzy sense of the Pacific Northwest as a place to get decent white wines (pinot gris or riesling) and some pinot noir, but most of the ones that I saw in stores or actually consumed were from the Washington side of the Columbia River. In anticipation of moving out here, I read up a little bit on Oregon wines and looked forward to finding some new wines to enjoy.

When I first got to Eugene, the first wine store I came across was Sundance Wine Cellars on Alder St. between 24th & 25th. I should note here a very important premise: I have long felt that finding a good wine store is like finding a good hair stylist/barber. In both cases, you want to develop a relationship of trust that will allow, in our instance, the person in the wine store to help you grow outside of an aesthetic rut. Of course, some people are happy to have the same thing over and over (and I don't fault them for it), but for those who drink wine as a process of exploration, a sensitive and sensible guide is a must. I've been happy enough with the folks at Sundance that I haven't sought out other wine stores, but some of our colleagues here, for example, frequent WineStyles on Willamette and enjoy the atmosphere and selection there.

What Oregon wines have I loved so far? Well, everyone talks about Oregon pinot noir, but I haven't found them to be particularly stimulating. I've been very happy, on the other hand, with Oregon pinot gris and have yet to find one I didn't like. Luckily, the wine selection available in Eugene is quite good, so even if I don't like Oregon pinot noir, there are lots of other excellent wines around to quench a red-wine thirst.

I have to admit to not fully taking advantage of all that Eugene has to offer a wine lover. There are a number of places to enjoy a glass of wine in Eugene, but more importantly there are a number of wineries in the area. The Wineries of Lane County Barrel Tour is one way to sample what Eugene's hinterlands have to offer. For $60, you get a charter-bus tour of six wineries with wine tastings—a nice way to get a survey of local products without having to worry about driving. Another option, popular among some of the library's winerati, is a visit to King Estate to enjoy the scenery and the wine. However you might feel about King Estate wines, it sounds like a lovely way to spend a summer's day.

Whether you have refined tastes in wine or are looking for something inexpensive and easy-drinking, Eugene has a lot to offer. The variety of wines and wine-related activities in the area make Eugene a place where it would be hard for a wine lover to get bored and definitely a place for the wine drinker to love.

The World Around Us
Chinese New Year
by Xiaotong Wang

A pair of fish,symbolic of abundance, with the Chinese word "fu" meaning good fortune"

Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year, falls on a different date every year, but always on the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar, which is the day of the second new moon after the winter solstice. Over the twelve-year cycle of Chinese lunar years, the second new moon after the winter solstice may occur as early as January 21 and as late as February 20. This year it falls on the new moon of February 7. It will be the year of the rat, traditionally the first of a twelve-animal sequence. The other eleven are: ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. According to ancient legend, Buddha asked all the animals to gather on Chinese New Year. Only twelve came and Buddha named a year after each one in the order of its arrival. These twelve animals and their supposed character traits, in combination with other celestial and temporal elements, help form some of the basis of Chinese astrology and the prediction of character and personality according to one's birth year. The twelve-year sequence also emphasizes a cyclical rather than a linear Western sense of time.

Traditionally an agricultural society, China followed a lunar calendar that was well suited for planting and harvesting. The Lunar New Year occurs as a useful and welcome punctuation to the yearly life and work cycle, ending physically and psychologically around the winter solstice—the year's shortest day. People celebrate the whole festive Lunar New Year holiday period as a way to say goodbye to the humdrum of winter, a year of hard work, and to usher in the gaiety of spring. Chinese New Year is the most important festival celebrated in Chinese communities around the world. In many ways, it resembles aspects of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year, with an original Chinese concept of spring cleaning thrown in for good measure, all rolled into one prolonged mega-holiday. In mainland China, Chinese New Year is celebrated with distinct regional flavors, but despite these differences, the air of festivity is palpable and visible throughout the country. The Spring Festival is a time of annual vacation and family reunion. It is a national holiday on mainland China, and people get a whole week off work. It is also the peak season of travel, when students and migrant workers flood airport terminals and train stations to head back home.

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Liquid Sustenance
by Catherine Flynn

Hands down, every time, for years and years, Full City serves the roundest, richest, deepest most satisfying coffee I have found, its subtle caramelly sweetness consistent perfection. Having sampled it regularly for close to a couple of decades, I have not met its peer. Even when I've intended to rush out the door, treasure in hand, one sip makes me stop and sigh. A window seat at the urbane, buzzing Pearl Street location offers lively people watching. Maybe you too have a distant memory of the satisfying decadence of sipping a latte in the cafe seating outside in sunny weather, amidst downtown to-ing and fro-ing.

Though the espresso bar is just one small part of the ambitious food-centered Fifth Street marketplace, Marché Provisions, they produce a notably delicious cup. I'd like to say that Marché coffee is just as swell all over town, but my experience says otherwise. If you are not up for coffee, their sipping chocolate is a deep, dark rich puddingy concoction, available only in one diminutive size. Even in a small cup, this adult über-chocolate is often best shared. Another Marché indulgence done to perfection at Provisions is their version of the Borgia, a latte made with chocolate and orange, and garnished with a strip of their own candied orange peel. As long as you're there, there's no reason not to have one of the bakery's very tiny frosted cupcakes —assorted flavors, some with sprinkles. So little commitment, so much gratification.

For an edgier, artsier mode, visit The Wandering Goat in the Whiteaker neighborhood at 268 Madison Street. The spacious location features crimson walls, upholstered furniture, Italianate pendant lamps, and lots of clacking away on laptops. Oh, and a set of electric logs nestled against a wall, that seem to beg for a hearth. My first visit had overtones of both the Monty Python cheese shop sketch and Waiting for Godot. One of their hallmarks is that each cup is prepared individually. The earnest barista literally dumped out three cups of made-to-order coffee before reaching the level of perfection he required of his creation for the patient customer ahead of me. This took a long time. I opted for a latte, and it was rich, creamy and altogether an excellent cup—and realized in only one go-round. All products are organically grown and fair trade, and their roasting operation is powered with no less than one hundred percent wind-generated electricity. Their pastries and other desserts looked intriguingly fresh and homemade, and are not entirely vegan.

Tea drinkers are tend to be fussier and more ritualistic than coffee drinkers. We'd prefer a porcelain cup for black teas and the aroma-enhancing patina of a Yixing tea pot for steeping greens. And then there are other various protocols: the measuring of the leaves, the pre-heating of the pot, the heating of water to a full roaring boil for a flavorful bloom of black tea leaves, and the crucial-yet-neglected timing of the steep. I do not think this level of persnicketiness is currently available anywhere in town. While coffee is often mainlined through a plastic lid at a dead run, tea requires a more meditative pace, and bit of hovering over the cup. Mostly I can't be bothered with having tea out, unless I'm ailing and going around with a raging sore throat, and really should be home in bed with a mustard plaster. And then I stick with something herbal, which is more forgiving. One notable exception to this is something called a Tea Au Lait that is offered by the UO Bookstore's Duck Shop Coffee. It is a latte-esque creation made with your choice of tea, steamed milk and a vanilla syrup. Order it with Ginger-Peach Tea, easy on the syrup and do not stoop to skim milk. Yum.

Restaurants in Eugene: Some Editors' Picks

Eugene doesn't have the variety of restaurants of a big city like New York or Chicago, but for a city of about 150,000, it does impressively well. In fact, we decided that coming up with a "top ten" list of eateries would be a disservice to our readers, since none of us would be able to name our own "top ten," let alone reach a consensus with other editors. Instead, we asked a few of the LSA News editors to name three or four places that they find particularly noteworthy and worth revisiting. We encouraged to everyone to include restaurants in various price ranges that they might visit depending on the circumstances. So here are some editors' choices — not necessarily "the top 16," but all restaurants worth going to.

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Annual Holiday Potluck Dazzles the Senses
by Jen Lindsey, photos by Laura Damiani

The LSA Holiday Potluck never fails to impress me. Once again, the Browsing Room was transformed into a winter wonderland by Raina Smith and her Social Committee elves. From my vantage point at the Checkout Desk, I observed them working hard to festoon the room with lights and greenery, which set off the black and white table linens. Later, dish after glorious dish was delivered by hardworking cooks, waiting for the moment when the banquet was to begin. The line of hungry library workers was long, stretching nearly to the door, as people queued up for the goodies. By the time I was able to join the festivities, the party was in full swing. Beautiful music filled the air, courtesy of the lovely grand piano and the talents of Leslie Bennett, Ben Farrell, and Terry and Ellen McQuilkin. Every table was filled with merrymakers enjoying the company, the excellent food, and the joy of the holiday season. Can’t wait until next year!

(click here for more pictures from the potluck)

Random Question

It is the fact that you can walk around the Holiday Market and no one does a double-take at things like tie-dyed toilet paper. Anything goes in Eugene.

—Katy Lenn, Reference and Research Services.

Locally owned businesses. For example, Holy Cow offers healthy organic food, good for our bodies and the environment. (I have to say I am heartbroken that the EMU has decided not to renew their lease because, in my opinion, this kind of business is what really makes Eugene unique.)

—Mandi Garcia, Metadata Services and Digital Projects

Blair Boulevard. There's barely a reason to ever leave the Whiteaker.

—Jon Jablonski, Document Center

There’s a nice mix that Eugene has: university town, weather that caters to wimps, and the coast/mountains proximity. It’s got a quasi-California ambience, perfect for the person who was on his way to San Francisco but the VW van broke down in Eugene, so why go any further?

—Paul Frantz, Reference and Research Services.

There's nothing unique about Eugene except its own sense of uniqueness.

—Colin Kelly, Document Center

I would probably say the most unique thing about Eugene is the fanaticism of a certain quasi-religious cult who devote their entire being to a web-footed fowl. Kind of freaky, but not in a cool David Bowie sort of way.

—Chris Tweeter, Acquisitions

silk ties and tie-dye,
and t-shirts and mittens,
tree-hugging anarchists
who claim to have written
graffiti on bio-fueled
Prius mobiles
liberal attitudes bumpers reveal

dreadlocks and clear-cuts,
and recycled clothing
baristas praise Shakespeare,
while students are roving
towards hand-crafted barley hops,
draft after dark
now try to find a place downtown to park…

—Jaye Barlous, Metadata Services and Digital Projects

From the Fact File
by Terry McQuilkin

Eugene Edifices

There's a lot of history in Eugene's buildings, so we thought we'd take a look at some of the structures that have played a role in the city's history. See if you can identify the eight structures described in this month's contest.

Go to Fact File>>

Johnson Hall
January 27, 2008

Story Contest Winner
Life is Sweet

John Russell, History/Medieval Studies Librarian in Reference and Research Services, will most likely be put into state of gustatory bliss very soon, as he'll be receiving a gift card valued at $25 for Sweet Life Patisserie, courtesy of the Library Staff Association. John was selected by random drawing from among all staff members who submitted "I ♥ Eugene" stories for publication in this issue. Our advice to John is to make sure no one is following you as you leave campus to pick up your treat!

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

No LSA events were scheduled for February at the time the LSA News went to press.

NON-LSA EVENTS

February 1 to 29, 2008: This year's Governor's State Employees' Food Drive is called Take a Bite Out of Hunger. There will be a drop-off barrel in the Librarian's Office in the Knight Library for donations of food. Please do not bring items in glass containers, sodas, or items which have not been commercially packaged. If you would like to donate money, please make your check out to Food for Lane County and give it to Sheila Gray. She will give you a receipt.

Thursday, February 22, 2008: The Diversity Film Series, sponsored by the Library Diversity Committee, will present "Give My Poor Heart Ease—Mississippi Delta Bluesmen" and "Lip" from noon to 1 p.m. in the Edmiston Classroom.

Thursday, February 28, 2008: The Forgotten Films series will present four films from the Libraries' 16 mm collection: "Know Your Meat: Beef", "Manhatta", "Why Man Creates", and "It's Fun to Read Books". Screening will take place 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Proctor 41, Knight Library.

Announcements:

Thank You! Kudos to the 89 library employees who paid staff association dues before the end of 2007. Thanks to you, LSA's budget is solid for another year! Thanks also to Library Administration for matching funds of $267.

The Libraries' Historic Photo Collection made the news recently. Oregon Public Broadcasting did a nice little segment which featured Normandy Helmer and Lesli Larson. You can watch it at this link; click on "watch this story now".

People in the Library
edited by Jen Lindsey

Welcome:

Jason Kovich - Media Services Date started: January 14 Job Title: Classroom Technology Specialist Previously: I moved up here from Ashland.  I was the IT director and Audio Engineer for a local concert venue called the Mobius.  I also worked for Southern Oregon University in the Enrollment Services department, doing web development and customer service. Education: I have an A.S. from Bellevue Community College.  I have also attended UC Santa Barbara (Marine Biology major), Los Angeles Recording Workshop (Audio Engineering), and SOU (physics, then math, then computer science major). Family: My wife Amber and I have an 8 year old son, Jacob. Best way to spend the weekend: My son and I are big sports fans, football and basketball are the biggest.  My son is just getting to the age where he wants to play just about every sport.  Otherwise, I love going to a good concert or camping during the spring and summer. Favorite movie: Too many to list, but lately I have really enjoyed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Oceans 11, 12 and 13.  My son loves Harry and the Hendersons, so I have seen that quite a few times as well.

On the Move:

David Baker - Media Services Previously in the library: Electronic Reserves Clerk in Circ/Reserves (Access Services), started June 2004 Currently: Classroom Technology Specialist Best thing you accomplished in your prior position: I'm proud of the consistently high level of service my former unit offered to students and faculty using library reserves.  And, this one time I very narrowly beat a former co-worker in a versus game of New Super Mario Brothers.  You should've seen it, it was awesome. Looking forward to most about new job: Interacting with library patrons away from the library. Favorite place to take your break: Depends on the time of year.  When it's cold outside, a hot cup of coffee in the Daily Grind is nice.  In the summer, I recommend Yachats. Most fun you've had at the library: Coaching Mark Watson into busting some extraordinarily hot riffs in Guitar Hero II was an experience I will not soon forget. Favorite place to go out to eat: Local Ocean Seafood in Newport, or any place that can make a decent mint julep.

Michelle Williams - Access Services Previously in the library: Resource Sharing Assistant, Orbis Cascade Alliance, January 5, 2004, 8:00 a.m. (though I'm pretty sure I was a few minutes early that day) Currently: Interlibrary Loan Assistant; started January 22, 2008.  I work in ILL in the afternoons, and at the Alliance in the mornings through February. Best thing you accomplished in your prior position: Forging friendships and collegial relationships with staff at Alliance libraries.  Also: Annual Account Reconciliation tweaks and improvements. Looking forward to most about new job: Working with the stellar and humorous Access Services staff and learning about Ariel's special quirks.  You have to love Ariel. Favorite place to take your break: The Server Room.  Or Barry's. Most fun you've had at the library: Spending July with Summit Bookbands on the loading dock, and also Summit Borrowing Day.  Shelf Reading Olympics were great as well. Favorite place to go out to eat: My current faves are Papa's Soul Food Kitchen and Sakura.

Goodbye:

Staff announcements and photos by Jen Lindsey unless otherwise indicated