Life at work has flown by. Things have changed. I'm now on three local committees, I've put in the paperwork for a promotion (or a firing, whatever the committee decides), I've traveled far and wide on adventures in every area of the nation save the far west, and I've figured out what I'm really supposed to be doing in my position.
   My department, a part of the Library Systems Office, is going to be getting a new person. Now I won't even be the lowest may on that godforsaken totem pole of work relations. That's going to be nice. For now, though, life continues. I have a huge slate of responsibilities that is sometimes difficult to balance, but for the most part, I get things done. Actually for all but two times I've been able to know without question that I have succeeded. That's important to me. The carry-through is the most important part of any project.
   But these committees I'm on...Man!

Preparing for Y2K testing. I'm going to be home in my little apartment for most of the holidays. It shouldn't be bad at all. I'll have plenty to do. The University is more or less prepared for all the expected crazy hooha of the time change. I don't expect much to go wrong.
  The parents, on the other hand, are prepared for the worst time of their lives. Cash, food, water, and shelter all set aside for the collapse of our society. They've even practiced their own carry-through rehersing everything from power outtages to war itself. I don't know how they think that they'll protect themselves from the enemy with a .22 caliber, though, I wouldn't call anyone in my family naive. particularly.

Librarians are amazing. They will fly, drive, commute, and take their precious time to learn more about their chosen profession...and then to specialize in something like Serials makes these folks all the more admirable. Sometimes I miss my days as a Serials Cataloger. I knew what my work was about and who it was for and how to get it done. Ah, those were the days.

The file transfer went perfectly, too! And it's Friday! This afternoon I am sorting through over 5000 files and am going to execute our CHGLOC program which changes the location from one location to a new one. Slick little ap also created in house. I'm learning how a variety of tools can be enhanced with a bit of thought and enough effort to make it smoothe. Again: Our programmers here rock!

My sort table for the selectors at Yale is coming along. I've never seen anything so complex. hmm. I'm glad that I don't have to figure out how to sort a report by the table. sigh.

Work has been filled with specifications and tables. I am working on a few updates to our programs which connect ORBIS (our catalog) with the software managing the LSF (the Library Storage Facility). The table that I'm working on is to document what we are involving with the overnight batch of jobs to maintain ORBIS. We are discovering the Y2K is affecting us still.

Today has been a day spent figuring out why more things are not working as they should. So far, they've been pretty easy to assess...luckily. I am still road weary, but it was indeed fun to drive my big, red Texas plated truck through Chinatown. Even had Mexican food on Mass Ave. I needed that!

I spent the morning with more ORBDEV (ORBIS in a development or testing mode) testing.

I had lunch at Yorkside...Pizza!

Renewed working on the MUDD location split. Mostly testing. I checked out 20 books to myself to see how things roll over on Monday. Should be fine, but we test and test and test just to try to be certain.

Am making plans to attend ALA in Philadelphia. Have only one must-attend meeting. I'm hoping that there is enough variety to keep me interested. Sometimes that's difficult to do at Mid-Winter. I don't know who is going from Yale. I don't know if I would know those going anyway. This place is so huge!

My latest big assignment is to work through our batch jobs...the overnight processes which make the system run, process reports, and keep everything in the library going. I'm quickly learning to find adventure in finding things on the mainframe. TSO rocks!

Yale is working through both a backlog and what they call a 'frontlog'. We're working on a solution to oursource some of the copy cataloging and bibliographic database searching for these titles. As a former catloger, it's been interesting to learn how an institution with such a huge volume of materials acquired each year works through the processing snafus. Like any library, Yale deals with problems resulting from not having enough staffing to support the processing areas throughout its system.

I think I'll go to lunch now!

Friday was spent in holiday cheer! The Systems Office had breakfast at the Omni...I'm still full...

It was clearly explained to me today, I must add, that there was never a problem with my attending these meetings/events because I was on probation.

It is unfortunate that I have somehow become the first new librarian at Yale to be professionally demanding. I'd like to know about the experiences of my colleagues here. Is it simply because I am a junior librarian? We shall see.

The process had actually alarmed me. I had been asked to essentially crash the system and I found that I was unable to do so. Ends up that the solution/fix had been implemented and I tested the system to make sure that it'd work. I thought that I was not executing the task at hand. It was a strange workday. Loved every minute of it. At least I didn't have to read all day like yesterday.

I also worked on searching through documentation about MHLD records...the history of description and the guidelines available. In particular how NOTIS handles the 852 and how we at Yale apply it.

I found that there is a variety of ways to input holdings records. And regularly enough the catalog reflects previous folks who seemingly overlooked the guidelines. My serials cataloging blood sighed.

Kalee showed me how to modify the OPAC displays today. Cool!

Work today was mostly reading manuals and looking for what I read in the database and then going back to reading. I did update 3710 ORBIS holding records to reflect LSFN in the Item Loan Code.

The morning was shot because we had a great departmental meeting. Everyone was there...almost...and we actually had a discussion. Not only was it my first meeting, it seems from what everyone told me afterwards to have been the actual FIRST departmental meeting. Too cool! We need more of this.

The afternoon became a bit shot because we found a programming snag in our CHGLOC program...it's compatible with only one version of Host Explorer...our terminal emulator. So that's a bum. Luckily, I had the right version...works for me! Doesnt' work for Manuscripts and Archives.

I need to sit down by next week and peruse through my notes and give myself a list of goals for the next year. Hmm.

Next Friday we are having the Systems departmental breakfast over at the Omni. Should be some fun!

Today everyone was telling me how to get to one of the servers...and giving me passwords and such and every password was different. I finally went down to Workstation Support and asked them. They knew right off...heck ..they manage the damn things!

At work, we talked about the Buddy Guy show off and on throughout the day...about 5 Systems folks attended. Wow! What fun...

Went to get my email account as well. Walked all the way over to ITS and back....had a visit there with Gail and Bob. Too cool cats. David was not there that day. Gail and Bob run the mainframe systems and help us with problems and execute and schedule our every little thing. I bet we're pretty indebted to these folks. Keep 'em happy!

Lot's of correspondence from Texas Tech. Many questions of the folks back home. I haven't had email in over a week. How did I survive?