Photo by Pedro Figueras on Pexels.com I've mentioned before on this blog the website 101 words that publishes stories of exactly 101-words. That post was to highlight how useful the ideal title can be when words are limited. This post is in awe at the ability to fit an actual story, – with beginning, middle … Continue reading Tiny stories
The March of Progress
Shutterstock image Through the twentieth century, the Net Book Agreement in the UK had fixed book prices. Only books that were 'remaindered' by publishers (having failed to sell) were sold at reduced prices. This agreement between the Publishers Association and booksellers fell by the wayside in the 1990s. By the turn of the century, book … Continue reading The March of Progress
The Small Dog Considers …
Those who follow Sue Vincent will have read this already. For those who don’t, I recommend her blogs. Unbearably poignant.
He’s bringing tea and coffee through,
With toast and honey, biscuits too,
To pick her up when she feels drained…
And I thought I had got him trained!
*
I’m sort of glad, though, to be fair,
‘Cause, what with all the missing hair
She’s not the way she used to be…
And prob’bly needs more help than me.
*
She says I do enough all day
By keeping tennis balls in play
And warming feet and guarding doors
…And cleaning chocolate crumbs from floors.
*
It’s not enough, what can you do?
The years we had together flew!
We’d time to learn each other’s ways
Put so much laughter in the days…
*
But soon she’ll cross the rainbow bridge
And I’ll stand quiet by the fridge
And wait there for the final ‘treat’…
And know that love is death’s defeat.
*
Sunday funnies
I’m all for believing the pearly gates have a dog flap.
The Leafy Groves of Academe
Photo by Charlotte May on Pexels.com I whiled away a year as Head of Learning Resources at a new sixth form college, where we upgraded the provisional library the college had opened with (which I was around long enough to move into – I'd almost forgotten that one). Meanwhile, a post came up at a … Continue reading The Leafy Groves of Academe
Moving On (librarywise)
From Centre Librarian in one Further Education college, I moved on to the post of Campus Learning Resources Manager (LRM) in a bigger college further into London. As one of three Campus Managers under a Head of Learning Resources, I supervised three sites around the Moorgate-Old Street area while functioning as Site Librarian to one … Continue reading Moving On (librarywise)
Libraries in UK Further Education: 1990s
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com From the Sixth Form Centre, I moved further afield into an East London Further Education (FE) college. Back then, FE colleges were engaged in merging many small local sites into larger, centralised colleges. I was Centre Librarian on a site that served A-level courses to students aged 16+ as well … Continue reading Libraries in UK Further Education: 1990s
Library Networking
I was appointed librarian to a new Sixth Form Centre. It took Sixth Form students (aged 16-18) from two of the borough's secondary schools. The contract was for two years, while the schools in question expanded to accomodate their growing Sixth forms. The library boasted six networked RM Nimbus computers. My computing experience was limited … Continue reading Library Networking
The Dawn of Library Automation
I started work at a private school at the beginning of an Autumn term. My new position as Girls' School Librarian was more about keeping an eye on the pupils than developing the collection. The library was located in the girls' school building, but it served boys and girls in both primary and secondary schools … Continue reading The Dawn of Library Automation
Between Libraries
Between jobs.
