Summer is here

Hello,

We know summer is here even though it is cool and rainy. We know summer is here even though people are not flocking to the pools and beach. We know summer is here even though children are not often seen playing in the park. We know summer is here even though people are not sitting on their porches. There are green leaves, green grass, some flowers struggling to adapt, and the sure sign of summer, kids in the library. Numbers of users have gone up. This morning there was toddler time as well as a special program on worms. From opening at nine until noon we had 70 people come in. Because the youth services librarian was involved with the programs, I worked the desk. I had time to breathe, but not to sit back and wonder what I should do next. I also managed to interlibrary loan because there was only one request that we needed to fill. The phone rang a few times including a man who has the softest voice that I have tried to understand in a long time. Leaving the room was the only way I could guess at what he was saying.

After lunch things were much quieter. I miss that business that was such a part of the job in Slovakia. I like the rush of pressure, summer is good because it will be there from time to time.

It was also fun to visit with someone I used to know from former days of living in Ely. If I am there long enough I will get reconnected with many people.

Today and tomorrow, Leroy is in Dubuque for a conference on cataloging. He tells me that almost all of the participants are his age and maybe even older. Is cataloging now a skill only held by the close to retiring? What will happen to libraries then? It is our understanding that cataloging is no longer a required course and some library schools do not even have it as a possibility. The work world is changing.

Paula