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Saturday, November 6, 2010

Surprise visit

The new genealogy database at work has helped me a lot with the requests that I have right now. I still have to go to the archive for the resources that we don't have, but it saves me time. It means of course that I spend all the day at work, from about 7 to 7. We aren't allowed to stay longer in the building.

One of the patrons wanted to see a collection we keep in a remote storage, so on Tuesday afternoon I drove her there. She was overjoyed to see all those books, and she made me bring six boxes filled with Montgomery books (all editions we own of Anne of Green Gables) back to the library for her to take a closer look at. I'm glad that our collection comes to good use, but what a heavy job.

It seems like many of the patrons are getting ready to write papers, because the number of book requests are increasing. Statistically, the next two weeks will be the worst weeks of the entire year. We are still not in sync with the work load, and that is slightly worrying, considering what is waiting ahead.

Last Friday I got a surprise visit at the library by some relatives from Kristianstad. They had driven all that way just to get an old map of the parish our common ancestors lived in. I asked the map librarian for help, and he found one to copy. I also brought them on a short tour of the stacks and they were impressed by all the book shelves. People in general are amazed when I tell them that we have seven million volumes and it's my job to keep track of all of them.

Today is All Saint's Day and the archive was closed. Instead I made a trip to the mall. I got a pair of boots that actually seem to fit me. I have big feet and it's a problem finding shoes that I can wear. I noticed that many stores already have their Christmas items on display. It feels a little early, but it's the same every year, I guess.

With the help of my dear relative and colleague in Illinois, Nancy, I now have lots of information on the four Herrlin brothers that emigrated 1880-1892. One kept his original name of Hansson, the other three used their mother's maiden name Herrlin. So much easier to find them in the US with a name like that, I have to say.

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