Research requests

The first two proper weeks at work were terrible. The semester started on the 20th and we had so much to do. Last week the database was down for an upgrade for a day and a half and it was not a good time to get that done. The students got very upset when they couldn't get any books. It took a long time to work through the backlog. All staff members are now back from illness/vacation and it's working better.

The vice chancellor was very impressed by the research results he got. He came to the library to meet me and asked what I had done to find the information about his ancestors. I showed him the databases and digitized newspapers.

Recently I was given two other research cases. Both regard absent fathers. One case I could crack because the person who asked had a name, but it was still tricky. The name was common, so it required weeding through lots of entries in several databases. The other case I'm not sure I will ever solve. There is no name and the place was Stockholm. I'm investigating the person's DNA matches right now. It's very difficult.

Last week I attended a lecture at the Archive Center. It was about a woman who was a pioneer in the textile handcraft industry. She had a big project in the early 1900s, she travelled all over the country to photograph old textiles like rugs, table runners and cushions. She was in my hometown also. The images are preserved at a museum in Stockholm and they have been made available online. Otherwise I would never have known anything about her or her work.

At my place the ceiling in the hall has been painted and there are new floor boards. I haven't done any of it, it's my father. We talked about his already last year, when the kitchen renovation was going on. There was no time then but now my father took the initiative. There are some small details left to do but it looks very nice.