Merry Christmas

The new staff member seems to have more energy than the rest of us. He took the initiative to drive to the storage (in his own car) to shelve. He thought it was practical, because he can drive home from there in the afternoon. We are happy about his engagement in the work.

The Christmas party was held online, on Zoom. It was difficult to log on but when it finally worked it was very nice. One staff member showed images of handwritten texts from the 13th century, where the figures we now associate with Christmas were mentioned. He also talked about the traditions in the 19th century. The university archivist was invited and gave a presentation of some books relating to the history of the university. And then the big event - we all took part in an online live viewing of the Hallwyl Palace Museum in Stockholm. Two of their staff members walked around in the museum after hours with a film camera and showed us some of the best items on display. We saw Dutch 17th century paintings, the book collection (of course), the interiors of the kitchen, the first telephone in Stockholm, the grand piano room where most of the items were covered in gold and the dining room set for dinner. I have been to this museum in person and have to say this viewing was very good. 

The Christmas present from work was a gift certificate to use on a website. We usually get this and it's nice to pick out your own gift.

Two colleagues have had the corona virus, both are ok. One of them said she lost the sense of taste and smell, but no other side effects showed up. 

Last Monday the authorities in Sweden sent a text message to all the listed cellphone numbers, urging us to follow the restrictions and reminding us of the danger. No more than 8 people are now allowed to gather in a public space. The library has even shorter opening hours now, 12-17 on weekdays. This Friday the restrictions got even tighter and today the library boss is in a meeting with the vice chancellor to discuss the issues. 

Only a few days left to the big holiday now. I have sent out the annual letter by e-mail. If anyone feels neglected, please let me know. I wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Black Friday shopping

I could only take two Mondays off because my colleagues had problems coping with the work load. Instead I have taken a few afternoons off, so by now I am down to the agreed limit of overtime. Recently I have also engaged more in the storage round and have participtated more actively in the daily chores, since several people are physically absent. This past week we got a replacement for a colleague who was transferred. The new guy has experience from another university library, so I don't have to explain everything from scratch. He takes initiative to shelve, which we are happy about. 

Shopping at Black Friday is something I normally don't do, but this year the deals at the plus size clothing store were very good. I waited until the last opening hour and was all alone in the store. I got two pairs of pants at a very affordable price. At another store I got a new nightgown. Around the same time I had to buy a new TV, since the old one stopped functioning. The one I wanted was of course not on sale, but bought it anyway.  

At my place the Christmas tree is already up and decorated. At this time of year (especially this year) we need more lights and decorations in our lives.

This Sunday I drove to my birthtown, Norra Strö. My friends had at last published the book about the church and were selling it at the historical society museum. I got one copy for free, since I had helped with literature and proof-reading. The book is very extensive, 200 pages is a lot for a book about a small countryside church. 

It's dark and relatively cold here now. It's just above zero, some nights below. Several mornings I have had to get the windshield wipers removed from the windshield using quite a lot of force. So far, there are no problems driving.