Oversize journals

Last Monday morning we had no internet access at work. This was terrible. We were unable to perform any of the tasks we do first thing we get to work. We couldn't see what requests we had and we couldn't print the call slips. Nothing functioned. We just stood there and tried to figure out what we could do that didn't require a computer. Very little, it turns out. We couldn't even send an e-mail to the support service, to complain.... It's incredible how dependent we are on the internet. It took an hour before the problem was fixed (and that's a long time in this context).

Last week was busy. Some people were on leave (it was a school vacation week) and some people were sick (flu still rages here). The movers had problems with staffing, so there were several new faces. They are now moving the oversize material. There are extra large shelves at the new storage for this. It's difficult to manage these journals, mainly because of the size and because the material has a tendency to fall out of the boxes when handled.

The mover's truck gave up its last breath Tuesday, and was exchanged the same day. The new one works very well, and I hope they will get to keep it.

Speaking of mistakes and such, I was at the new storage to assist the movers, and in this process I managed to tip a cart over. I got two meters of folio format books on my feet and also broke a nail. Annoying.

 

Weatherwise it's still winter, but we don't live in complete darkness anymore. It's rather light out in the mornings now.

Another 10 000 meters moved

Incredible week. Great variation in events, not always fun ones. The lenten bun we got Tuesday was tasty, of course. The rest of that day I would really like to forget as soon as possible. The madness began when the moving truck refused to start when they were going to deliver the first load of books in the morning. The battery was dead. After a long and complicated chain of events (where we tried to help, but failed), they called a company that came out and replaced the battery. Most of the working day passed by, with very little book moving done. It was frustrating.

The social club event Wednesday evening was interesting. We attended an exhibit in Malmö about Tutankhamun. All the artifacts were copies, but very well done. It was exact replicas of all the things found in his tomb. Lots of history to learn there. There were incredible valuables, large objects of gold and magnificient pieces of art and also practical objects he was thought to need in the next life.

This week I also attended a lecture about the Swedish Dictionary, a very large dictionary describing the Swedish language from 1521 until present times. Their staff uses our library very much, they even have access to most of the stacks, so we see them quite a lot. The work writing the dictionary started in the 1880s, and they are now on the letter U, so they have been working on it for some time.

Thursday it was time again for a lunch with the movers. We celebrated the fact that they have moved an additional 10 000 shelfmeters of books. They have actually done about 75% of it now. Very impressive. The largest storage is rather empty, we don't have to retrieve books there that often anymore.

Chocolate cake

Busy days at work. This is flu season and some of my colleagues are sick.We'll see if I get it too. We have had a tough time at the library, just getting the ordinary work done. This week we were told we had to remove the dumpster container we have at the largest storage immediately. We had just had it emptied, so I spent two days there, throwing away as much junk as possible, in order to fill it so that it can be picked up. I got help from a mover, and I'm glad, because that was a really boring job. The movers are at the main library now, loading a long series of periodicals in folio format. They are working fast and it means that I have hurry making plans for the next sections. I usually mark the beginning, where the gaps should be and the ending. I also measure a lot. Usually book shelves. To see what sections might fit where. I have been surprised a few times, when the number of shelf meters have turned out to be other than on my list of the book collection.

It is obvious that I have too many things on my mind, because I forgot to bring the cake I had baked for the Friday coffee. I realized this when I had already arrived at work, so I borrowed the storage round car and drove home to get it. It was a delicious chocolate cake with peanuts. I couldn't let that go to waste. Yesterday afternoon one of my old school friends came to visit. I think it's three years ago I saw her last. I showed her the library and we had a good time talking.

It seems like my bosses trust me. This past week I asked for the company credit card and they gave it to me without asking why. Too bad that I'm so honest... I needed it to buy tickets for a social club event next week. I did tell them about it.