Colloquium Mania & Making Sense of It All

Dear Diary,

Today I will attend a special Friday Colloquium, in addition to our weekly Tuesday meetings. Today's topic is “Similarities and Differences Between Statutory and Scriptural Interpretation”.

Some of the past colloquiums I attended discussed:
Aug. 23rd, The mind manager software
Aug. 30th, The Supreme Court's recent internet filing sharing cases
Sept. 6th, De re and De Dicto
Sept. 13th The D.C. Circuit's Handan military detention case
Sept. 20th The Constitution as a written document.

The next one I plan to attend is Religion and the rise of modern culture.

I remember attending my very first one on Tuesday July 5th, which was only my second day here. And when I left my heart was literally beating faster than it ever has, except when I rode the Whizzer roller coaster at Great America. I was so overly stimulated mentally that it was hard to breathe.

I was so proud that I was working among clearly some of the most brilliant minds and I was apart of this elite group of intellectuals. These colloquiums are just what I had always dreamed an academic environment would be like. A group of intellectuals in a room debating the merits of current hot topic political events. We have had discussions of faculty's trips to Alaska where they point out the waste left behind at abandoned military camps. I recently attended one where we discussed China and how half of all the construction cranes in the world are in China, rapid growth. But there are lighter sides to these discussions as well, for example, "The Colonel" (KFC) is more prevalent than the "Golden Arches" (Mickey D's) in China. No matter what the topic nor how esoteric it may seem, I leave each colloquium feeling more informed and more inspired to stay informed.

Some colloquiums are more heated than others, for instance the one on Detainees was intense. But the speaker explained about the 2 options for dealing with detainees under the Geneva Convention. And the importance of selecting the appropriate noun to describe these prisoners, either "Enemy Combatants" or "Detainees" and the different times that laws of war apply. And the captives' rights under each of those 2 titles. There has been much criticism about America's unchecked executive power, as is explained in this article:
http://web.amnesty.org/pages/guantanamobay-index-eng.

I am summarizing a complex issue, so for an abstract of one of this faculty's writing, click on this link http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=811046

I also helped some LLMs locate materials in the stacks. I did a reference request to locate "Audiences" from the Vatican, requires selecting appropriate "Holy Father," and I searched for articles on LexisNexis.

On a brighter note, all of this citation "stuff" is finally making perfect sense to me now. In fact, I helped a 1L student verify that there were no "Supreme Court" citations even though his answer was marked incorrect. So I showed the resources and the answer marked "incorrect" to the professors. And they changed the answer on their answer key. Phew! I am very proud of myself, and the fact that I felt confident in my answer, even though it clearly differed from what was touted as correct, proves I am becoming much more comfortable with the material.

Interesting article in the Observer...Gay? Fine By Me Tees.
http://www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/paper660/news/2005/09/30/News/Bright.Orange.Shirts.Make.Bold.Statement-1005171.shtml

Another Day in the Life of an Academic Library Resident

Dear Diary...

Today I attended a Law Library Faculty Meeting concerning "Collection Development for electronic resources." The main issues debated involved the necessity of both print and electronic versions of the same journals, taking into consideration usage metrics and cost differentials.

There was discussion of the ever present problem of preservation. I asked if the literature has indicated that libraries have been affected at any time by the "pervasive fear" that "IF" we subscibe to an electronic ONLY resource and 2 years down the line a patron needs an article from the previous year's archives but the company has gone belly up and no one has that vital article...all is lost!

I was informed that this phenomena is much too current to have suffered from such events, but with the palpable fear surrounding it, I guess I can't help but feel it is a tad bit overly dramatic.

I did learn that there is a real concern about the "shelf life" as it were of changing electronic formats, such as DVDs and CD-Roms. Some assume 100 years, max. I located the following excerpt that I found interesting:

"The Digital Problem; the Digital Challenge

Since the mid-1990s, we’ve known that digital preservation is a technical, legal, and organizational problem. Storage media degrade; signals decay; and the configuration of hardware and software required to render and display stored data become obsolete. Try running Microsoft Word 2.0 -- or any pre-1990 software -- on your Windows XP system and let me know how it goes. "
http://www.prelec.stonybrook.edu/lectures/marcumlecture.htm

There was also discussion of archiving websites, I had heard of one previously called the "Way Back Machine"
available at http://www.archive.org/

Academic Procession

Dear Diary,

Since I blew off my graduation ceremony for my MLIS, today was the first time I ever donned academic regalia. The hood color for MLIS is lemon.

On Friday, September 23, the faculty of the University of Notre Dame assembled at the Main Building and marched in Academic Procession to the Joyce Center for the Inaugural Convocation in which the Reverend Father John I. Jenkins C.S.C. will be invested as the seventeenth President of the University. Academic regalia was required.

God...Country...Notre Dame

Dear Diary,

"God...Country...Notre Dame"

That is phrase on the Red T-shirts volunteers wore to collect money for Hurricane Victims. We collected money by passing buckets through the rows during the Michigan State game on Saturday Sept. 17th. I enjoyed it but the collection did not go as planned. Perhaps next time we should have the audience attend the mandatory "rehearsal."

On more than one occasion I had to go running through the stands to retrieve my bucket of money. One excited fan simply put the bucket on the ground and resumed cheering. Then well-meaning people would simply pass my bucket a few rows back to anyone waving money in the air. While that was appreciated, we had been assigned specific rows to cover but no one except us knew that.

So I was just very thankful that while the collection process did not go quite as rehearsed, it was effective, all the same. We reportedly raised $197,871 for Hurricane Katrina victims and that is what it was all about. http://www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/paper660/news/2005/09/21/News/Community.Collects.Over.240000.For.Victims-992386.shtml

3rd Month in the Life of the "World's Busiest Resident"

Dear Diary,

Since today is my first day Blogging...I have included an account of the last few months of my Residency combined. See August for that compilation. My residency began July 1st, 2005.


Thur. 9/1 /05
Tour for undergrad students. Did reference request for Math Library "display" ideas after having lunch with the Supervisor of the Math Librarian. I completed a second request for a new law faculty member. I helped law students with homework.

Fri. 9/2/05
Bronchial Infection, was sent home.

**Sun. 9/4/05
Wrote "Spiritual Literacy" article since there is no literature on this. Creating the library concept from scratch using current literacies as a model to re-write my proposed definition.

Mon. 9/5/05
LABOR DAY HOLIDAY, I came in, voluntarily to complete Legal Research Assignment #3.

Tues. 9/6
Completed 4 Reference Questions for law faculty in London. I emailed my rewritten version of the movie "JAWS" in a library setting. I forwarded my Bibliographic Essay about Seldom Explored Minority Stories.
I learned about Case Reporter & Court Structure and the West’s National Reporter System.

Wed. 9/7
Met with Chemistry Librarian from 9am until Noon. Sent LexisNexis articles on SSN Privatization to patron. Sent LRI (Westlaw) articles on Elder Law. Sent weekly new resources update for the law library website.
Submitted "Spiritual Literacy" article for publication consideration in the Christian Librarian Journal.

Thurs. 9/8/
Trained with law librarian on Westlaw & Lexis. / Helped 1Ls with Assignment #3 and helped a student from Hesburgh Library find Congressional Record in KF 42.R42 in microfilm.

Fri. 9/9
Printed Westlaw (JLR & LRI) articles on the pros and cons of the smoking Ban in St. Joseph County. I used South Bend Public library website under- Community Info - Healthy Initiatives & I printed the actual ordinance which was requested.

BONUS: I learned today that my Reflections of a Resident article is published online!!! http://www.ala.org/ala/diversity/versed/versedbackissues/september2005a/sept05.htm

Mon. 9/12
I attended the new Provost Tom Burish introductory meeting.

I attended an Amnesty Int'l meeting (child soldiers group). I recommended "Innocents Lost" Book & possible Book signing or Video viewing of PBS video. I signed campaign letter to get law in Nigeria against Female abuse, since non-existent.

I was notified today that my 1st Editorial "That's All I Had" is among a few selected to be published in Christian Science Monitor. Excerpt from email from the:

"Your submission on Katrina is being considered for publication in a special Opinion page collection in The Christian Science Monitor. Given the overwhelming number of OpEds we've received, we've decided to pull the best nuggets from a dozen or so, and create a sort of literary collage of reflections in the wake of Katrina. This page is still in the works, and, as most things in journalism, there's no guarantee it'll run as planned until it's headed for the presses."

Tues. 9/13
3 reference requests. (Personal Note) I truly appreciate my supervisor’s confidence in me. It inspires me to try extra hard to meet his expectations. And I really appreciate his helpful hints as to "good places" to look for those requests, since he knows I would have no way of knowing where to look. His management style is totally conducive to allowing me to fulfill my potential. He does not micro manage and that empowers me.

I worked on transforming my Curriculum Vitae into Notre Dame's format. Pretty cumbersome examples in the faculty manual.

Wed. 9/14
My first day as an "Activist."

I handed out Darfur information during my lunch hour and spoke to a brave young woman who visited the region. At first I was apprehensive about approaching strangers, but since one of my strong suits is my assertiveness, I got over it, really quickly. I simply reminded myself how important the cause is.

As a librarian I am charged with informing the public. I was reassured of my mission, when I encountered the first person who had "Never heard of Darfur," and so naturally was unaware of the genocide transpiring there. That was all the motivation I needed.

I handed out Darfur information during my lunch hour and spoke to a brave young woman who visited the region. I signed up students for a petition to "Divest" and got students to send a campaign letter to an Indiana Senator. For more information see http://www.savedarfur.org/

Thur. 9/15
Lunch with the first Library Resident. Added "Reflections of a Resident" to my Notre Dame homepage with my reflecting image. Get it?

I submitted my "From Private Investigator to Librarian" article to LIS Career.com. Learned supra means "footnote" in Lexis assignment. Hesburgh Library Faculty meeting introduced me & Leslie, the other Resident. I submitted my registration to attend District 1 - Indiana Library Federation conference downtown South Bend on Oct. 4th. I search for faculty governance codes for our Director.

Fri. 9/16
Attended African American Studies Department reception. Scheduled lunch meeting with the new department head as a networking measure.

Mon. 9/19
Attended 1st Monthly Meeting with Laura. I told her about the 5 articles I have submitted already. She said we can be "Ex Officio" members of Diversity Committee and she suggested I look into WebCT/Vista class. She said I can use her CV as a model. I registered for WebCT see if I can incorporate into my sessions that I will teach next year for Chemistry Databases. At Amnesty International meeting we viewed a film "Invisible Children" http://www.invisiblechildren.com/

Tues. 9/20
Lunch meeting with head of Africana Studies department and the other Resident. We will be "Affiliates."
BONUS: LIScareers.com will publish my article scheduled for April 2006 or sooner if possible. I learned about Digests.

Wed. 9/21
Met with Dwight to ensure I work a normal 40 hours and not at home on my time off. I will focus on Legal Reference as did the previous Residents. He explained that I have written more than the other Residents. I have had 3 articles accepted for publication...2 of that 3 are technically pending.

Thur. 22nd - Fri. 23rd
Mainly Inauguration Events including Academic Forum & Procession (with Cap & Gown) and Investiture.
Tried to catch up on Assignment 4 and do #5 due next Monday. Laura and my supervisor, Dwight, are fully aware that I am a "Work-A-Holic" and since I am always working, during the academic procession I met David Link and had an intriguing conversation. I learned about KKK hired a Black attorney to defend them http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/analysis.aspx?id=14776 and Jewish lawyer defended Skokie Nazi.
These led to many deep and profound levels for discussion.

Monday 9/26
Emailed ND formatted CV to Laura. Completed past Assignment #4 and hand delivered library website "News Item " featured electronic resource to the law school webmaster. I emailed Information Literacy Program ideas to Africana Studies Director to discuss when he meets with Hesburgh Library Director. I re-familiarized myself with Dream Weaver using the Tutorial.

Tues. 9/27
Completed Assignment #6. Met with head of the Institutional Repository Committee. I did 2 reference requests. Hand delivered registration for ILF Dist. 1 meeting Oct. 4th South Bend.

Responded to law faculty listserv about Urban Legend "Do not call - cell phones"

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/dncalrt.htm What Phone Numbers Can I Register? 10. Can I register my cell phone on the National Do Not Call Registry? Yes, you may place your personal cell phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry. The registry has accepted cell phone numbers since it opened for registrations in June 2003. There is no deadline to register a home or cell phone number on the Registry. You may have received an email telling you that your cell phone is about to be assaulted by telemarketing calls as a result of a new cell phone number database; however, that is not the case. FCC regulations prohibit telemarketers from using automated dialers to call cell phone numbers. Automated dialers are standard in the industry, so most telemarketers don’t call consumers on their cell phones without their consent.

Also http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/cell411.asp . Aside from doing my professional duty to dispel MIS-information, those emails are my ultimate Pet Peeve! Medical librarians email those and in fact a fellow librarian here, tried to disprove my above email by replying with the top portion of the FTC website...so I had to reply yet again and include the aforementioned excerpt. I love being RIGHT.
But I digress!!



Wed. 9/28
Chemistry training to prepare to teach SciFinder Scholar. After yesterday, I decided that for my presentation for the Indiana Library Federation's Annual Conference that I'll included "www.Snopes.com" to my info information literacy section. Because not just librarians but other professions who are in the business of "information" such as teachers also pass along Urban Legends, for example the one about their students telling of a midget living in the student's basement and parents thought the child was talking to an "imaginary" friend.