Floundering amongst the myriad of 'net dross, the Warrior Librarian blog may be cited in the United Nations General Assembly as just cause for disconnecting the World Wide Web.

Since its launch, the almost-daily entries of the semi-random thoughts of Amanda Credaro have caused almost no difference to the daily working lives of information professionals.

Credaro herself has made little comment on the relatively low number of site visits to the blog, which is suspected to have been created as a really poor substitute for the newspaper-parody that has been awarded a number of highly desirable comments on other websites … ...

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According to USA Today, the 50 libraries across three states that were severely affected by tropical cyclones have been inundated with books that charities wouldn’t use to prop up the wonky legs of their fundraising stalls. One example cited was the 1969 edition of How to play platform tennis.

Apart from having to store pallet-loads of this junk, local librarians will enlist the volunteer support of conferencing colleagues to sift through the dross in the hope of finding something worth keeping.

Whether or not the karma points will provide sufficient compensation for missed conference activities will remain to be seen. In the next lifetime …

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LITERARY TOURS

WLW Proof-reader fends off hordes

Rosemary Shakespeare, recently of Melbourne (Australia) accepted her appointment at Middle Temple Library without foreknowledge of the hordes of tourists likely to traipse through the vicinity on the much-publicised "Da Vinci Code Trail".

At this stage, author Dan Brown has not commented. Legal sources indicate that use of the phrase "no comment" may constitute grounds for yet another plagiarism suit.

Shakespeare (the proof-reader, not the playright), states that the really interesting thing is the globe to her left as pictured. It is one of two globes, over 400 years old that have been in the care of the Middle Temple library since at least 1717 (the earliest mention in the MT records) but possibly for as long as they have been in existence.

Possibly donated by Sir Walter Raleigh (a member of Inn of the Middle Temple), they are among the earliest globes in existence, the first to be made in England and the first to be made by an Englishman, Emery Molyneux. The Globes date from 1592, although the terrestrial globe [in the photo] was modified in 1603, and were dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I. They were not only the largest printed globes in the world that had been made up to that date, but also the most geographically correct. The 1603 revisions were made to include the latest discoveries including Drake’s circumnavigation and his voyage along the North American coast. They were very popular at that time, Shakespeare (the playright, not the proof-reader) mentions them in the Comedy of Errors and Twelfth Night …

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Warrior Librarian receives Fulbright scholarship

In what is believed to be a clumsily disguised attempt to pass off a typographical error as satire, a well-known online satirical library journal appears to have deliberately published a misleading headline.

Although there are indications that the headline should have read "Warrior Librarian receives Fulbright scholarship *information*", the incorrect headline went to press without any further clarification or correction ....

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SALARIES AND LIBRARY FASHION

Get a raise, respect and save on equipment

Despite the fact that wearing platform shoes may constitute a workplace hazard under Occupational Safety and Health, a new report that might be released one day could show that the benefits of such footwear far outweigh the dangers of possible broken ankles or chronic back pain.

Real studies, by respectable people with their own offices who actually get paid to do research and write reports, clearly demonstrate that in general, taller people are more likely to experience career success. Also, anecdotal evidence suggests that the larger the individual, the less chance of someone whacking them in the head or committing other acts of violence on their person.

As for wages and payments, it's likely that a radical shift from comfortable 'flatties' to height-enhancing stompers is about the only raise that library professionals are likely to see for quite some time ...

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Such a lot has happened since the last edition of Warrior Librarian went to press, it's difficult to know where to start. Particularly as the installation of a home theatre really isn't a very good excuse for having generally goofed off for a few months, editorially speaking.

But that's only if you consider weeks of painting, scraping, scrubbing, and balancing budgets as 'goofing off'. As was the enforced rest period due to injury - and that was pre-home theatre!

However, the end seems to be in sight now, but maybe that's just the credits rolling ...

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anyone could have.

Author unknown.

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Although It's just an expansion joint: Sorry excuses for shoddy building work is only the working title for the book in preparation, the name gives a very good indication of the contents.Which is always nice, don't you think?

A far cry (or possibly scream) from the author's last publication - Biblia's guide to Warrior Librarianship, this publication will be a collection of horror stories from those who have paid actual real money to have construction work completed. (As opposed to having paid actual real money to contractors who didn't show up, did such a crummy job you could have done it better yourself, but did provide a laugh-a-minute story about why it turned out the way it did. Or at least, you'd laugh if it hadn't been your money, or your house.)

Fav. story so far is the plumber who set a bathtub on fire (details and the inevitable excuse are in the book). Some great illustrations are provided, courtesy of the work of various tradesmen who were involved in the recent renovations at Warrior Librarian Central.

Readers are welcome to contibute by email to the special mailbox of acredaro[at]optusnet.com - remember to change the [at] to the official @ ...

The metadata creation continues to flow in a seemingly unending tidal wash, ripples of words lapping the forebrain of information seekers with a gentle though persistent force.

Which, although doesn't accurately reflect the nature of the work, does add a certain poetic touch.

Other digital projects also continue (trust me, you don't want the details), although the beta version of the last project came back with a 20 page 'bug report'. Fair enough, some of the 'back buttons' don't seem to work on some of the pages, and OK, some of the transcripts for the Flash animations need some correction. But, sheesh! It's maths - what the heck does spelling matter? ...

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