Tossing out the pages of a life

Although I have recently retired I have not been able to walk away completely from work. For the past several weeks, I’ve been reviewing the papers and clippings of two decades. I must be honest with you. I am a saver of comments, ideas, lists, etc. I find the world so interesting and varied that I clip, save, and file many items most people might not even want to read.

In the past weeks I have filled our large recycling bin several times over—tossing away many of the pages of my life. Saving things is a family trait that I need to guard against. My parents saved everything. When it became necessary to clear out their home it took months to complete. My father saved the note he received in 1932 that told him of the death of his music teacher. There was a receipt for a 1938 automobile. Every tuition receipt my high school issued was there—just in case they were going to rescind my diploma if proof of payment could not be documented forty years later! My father even saved blank pieces of paper he had trimmed from larger sheets.

This extreme form of saving is not a trait to emulate, but it must be admitted that each scrap of paper represented pieces of their lives. I am relieved to admit that I’m not quite as compulsive as my parents. To a librarian the notes, papers, and clippings saved are useful bits of information; although I bet my father thought that his were too. It has been hard to part with so many pieces of my life. There are some beauties amongst my clippings. However, after the rough cut, I will be able to exercise my penchant for organization. Classifying all those goodies will take time, but what fun!

In the interim, I will share with you some accumulated treasures. If any of you are old enough to remember Sydney Harris who wrote for the Chicago Daily News you might recall his occasional columns about what he found while looking up other things. These were some of his best work. Many of my scraps were discovered in a like manner. I hope you enjoy my walk through memory lane as much as I enjoyed Mr. Harris’s gems.

1) More than 2300 years ago Hippocrates observed that pain could be relieved by chewing on willow leaves. Willow leaves contain a form of aspirin. Miracle drug indeed.
2) The Irish Times and Poetry Ireland surveyed their readers to learn what poem was their favorite. The 1999 survey revealed that William Butler Yeats’ poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” topped the list. Yeats had 25 poems listed in the top 100.
3) I don’t know if you have as much trouble with the international symbols for clothing care, but, just in case here are what two of them mean: a circle with an “X” through it means do not dry clean and a square with three vertical lines inside means drip dry.
4) The first country to use finger prints to solve crimes was Argentina. That was in 1892. The Metropolitan Police Fingerprint Bureau of Scotland Yard was established on July 1, 1901. The Bureau was the brainchild of Sir Edward Henry who became interested in the science of dactylography. In 1900, Sir Henry authored a book entitled Classification and Uses of Fingerprints. He grouped the ridge patterns of fingerprints into three categories: loops, arches, and whorls. This classification is still used today.
5) Ataraxia was the goal of Epicurus. It encompasses the personal attainment of serenity, equanimity, and peace of mind.
6) Mizaru, Kikazaru, and Iwazaru are better known as the See No Evil, Hear No Evil, and Speak No Evil monkeys.
7) “The standard U.S. railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches derives from the original specification for an Imperial Roman War Chariot” which was wide enough to accommodate the back ends of two war horses. [National Review, Jan. 24, 2000, “Notes and Asides”] How fun is that!!

More to follow…maybe.

A Personal Philosophy of Public Librarianship

I’ve been retired a short time and felt it was time for me to share a few thoughts on being a public library reference librarian. When I began to work on my library masters degree I was sure that I wanted to go into academic libraries. Often I have considered health science/hospital librarianship because that area became my specialty. However, I remained a public librarian despite the dismissive attitude many professional librarians have towards the work public librarian do.

I must admit the work was not always the challenge our education promised. Nor does the public know that we continuously update that education. Occasionally lady librarians are addressed as “dolly,” “honey,” or “dear.” There are still those who are unaware that most librarians are techie geeks. Only a couple of years ago someone explained to me, in excruciating detail, all about “the Internet and GOOGLE.” Generally we ignore the unintended insults, smile, and say thank you for such useful information.

Little do our librarian colleagues in other information venues or the public at large appreciate the variety and pace that makes our jobs constantly interesting and continuously informative. So many different questions, requiring varied approaches, and so little time! It’s fun; it’s an opportunity; it’s addictive.

Public librarians not only need to know reference and reader’s advisory resources, they must keep current with the latest technologies and best sellers. Librarians must be resourceful, ingenious, and flexible. They must be psychologists, mind readers, and diplomats. They are teachers, sympathetic ears, and friends. We love doing it all.

What follows is a portion of a letter of thanks to the community I sent to local papers upon my retirement. It expresses the life of a public librarian who has established personal, long-term, relationships with library patrons. I will miss them, and I hope they will miss me too.

“Throughout the years many of you have shared your ideas on books, shown me photos of your grandchildren, and challenged my ingenuity to find answers to some tough questions. What a joy it has been to see a young teen grow into an adult who is beginning law or medical school. Teen or adult, you have trusted me with a wide range of questions, from serious health inquiries and journal searches to phone number requests and stock quotes from 1983. Each day I have learned something new from you.

Thank you for all those wonderful years and for the opportunity to serve the community in a setting that provides marvelous research tools. Thank you for your smiles, chats, and reading suggestions. I know the library will continue to provide for your needs. I will miss being a part of your future.”

Crossing the Threshold

The New Year brings major changes to my life. Last year I wrote about the liminality of this holiday and now find myself stepping over the threshold into an abyss. I have “officially” retired from a job that I loved, that was my life. Many people say that in retirement you can begin to live your dreams. I lived that dream for years. Wakefulness reveals the carapace of a life unlived. Retirement dawns in doubt.

Right now, that threshold resembles the event horizon of a black hole. Will I be sucked in to reach maximum density, or will I escape into the chaos of potentiality? Somehow I must turn my natural bent for ataxia into ataraxia. I could say that I have plans to do thus and such, but these are save-face responses. Be patient.

Adjustment takes time. Reflection cannot be rushed. Shall I “thence retire me to my Milan” [The Tempest, Act V. Scene i.] or will new paths tempt me? If the latter, I can only hope is that the road that chooses me is interesting if not long.