I've been arranging some days off next week including, as it turns out, a trip up to TheOldPlace. Christmas will be here soon so I'm running out of time. Especially as one of my tasks is to collect some Christmas presents ordered from a store a couple of weeks back.

Having said that I'd warn the VC's office if I was back up that way, I dutifully sent along an email and almost by return had an interview with the VC arranged. Oh well, if I didn't want to go, I wouldn't have mentioned it... It just somehow seems to need to be done to 'close' that loose thread off. Or something.

And, I hear, other changes are afoot as another former colleague departs for fresh pastures. I wish her well. The information team gets another chance to be revised (or not), although I understand that recent new appointments there are "frighteningly efficient". There's a compliment I don't think I could aspire to!

H and I seemed to have survived our performance. Not too much heckling or displeasure!

Slightly disappointing turn out. 10 or so? (I didn't count). But at least no senior people there. It was nice doing it jointly as when one of us wanted to think/look at 'script'/pause the other could take up. The images we'd worked out seemed to go down well and 'worked' as an idea.

It was an odd experience though and one I found myself growing increasingly detached from - and I can't work out why. I'm relieved, though, that we won't have to do that again.

An executive meeting of the faculty operations today which is another first for me. Don't recall anything quite like it at TheOldPlace.

I'd been tasked with putting together a 15 minute briefing on who I was and my role in the faculty.

Little daunting with the dean and all his heads of department there (one of whom - from the math department - had seen some of the material), but it seemed to go ok and raised some interesting discussion.

Later on there was a lunchtime DVD presentation on pensions from finance which was both entertaining and depressing at the same time and then a meeting that I'd expected to take about 20 minutes towards the end of the day actually went on for 75 minutes and rather put an end to H and I rehearsing for tomorrow morning. Still, as we race past each other our presentation seems to be taking shape nicely.

With no so much in my diary today, I finally had a good go at trying to install my Palm software and get the beast syncing at the very least and see if it would sync with the email system (more optimistic).

Now that my C: drive access has been approved and in theory I have the ability to install software and save things to the drive, it should be possible.

In theory.

The first snag is that you have to login separately as a local installer to install the stuff. After a temporary hiatus while I tracked down the login/password I'd been given verbally over the phone. I had a go at it.

Installing scanner software seemed to work; as did some ebook software and the like - so the principal clearly is fine. But the Palm side is more complicated.

I seem to now be able to sync my Palm whilst logged in as the installer but NOT when logged in as myself. If it hadn't been for the other software working as advertised, I'd have thought it was some failing in me. But for whatever reason, I guess it's all more complicated than I'd hoped. (And of course, one of the conditions of the C: drive access is that the IT people don't offer support...)

I haven't given up entirely yet, but I'm not hopeful that there are many options open to me. I'm not technically illiterate but this seems to be a step beyond what I know (or am allowed).

On the other hand, I had news today from the Head that the systems people are getting people together to discuss the requirements for syncing PDAs and the like with the email system. With a view to mass installing software that would allow it to take place. Snag is that the discussion is in January when I'm at a conference, so I won't be able to stick my oar in. Still, it might happen yet. (Apparently the head spent a fair bit of money on his own software to make it happen.)

Spent some time with H today covering what we wanted to say and how we wanted to say it. Started off with a complicated scheme of mine to fit things into a diagram which covered what was different between ourselves at our old jobs and then either different or similar here. Or what was similar between ourselves at our old jobs and what was either different or similar here.

But it got bogged down in being overly complex and not all that helpful really.

Particularly as we chatted and both came to the conclusion that there was no way we could be brutally honest about everything we'd observed or it would all just come out too negatively. On the other hand we didn't want to be bland and overly effusive in an unhelpful way.

It came to me as we talked that we might use Google Earth imagery to kind of 'zoom' in from the national level showing all three places in one screen, down to the local level down to the city level, campus level, building level, and then onwards and inwards to the 'team' level, office and end up at computer level. (Though we might diverge at office level to include the staff room which we both like in comparison to).

The advantage of that scheme was that it would be graphically friendly, give us a 'peg' to hang our double act on, and if we went 'inwards' as an introduction and then worked our way 'out' to the broader issues of place and location and the welcome we'd recieved, it meant we'd finish on a high note and leave negatives such as computer intransigence and office space well behind.

H seemed to like the scheme and is happy to do graphics, while I find my "on my last ship it was different quote" which seems apposite and sort out a video of the local beach which we thought we might finish on. Particular as H came here specifically to be on the coast.

H doesn't have time to prepare for our presentation next week so we're going to have to leave it until Monday or Tuesday.

I can sense myself beginning to get wound up by the prospect of having to speak to library staff about my first impressions.

Is that because it's always harder to talk to co-workers who know you that much better? Or because I'd hate them to think that I was being negative about the new job?

Converted this blog into a Word document in chronological order (is there a simple way of doing that?) in order to more easily review it. H and I have to do a presentation next week on our first impressions, early experiences, comparisons with last job.

Reviewing this blog seemed like the obvious way to get source material and remind myself of what I might want to say.

The snag is that rereading such diarylike entries - especially while I read a book like Voyage East is rather difficult. Richard Woodman's book marvellously captures, in a diary like fashion, what it was like on a cargo ship in the 1960s. Unfortunately, it only makes me realize the inadequacies of my own writing - which seemed to be failing to even capture my interest as I reread it. And there's so much of it. 40 plus pages of Times New Roman in 10-point. Dull dull dull.

I can only apologize to whatever readers are out there. I'm sorry.

I don't know that I can promise to 'do better' and maybe this "does what it says on the tin" and doesn't need to do more. But I can't help feeling disastisfied.

First faculty library committee meeting this morning.

Small affair with the liaison officers, the Dean of the faculty and myself. The Dean kindly lent me a laptop so I could show off my PowerPoint slides in a room with no projection facility. Slightly better than looking at the more limited printed handouts.

I was quite comfortable (if not happy) to be reporting on the delays to the extension although it did generate a lot more discussion than I'd expected. Not quite so comfortable to be reporting (as requested) on serials commitments for the coming year. Still, I'd gone over spreadsheets and numbers till my head swam; done my best to have a head full of knowledge on the stuff in some West Wing like presidential briefing; and checked with a senior colleague that I wasn't too far off the mark with what I was doing.

It seemed to go very well even though, once again, a long discussion ensued but my 'just in case' PowerPoint slides went down well and looked impressive as I had material that clearly anticipated what they might ask.

I hadn't dreamed of mentioning it, but the subject just happened to come up, so I revealed that a paper a former colleague and I had had published a couple of years back had just been cited. It drew a round of applause! (Not to mention a laugh when I added that it had been cited incorrectly. Such is the world of academia.)

It felt somewhat like the baptism of fire I'd half expected, but I think I survived and one of the liaison officers made some kind comments about my first few weeks and proactive attitude.

Spent the day at a course on creativity and decision making.

Partly out of curiosity - it's been 6 years I was reminded since a former colleague and I attended an in-house creativity workshop that sparked a whole chain of events. Could I learn anything new? How good/bad would the day's course be? Particularly in comparison with six years back.

(Did I mention that we wrote up the 'chain of events' as an article which has just been accepted for publication? After some revision as a result of the peer-review process it must be said.)

The other reason for attending was the fact that come January, said former colleague and I are attending a conference on creativity. As we're tabling a paper there (we've been informed that tables will be made available! seriously!), it seemed prudent to have some recent training on the subject.

At the start of the day we had to share our reasons for attending and I owned up to the attendance at the conference even if I didn't quite dare to own up to being a contributor. I guess I was vaguely surprised that the two workshop leaders didn't know it was happening (and nor did a lady sitting at the same table as me who came from the university where it's being held).

Before we'd even got going there'd been coffee and registration at which a conversation with the tutors about De Bono's six hats had developed. I mentioned that in my last job we'd actually bought six physical hats rather than just referring to the process on occasion. Deciding that a yellow construction helmet was just too camp, one attendee said, perhaps having not grasped the true creative spirit yet: "let's knock that idea on the head".

The day itself was good. I learned and had a go at some new techniques; I met interesting people from a range of libraries; I was even able to contribute on occasions with some of the techniques and experiences I've encountered (for example with the six hats and, of course, with mindmapping).

One exercise was particularly interesting. After lunch we were sent off to nearby stores/organizations to do "creative swiping". The aim being to come back with three ideas that "we could learn from them" and three ideas "they could learn from us". (The latter being good at helping you see the positives of your own place). Going off in pairs and taking notes meant we had some really interesting thoughts to share on return. But of course the process was of interest as you might guess from the purpose of this blog!

Possibly my favorite moment from the day was the lady mentioned above who at the conclusion revealed that she'd been hoping for a couple of techniques or quick solutions and not realized just how hard work creativity was going to be! I encouraged that it could be fun as well.

Finally, the one thing that struck me about the two presenters - who it turned out were a couple which occasionally created an interesting dynamic - was how much they said they enjoyed what they were doing. And how much they weren't really doing anything I suspect I, perhaps with help, couldn't be doing myself...

Part of a process I've never seen from the other side before...

I did the tours for the new assistant SN and I will be sharing soon. 6 candidates reduced to 5 when one dropped out, was replaced but they dropped out as well.

All of them very capable it seemed - some a fraction more 'personable', some seemed a bit more 'professional'. One combined both. One even came from my old 'home' state of Virginia. One I'd met at a conference in the summer and had encountered AB's marketing enthusiasm with me as well as the card voting system! She remembered me though, before I remembered her.

Fairly intense as I had no break between tours so was really taking an extended walk around and around the library, but it was interesting. And even more fascinating to sit in on the subsequent process of the interviewers deciding who to pick. Not entirely certain I can or should write about that in any detail, but it was definitely eye-opening and I reckon - should I even be in that situation again - that I've learned a few things.

My first 'late night' this evening.

At TheOldPlace we used to have to do a couple of hours extra every other week. With the occasional (twice a yearish) late evening on a Friday for a couple of hours. The latter usually being fairly quiet.

Here, the fortnightly lates have gone but about three times a year I'm here late on a Friday evening on the enquiry desk from 5 till 8.45. Quite a stretch - though you seem to be allowed a ten minute break in the middle of that, and by not coming in on a Friday until 1pm (which seems to usual practice though I didn't know that detail and was in at noon), it makes the day bearable.

For an hour or so it was fairly busy, but the rest of the evening was as quiet as you might expect. Only one tricky question that I had to refer on to a subject specialist 'next week' - but it was a fairly obscure bit of database jiggerypokery comparing company financial data.

Only took me 90 minutes to get home afterwards which wasn't as bad as it might have been - and I had a good paperback novel to pass the time. (Well, good in the sense of page turning rather than good in the sense of literature. David Hewson's _Solstice_. Given to me by the astronomer's widow with the other books she was donating.)

Sitting in the Head’s office this morning and noticed a box on the window ledge beside me with an odd looking keyboard in it. An ‘AirTouch’ flexible thing like typing on a membrane with raised keys. The head of the library was amused at my interest because everyone else who’d tried it had hated it. But what really attracted me to it was the selling point that it’s silent. Now it might just be me, but there are occasions I do need to be able to type in an absolutely silent environment without feeling that I’m disturbing anyone. And not just because I work in a library (which are never that quiet these days in any case with computers, trolleys and of course students!) (Not to mention the ubiquitous cell phones). Running the AV desk in church I sometimes produce notes on screen during sermons or prayer times – and in such silence it’s amazing how noisy a typical keyboard is.

Not entirely sure about it for regular typing – though you adjust remarkably quickly - but it is certainly much quieter than the usual kind especially if I stop thumping the keys so much. Not actually silent though – it’s nearly impossible to do away with any movement between finger and keyboard, but it’s certainly worth giving it a go. It’s also handy that I can plug it into the USB port and it works alongside the other keyboard without having to swap them over – I can have the best of both worlds.

And rather than cluttering up his office, the Head is happy to make a small donation to charity!


[This entry brought to you courtesy of AirTouch, any errors or typos brought to you courtesy of the author.]

2nd round of my health and safety distance learners today. Seemed to go about as well as first time. Fewer of them but generally responsive. Bit mystified by having been told to turn up at 1.30 only to find they were expecting me at 2. Never mind.

And another course committee - nicely done in about 70 minutes which you can' t complain about.

But first thing this morning we had a briefing on student finance from those who have to help and advise. No doubt TheOldPlace is going through exactly the same issues but students do face additional hurdles this year. What was most interesting to learn was that some bursaries are handed out but TheOldPlace and TheOldPlace's neighbour up the road are both more generous than we are. $1600 on offer instead a little over a thousand. Apparently it's not something that they use as a selling point here!

Some things remain exactly the same, some are completely different.

One of each today.

The weekly lists of 'grey' literature from government or international organizations make their rounds here just as they did at TheOldPlace. They're as thrilling as ever and I probably select about as much as I did before (i.e. not much).

On the other hand, binding is different. TheOldPlace had an enquiry desk devoted to copying and binding and the like and students could get documents up to and including dissertations either bound with comb binding or heat binding. If, as staff, I ever needed something bound I could either go do it myself if the desk was unmanned or ask for it to be done if the staff weren't busy.

Here, there's nothing. Those I was asking weren't even sure reprographics (a 10 minute walk away) could offer students any kind of service. They have to find local print shops in town. (I think there's one across a couple of roads from the library.) If I need to get something done it is, theoretically possible I'm told (I can see why no one's tried it), to send something off to reprographics for comb binding.

There is, it turns out, a little heat binding machine in a dark corner of cataloguing. It doesn't get much use someone said. I'm not surprised.

Somewhat stressful day with two 'new' bits of teaching to do.

First thing I had my first fill-in for a colleague who was off at the dentist. Not just an hour but 90 minutes with some 20 odd geography students. Sorry, that's 'about 20' rather than 'peculiar students'. Might have been a bit more daunting if I hadn't spent four a bit years working in a geographical library. As it was they seemed fine despite the inadequacies of the room (not a proper teaching room but just a portable projector brought in a bit late attached to one of the student computers facing the front). I guess I've been spoiled by the excellence of facilities so far.

At one stage I had them creating mindmaps of the topics they were interested in but in a first for me couldn't persuade anyone to share theirs with the group. Are they braver students at TheOldPlace or am I just losing my powers of persuasion?

Next up was an induction for some mature distance learners doing health and safety. I had worked hard on learning what facilities (or not) distance learners could access but it was still a bit new for me. I was also using material passed on to me by the colleague who formerly dealt with this. I decided to use it because a) I liked it; and b) thought it would be a change from what I typically do. But it possibly led to the session being a little less polished. Still, I have a repeat engagement with the other half of them on Wednesday, so a chance to improve.

If I don't look for and relish such 'new' opportunities, I fear that I'm going to quickly find that not enough has changed from TheOldPlace to here to be sufficiently stimulating.

I'd had connections with the chaplaincy at TheOldPlace which started out when I attended a Lent course and got to know the lead chaplain a little. A chance encounter at the gym then led to me being invited to play five-a-side soccer once a week where I could regularly kick him in the ankles. (My clumsiness knowing no bounds).

TheOldPlace ran a short memorial service at this time of year and here's no different. Only instead of a 'generic' one, this one was specifically aimed at those from the university who'd died. A couple of elderly former staff who'd passed away, but several students who'd died during the year and one who'd been murdered.

A touching act of remembrance for them with the half dozen or so of us who turned up. It was in the new (and very nice) chaplaincy center just across the road from the library. Hordes of Muslims departing their Friday prayer which takes place in an adjoining prayer room. It was great to see the place so lively and well used.

I'd been a bit uncertain about going as I knew I didn't have anyone particular in mind to 'remember'. But it seemed to me worth attending if only to be thankful that I wasn't in that position, and also to support the chaplains (two of them present but a third exists) as presumably just like anyone ministering in this fashion they need prayer and encouragement as well.

I think I've mentioned that we have 6 faculty librarians (of which I'm one). Well, not strictly. One is an interloper as law is always a special case it seems.

The plan is to appoint three assistants between the lot of us and the first - for the 1st floor - started on Monday. I met her today with my science comrade to discuss overlap and any relevant issues but as I suspected it was more a chance for said science comrade to play the raconteur as ever. Still, I quite enjoy watching him in action even if there is a suspicion it won't take me long before I'm hearing the same stories over again. A lesson for myself I suspect.

Which brings me to an interesting comment I heard yesterday, I think it was. It's become apparent to some that they feel they've appointed me on the ground floor very much 'in the style of' SN my science comrade. And they've appointed H on the 2nd floor very much in the style of SE her social science comrade. It is odd how similar in style/character/backgrounds (if certainly not looks!) we are to our senior colleagues. Was that deliberate? Determinative? Or just one of those things?! But maybe it's another explanation of why I got this job and not H's.

First of my course committees today.

Very similar to TheOldPlace. Although this one had a staff/student committee beforehand to air their grievances and problems. As ever these are supposed to be course related rather than pet niggles of specific issues, but as it's the only chance students get to bring things to the attention of the academics I don't blame them for taking it.

Much interest/disappointment in my short report on the delays to the extension (and thus continued lack of computing facilities given that we'll have nigh on 200 in here eventually). Much amusement at my description of knowing from day 1 of life here not to book the seminar rooms (as some have) for this week given we were supposed to open on Monday.

As if the stress of NOT teaching in the morning wasn't enough, I then had the fun of the afternoon.

Yesterday, fairly late in the day, I'd been approached by one of the computing department's tutor center researchers. She'd been put onto me by the academic who'd sent me the nice quote last Friday. Between the pair of them, their bright idea was me to basically video my teaching session in chunks to put into the virtual learning environment. I quickly persuaded them that although I was up for trying that, it was demonstrating webpages for the most part so video might not be the best approach. But they had just the tool. I forget its name but you could record audio as you travelled around web pages and demonstrated resources and search techniques.

Although they'd only dreamed this up and asked if I had a spare moment yesterday, they had to get it done by the end of the week. Which pretty much only left this afternoon. I was under no illusions that it would be quick - and it wasn't. Three hours later we'd just about knocked a 50 minute teaching session into bitesize manageable chunks and I've yet to be convinced that it will be of any use at all. It's not the same as being there in real life. But we'll see. I'll certainly be interested to see the output.

What an awful morning.

I can't say this kind of thing never happened at TheOldPlace but I don't recall it happening quite as spectacularly or with such a negative backlash.

I've long been booked to do a two hour session with some Masters students in computing this morning. I was here late last night preparing and awake in the night worrying about it. Don't often do 2 hours and fear trying to fill it. Don't often deal with large groups of Masters students and know what level to pitch things at ('specially when some are new to the uni and some have been here three years or more).

But I had quite an important meeting to be at with colleagues and study assistance type people which I had to leave after just 15 minutes (and introducing myself) to do the training.

Got to the room 5 minutes early only to find hordes of 6 year olds doing some math masterclass. Quickly established they weren't just finishing and double checked the diary to make sure I was in the right place. I was. Could only head off to the computing admin office to see if they knew of a room change. It took some time to get through their locked doors and persuade someone to actually check (one of those horrible, walk-in-to-a-large-open-plan-office moments when no one wants to look at you). Yes, the room had been changed. Not just the room, but the building as well. Oh dear. Would have been nice if they'd told those of us running the session. Never mind.

Off I went, but no longer 5 minutes early, now 10 minutes late, I found the room and indeed there were the 26 students waiting for me. And a rather odd woman who introduced herself as some kind of teaching assistant. No sign of the academic who'd arranged the session.

So I started trying to logon to a PC sitting in the corner which had a different login screen to what I'm used to and in any case I quickly realized (once I'd turned the projection system on where the switches were hiding behind a movable noticeboard) wasn't the PC that was being displayed. Aaargh! Didn't matter anyway. I couldn't logon to the PC. So I went in search of which PC was attached to the projector only to find I couldn't logon there either. However, there was a nearby note that said which room technical assistance could be obtained from. I could only go on a quest for them and was relieved to find that they were just across the hallway.

Which was when the real trouble started. Two techy types turned up. Or should that be tetchy types. No we couldn't use normal uni logins, this was an electronic department lab; no we couldn't have temporary logins; no we couldn't even stay in the room. And who were we anyway? Computing students? You can't stay in here.

I tried to point out that the academic had arranged the room booking (presumably - I certainly hadn't) and that had not been me. I tried to point out that I was the librarian for the faculty and not the department so couldn't the computing students stay for my session. I would have pointed out that some had come in to uni 'specially for this two hour session - but I didn't learn that till later in the day. They wouldn't even let me spend 15 minutes talking to the new students just to get that bit out of the way should the session ever be rearranged.

What with all the grief from the techs, a couple of students whinging at me that this was the fourth library session they'd had (though they couldn't tell me if previous ones had covered what I was about to do with them), and the useless assistant or whoever she was not contributing anything, it was left to me to apologize to the students for being late, for not being allowed in the room, for the session not running. I was irked enough, but I don't blame the students for feeling their time was being wasted even more.

With little else I could do I could only offer to go back to the academic and see if we could rearrange the time, but I got the impression there would be at least a few who'd wouldn't be attending that session.

I thought about heading back to the meeting I'd left but I couldn't face it. I'd have missed too much after 40 minutes or so and it had been embarrassing enough having to leave in the first place. Plus it included one of the study assistance folk I'd seen at the teaching induction sessions I'd been attending on Wednesday afternoons. One of those people best avoided. Totally, jaw-droppingly, heart-achingly gorgeous. Not helped by bearing the same first name as that very first love back 3 decades ago aged just 10! (And who incidentally never even have the time of day for the likes of me!) Best just keep away on the whole.

Perhaps it would be more useful to go in search of the academic - not that I was holding out much hope of her being around. And I wasn't wrong. No one at home in her office. I eventually ended up in the outer reaches of the Dean's office where the admin staff couldn't help locate her but the Dean popped his head out and thought that she wouldn't be in all week. I wasn't going to complain about what had just happened but he was so curious about why I was looking for the woman in question that I ended up dumping all of this on him. At least he had the graciousness to be appalled and suitably sympathetic.

I headed back to my office only to pass the open door of a perfectly sized lecture theatre standing totally empty.

Meeting this morning with my immediate boss. Just checking up on me really. I guess my former boss would do the same, but probably less formally.

She's off to Australia for a month though so this was just to make sure I was ok and had things to do. No shortage of things, I could assure her. 'specially since she persuaded me to make the joint presentation on info literacy which seems to be taking on a life of its own.

But what is this effect on the boss? Previous one was just about to run off to the Mediterranean, this one's off to Oz... almost as bad my parents hearing I was returning from two years abroad and deciding to go to Brazil for seven years!

I'd only seen about 2/3 of the computing students on Tuesday. Today I saw the remaining 70 or so. Different room (bit awkward but not as voluminous), no academic taking 10 minutes out of the start and a completely different feel to the whole hour. (Perhaps it was a result of putting back in the three 'fun' things!)

But best of all - particularly after the downers of the earlier session and the math department - was a quote that was forwarded to me by the academic who'd arranged the sessions. Right at the end of the day as I'm about to go home she wrote saying:

"Thought you might be interested in the following piece of feedback from one of the study project students who came to your 11 o'clock:

'About today's Final Year Project lecture, I found it EXTREMELY useful and probably the most useful lecture to date and loads of other friends agree with me.' "

In nearly 12 years of doing this I don't think I've had such a marvellous piece of feedback. Thank you whoever you are.

All day at the first of my management briefings out at our far flung bit of campus on the other side of the island.

Pretty good on the whole. Large chunk of the latter part of the morning given over to Myers-Briggs. I came out as an ENFP. Pretty strong on the E and the P (no surprise there), not so strong on the middle two which could have gone either way. In fact the test result gave a 'T' rather than 'F' but looking at the descriptive tests and delving deeper with the session leader, re-evaluated it to an 'F'. Which worked for me. The ENTP has a sound bite of 'classic entrepreneur' while the soundbite for the ENFP is a 'spark of energy'. Unless feeling a bit 'anti' through age or depression, I'd identify more with the latter.

Anyway, nice lunch, nice people to meet and interact with and perhaps a little more insight into leading with impact.

Odd session at lunchtime today. Odd in every sense I can think of.

I'd be invited to speak to the math department staff at one of their lunchtime sessions. Unfortunately, the academic organizing it has gone off long term sick. So come the morning I wasn't even sure where I was supposed to be.

The thought occurred to me that their might be a website that gave the information (doh! there must be given that another academic had wanted me to do some training at the same time and I'd not been able to change the math faculty session because they'd already advertised and 'put it on the web' I'd been told). So I found a room number and was about to head that way when fortunately I had a conversation with a math academic who, when I mentioned where I was going, told me that no, it was in another building entirely. Glad I checked.

Got there to find a very young lady who didn't seem to be either an academic or a researcher. I presume she was admin staff but asking if that was the case didn't seem to elicit any response either. Maybe we were having communication difficulties as I did establish that she was German and was very patient with stumbling attempts to be friendly in her own language. I was spared further effort by the arrival of the first academic. But as I went off to make sure the computer I was using was logged on and set up properly, I noticed that his behavior in talking to the German was most odd. Almost bordering on autistic or something. Perhaps it's just math lecturers.

Anyway, eventually the grand total of about half a dozen staff turned up - some with their sack lunches in-tow as promised. I did my very best to fulfil the brief of introducing myself and my background, explaining my role in the faculty and offering what services I could. I felt it went as well as it might and the questions were mostly ok. But again, it just seemed very energy sucking rather than energizing as such 'performances' often seem to me. Not entirely sure why.

One question that stupidly I wasn't prepared for, came from the Dean of the Department. He wanted statistics on how many maths students use the library (not possible currently - but might be after the swipe card access is installed after the extension opening settles in), how many books they borrow and so on. I could have brought such figures with me but hadn't quite thought it was the time or the place. Doh! They were math lecturers, of course they'd want that. Not to worry, he seemed happy enough that I could post them later.

I don't know if it's me, the number of students (groups do tend to be larger than TheOldPlace), or the particular qualities of this particular lecture theatre (converted from a large old fashioned type of hall). But this particular group of 100 or so computing project students just seemed to suck the energy out of me.

Possibly not helped either by my having to give 10 minutes at the start over to an academic who'd come to tell them about how and why they might get their work published. This seemed particularly ironic in the face, this week, of being up against a deadline of revising a piece of work I and a former colleague are hoping to have published.

The practical upshot of that was that I took out some of the 'fun' stuff - such as getting them to mind-map, playing with the 'voting' cards, and showing a video clip. So I've only myself to blame for being dull I guess!