Hmmm, I'm not sure but I'm beginning to hear rumors that would suggest I may have upset one of my crossword colleagues. I can't think why but I can't bear rumors and tales and gossip so I'll give it a day or three and then find out what's up (or what's not up and been completely overblown).

I've been informed that a section of books up the 2nd floor - planning and garden design of all things - are my responsibility. And desperately in need of weeding (hah!).

So I'm back amongst the shelves getting my hands (and clothes) dirty once again. But clearing the shelves of a lot of dead wood.

And up on the second floor I even seem to be able to get help! Why my team is so poor at that I don't know. (My boss recommended kicking them.)

Book group meeting last night.

Our glorious leader was unfortunately unable to make it (Mum getting a new knee which is a fair enough excuse). Just a shame that it was her book choice. _Cold Mountain_ by Charles Frazier.

Now the back of the book and other places have raved about it. R, who suggested it, has loved it.

But unfortunately none of the rest of us did. It's very 'fine' writing in a literary sense but rather a bleak story all told. I'd made up my mind about 2/3 of the way through to love the scenery and the obscure words and the descriptions - and was getting on with that. But then I got to the end. And watched the film as well for added impact.

Somehow I need more cheeriness and escapism in life! Still, I mentioned it to one friend and former colleague who I had a sneaking suspicion might like it. Turned out she'd read it and I was quite right.

Back with the pre-entry project woman today explaining all the revisions we've made after their request to expand it somewhat. I learned today that that request had come because the initial launch had been so successful and our library had garnered such interest.

That's gratifying. Of course it means more work...

Marvellous day today of getting my desk/drawer/shelf cleared up. Not quite done and have unearthed some jobs to do, but did clear a fair bit of detritus and at least now I can see the extent of the problems!

I've had it agreed that tomorrow I can stay home and do as much as I can of the pile of reading I need to get through. That will make a change and probably be more productive for not being worn out with commuting for a change! I could do with a break like that. But only a couple of weeks till the vacation.

Second graduation today - the other half of my faculty.

Slightly different in that as it was the afternoon it was much warmer in the hall! Also, one of the departments is all research so they had no graduates. Just an hour instead of 90 minutes.

Sitting there does get you questioning just how much you contribute to their success. Not a lot is the answer most likely.

The sadness of today's event was one of the Heads of school making an utter mess of many of the foreign names. It seemed a shame for the students whose names were sometimes unrecognizable.

Perhaps I'm just biased having had the privilege of living in Nigeria for a year and then in Asia for a couple of years but Yoruba or Chinese names just don't hold the same mystery as they evidently did for this poor lady. Why can't they just get someone to do it who can get it right?

Much as I expected really - the ceremony - all done and dusted in 90 minutes which wasn't bad. But then there weren't any honorary degrees and so no formal speeches. Our new chancellor - the actress - did make a few remarks at the end: haven't you all done well, aren't you all beautiful, go out into the world. But that was it.

Still, it felt very grand processing in robes, sitting on the stage (I had a prime at the side, to the front, right by the table where the doctors signed a book). Great fun.

But the other lot tomorrow (cosmology, math and computing) so I hope it won't be tedious doing two in quick succession. Perhaps I can take some Swedish words to learn.

Just back from the gowning rooms where I've picked up a gown, hood and mortar board.

It's graduation this week and next and the engineers turn this morning.

I'm a bit more excited about this than I expected to be. Mainly because it's actually the first time I've done this. I've attended a couple of friend's graduations before, in the audience. This time, however, I'll be on the stage and wearing a gown with my proper colours and so on.

I've never done this before because my graduation ceremony wasn't held until November by which time I was on the other side of the world. It always irked me that they couldn't have been in July as these are as I would love to have attended.

Another 'management briefing' training day today (only did one a couple of weeks ago). It was good though - same woman as did a 'cultural awareness' day in the Library which went well. (And from whom I shameless stole an ice-breaker for the last sermon I preached because it was so appropriate.)

This one was on 'maximising team performance' and as is often the case I feel I come away with more doubts about my ability to lead a wet paper bag than I do renewed vision to maximise my team's peformance. But there were some useful tools to take away and think about. And once again I got to 'sell' De Bono's 6 thinking hats and our use of them at TheOldPlace. Can I get a commission?

Lots of weeding the last few days. It's that time of year.

This year I've picked on the civil engineering and building/architecture type stuff which looks like it's been long overlooked. (We did no weeding last year thanks to moving almost all of the stock).

It's different - having to involve the academics - but once I get into it I quite enjoy the process and it certainly improves the looks of the shelves somewhat making the stock look more attractive (and hopefully useful) to students.

It just seems a shame that books have to come to the end of their natural life. But when it's not been borrowed in ten years or more (my record was 1985 for a last stamped date), it's probably not going to be greatly missed.

It will be interesting to see what, if anything, the academics decide can't be thrown away.

Three of us have been 'volunteered' to work on the details for Freshers' Fayre this year. In place of the rather excellent organization I've observed from A in previous years. But she's busy this time round.

I can't help feeling that with the three of us in charge - none of whom are best in this kind of role - it could yet be a disaster. We'll see.

I had been looking forward to the Library summer barbeque this evening but it's cancelled thanks to the lousy weather we're having. Perhaps another evening. But I'm not holding my breath. And to think I didn't go to the *university* party last Friday because two Fridays in a row was a bit much!

Completely unrelated to work, but congratulations to my sister who gave birth today. As an older first time Mom there were some worries over it all and Elijah is currently in a neo-natal unit as his blood sugar level is low. But he weighs a little under 6lbs and I shall look forward to seeing him as soon as maybe.

Over the summer the Library tries to organize a visit or two to other libraries if possible.

Today we went to a small college about an hour away that specialises in horticulture, aquaculture, agriculture, animal husbandry and lots more. Lovely little library with around 30000 volumes and lots of natural light. Nice folk to show us around and they put on a great lunch.

The only snag was that by it's very nature a lot of the day was outdoors and the weather forecasters' predictions for the day were proved right: rain, rain and more rain. Just when you thought it was beginning to brighten it suddenly got heavier.

Still, seeing the archer fish spitting at their food and a pair of the most delightful red pandas you've ever seen (at close range) were two real highlights of the day that made it all worthwhile.

Started doing some weeding today.

I can't look at all the books over the summer, but am concentrating this time round on civil engineering which looks like it's not been done for a while. Going to start by visiting every book that's not been borrowed in ten years.

Of course, at TheOldPlace it was entirely my decision. Here I have to get the academics involved and allow them a veto which complicates the process and makes more work. It will be interesting to see if that's a positive experience and useful or just an aggravation!

Makes a change to get away from the PC though and get my hands dirty on some real live books (and their dust).

I may have mentioned on a previous occasion that we (faculty librarians, plus our boss and our assistants) get together with our opposite numbers over in the academic skills unit sometimes. Just an opportunity to liaise, swap notes, share projects and problems, make sure we're coordinating any similar things we might be working on.

Another such morning today and once again I was struck by the way that if we didn't do this, there'd be a lot of reinvention of the wheel going on. Today we were joined by an online course developer from one of the faculties and she was impressed by how much we were - jointly -already doing and how much she (and presumably her equivalents in other departments) could benefit from swapping notes.

I could see this growing...

I've visited a nearby Catholic church four times this week. They hold a mass at 12.15 every day for half an hour. This is not my normal church or even my normal denomination but I'm glad I got over any trepidation I might have felt.

I've not joined in the Eucharist. I've been forward with everyone else but keeping my arms crossed in front of me to indicate you just want a blessing rather than the bread - sorry, wafer. But in fact I spoke to one of the staff there and he took the pragmatic view that I would have done, which was that it would be fine to join in if I take it in my own church. My boss is actually the chair of their pastoral committee and she said the same thing. But I wasn't sure I wasn't doing it for the wrong reasons, so I refrained. Perhaps another time.

But it was a marvellous space for quiet and contemplation. Even though the liturgy was sometimes identical to what I'm familiar with and sometimes just a little different, it was easy to pray and listen to God (and find that he spoke there as well!). You could genuinely sense the devotion. Right in the heart of the city, in the middle of a busy day, in a week in which I really needed such a space.

Thank you to the friend who guided me through my first visit and most certainly stretched my comfort zones.

Chance today to visit the new Second Life presence of TheOldPlace.

I have to say I'm really really impressed. Very imaginative and appealing. It draws you in and gets you exploring and wanting to find more. With a 'bubble transport' system that I've not seen before, a proto-library presence, catwalks for the fashion students, nightclubs, a swan pond, helter-skelters and all sorts, it's really lovely.

And apparently more to come from the library in the shape of an underwater maze and seahorses!

My thanks to S and Z who showed me round (or should that be their avatars, E and Z?)

Spent the day in a training course on 'communication' which was very good. Possibly a bit too interactive for my liking. Indeed at one point it all got a bit intense when in trios we were taking turns at observing, mentoring and being mentored. All was fine until I was taking on the latter role and picked a management issue that I was evidently too emotionally engaged with! The other two were fine with it (and I think secretly quite pleased that they may have been able to help with the problem), but I found it quite draining.

I thought the subject overall was quite amusing given that I spent the in between bits of the day trying to resend an important email that kept bouncing back.

Farewell at lunchtime today to a friend I've not known for very long at all.
Farewell this evening to one of the chaplains who I've known for somewhat longer.

Doesn't get any easier. Indeed parting seems to become ever more of an exquisite pain as I get older. Joy at the memories, sadness at the separation. But surely life's been enriched by knowing both of these people. I can only hope they feel the same way in return rather than 'phew - glad to move on'.

Safe travelling and take care.

A few of us (including our boss) met to swap notes on the various faculty conferences or bits of conference we'd attended last week. It was pleasing to see that firstly it was indeed acceptable to spend time getting to more than just my own faculty - there were interesting points from all of them.
And secondly it was good to come up with a flipchart full of action points from the various sessions we'd really enjoyed (or not) as the case might be.

I think I'm now down to do something on the Deep Web after Wednesday's disappointment! Just remember it's supposed to be some 500 x bigger than the web (which I knew) rather than 10 x (which is what my tongue said).