All entries for January 2006

One way around the problems

Follow-up to Death to Demarco! (or fileserver problems day 4) from Innovating Research!

Well one way around the network glitches (which turn out to be not just down to Demarco – though she's a prime culprit for some of them still) is to work from home – which is what I'm doing today. So at least I know I won't suddenly have a network outtage when I'm trying to make a crucial calculation or edit the reading list report. It's down to the its final days now and I really don't want to spend any more time on it after next Friday if it can really be avoided…

: 13 Jan 2006 09:44 |  Tags: Computing Problems Network Personal |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Are librarians the most stressed out profession?

Writing about web page http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4605476.stm

Hmn, not sure if I'd agree with the precepts of this report – being a librarian is anything BUT monotonous. In fact a bit of monotony every now and again might make a nice change from the constant, erm, change.

Still, this report has at least one of the Social Science librarians here in the office fuming over its contents – so perhaps there's some truth in it after all…

: 12 Jan 2006 14:27 |  Tags: Librarians Wider-World |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Death to Demarco! (or fileserver problems day 4)

And so for the fourth day in a row we have file-server problems here. Today was a personal best for the system – 2 minutes after logging in (just after 8am) and we get fileserver down. Darn, by always coming in early I can usually be guaranteed an hour of pain-free computing and get some work done. But not today.

Seems to have stabilised for now, though for how long I just don't know. Beginning to lose count of how much effective work time's been lost this week, but it's easily over half a day. If it keeps up at this rate this will end up being effectively a 4 day week (at least for anything much achieved).

Normally when the net goes down, there's some paper work to do. Sadly with all this down time, I'm so up to date with the paper work that I'll be reduced to dusting the desk next (in between gnashing of teeth and questioning the legitimacy of the fileserver's parentage).

sigh Ah well, at least the sun's shining…

: 12 Jan 2006 09:33 |  Tags: Computing Problems Network Personal |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

The wee haags alright

Writing about web page http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0&id=34071

Best news I've heard in ages – Sam Raimi directing Terry Pratchett's Wee Free Men! My only question is – who'll be up for Granny Weatherwax's cameo?

I'd have said Dame Maggie if she wasn't linked with Potter, wonder if Judi Dench would give it a go?

: 10 Jan 2006 08:54 |  Tags: Personal Pratchett |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Medical student focus groups

Looks like we'll be moving ahead with the planned focus groups for the Medical School in early February. Hopefully by now the phase 1 and 2 students will have received an email from their stream leaders announcing them and asking for volunteers to get in touch with myself.

There's a rich variety of things that we could discuss on the days in question (6, 7 and 10th of Feb) but I've got to discuss these with Sarah Thorning (Library Biomed projects officer) before they'll be finalised. Should all provide some very interesting information.

: 09 Jan 2006 09:07 |  Tags: Focus Groups Medical School Projects |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Developments at SerialsSolutions

Writing about web page http://edina.ed.ac.uk/

SerialsSolutions provide us with the E-Journals data on the E-Resources section of the Library's website. The data is also used to update the library catalogue, and the RIU/eLab project to create Build-a-Link is built around that same data.

SerialsSolutions are embarking on a JISC funded project with EDINA (see related web page) to invesetigate the transfer of their records about University subscriptions to SUNCAT, the UK serials catalogue.

The implications of such a project could be far reaching. The sharing of data about subscriptions could be something that Google Scholar could tap into, to make it a more powerful tool for our users.

Jenny Delasalle : 04 Jan 2006 14:04 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

What's a swicki?

Writing about web page http://uk-copyright1-swicki.eurekster.com/

Happy New Year all. First day back at work since the break, and I'm investigating one or two things I read about before Christmas.

Thought I'd find out what a swicki was… and set one up for myself. Seems to produce pretty good results, although its not quite as useful as bookmarks, and only just more accurate than Google. When you use Google properly (ie with good keywords and using the advanced search feature) its probably better to use Google. Not really sure that the swicki will take off, but it was worth a play!

Jenny Delasalle : 03 Jan 2006 08:51 |  Tags: Copyright |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem