23 August 2006

Home Ec. At the Library.

Today at work I got to try out some fun new tools. Due to a serious lag in shipments for the front end of acquisitions, I got sent over the tail end of our department for shelf prep, the final line of defense between receipt of new books and all of you out there in the stacks (ok, and me too. I hang out in the stacks all the time). And it seriously felt like I was taking my first Home Ec class!
I didn't take pictures, but I'll try my hand at describing the wonderful technology I used that made work seem like a crafter's paradise.
The glue-roller for putting adhesive (basically a glorified rubber cement that sticks all your fingers together) on the back of donor plates (just pieces of paper naming the lovely benefactor whose moneybags paid for the book) is a metal roller that dips into a reservoir full of adhesive and spins around while you slide plates across it. How do you make it spin? Use a sewing machine pedal, of course! I had lots of fun with that one.
I also got to type up and print spine stickers with call numbers for about 250 books. They print out on a reel of tape that is only a little bit sticky. In order to really make it stick to the book, you put it on and press the whole thing to a ceramic plate heated to 145 degrees celsius. The tape backing melts and adheres really well. Guess what they called this whole process? Ironing!
Okay, so maybe I'm just a dork, but I got a kick out of doing little domestic tasks for BOOKS on an assembly line. I am very easily amused. Or does this mean I would be well-suited for sweatshop labor? Yikes.

A little more neutral knitting; some orangey-rust fingerless mitts I tried to post last time, when Blogger ate all my pictures.


I'm off to a Bon Voyage hour-o-fun and then it's back to finishing papers (it's going really well today, I'm so proud!). Happy knitting all :)

Listing Some More Stuff:

51. I can't help tapping my foot to music. It may be a holdover from years of playing in band
52. My favorite Disneyland ride is the one about Alice in Wonderland where you ride in a caterpillar.
53. I could eat a whole bag of Strawberry Twizzlers by myself.
54. I do better work on my papers when I have a hard copy instead of when I try to work on the computer.
55. I do even better work when I have a hard copy of the paper AND a whole bag of Strawberry Twizzlers. Tonight is going to be wonderful :)
56. In a game of Risk, I am only satisfied if I have captured the Congo. Doesn't matter if I win or lose; it's all about that one country. No idea why.
57. I am tempted to dress myself or my bed in stripes or polka dots.
58. Today was the first time I finished running full speed for 45 minutes on the machine at the gym and felt like I could have kept running for another 15 minutes.
59. I danced in a school Luau Sr. year of college. Hula is so fun!
60. I chipped my tooth a few months ago on a ceramic bowl because I was really excited about eating the peas that were in the bowl. Stupid peas.

Also? Go check this out. So unbelievably cute.

4 comments:

AmyArtisan said...

The mitts look great! Isn't it fun when you get to do something new & "exciting" at work for a change of pace? :)

Elisabeth said...

The book stuff sounds fun! I want those toys for my books at home. :)

I tap my foot to music, too. And I was in band. I've always been convinced that had something to do with it.

Anonymous said...

i LOVE strawberry twizzlers!

kathy b said...

But don't you get sick on the Twizzlers? Or Have you acclimated your system.

Great thoughts you leave us

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...