ring a ding ding...

Medium sized shake up at the office... one of the two people who answer our phones and take orders for equipment and videos (umbrella term for 16mm, vhs, and dvd) has been traded to the majors by the boss! When she comes back from vacation next week she gets to go over to the library and spend at least the next three months helping out with a major weeding project. In order to make room for the new learning commons on the first floor of the library, they are apparently going through the books in the Arts and Humanities library and seeing which ones can be sent out to our off-site book annexes.

I can be pretty sure she is not pleased about this.

I know I'm not exactly thrilled at the fact that I've been deputized to be her stand-in and help with the phones and whatnot. This ought to be fun as I know bupkiss about our equipment. And even less about the million various rooms across campus and what equipment they contain, and what other equipment we have available that we can loan/deliver.

So things are about to get messier around here.

On the plus side, my evaluation next year just got really easy to write ... especially that "describe your greatest challenges this year" question!

Big picture it's a chance to learn and do something new. On the other hand it's a HUGE learning curve for me, and I HATE LOATHE and DESPISE the telly-phone.

I'm with these guys:

"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us."
- Western Union internal memo, 1876

But I shall do my duty to king and country etc...