My Life on I-91

For the first dozen years of my professional life I worked at UMass/Amherst. Most of that time I lived in Northampton and the focus of my commuting attention was crossing the Connecticut River on the Calvin Coolidge Bridge. It was crowded even then. Fortunately, I was on a bus.

Then came a 5 year stint with Harper & Row Publishers. UMass/Amherst was my largest account and I continued to spend much time getting myself and my paperwork to the other side of the river via the Coolidge Bridge, this time in a car. UMass/Amherst was my largest account, but by no means my only account. There are lots of colleges in the Springfield area and even more in Vermont. Thus began my relationship with I-91.

In 1985, I was hired by WMRLS which was located in Hatfield at the time. Shortly after, I moved to Greenfield. For the next 13 years I spent lots of time on I-91 heading south every morning and north every evening.

When I left WMRLS, my first project as a consultant was as interim director of the Greenfield Public Library. However, I had just moved to Hatfield so I still spent much time on I-91, this time heading north every morning and south every evening.

Enter Donohue Group Inc. (DGI) which was then located in Weathersfield CT. Again it was south in the morning, but with a very different crowd of people. South of Holyoke, traffic on the highway becomes more dense and very fast and there's usually a major backup as everyone tries to negotiate around Hartford andI-84.

So I was very happy to join the CMRLS team. Even though the commute was longer by about 20 minutes and 20 miles, the drive itself was easier. I'd head south on I-91, but before things got too intense, I'd turn east onto the Mass Pike. And before things got too intense there, I'd exit. Piece of cake!

Now that I'm working independently, I have several different projects, but right now they all involve traveling on I-91. The biggest problem is remembering where I'm going on any particular day.

Last week, my schedule looked like this:
Monday and Tuesday: Springfield City Library - get off at I-291.
Wednesday and Thursday: DGI (in Windsor, Conn.) - don't get off till after I'm in Conn. (I have a few different exit options)
Friday: DGI project in Cambridge; meet colleagues at Sturbridge Park & Ride - get off at the Mass Pike.

Every morning as I enter I-91, I have to remind myself where I'm going. As I approach all of the different possible exits, I have to concentrate on staying on or getting off whichever I'm supposed to do that day. So far, I've only messed up once and it wasn't too bad. I had very carefully maneuvered myself into the left lane as I approached I-291 only to realize it was an SCL day and I was to get off there! I took the next exit and got back on course.

If only the rest of life was so easy to correct.

What Do You Call a Group of Catalogers?

There's a bevy of beauties and a gaggle of geese. I vote for a cluster of catalogers.

One of the best things about working at DGI (which I did 3 days last week) is that I'm surrounded by catalogers who speak AACR2 and MARC. If I have a question, all I have to do is say loudly enough for several people to hear "How do I do ...?" and someone is bound to know the answer. Sometimes there's some discussion as we debate the best approach, but we are all so familiar with the subject matter we can figure it out pretty quickly.

I like the structure of going into an office. When I'm there, there are no distractions like dirty laundry or dust bunnies. The commute to Windsor, CT is not bad. I do have to pass by Springfield which I don't especially enjoy, but that's not a long distance. Connecticut drivers are fast and fairly aggressive, but then I get off the highway and have a few miles to drive at a steady speed down a lovely road with no traffic lights or stop signs before I arrive at the office. The entire trip takes less than an hour.

Unfortunately, now that I'm commuting again, the gasoline prices have jumped. As Rosanne Rosannadanna would say: "It just goes to show ya, it's always something."

8 Days a Week

My work life lately feels like the title to a Beatles' song. I suppose I should be grateful - and I am. It's nice to know that my skills are valued and that people want me working on their various projects. And that I'm earning enough money to pay the bills.

Yesterday I traveled to Middleborough (nearly to Cape Cod) to teach a Continuing Ed. workshop on MARC records for the Mass. Library System (MLS). Fifteen women attended and there was a real range of experience. Some were brand new, but most had been doing their jobs for a while and wanted to make sure they were doing the right things. Many had learned "on the job" and wanted the "official" take on what they do. Others had Masters' degrees in Library Science and wanted a review. There was lots of good discussion and the attendees seemed very pleased. I know I was.

Later that evening I spent a few hours grading papers for LIS415. I'm so glad this is spring break and I don't have to teach on Saturday. I need the breather.

Today, I'm off to Springfield City Library to catalog more games, puzzles and toys for the Early Childhood Resource Collection (ECRC). I'll be working on the item records and attaching the descriptions I created to digital images.

Then I'll spend the rest of the week at the DGI offices in Windsor, CT converting cataloging information for the Boston Public Library from cards to electronic records.

As far as I know, I'll be busy like this till June 30 when the grant money expires for the ECRC and BPL projects. We'll see what happens after that.