Stayed behind in Beijing for UBC access privelage and new requirements for vendors.
Presenting at CASS , suprisingly with new discovery and project proposals. Xu Huan at PKU and Joe from Apabi also asked for meetings, but it didn’t work out due to time restraints. Students and young librarians started sending me follow-up questions from Japan and Beijing. They and ref questions from home kept me busy working from hotel rooms.
I appreciated a much shorter staff meeting today. Some Chinese students in the neighborhood came to the Exhibit with their parents on this PD day. I recognized Peril right away who has been our loyal reader and donor, and she is with Tsu Chi Academy of Humanity. The group’s comment is really encouraging. I spent longer time than I expected to give them the tour of the collection.
Golden sunshine on leaves starting to turn red and yellow against the blue sky. Every day at UBC there are big groups of freshmen being oriented. Two weeks in this new term, and the excitement is still building. Prof. Rea’s new Ph.D student tried to meet one-on-one, but I have to run to the BBLearn Group meeting, already missed a meeting due to the Exhibit. Another Master student stopped me clarifying a seminar room location. I really need to focus on orientation and instruction now.
Half way to the Learning Centre, Prof. Shinn told me the next Wat lecturer, Dr. Wang Fan-sen, is coming in less than two weeks. Not enough time to put up the display if we don’t have all of his books.
Tried very hard to put the exhibit behind me, and so I can concentrate on the instruction. Collaborate is easy to use, so I will wait for Connect to settle in. Yvonne has spent lots of time on my Connect account. I like the best practice part of our group report, but so far, none of us have tried out delivering instruction in Connect. Anyway, it’s a good start for my online instruction that can reach the faculty and students no matter where they are.
Just received the thank-you letter from Japan and glad to know Shoko is back home safely. She gave an impressive presentation last Friday. When I dropped her off at YVR, I had a Canadian style hug.
Glad to learn about the library operation in Japan and the program at Tsukuba. I think that their program is more forward-looking and intercultural. They sent the students to various countries as interns. A graduate student from Tsukuba requested an interview over Skype.
This morning, all my mind was on the visa issue in Guangzhou and how to hang the panels in the Auditorium. Asian Studies’ pancake breakfast was in there and changed the setting and feeling of the room. The folks’ warm greetings stopped my worries on the exhibition. What a great opportunity meeting new colleagues! Dr. Lin from Taiwan shared her views towards Academia Sinica. The new Chinese Language Program Director, Dr. Wang Qian, is young, sweet and energetic. She questioned me about services for her students right away. Too bad, I had three meetings scheduled, and didn’t have chance to chat with lots of people.
Ran over to IAR with the paper plate. Happy for our History Ph.Ds who received global offers. Their research questions are still fresh in my mind…Tim is not only supporting the exhibit, but also helping with developing the collection. Late for the meeting with Trish, and need to follow up with Sheryl on the CCR donation, need to schedule another meeting in IAR. Wonder if my answer to her translated literary works has left anything out.
Interrupted by visiting scholars half way through the letter to Canadian Embassy in Beijing. My paper in Chinese Classics & Culture lead them here. Phoebe thought they were my friends. Let them browsing the stacks while I brought some rare items out of the vault. They were shocked to see 18th Century’s books on open shelves. A New York Prof who is teaching in Hong Kong just emailed me for Deng Zhimo’s Chan Yin Gao. Wrapping up within 45 minutes and had a quick stop at the Digital Initiatives, thanked all folks there for the testing with Asian rare books.
Prof. Rea’s new student was waiting in Asia, answered her questions and realized the seniors have been helping the new comers like her. Good for you, guys! Some one is making my life easier. This post is getting too long, and emails are still rushing in…
This coming academic year’s orientation starts with Forestry exchange students again. It’s interesting that both Dr. Koerner, whose foundation funded Puban purchase, and Dr. Barber were foresters. Asian Centre’s renovation didn’t seem to bother the group, and I was talking out loud with my biggest voice. Katherine prepared detailed online demos and examples. We came across a microfilm title with Summon search limit with “books or ebooks”. Wonder what other suprises I will be bumping into with the newly designed website and upgraded systems.
The campus is so quiet on this rainy Monday, as if I could hear the petals falling off the magnolia trees by IKBLC. Solving a mystery of a series with messy bib records as soon as I walked into the library, turned out it’s a call-back set from Surrey storage. This reminds me several recent reference requests, the Three-year Plan and a new in-depth research season.
Just confirmed with Katherine on new Forestry students’ orientation in July, still owe Bronwen the DigitalProjectApproval forms this week, and would love to develop my online course when Caroline is here to help.
Dr. Cheng, Prof. Gu and Patrick are still waiting for my part. More urgent research tasks are our book charpter for SCSL and the PPT for WCILCOS conferecne, although I don’t understand why we need to submit the PPT, since our whole papers are already on files. With this much workload, not sure if I can get away for Shangri La and Guilin this summer, although I miss the harmonious beauty in these two places.
This program was nearby. I skipped lunch and tried to attend, but was almost stopped by a reference request on the way out. I felt guilty saying “no”, but did and rushed out. Besides the methods of relaxation, learning to say “no” really struck me.
Quite often, I skip lunch or spend too much time on non-UBC users’ requests, because I thought we are the last stop in this country for the information they seek. Today, I had three-class visit with last minute notice. I agreed to take care of them, because I was away and then sick, and so this is the last chance. I am glad I did and still feeling high now by answering their questions. Good students!
Just received Jonathan’s confirmation of receiving the rare movie DVD from UCSD Library. Still searching for the rare early 20th Century’s Shanghai journals for Gary. I am glad I don’t have to say “no” to our own folks thanks to my world-wide pro connections.
Glad to see Wuhan as one of the stops of the TGAG trip. On top of the work, it’s like a reunion event. Jingxia successfully worked out the program held in her City Library, just like she brought her library into IFLA. I felt pressure after I saw the program package already in my hotel room. 
The group had a meeting after dinner to clarify what we each need to work on. Thanks for the well equiped auditorium, I could move freely on the stage and had my eyes on the entire audience.
Glad to learn the Wuhan Library’s weekend workshops. Some library directors grabbed me to the side and told me their dilema and they had to activate all kinds of connections in order to survive.
Wuhan U just built and was about to open another new library. Marble floor and walls in the lobby. We used to have dance parties in the dinning hall near our dorm, it would be nice to dance here.
Our TGAG team was finally formed in Beijing and I flew back down south to Guiyang to attend the Society’s annual meeting and to train the librarians in Guizhou Province. Although our trainees work in an underdeveloped province, they asked good questions and have strong desire to contribute to their communities. I was impressed by the girl who stood up and asked me questions. We had similar experience, and she is keen volunteering on top of a full-time job. Her email reached me right before I start to teach in Wuhan.
