30 things meme

30 things I've done this month in addition to #blogeverydayofjune

1. Wrote a paper
2. Wrote an abstract
3. Visited my family in the wilds of NSW
4. Visited my partners family in the wilds of Bayview
5. Pulled sweet potato from the ground and made soup with it
6. Helped a friend in dire need
7. Helped a sister in slightly less dire need
8. Documented my owl collection
9. Reinvigorated my interest in cameras and photography
10. Participated in 10,000 steps
11. Had my last swim in the ocean for a while
12. Brushed up on Kurzweil and Dragon software
13. Made Italian Biscotti
14. Read 4 books
15. Started knitting in remembrance of my nanna
16. Started wearing my scarf collection in earnest
17. Designed cover art for a friends album (that I also helped record earlier in the year)
18. Contemplated life, death, relationships and the meaning of it all
19. Attended a double 5th dress up birthday party
20. Saw two films in the SFF
21. Went to the Bienale of Sydney at MCA and AGNSW
22. Attended a talk by Frank Howarth from the Australian Museum
23. Attended a student hub workshop
24. Attended a talk on new learning commons
25. Attended a talk by Kevin O'Brien on the Aboriginal notion of Country in architecture
26. Attended a meeting with my pod/vodcasting community
27. Saw Animal Kingdom at the Academy Twin Cinema before it closed down
28. Saw Toy Story 3 in 3D with my nieces and nephews
29. Started to feel more a part of the Australian library community
30. Learned the value of blogging

Why am I a librarian?

This is a response to @gigglesigh's and @fionawb's question, 'why am I a librarian'? I've only been a librarian for two years and I guess the why part will keep changing over time but right now this is what I've come up with.

I started my academic life at art school which involved trying to force order onto chaos and disarray. It can be hard to organise creativity and I don't think I was very good at it back then. At some point I turned from Sculpture and installation to printmaking and I think this was a turning point that in part led to my becoming a librarian. Why, I hear you ask? Well, printmaking is a very precise skill involving etching with acids, resins, fine tools, inks, and papers. I learned to examine every detail of an etching and organise my sketches, ideas, tools, and supplies with care. I became a master at the craft and loved using my skill to create new effects, layers, images, ideas. It was the precise and detailed nature of the work that I loved and I think is one thing I love about being a librarian. I started teaching printmaking after a while and loved sharing my experience with students. This too is something I love about being a librarian.

After art school I worked in a new and 2nd hand bookstore for many years. It was a great part-time job with great people, flexible hours and an endless supply of books! I loved reading, looking at, touching and smelling books. Talking books with customers and colleagues was a real pleasure but above all I loved helping customers find what they were after (another thing I love about being a librarian). Being a second hand dealer, you have no idea how obscure some of the requests would be. But I'd wander through the shelves searching and sure enough find a book on a rare breed of poultry or a historical figure of Tibet. It was during this time that I decided I needed to do something more with my life. I felt I had more to offer (society? the world?) and needed a new way to express that. I thought to myself, what do I like? and the answer was: books and helping people. So I thought: I should be a librarian. So naive.

So it was that I started 'library school' and discovered that the idea I had of a librarian was long gone. Thank goodness because I soon embraced my new notion with gusto. I really loved studying so much more than I had the first time. I was learning new things everyday and consuming it all like I'd woken up after a long deep sleep. By halfway through I thought there are so many jobs I could do after finishing - one of my last choices would be librarian. However, after some work experience in a public library I wasn't so sure. I enjoyed helping people and felt a sense of purpose but there was still something niggling at me. I wanted more...

After finishing my studies I worked in a social research centre library for a while and really loved supporting researchers, building databases, websites, teaching them skills, and all the basics of librarianship. The only thing was, I was the only librarian and felt professionally lonely. Being a newbie, I felt I needed to be around other people so I could learn more and be supported and encouraged to find my feet as a librarian.

Now I'm at an academic library and loving it. I feel like I'm in the right place at the right time. What I currently love the most is: helping people learn new things that will help them (staff or clients), feeling supported and encouraged by a great bunch of colleagues, sharing ideas and making ideas a reality, constantly learning new things, meeting like-minded librarians through social media and conferences all over the world, pondering the future of the profession and libraries. That might seem a bit vague but it means a lot to me. I know I've been lucky in my short career. I can only hope my luck continues!

Another obsession: my camera collection

I've already confided in you about my owl obsession which is being documented on my owl flickr set so I thought I better confess to another obsession of mine. My camera collection. 14 in total, consisting of: 2 point and shoot digital, 1 waterproof digital video, 1 lomo digital, 1 digital SLR, 2 Polaroid, 1 lomo medium format, 1 baby Holga, 2 35mm cameras, 1 box brownie and 1 8mm video camera. Missing from this photo is an amazing super8 camera I used to own and a great Pentax ME super (SLR) that both broke and went to camera heaven (not to mention numerous others that have been lost/stolen over the years). I feel like I need to describe them in a bit more detail so here goes from right to left, front to back.

First up, baby Holga, given to me by a friend. This takes 110 film and really old school photos. They always look like the shots in old family albums. So simple, it doesn't even have a viewfinder, all you do is wind and press. It's so small that it's on a keyring and I keep it dangling from my handbag 'at the ready'. Second is a digital 'lomo-like' camera, the Harinezumi 2 from Japan. This is so cool and one of the newest. It takes colour and B&W photos and video with a lomo-like look. Really cool.

Next is the Ricoh 35 FM: old 35mm non rangefinder camera. Takes you back to the 70's with a great 'pancake' lens that takes clean sharp pics. I haven't put any up yet but check out this flickr group! The next one (with blue on top) is a Diana + medium format. A remake of a 60's plastic cult classic. This takes amazing rich, creative shots. You're never quite sure what you'll get though - which is the whole point. One of the cool things is you can do really long exposures just leaving the shutter open or you can take multiple shots on the same frame. Using slide film and cross processing gives some really cool colour and contrast effects. Check out the flickr group. Next is the Kodak Retina Ib folding camera made around 1954. Got this one recently from an awesome shop in Surry Hills. It has a great all metal German made body and lens that I definitely need to spend more time with. Here are some shots on flickr.  Moving along we have the Polaroid Spirit 600. I picked this one up from an op shop about 12 years ago and it has captured many a fine moment. I love this but the film is really hard to get now and so expensive - about $30 for 10 shots! A friend of mine has a really cool new mini Polaroid but I don't think it's as good as this one (when I say good I mean unpredictable).

In the next row up on the right we have a box brownie that has never been used by me since film stopped being made a very long time ago. Likewise, the 8mm camera has never been used because Super 8 took over and they stopped making the film but I like to keep both as part of the collection. On the left we have an old Canon EOS 10D digital SLR from 2003. This takes amazing shots at 6.3mp using only EF lenses but it's slow, heavy and has a tiny screen. This camera really does take the best shots of the bunch but because it's a bit old now it gets less use (sorry).

RECOMMENDED: Next we have my current favourite and most versatile compact digital camera; the Canon Powershot S90. This can pass itself off as your average digital camera but it has a great lens and loads of oomph that definitely puts it a cut above. Heaps of great manual and semi-manual settings but even if you leave it on auto you'll get great shots. I recently found the 'night' setting and they ain't kiddin' around! This recent set was taken with it.  The only downside is no HD video and no optical zoom in vid mode. On the left we have the good old Canon digital IXUS 70. I have a long history with the IXUS. The think I had one of the first back in 1997 that used APS film (weird short lived phase). It's always been a great, tiny, point and shoot camera for all occasions. Nothing fancy, just a simple little digital camera that takes a good shot. I've had this one for a few years now and it's travelled with me almost everywhere. It was only recently replaced by the more sophisticated Canon Powershot S90.

On the top right is the Kodak Playsport waterproof digital HD videocamera. This is the newest camera and was a replacement by the insurance company for our Sanyo Xacti underwater camera which died of water damage (yes really).  Not sure why they got to choose or why they choose this one especially since it was worth way less than the Xacti (I would have preferred a flipcam), but hey - at first they said they didn't insure against water damage so I guess we can't complain. I haven't actually used this one yet and I'm annoyed it didn't arrive before my recent trip snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. Would have been perfect. Maybe on my next intrepid adventure? Finally on the left you see the Polaroid 1000 land camera. This darling now only works with modified Polaroid 600 film (which as you know is hard to get) because they stopped making film for it a while back. So as you can imagine it hasn't been used much. Photo quality isn't great but that's the fun thing about this camera.

Last but not least (and not in the photo because it took the photo) is my iphone camera. I use this by far the most because of convenience and wish I used some of my other cameras more but I have to admit I'm in love with the immediacy. In particular I love the Hipstamatic app for taking photos and Swankolab for developing. So much fun. I also have the lomo app which is fantastic too. My iphone is currently my most used camera but I would love to change that.

I had no idea this post would turn out so long and it really has reinvigorated my love of photography and cameras. My pledge: *hand on heart* for the rest of the year I'm going to take photos on all my cameras and upload to flickr as individual sets. I really love each camera and think they all have something different to contribute. It'll be interesting to compare flickr sets when I'm done and hopefully prove the unique qualities of each camera.

Two things about me meme

Long weekend meme fever ends with a bit about me and some photos of my weekend in the wilds. “About You” meme via Ghylene



Two names you go by:
1) Sopha
2) Sophiemaccadoodlewacca

Two things you are wearing right now:
1) Antique Navajo turquoise ring
2) Santa Domingo pueblo turquoise and shell earings

Two things you would want (or have) in a relationship:
1) laughter
2) loving moments

Two things you like to do:
1) sing
2) make art

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1) a warm bed
2) A clone who could do all the boring things I don't have time for

Two things you did last night:
1) Hung out with my family
2) Ate a very yummy dinner my mum made

Two things you ate today:
1) Homemade scones
2) Mushroom soup

Two people you last talked to:
1) 5 year old Lennox
2) David G Herbert

Two things you’re doing tomorrow:
1) Writing a paper for ALIA access
2) Exercise

Two Favorite Holidays
1) Japan, snowboarding and roaming the country on a gastronomic adventure
2) Borneo, trekking, mountain climbing, beaching, boating, orang utans

Two favourite beverages
1) Brown rice green tea
2) Montepulciano Red

Two things about me! Things you may not have known.
1) I'm vegetarian and have been for 17 years
2) I sometimes consider becoming a part-time hermit

Two jobs I have had in my life:
1) Printmaking teacher
2) Antique bookseller

Two movies I would watch over and over:
1) Millers crossing
2) The Princess Bride

Two places I have lived:
1) Tamarama
2) Caringbah

Two of my favourite foods:
1) real Italian pizza
2) desserts of all kinds

Two places I’d rather be right now:
1) Riding horses over the Andes Mountains of Chile
2) Climbing the treetops with Gibbons in Laos