Hi everyone! Today’s blog includes another new update on Rotch’s roll-downs as well as some more information on upcoming holidays, expanding on an email I sent you all earlier this week. Also I think I perhaps implied more incoming megafauna fun facts in a previous blog post so today I have included some fun facts about orcas, which I got very excited about because I had a small whale phase early on in the pandemic.
Roll downs (for real this time)
That’s right, the roll-downs were installed in Rotch this week (yay)! However, it’s not all smooth sailing from here. We’ve already had some issues with them getting stuck when trying to roll them down and/or falling down when they should be staying rolled up. Our question marks about getting them to work smoothly and the painting work that still needs to be done means that we are still not using the roll-downs at this time. At this point the DVDs have moved entirely into the circ office so that’s at least one fewer thing for you all to worry about, but it’s still going to be some time before we move the DVDs back onto the shelves and train you all on using the roll-downs so we can start using them regularly at closing.
It’s difficult to describe in words, but to roll down the screen you use a hook/rod type contraption that you spin that rolls the whole thing down, and then the lock is at the bottom, which requires some bending. The process of rolling them down is much less physically taxing than rolling them back up, but it’s definitely not as easy as we would’ve hoped. Jaclyn and I are in conversation about whether it makes sense to add the DVD roll-down to your list of tasks given everything you’re already doing, and because they seem like kind of a pain.
For now, don’t worry about the roll-downs; we’ll keep you all posted on what happens with them considering the problems we’re having, and I’ll be around to demonstrate how to use them once we finally integrate them into the closing procedures and I’m always happy to hear your feedback on closing procedures if you have any questions or concerns or really any thoughts at all about the roll-downs.
Book drop volunteer(s) wanted!
Because we’re closed over Thanksgiving weekend (we’ll be closed Thursday 11/23 & Friday 11/24) and over the winter break (Monday 12/25 – Monday 1/1), I’m wondering if anyone is planning to be on campus during either of these times and would be interested in picking up a few extra hours to help us empty book drops. The way this works is that we’d train you fully on what the process would look like and then you’d empty the book drops once over Thanksgiving weekend and/or twice over the winter break week. You don’t have to be available both times, you don’t have to have ever done this before, you just have to be on campus and willing/interested in doing a little extra work for a little extra money! I’m hoping to get one or two people depending on availability, and I’d love to hear from you if you think you might be interested! As I mentioned in my previous email, you don’t have to know for sure quite yet, but I’m just trying to get a sense of who might think they’d be interested and available.
Look at the calendar! Look at your schedule!
It’s not even Thanksgiving weekend yet, but it’s getting close, and this time of year days really start to fly by, so I want to give you all your first reminder to start thinking about what coverage you’ll need for the rest of the semester. The last day of classes is Wednesday, December 13th, but our schedule runs through Friday, December 22nd, which is the last day of exams. We are also open 11/20-11/22, the three days prior to Thanksgiving, and the schedule is normal for these days as well. You are on the hook for all of your shifts up until 12/22! Of course, this doesn’t mean you are required to attend all of your shifts, but you either need to be present for these shifts or email out for coverage as soon as you know what your schedule is.
That is to say, please keep an eye on your schedule for your exams and any traveling you may be doing, and email the appropriate list for coverage as soon as you know you’ll need to miss a shift (or multiple) around the end of the semester. The same thing I always ask of you still holds, in that I ask you to try to send the coverage out at least a week in advance and to send one reminder “bump” if no one takes the shift, but especially when it comes to finals week please do not stress if no one claims the shift. If you know you’ll be around for finals week and want to claim a bunch of open time, we are absolutely stoked to have you, but we also understand that we may be thinly staffed that week. As long as you’re doing your due diligence of emailing out the coverage and sending a reminder email as needed, you’ve done everything you need to do and you can miss your shift in peace!
Of course, I know many of you probably still don’t know exactly what your plans are yet, so this is just my first little nudge to keep it in mind as it comes up quick. Thanksgiving week, however, is only a couple weeks away so if you need to miss any shifts the week of 11/20 please get coverage out as soon as you can!
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One final note on orcas – below I’ve included a list of links to sources of information I used for this post, and if orcas interest you I also recommend looking into the research of people like Michael Bigg, John Ford, and Ken Balcomb as a start. Anyway, those are some megafauna fun facts for your weekend, have a great one and I’ll see you soon! -KCD
- https://www.whaleresearch.com/orca-id
- https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/killer-whale
- https://orcalab.org/orcas/
- https://www.wildorca.org/ask-an-expert/how-do-orcas-communicate/
- https://oceanliteracy.ca/whale-talk-orca-communication-and-dialect/
- https://www.whaleresearch.com/aboutorcas
- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/25/orcas-boats-rammings-scientists-open-letter-aoe
- https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/attacking-boats-may-be-a-new-social-trend-for-juvenile-orcas
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