Human Events
Apr. 5th, 2006 10:21 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stoutfellow1. Yesterday I went to the university branch of the Post Office to ship a couple of books to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sunlizzard. I hadn't been able to find appropriate packing materials, so I asked the clerk what they had. She was very helpful, bringing out a small box (but it was too big), then a large envelope (but it was too small), and finally a roll of brown paper - and proceeded to wrap them herself, quickly and efficiently. I'd call that a bit beyond the call of duty, and I'm going to send the office manager a note of appreciation. (Of course, I can only identify her as "the brown-haired woman who was on duty around 2:15 on the 4th", but that should be enough.) Post Office workers get such bad press that I thought she deserved a little kudos for this.
2. In my History of Math class, I require my students to write a couple of short papers on appropriate topics. I insist that the bibliography include at least one printed reference other than the textbook. One of my students dropped by yesterday afternoon for advice on sources for her second paper, and I made a few suggestions. As she was leaving, she told me that she really appreciated this assignment: it was the first one she'd had which required her to use the library for research purposes, and she thought that would be a useful skill. I nodded and agreed. (This is a senior level course, mind you...)
sunlizzard. I hadn't been able to find appropriate packing materials, so I asked the clerk what they had. She was very helpful, bringing out a small box (but it was too big), then a large envelope (but it was too small), and finally a roll of brown paper - and proceeded to wrap them herself, quickly and efficiently. I'd call that a bit beyond the call of duty, and I'm going to send the office manager a note of appreciation. (Of course, I can only identify her as "the brown-haired woman who was on duty around 2:15 on the 4th", but that should be enough.) Post Office workers get such bad press that I thought she deserved a little kudos for this.2. In my History of Math class, I require my students to write a couple of short papers on appropriate topics. I insist that the bibliography include at least one printed reference other than the textbook. One of my students dropped by yesterday afternoon for advice on sources for her second paper, and I made a few suggestions. As she was leaving, she told me that she really appreciated this assignment: it was the first one she'd had which required her to use the library for research purposes, and she thought that would be a useful skill. I nodded and agreed. (This is a senior level course, mind you...)
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Reference on Dead Tree
Date: 2006-04-09 04:13 am (UTC)Most of the really useful tools are online, including journal indices, full-text databases &etc., and of course, the departmental library usually has any hardcopy references, including subscriptions to Cell or the Journal of Applied Research, et al.
So it might not be quite as terrible as it first appears...
(Not that I believe it, mind you, but it's possible)