I’m always surprised when people want a tour of ALA HQ. I’ve honestly never worked anywhere that was more architecturally nondescript. Case in point, the ALA Publishing Editorial and Marketing Offices hallway.

Now, the people, of course, are much more interesting, and if the tour were of individual offices, it might fall a bit closer to being worth the price of (free) admission.

One thing that might startle first-time visitors, though, is how few people work here given how much is accomplished. For example, the offices and cubicles of LITA, ALCTS, and LAMA fit along one short hallway.

The real environmental value of working at ALA HQ is actually the stunningly beautiful downtown location. May is especially gorgeous here in the Cathedral District, as dozens upon dozens of streetside planting areas are filled with tulips in full bloom. The photo below is the St. James Cathedral tower just across the street. So next time you are at HQ, I recommend skipping the tour of the offices and asking for a tour of the neighborhood.

This post marks the first in a series of Friday Photos, not of drab hallways but rather of (we hope) interesting shots of ALA people, offices, or scenes from the neighborhood as we offer a glimpse into our work life here at HQ.

It’s the end of the semester for me, the last semester after five years of studying part-time for my library degree from UIUC. I feel a bit like I’m losing my mind. School has been a good thing all around, and recent courses have been highly relevant to my current projects, but I look forward to putting that effort toward my Editions work.

For this Friday’s Fiction, I’ve selected one of Jennie’s pieces that reminds me of my current state of mind, and perhaps yours too on a Friday . . .

Losing Oneself

Getting lost in the stacks was a common occurrence. Staff members would go to the stacks to check a title, never to be seen again. Occasionally, one would resurface weeks later, appearing from nowhere, dazed and confused. As a Coordinator of Off-Campus User Services, she was immune to this, instead losing herself in distance services . . .

An introduction to our Friday Fiction Series and Jennie’s bio can be found on our first Friday Fiction post.

Patrick: Do you have access to Jenni’s flash fiction?

Me: No… BUT I do know where she keeps the hard copies!

Patrick: Do you want to write the intro to it too?

Me: oh, um okay -

Patrick: You can write it! You were a creative writing major!

(By the way, it seems like Patrick’s “writing” these intros more than we are). Anyways, I found this flash fiction a little too applicable to pass up!

Superfluous -

“Rag Rug Weaving, Creative Writing, or Scroll Saw Artwork, which class should I take?” she wondered. They are all crafts that are superfluous to real life. “Creative Writing, though, might be a course for which I could get credit,” she thought, if I use it to write something applicable to my job, like Flash Fiction.

An introduction to our Friday Fiction Series and Jennie’s bio can be found on our first Friday Fiction post.

Is it the end of a long week of “maximizing” your library service? Here’s a bit of fun from Jennie Inglis on the changing library environment:

Library as Place

Library as Place User Survey:
—What size latte would you like?
—Do you want cream cheese on that bagel?
—Would you like your cell phone recharged?
—What time would you like to schedule that massage?
—You would like breakfast brought to your study room at what time?

The library as place was no longer what she thought it was…

An introduction to our Friday Fiction Series and Jennie’s bio can be found on our first Friday Fiction post.

Conversation in my office this past Monday:

Patrick: Good morning.

Jenni: Hi, how was the [ACRL] conference?

Patrick: Good. No Friday Fiction I see…

Jenni: What?

Patrick: You didn’t post a Friday Fiction piece on the blog last week.

Jenni: Sure I did. I had already posted it when you e-mailed me about whether it would appear.

Patrick: That was the week before last.

Jenni, staring blankly: Oh. Um. Huh. You’re right. I’ve lost an entire week.

So, in the spirit of the hectic life of the librarian (or the library publishing editor), here’s another piece from Jennie Inglis that just about sums it up!

Read All the Time

“Oh, my gosh,” she said. “I have to be on the Reference Desk in five minutes but my monthly report isn’t finished.” The committee meeting was that afternoon; the SACS report was due that night, as well as the revised vision statement. Later, when a patron said, “I wish I was a librarian so I could read all the time,” she turned away, her fists clenched.

An introduction to our Friday Fiction Series and Jennie’s bio can be found on our first Friday Fiction post.

Back in January, one of the bloggers over at ACRLog, Marc Meola, wrote a post about flash fiction. I took particular notice because last year I connected with Jennie Inglis, who had been writing about her experiences as a librarian using a similar format. I’ve run across a lot of definitions of flash fiction (and its variants, such as microfiction and nanofiction), most having to do with restrictions on word count, though some including characteristics related to plot. Inglis held herself to just one rule: the content had to fit on the back of a business card.

Here’s one of my favorites for a Friday. I hope it gives you a little chuckle!

Life Drawing

She posed naked in front of the class, head down and to the left, right hand across her thigh, towel in one hand. “What does this have to do with distance services?” she wondered. Opening a branch campus required that faculty take on new duties, but modeling for a life drawing class? She decided that this might prove to be a significant addition to her resume.

When I asked Jennie to send in a bio that I could include with this post, she obliged in the same style:

She took her M.S. in library science from the University of Illinois. Children’s librarian for a branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia launched her 14-year career. Soon, it was adult subject reference and then supervisor for The Workplace, a job seekers resource center. Her entre to academic librarianship came at Piedmont College in her home state of Georgia. Assistant Director for Public Services evolved to Coordinator of Off-Campus Services. Flash fiction combines the professional and fantasy life of Jennie Inglis.

I’m happy to say that we’ll be posting a few more of Jennie’s pieces here on the Editions blog on upcoming Fridays. I hope that you’ll be inspired to use up some of your business cards in similar fashion. If you are, send your efforts my way (jfry [at] ala.org) with the subject line Friday Fiction.