Frankie reads 2012

[chesilbeach]

It all sounds brilliant, frankie, and I can't deny, I would love to be doing that job myself! So glad you're enjoying it, it seems to have exceeded your expectations so far

[frankie]

It's always nice to be appreciated

 

It is. I mean I don't think I've been unappreciated so far, but it was nice to actually hear someone say I've done something right

 

I'm so envious of you working in a library Frankie, our library has those new machines as well & i hate them something always goes wrong when i'm trying to check books out & it drives me mad i'd much rather give my books to the lady at the counter like you used to do but if you try that now they just direct you to the machines .

 

Do they really? Over here you are allowed to return your books at the counter, if you choose to do so for some reason. I don't know why. But we've only had the machine for maybe about a year. And sometimes the queue for the machine gets so long that if you don't have the time to wait, you have to just take them to the counter. And they don't judge you for it.

 

One of my colleagues was talking about a new library here in Joensuu, I think it was the applied sciences uni or something like that, and apparently it's so hi-tech that you can actually return all your books in one single pile, and the machine reads through the pile and 'recognises' the books.

[Kidsmum]

It is. I mean I don't think I've been unappreciated so far, but it was nice to actually hear someone say I've done something right

 

 

 

Do they really? Over here you are allowed to return your books at the counter, if you choose to do so for some reason. I don't know why. But we've only had the machine for maybe about a year. And sometimes the queue for the machine gets so long that if you don't have the time to wait, you have to just take them to the counter. And they don't judge you for it.

 

There are 4or 5 machines in our branch so the queue never gets that long which i suppose is a good thing but i can't help feeling that eventually it will mean less real people working in the library which is not good.

 

 

One of my colleagues was talking about a new library here in Joensuu, I think it was the applied sciences uni or something like that, and apparently it's so hi-tech that you can actually return all your books in one single pile, and the machine reads through the pile and 'recognises' the books.

 

yes our machines are supposed to do that but somehow they always seem to miss one so you've got to shuffle the books around till it finds the barcode or whatever it is that the machine needs to read it's really annoying but i guess i'm a bit of a technophobe i always avoid the self service machines in the supermarket as well

[frankie]

yes our machines are supposed to do that but somehow they always seem to miss one so you've got to shuffle the books around till it finds the barcode or whatever it is that the machine needs to read it's really annoying but i guess i'm a bit of a technophobe i always avoid the self service machines in the supermarket as well

 

Wow, you guys have the whole pile sorting thingy, too? So cool! And what the heck, self service machines in a supermarket?? I've never come across with one, I think I'd get totally nervous and just chuck everything I was going to buy somewhere and leave empty handed

[frankie]

When I was working at the registration for the IFLA guests, and as it was slow at certain times, I was reading through some of the presentations by the guest speakers, and the ones I had the time to read were really interesting, and I thought I'd share them with you (and have them here for myself as a 'souvenier', so to speak )

 

~

 

Popcult – the revenge of the nerd library/ Stig Elvis Furset, Buskerud County Library, Drammen, Norway

 

This was really interesting. They created a new children's/YA library corner from scratch (you can see the pictures from the time it was opened) and made it a huge success. They now have certain theme days/nights and the kids seem to love the place I was very impressed! I actually happened to be the one to greet Mr Furset and he seemed like a really nice and an interesting person, I'm really bummed that I missed his presentation on Thursday.

 

~

 

TenThirteen – A library for all senses/ Amanda Stenberg, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, Sweden

 

This seemed also rather groundbreaking. A library for kids between 10-13 years only! And it's not only a place where you can borrow books and read, but there are a lot of different things to do for the kids. This is ultimate customer service, I'd say!

 

~

 

I didn't have time to read any of the other presentations, but I had a glimpse of the Australian speaker's presentation and it seemed really interesting as well, here's the link:

 

The “Geography of yes” / Leonee Derr, City Library of Melbourne, Australia

[frankie]

One thing I almost forgot: Kylie, guess what! I was cleaning CDs yesterday, and I found out that the library has this special cleaning product that works wonders on books, it's probably as good as Bosisto's! Unfortunately I think it's only available in special cleaning product shops and I don't know where to get one. And it certainly doesn't smell anywhere near as nice and recognisable as Bosisto's! I talked to the co-worker about the eucalyptus oil and we agreed that it's kinda expensive to buy it from here 10e for a teeny tiny bottle.

[julie]

Frankie

you sound like you got a job in Book Heaven ! I'm not sure what all behind the scenes gadgets our libraries have. We do have the self-checkout desks, and also if you reserve a book,you have to get it off the reserve shelf yourself and check it out. We also have night-depostis like banks, so if you drop books off in the closed hours, then they collect them the next day.

I'm not sure what they do when they are returned ,other than check them back in and stick them on the shelf.

That area where they displayed items found in books was really neat !

wish our library would do something like that. they just stick the stuff in the lost and found box .

[poppyshake]

One of my colleagues was talking about a new library here in Joensuu, I think it was the applied sciences uni or something like that, and apparently it's so hi-tech that you can actually return all your books in one single pile, and the machine reads through the pile and 'recognises' the books.

The machine in the library I go to in Swindon sometimes recognises my books .. as I am getting them out of my bag I don't know how it does it .. but it does. Self service in the supermarkets is great if you only have a few items but taking anything through without a barcode on it (fruit, veg, bread etc) can be a trial. I've found myself practically punching the machine because it seems unable to understand that I'm wanting to buy a banana .. they have improved a lot though. It used to be like dealing with an extremely obtuse person but now, on the whole, it's fairly stress free. It's good for when you don't want to engage in chit-chat but I find my 'don't speak to me' face works just as well

 

The work you're doing sounds so interesting frankie and so ideally suited to you .. I'm so happy for you

[julie]

Miss Poppy

You sound like me at the self checkout line at the grocery. I usually end up TALKING to the machine,then getting more frustrated as it goes on . The thing that gets me is when you buy something LIGHT WEIGHT ,and the machine keeps telling you to place the item in the bag . I end up getting so ticked off, it looks like an episode of Mr Bean by the time I get done. I am ready to kick the thing when it wont shut up -- or when it tells you the total,and I am digging out the proper change, it keeps asking if I want to continue with the purchase . NO, I just stood here for 10 minutes ringing all this stuff thru so I can walk out the door and leave it lay there !

I sometimes miss the old days when there were people doing the jobs computers do now .

[Sofia]

my library has no self-service anything at all....there's a book drop box outside the building for after-hours, but each morning they take a little cart out there and empty it. Even the few random displays are a bit paltry, maybe you can come do an internship at the library here? Sounds like we can use you! Hey, maybe you can get some pics of your library adventures/discoveries/displays so we can see

 

or when it tells you the total,and I am digging out the proper change, it keeps asking if I want to continue with the purchase . NO, I just stood here for 10 minutes ringing all this stuff thru so I can walk out the door and leave it lay there !

I sometimes miss the old days when there were people doing the jobs computers do now .

 

Omg, it's the most impatient thing ever, isn't it?? Drives me nuts too!

[frankie]

It all sounds brilliant, frankie, and I can't deny, I would love to be doing that job myself! So glad you're enjoying it, it seems to have exceeded your expectations so far

 

Well, it's never too late to go ahead and try to become a librarian! I'm pretty darn sure you'd love it, too.

 

Frankie

you sound like you got a job in Book Heaven ! I'm not sure what all behind the scenes gadgets our libraries have. We do have the self-checkout desks, and also if you reserve a book,you have to get it off the reserve shelf yourself and check it out.

 

At our library the customer isn't allowed to get their own reserved books, the librarian will do that. And I think that's swell, because some naughty-naughty person might take advantage of the situation. But we do have that system at the uni library. It's weird, I've never wanted to work there. Only the city library.

 

 

We also have night-depostis like banks, so if you drop books off in the closed hours, then they collect them the next day.

I'm not sure what they do when they are returned ,other than check them back in and stick them on the shelf.

 

We have those night deposit boxes, too. When the library opens, a staff member will get all the books from the box on a trolley and will take that to the book return machine, and he'll feed them into the machine. We at the back then sort them out as they come. The machine sorts them out to different boxes:

 

a) a box for books from the storage etc weird stuff, I'm not allowed to touch it yet

b) all kinds of material (fiction, non-fiction, comics, DVDs, CDs) that's to be shelved at the adult section of the library and that has been checked and returned by the machine,

c) a box where books the machine hasn't 'recognised' end up, they will have to be individually returned by a librarian. In the same box go the books that are reserved and which we then have to beep with the machine and then we get a receipt with the name of the reserver. Here end up also the books that are from other branch libraries and they have to go into a special trolley which is taken out and sorted out and the books go where they are supposed to.

d) a box for all material for the children's section, and

e) all material that's going to the music section.

 

This is how it works at our library, at least

 

my library has no self-service anything at all....there's a book drop box outside the building for after-hours, but each morning they take a little cart out there and empty it. Even the few random displays are a bit paltry, maybe you can come do an internship at the library here? Sounds like we can use you! Hey, maybe you can get some pics of your library adventures/discoveries/displays so we can see

 

Thanks for the idea, I took some pictures today and I've just downloaded them on my computer, I'll share some of them on here!

 

Sure, I'll come and do an internship at all you guys' libraries if you like

[frankie]

It's the annual Joen yö ('Joe's night', 'Joe' referring to my town, Joensuu, and the river, 'joki') next week on Friday. I've been contemplating on going to the annual library removed books sale, but this year I thought I couldn't go, because I would be working on Friday, and I was also skint.

 

However, I found out yesterday that I have the day off! I'll be doing a Saturday shift now that we are back to winter hours and that's why I have the previous day off. So weird. It's like fate. Isn't it? Also, I asked Mum to borrow me some money so I could buy groceries, I'll pay her back when I get my first paycheck. I only asked for a little, but she borrowed me twice the sum I was asking, out of the goodness of her heart, bless her. So now I could actually afford to buy a few books. They are 20cnt a piece, like last year, I think.

 

Some of you might remember my excellent haul last year, and the author bios in particular are still fresh in my memory and I've been really wanting to see if they had any great ones this year... Here's what I got last year (i.e., my post from last year's blog:)

 

Okay, here's the list of books I bought. 20 cnt a piece.

 

Fiction:

 

Donna Leon: A Noble Radiance (in English)

Donna Leon: Acqual Alta (in English)

William Burroughs: Cities of the Red Light (Wohoo, Burroughs, and in English!)

Elie Wiesel: The Testament (in English)

 

Jerome K. Jerome: Three Men in a Boat (yay, now I have this, can read it and then read Three Men on a Bummel that I bought this summer )

Julian Barnes: Talking it over (I don't know if this is any good but want to try Barnes)

John Kennedy Toole: The Neon Bible (wohoooo!!! Too bad that it's in Finnish, though)

Katherine Mansfield: The Garden Party and Other Stories (I've been wanting to read Mansfield ever since I started reading Between the Sheets)

Sapphire: Push! (I love this book, couldn't believe I found a copy!)

Erich Segal: Man, Woman and Child (yay, more Segal!)

Cynthia Ozick: The Cannibal Galaxy (once I noticed this book in a secondhand bookshop, the title caught my attention, read the blurb, sounded interesting but didn't buy it because was not cheap. Now was!)

William Goldman: The Marathon Man (I'm not sure if this is on one of my lists, might be, might not be. Interesting blurb anyways)

Charles Baudelaire: Välähdyksiä and Alaston sydämeni (don't know if there are English titles for these)

 

Non-Fiction:

(and these are my most favorite finds, at least some of them!)

Maksim Gorki: some book, straight translation of title would be Essays on Literature but found no such thing, will continue searching

Kingsley Amis: What Became of Jane Austen? (in English)

Per Olov Enquist: August Stringbergin elämä (August Strindberg's Life)

Roland Barthes: The Pleasure of the Text (Barthes has been turning up on almost every book I've now leafed through concerning my thesis, he sounds like an interesting person)

Leon Edel: Bloomsbury: A House of Lions (wohoo And in English, too! poppyshake will be pleased!)

Gertrude Stein: The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas (wohooo!!!)

Vladimir Nabokov: Speak, Memory (wohooo!!)

T. R. Fyvel: George Orwell - A personal memoir (in English!)

Frank MacShane: The Life of Raymond Chandler

Margareta Strömstedt: Astrid Lindgren

Arthur Miller: Timebends. A Life

Brenda Maddox: Nora

 

and last but not least:

 

five copies of Anaïs Nin's diaries!! 1934-1939, 1944-1947, 1947-1955, 1955-1966, 1966-1974. (Anaïs Nin is someone I've only recently 'discovered', she's one of the literary partners in Between the Sheets, which I'm currently reading, and just yesterday I thought to myself, 'if only I could find the diaries somewhere, inexpensively...' And holy hell I got five of them!!!)

 

I'm happy happy happy

 

I'm wondering what Kylie would advice me to do. Surely she'd say 'go go go'? Surely I would have to do as she wishes? Surely you others think as well that I need to go?

 

I've been so good this year, buying a lot less books than the years before, and I think I could be in total control, I'd only buy the books that I really, seriously want. And nothing else.

[Kylie]

I'm wondering what Kylie would advice me to do. Surely she'd say 'go go go'? Surely I would have to do as she wishes?

 

Surely you don't need me to answer that! Go, woman! Go go go!!!

 

That most certainly was a good haul last year. I particularly remember the Anais Nin diaries.

 

I can't wait to find out what you buy. (There better be a lot!)

[frankie]

Surely you don't need me to answer that! Go, woman! Go go go!!!

 

That most certainly was a good haul last year. I particularly remember the Anais Nin diaries.

 

I can't wait to find out what you buy. (There better be a lot!)

 

Yay!! I didn't expect to hear from you and I was kinda bummed, I'm happy now that I have your approval, and that you are actually pushing me to go I can always count on you!

 

One of the reasons I'd really like to go, is to see if I could find the one Anais Nin diary that I wasn't able to find last year. It would complete the set I have now, eventhough I think there might be more of hers to collect later on. But I'm missing a diary in between the ones I got, it's annoying!

 

I was thinking I should skip all the other stuff, and just go for the English lit + (auto)biographies. That would make me well happy!

 

Coincidentally, today at work I was going through books that the staff has removed from the children's section, in order to present them at the sale, and my task was to see if they were fit enough to be sold, if they needed some taping up, or whether they were beyond repair. Then I was to stamp 'removed for sale' on each book (or 'removed from library collection'). It was kinda sad.

 

There was a book about a kangaroo that didn't have a pouch! I was like, I want to buy this for myself!!!

 

Kylie, another funny thing happened the other day, I've been meaning to PM you about it: Some customer had reserved a book and I went to look for it and register it as a reservation. It was a big book with all the animals of the world in it, and there was this special app in the book: if you pressed the number code of the animal in question and pressed 'play', the book would then make the sound the animal would make. My father has the book, but it's all birds, and I didn't know there was a book on all animals. When I went to take it back to the back room, I wanted to find 'kangaroo' and play it, but then it got too busy at the back and I couldn't. However, when I was placing the reservation slip in between the pages, the book actually opened up in the beginning of 'Australia and Oceania'. That was a cool and freaky coincidence

[frankie]

Here are the pictures I promised to share of the display at the lobby of the library: Items that the librarians have found from between the pages of books, left by the customers.

 

Picture #1: The poster for the display. It says 'What did you forget?' and lists the most common items found.

 

Picture #2: The list. (1) bought bookmarks. 2) self-made bookmarks. 3) postcards - both sent and unused. 4) photos - school photos, photos of family and relatives. 5) rulers. 6) combs. 7) other tiny knick knacks. 8) bills. 9) old tickets - train/plain/bus. 10) foreign currency notes.

 

Picture #3: A pic of the bookmarks found.

 

Picture #4: A pic of the postcards.

 

Picture #5 and #6: Varied items

[frankie]

A few pictures of some more specific items that I found interesting:

 

Picture #1: A self-made bookmark that says 'Is it true that one can see Northern Lights in winter?'. I thought it was endearing and I thought Kylie might find it funny.

 

Picture #2: A self-made bookmark featuring Justin Bieber It says 'It's okay to be... ' and there's a heart on his cheek. I'm wondering if it means it's okay to be Justin Bieber, or if it's okay to be in love with him.

 

Picture #3: Earrings! Odd

 

Picture #4: The worst thing to be found in between the pages, and which is damaging to the book: a salami sandwich. Other nasties include insects killed between the pages and coffee and hot chocolate stains.

 

Picture #5: The origamis were found in between the pages of an origami book, of course!

 

Picture #6: The lace was found inside a book titled 'My most beautiful lace'.

 

Picture #7: Oddities.

[frankie]

Other library related things to share:

 

Yesterday one of the members of the staff was showing me around the whole building, it was pretty cool. I got to see some really old books, some dating back to the 19th century. She also showed me the storage room in more depth, I'd been there before to fetch book reservations but I'd never had the time to fully explore the place on my own, so it was great that I got to see the whole place. She also showed me this small shelf where books that couldn't be sold in the library sale were kept, and the horrid, painful truth was that the books in the shelves would end up in garbage She told me that if there was anything interesting there, I could have it. I spotted a perfectly good copy of War and Peace by Tolstoi, and had to have it

 

~

 

Today was/is also Joenyö, and they held the annual book fair at the library. I got a chance to go in the room on Thursday to take a look at the fair and the books, and I was also given the opportunity to buy any of the books I fancied there. The prices had gone up from last year, the books were 50cnt a piece, but it's still ridiculously cheap. I was so happy that I got to go in and have a look at the books in peace, I got to go there after work and I spend 30 minutes in there, all by myself! I didn't want to go crazy this year so I only got four titles, which I absolutely had to have:

 

- A. E. Hotchner: Papa Hemingway. So happy about this! It's the same author who's co-written Doris Day's autobio.

 

- Harpo Marx: Harpo Speaks! What a great coincidence, I've recently watched Duck Soup and I found Harpo an interesting character and have noticed the autobio in the library and have been meaning to borrow it.

 

- Franz Kafka: Letters to Felice. I'm not a huge Kafka fan, but I've started getting really interested in authors' letters and as I was browsing this I was intrigued.

 

- Simone de Beauvoir: Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter. I'm so happy about this, I have a half a dozen of her memoirs but not this one, and this is one of the books I've wanted to find the most.

 

An efficient, cheap and excellent haul, and I didn't have to go in today, way beforehand to wait in line to get in and then get all sweaty and elbowed by the other book enthusiasts. Working at a library has like the best perks ever!

 

~

 

Moving on to another subject I've been wanting to talk to you guys about: The books I've discovered and added on my wishlist when I'm working behind the book return machine!

 

- Jonas Jonasson: The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared. I was shelving this book when a regular staff member noticed it and said she'd read it and found it hilarious, and I just had to borrow it. I'm currently reading it and liking it so far.

 

- Jonathan Tropper: This Is Where I Leave You. Has anyone ever read anything by Tropper, by the way?

 

- Lucy Dillon:The Secret of Happy Ever After. I've read one book by Dillon before, it wasn't brilliant but it was a feel good novel and there were dogs in it, so when I found an English copy of this, I had to snatch it. This book features dogs, as well, and there's a bookshop included Should make a great comfy read! (Some other titles by Dillon seem to be also featuring dogs, I guess she's like Murakami with cats. Or Tyler with her (stupid) hot water instant coffee mixes.)

 

- Eion Colfer:The Legend of Spud Murphy. This was recommended to me by another temp. I think there's a grumpy old male librarian who keeps some kinda secret weapon behind his desk at the library. Supposed to be funny!

 

- Efraim Medina Reyes: Olipa kerran rakkaus mut mä tapoin sen. This is by a Colombian author (also a bass player and a composer for a Colombian band), and unfortunately I think the book hasn't been translated into English yet. Seemed like a type of a Nancy/Sid kinda book.

 

- Spencer Quinn: Dog On It. I found this by chance (as most of the books), it was a slow day at the library, I took a closer look at the book, realised it was a detective story featuring a dog and simply had to borrow it. It turned out it was written from the dog's point of view and I thought that couldn't work in a detective novel, but when I read it, I was proved mighty wrong! I really liked it and it was really funny too, and I'm so going to get the rest of the series Recommended to anyone who enjoys books featuring dogs!

 

- Katherine Pancol: The Turtles' Slow Waltz. I'm not exactly sure if this has been translated into English, and it seems to be a sequel to another book. Seemed interesting, especially after having just read a book by another French author: The Elegance of the Hedgehog.

 

- James Thurber: Men, Women and Dogs. Seemed like an interesting book with doggy anecdotes. What's not to love!

 

- Charles Yu: How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe. The quirky cover caught my attention and it seemed like a bizarre enough book to intrigue me.

[vodkafan]

You must be really enjoying yourself everyday Frankie it is like a dream job. Of your booklist I have only read The Legend Of Spud Murphy, it is one of the books my children had , I read it aloud to them many years ago. Aimed at 9-12 year olds I would say. You will most likely be able to read through it in a couple of hours. Well done on finding that copy of War and Peace. Why cannot those books be sold though?

[frankie]

You must be really enjoying yourself everyday Frankie it is like a dream job. Of your booklist I have only read The Legend Of Spud Murphy, it is one of the books my children had , I read it aloud to them many years ago. Aimed at 9-12 year olds I would say. You will most likely be able to read through it in a couple of hours. Well done on finding that copy of War and Peace. Why cannot those books be sold though?

 

Yeah, the temp told me it's a book for younger people, but it sounded so funny that I figured I'd give it a go anyway, I have no aversion to reading books intended for younger audiences Did you like it?

 

As to the copies on their way to garbage cans, I have no idea! The copy of War and Peace was in good condition, and if you ask me, it totally could've been sold at the sale. I asked the librarian why the books couldn't be sold, as there didn't seem to be much wrong with them but she couldn't really say, she didn't know herself.

 

One of the librarians told me the other day that before some year in the 90s, the books removed from the libraries' collections couldn't be sold again to the 'common people' because they'd been paid by tax money and there was some kind of a law against re-selling stuff like that. The law had to be changed and fortunately it did, so it's all good now. Apparently the library sales were really whacky back in the 90s, apparently it was even worse and more crowded than today

[chesilbeach]

I've read How To Talk To A Widower by Jonathan Tropper a few years ago and enjoyed it a lot, frankie. I remember being on holiday reading it, sat on the harbour wall, fighting to hold back the tears. I have This Is Where I Leave You on my wishlist,

[frankie]

I've read How To Talk To A Widower by Jonathan Tropper a few years ago and enjoyed it a lot, frankie. I remember being on holiday reading it, sat on the harbour wall, fighting to hold back the tears. I have This Is Where I Leave You on my wishlist,

 

Thanks for letting me know! It's weird, I've never heard of him before, at least I don't have any recollection of his name, but I've heard about the novel How To Talk To a Widower, but for some reason I always thought it was chick lit and had been written by a woman.

 

Looking forward to reading the novel some day, I hope it's good

[chesilbeach]

It's does have the readability of chick lit although from a male perspective and with more depth, but it still has the humour and heart too.

[frankie]

Hm. It sounds like a very good combo It's so odd not to have heard of him before, me thinks!

[vodkafan]

Yeah, the temp told me it's a book for younger people, but it sounded so funny that I figured I'd give it a go anyway, I have no aversion to reading books intended for younger audiences Did you like it?

 

I must admit it was not outstanding in any way, and the kids were not that fussed about it either.

[frankie]

I must admit it was not outstanding in any way, and the kids were not that fussed about it either.

 

Aww, that's too bad I'll have to read it for myself and see what I make of it. I love books that deal with books, bookshops, libraries, etc.

 

~

 

There's one more book which I also discovered while working at the book return machine, which I forgot to mention in my last post.

 

- Derf Backderf: My Friend Dahmer. This is actually a graphic novel. I'd seen it once before but I didn't make the connection, it wasn't until this week when I saw the book for the second time and was wondering about the unusual name of the author, that I realised it's a graphic novel about Jeffrey Dahmer, the notorious serial killer. Apparently this Derf person used to know him and go to school with him. I think this is one of the finds I'm most happy about, I couldn't believe my luck.

 

~

 

On another note: I was cleaning returned CDs and DVDs when a co-worker came to talk to me, she showed me a Jane Austen book and asked me if I'd put it in the free book exchange trolley downstairs. I said no, I didn't know what she was talking about, and I thought she meant I'd put it in a totally wrong place and that I'd done a mistake Well, she then showed me the book, and it's actually a literary notebook, it has quotes from P&P and S&S, there are some drawings too, and then there's empty space on which to scribble one's own thoughts. Ah, I've just checked it out, it looks old but was made in the late 90s. The original title is Jane Austen. A Little Brown Notebook, mine's a Finnish edition. My co-worker said I could have it and then gave it to me.

 

At first I was a bit baffled (although well surprised and pleased!), but then I realised that she must've taken a look at my locker door in our locker room. Coincidentally I took pics of it a few days ago. On my door I have some mementos, so to speak. There's a magnet which includes a poem of some sort, of persistence, and there's a picture of an echidna. I bought it in Australia. There's also a fridge magnet that has a picture of a statue and a bird sitting on top of it, and it says 'Sometimes you are the statue, sometimes the bird'. I also needed a name tag for the door, so I put my placecard with my name from a dear friend's wedding on the door, hoping it would bring me luck in getting a permanent job at the library Last but not least, there's a postcard Janet sent me sometime ago, it features a map of Bath with all the important landmarks and sites that have to do with Jane Austen.