service, barriers to

I just had a student ask if we had an electronic copy of Perry's Handbook for Engineers. We do not, I'm not even sure if such a thing exists. They were surprised when I told them we did not have access to an electronic edition, print only. Then he wanted to know how long he could check the book out. It's a reference book, so he can't.

I realize that a lot of these barriers are rooted in a limited budget, but it makes me wonder. How many other students in the next day will actually use this book? Could it have been loaned out?

Why don't we get electronic access to these types of foundational reference sources? We don't let students check out the print editions... there is only one copy available. That's pretty damned limiting. Again, budget is probably an issue here.

I really want to have some detached conversations about bringing down service barriers. They should be constantly examined.. 5 years ago most texts were not available electronically so it would have been a moot point. Now... odds are pretty decent.

strange, things that are

Between yesterday and today I happened to see two very unusual and unrelated things. Sometimes this kind of randomness really sticks me in a philosophical sort of mood...

1) Yesterday, I was driving around, trying to find a place to park near the library where I work. There is a metered parking lot just across the street, it's quite close and I usually try and find a space there (free after 5 pm). As I'm looping around, what do I see on the ground between two parked cars? A wooden pepper mill. Yes, the really tall kind, roughly 18-20 inches. Strange? yep.

2) Today, I was walking in to work and was passing several people on their way out of the library building. Walking toward me was a younger man, somewhere between 18-22 I would guess. He was wearing a long black coat. So far, so good. Then I noticed something strange about his right hand. He had a rubber dinosaur puppet on his right hand. He wasn't doing anything at all with the puppet, he was just walking along, swinging his arms a bit like most people do when they walk. Really, why? Strange? yes!