Presentations Galore

Today I get to do two presentations in school. Actually, I already finished one of them. My term paper for my Intro to Librarianship class was about user fees. So that was what I had to present to my class. The professor scheduled around 10 people to present today. Maybe 11. I love it when people go over their time limit. We got out of class about 5 minutes late. Which normally would not bother me much, but on Wednesdays, I have to eat lunch before I return to work, so between getting back to my floor to get my lunch out of the fridge and going down to the 3rd floor to heat it up, I ended up having like 3 minutes to actually eat it. But, I succeeded. I shocked the woman at the next table, who said, "You're finished eating already?" I'm sure I looked like a pig, but I really had no choice. Had to "wolf it down." So, for that class anyway, I'm now just coasting. I'm seriously debating skipping the next class we have with 10 more (or so) presentations, because I might want to gouge my eyes out. It's not that I don't appreciate the effort others put into their research and presentations. It's just that some of them are hideously boring. And believe me, I wouldn't say that my presentation on user fees in public libraries was prone to create any pulse-pounding. If anything, I might have put some people in a coma. However, I made sure to stay within my allotted time and got done in 8 minutes. And for the record, I hate power point presentations. I did not do one. My poor class had nothing to look at except me :). Weren't they lucky?!? I have another presentation due tonight for my Collection Development class. Then I'll just be coasting in that class too. My topic is equally snore-inducing: collecting videos in the public library. Again, no power point. In fact, I had better read over the paper before class so that I know what I'm going to say. I'm such a slacker.

One thing I pondered today was how each of us is so unique. People's personalities really come across in their presentations. And I guess sometimes it just really occurs to me how different we all really are. We each bring something different to the table, if you will. And it's those differences that make life what it is. It does take all kinds, and so I'm glad there are people out there who aspire to be library directors (because I don't want to be one). And I'm glad there are those people out there who desire to be reference librarians (because I don't want to be one). And I'm glad there are those people who think cataloging would be an ideal job for them (because I know it isn't for me). Different personalities serve different puposes, and all together they make up a whole. A whole library staff, on the smaller scale; a whole society, on the larger scale, etc. And I guess that kind of leads me to John Donne's famous statement: "No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main." We need each other, we need to serve each other. We are the Lord's instruments, and so I don't think we were ever intended to make islands out of ourselves. Luciano de Crescenzo said, "We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another." I think I like that. My mom always taught us growing up that everyone, everyone has good in them. I can remember thinking my mom was just crazy, or at the very least that she'd neve met some of the people whom I'd met :). But you know, she lived, and continues to live, her life with that view. And I can honestly say that I have never heard her or seen her contradict that philosophy. She has been a great example to me. And while it's not always easy to see the good in everyone, I know I should spend my time looking for the good in them, instead of at their faults (which, for some reason, are often more readily apparent).

Anyway, I'll shut-up now :). I was not intending to wax philosophic... My thought process just started to flow, so I went with it ;). Sorry for dragging you along for the ride ;)!