Sometimes Christmas Doesn't Come From a Store...

It's the present that EVERY school librarian really wants... MORE SPACE!!! And it arrived today, in the guise of Dave the wonderful custodian removing the outdated and defunct Media Retrieval System from the back room of the library. My original plan had been to move in a loft, minifridge and my dog and just live there, but since the back room is also our lockdown area for the entire study hall, I'll just have to be glad I'll have a place to lock up equipment in the summer.

The black box in the center is going away. Whoo!

Said black box at one point held twenty VCRs. At the same time this was installed (about 1995), televisions were hung in all the classrooms. In order to play videos, you had to put one in the player in the back room of the library, and then call the librarian to hit the play button. This was the latest and greatest technology at the time. Remember, laser disks were also the next big thing.

This never worked very well, and quit entirely about two years ago. I am so happy that I no longer have to fight with it and that it will be gone. Oddly, if teachers want to show video clips (like Claudius, a Boy of Rome) now, they usually get them off the internet and show them through the LCD projector.

It's a good thing it's a teacher work day. I may do a happy dance most of the day! In my new, clean space!