h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

hey prez

do you know where everyone is as i have been trying to say hello to a few and i have had no response *begging to think its me* ps nice to see you up and around

Not sure, RJR. The site was down for a while I think. At least I couldn't post from over here.

I love what your library is doing. Ours being public sector run, would never do that I think. They'd be too tied into only using funds for library services. And as for having stocks of food available ... never in a million years.

There was an interview with a storm chaser on the radio last week who said this batch of tornados were hard to spot because they were covered by storm clouds. What do you do when you know one's coming? I'm afraid my knowledge of tornados is at the Wizard of Oz level.

Most folks in tornado prone areas have storm shelters, so they head directly to them when the tornado warnings are issued. Basements are typical, but also some homes have at least one room reinforced to withstand the storm. Modern radar is much better at pinpointing storms so the warnings are much more specific now. My dad grew up in tornado alley (specifically towns in North Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas) and spent many an afternoon hunkered in the storm shelter because the predictions then were very sketchy.

Waz, I have a certain amount of wiggle room when it comes to discretionary spending. Actual tax dollars have to be spent very carefully and every penny accounted for. This comprises the bulk of our income. But I always add a miscellaneous line item in each of my budget categories. That's all it says in the budget, miscellaneous empoyee expenses or miscellaneous building expenses or programming expenses, technology expenses,etc. I learnesd long ago that the worst possible way to draw up a budget is to be too specific. I have to turn them in so far in advance that it is impossible to actually know what will come up. Having more general categories eliminates the need for constant budget amendments. A good way to illustrate this is with the technology budget. I knew that this year I would have to replace three computers in the children's library and our OPAC. Rather than list these specifically with an estimated cost, I lumped them all together under 'hardware'.

Then there is another revenue stream that is fairly small and made up of charges for copies, faxes, book fines, non-resident cards, etc. This money is tracked in a separate financial report. I can waive fees whenever I feel like it. I pay for things like traveling exhibits, music programs, etc out of this money.

Also, I live in a small town which makes it easier to break the rules. I am still able to run the library more as a public service than a business where the most important thing is the bottom line. I can get away with things larger libraries can't. Like letting people pay for fines with food. The public actually loves the way we do business. There are downsides, too. Like getting phone calls at home when we're closed from people needing emergency copies made or their books picked up or for us to open early or stay late for some 'emergency' of theirs. 99% of the time, I accomodate them. Overall, the atmosphere is more family than business. I don't want it any other way and neither does the public.

We have never had a problem passing our annual audit. Until I'm told otherwise, I expect to keep things like they are.

Storm shelters aren't as common here as they are in some areas for a very simple reason, people can't afford them. Basements and underground cellars are very expensive to build here because you dig down just a couple of feet and hit solid rock. The library is a storm shelter and most of the churches have basements. Also, some of the older homes, the large ones build during the mining boom, have cellars. Some of the newer homes have safe rooms. My next door neighbor has a cellar with an outside entrance like the one in the Wizard of Oz, but it has several inches of water in it most of the time.

People who grew up in this area are schooled on what to do when a storm is approaching. Take the horrific damage in Joplin. The question shouldn't be why did 136 people die but rather whey weren't there 10 times that many? It's because they knew what to do, where to go, how to best protect themselves where they were. But when the storm is that strong --220 mph winds with a right hook rotation and nearly impossible to see -- all anyone can do is get out of the way, not try to ride it out.

Thanks Hyp, by comparison the UK is so much safer when it comes to acts of nature.

Your library service sounds like what David cameron here would like from his Big Society idea - but it doesn't work in Big and it doesn't work with central control.

You are so right LL Waz. Everything these days seems to conspire against community spirit which is a great shame. His Big Society idea doesn't come across very well, and there seems to be no help to make it happen., though we do seem to pull together in a real crisis.

Websailor

One thing I've learned is that every community has it's own personality. The needs of residents are alike in many respects, but there are also differences. A one size fits all policy isn't going to produce optimum results because it doesn't allow the individualization that is necessary. Even within the community, you need to make adjustments for different segments of the population. Once a need is recognized, I try to find a way to meet it.

I view rules as general guidelines, not absolutes. The purpose of any institution funded with public money is to provide service, to give the taxpayer something for his money. This attempt to standardize and control everything from a central authority in a misguided search for uniformity makes it difficult to provide the level of service the public needs. And with that I'll shut up before I launch into a full-blown rant about what is wrong with the education system in the US.

Bllbgeber!... blahstomer!...gargglerfrak!...

Yeah.

Just going to also try not to rant about our ed systems (what's left of it).

Bllbgeber!... blahstomer!...gargglerfrak!... Indeed! I couldn't have said it better myself.

Bibble-babble- is defuncked'ed. While concurring entirely, I will get back to you later.

morning all, the mermaids are almost ready, I am so pleased at the outcome of my sculpting

Ice mermaids? Or are you hedge clipping?

Rules as general guidelines not absolutes is interesting. I agree, but in practice at work I'm increasingly finding myself pushing the rules in front of people to keep, it seems to me, a balance. It's not fun. A rethink is called for, I don't want to become the backstop for people who have more responsibility than I have. It's fair enough when they've less.

Joplin has disappeared from our news screens. How is it going there in terms of the community and the rebuilding?

People are still dying in hospital of injuries received. The death toll is now 152. It is going to take months just to clear the debris. Actual rebuilding of the residential neighborhoods will take years. The business district that was destroyed will rebuild much sooner. Wal-Mart is determined to reopen in 6 months. Other businesses are beginning to release timelines. 8-12 months seems to be the general target dates. The school district is already working to make sure classes can resume at the end of August as scheduled for the fall term. Temporary facilities, obviously.

Waz, you just can't imagine what the devastated area is like unless you see it. I know there have been pictures in the news, but what those pictures don't show is the fact that it goes on and on, block after block, mile after mile.This was one of the worst storms to ever hit the US. It was a monster. No buildings, no trees, just heaps of rubble where neighborhoods used to be. There are no famiiar landmarks, no street signs, so you get lost going through it. These are neighborhoods I've known my entire life, and a couple of times I looked around and wasn't sure where I was. It's surreal.

8000 residences are gone or badly damaged. 8000. That is creating a major strain on nearby towns like Little DooDah. Realtors and home owners are raising rents and selling costs. Insurance adjustors are low-balling estimates and offering homeowners far less than it will cost them to rebuild. Bogus home repair companies are already scamming people. Vultures, all of them. The Attorney General has been asked to investigate.

A tragedy like this brings out the best in some and the worst in others.

We have a lot more traffic in Little DooDah. Folks from DooDah over here shopping, looking for housing, eating at our restaurants. We already have several displaced families who have come in to get library cards. So, more sales taxes flowing into LDD's coffers. This is also good for the general economy in the area. Any business related to construction will have a boom. Things were in a slump, so this is a shot in the arm for them. Not that they wanted anything like this to happen. What's the old saying...that it's an ill wind that blows no good?

As for the rules thing, it's all a matter of interpretation. What is more important, the letter of the law or the spirit? And that depends upon circumstances. That is why I like to go with the latter. It allows for a more personal approach, lets me place the focus on the actual services offered. When you have a position of absolute adherence to the rules, then those rules become the most important element. With a public institution, the services rendered should be the primary focus, not an absolute set of policies.

Most of the librarians I know disagree with me on this, so I don't expect any of you to do otherwise.

That is massive, Hypatia. I think most people are prepared to understand the scope of a flood or a hurricane-damaged area. But nobody expects a tornado to hit on that scale.

A merchant I know here told me he thought it would take a couple of years before things were up and running in Joplin again. He's got a franchise from a national company, and I'm beginning to see what he meant.

That is a sad comment on things about the insurance companies.

Any natural disaster is awful for the people involved. But with a flood or hurricane, you know it's coming and can get to safety. With a tornado, the time frame is very narrow. If you're sitting at home with the TV on, you probably know if there is a tornado watch issued by the National Weather Service. Provided you're watching a local station, that is, or the weather channel. When the sirens go off you have probably 10-15 minutes, 20 tops. If they go off a second time, you have maybe 5 minutes.

Another bad thing about tornados is that the sirens are sounded too often. Then when nothing happens, people start ignoring them. The sirens should only be used when there is actual danger, not just the threat of danger. People need to pay attention to them instead of yawning and going about their business.

The tornado that hit Joplin was hidden inside rain. It was very hard to see. And it had that deadly right hook rotation. Plus it was huge. Three quarters of a mile wide at one point and a half mile wide when it went through Joplin.

People in the area are scared right now. They're going to panic easily. But in a few years they will become complacent about it all until another one hits near by.

Wow!! Obviously I've not been on hootoo for a while. Got quite a shock when I read your post, Hyp. I heard about the tornado in the news but didn't make the connection.

So glad you're ok

Hey Taralome. It's great to hear from you. How are things with you?

Truthfully, I was a bit surprised that the story of the tornado went international.

Things are well here, thanks for asking. Only 11 weeks left until the wedding!

cheers

Good to hear things are okay, Hyp. I did know you were okay at the time, but it also sounds like you're doing well enough in the aftermath.