Nomenclature

Dropdead gorgeous moment of perfectly clear sunshine-y dawn here, though the forecast insists it is going to rain this morning. Hopefully not. M. and I are going to an Audubon Society field event, a couple of hours looking at gulls at the mouth of the Elwha River; attempting to open a small chink in my total inability to perceive that gulls are not all alike...

Gulls, one must say, not seagulls. M. corrected me vigorously when I said seagull. There's no such thing, she says.

I am now and for the next 11 months the tribal librarian of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, courtesy of their IMLS grant. The prospect of being able to confine the job to the half-time contracted for is dim: I was there four extra hours yesterday while the tribe's 2-day-a-week contract techie tried to make our catalog & circ program play nice with the network. And must go an hour early on Tuesday because we are making a brief visit to the Head Start staff meeting at 8 AM, to invite them to bring their three groups of kids (NOT all at once!) for Story Hour.

Which we don't yet know how to do, but no matter.

That I am going to the river this morning; that the river and its future have been on my mental agenda since I came here; that the people of the river have offered me this position which helps me continue with my librarianly identity in this new place... these are not entirely coincidental facts, and yet, they needn't have as much to do with each other as might appear. I'm thinking how to change the subtitle of this blog, or not; and whether and with what flavor to blog about my adventures as a novice tribal librarian.