Okay, so I’m starting a week late, but better late than never. Even after a few years of playing around with Web 2.0 programs, I’m still reluctant to put my real name in these things. So if you’re curious as to the man behind the words, you’ll just have to stop by the Midstate Regional Library and ask for the new guy… In fact I would encourage you to!
On to life long learning. Like all other librarians, I enjoy expanding my knowledge and learning about all kinds of new things. Although I have a lot of experience as an independent learner, I still occasionally feel self conscious and struggle with self doubt when I’m about to delve into some new topic that seems far too complicated for anybody to ever comprehend. I’m happy to say those thoughts and doubts have always proved to be wrong, but then again I’ve never really tackled anything on the level of trying to understand the intricacies of quantum physics or the postulates of string theory. Certainly, there have always been frustrations that come with learning new things/technologies, but after a few hours (and sometimes days with particularly difficult programs like Final Cut Pro or SciFinder Scholar) of fuming and ranting and insisting that whomever did the programing for the software must have been a fool, I always come to understand most of the logic behind how these things work. Okay, I hope that doesn’t make me sound like a braggart. The point is that I think spending time and struggling with the frustrations that come with a new experience are important parts of the learning process. So that’s my schpeel and I’m looking forward to progressing through Vermont’s 23 things!
Lee Appelbaum said,
February 9, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Hi, and welcome,New guy,
I enjoyed your post about technology. You also sent me rushing to my Joys of Yiddish Dictionary and dictionary.com to research that “schpiellee?” word. Here’s what I found out:
spiel /spil, ʃpil/ Pronunciation Key – Show Spelled Pronunciation[speel, shpeel] . –noun 1. a usually high-flown talk or speech, esp. for the purpose of luring people to a movie, a sale, etc.; pitch.
–verb (used without object) 2. to speak extravagantly.
[Origin: 1890–95; (n.) < G Spiel or Yiddish shpil play, game; (v.) < G spielen or Yiddish shpiln to play, gamble]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. Thanks, Lee
vtmidstatelibrary said,
February 12, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Thanks for the comment Lee! I didn’t know the etymology of the word spiel before now, but the word always makes me think of carnival barkers.