Featured Posts – Plum Librarian LLC

Serving As an English Language Learning Buddy with the Refugee Development Center

This week I began serving again as an English Language Learning Buddy. The Lansing area is welcoming several hundred Afghan newcomers. Photo by Susanne Jutzeler on Pexels.com The Refugee Development Center employs an empathy exercise with new volunteers that contains this scenario: After anxious waiting, You are given 20 minutes to leave your home. YouContinueContinue reading “Serving As an English Language Learning Buddy with the Refugee Development Center “

My year of COVID recovery and my hope for you in 2022

IN THE YEAR AFTER I HAD COVID On New Years’ Day 2021 I was taken by ambulance to Sparrow hospital. My oxygen saturation had fallen stupid low. I was admitted to the COVID ward. I’d been in the ER 36 hours earlier for IV fluids. A chest X-ray showed COVID pneumonia. I’d missed the 10-dayContinueContinue reading “My year of COVID recovery and my hope for you in 2022”

The Finer Points of Delivering a Presentation

I give my share of presentations. And I have my share of presentation anxiety. This spring, I gave six of ’em. The audiences ranged in size from ten attendees, to 500. I was preparing for one of my last presentations of the season. My topic skirted the tech field and I was worried that we’dContinueContinue reading “The Finer Points of Delivering a Presentation”

The scoop behind the poop on the listserv

I’ve been the moderator of a library listserv for about ten years. I check the Pending queue a couple of times a day for messages that should go through but were stopped for one reason or another, and discard messages that are spam. Once a quarter I send out a super warm and polite BestContinueContinue reading “The scoop behind the poop on the listserv”

Everything I need to know about coping with COVID-19, my mom taught me when I was twelve

My parents had just divorced and I was concerned about our security. My mom was working for the U of M law library. I asked her what would happen to us if she lost her job. U of M Law Quad She said she was a good employee, and if she lost her job itContinueContinue reading “Everything I need to know about coping with COVID-19, my mom taught me when I was twelve”

A 20 Year Dream Fulfilled

When I was 16, my favorite class was creative writing with Judith DeWoskin at Community High School in Ann Arbor. I worked for three years on the school’s literary rag as well as taking a wide range of English classes including Chinese lit. I graduated with seven and a half years of English credits. IContinueContinue reading “A 20 Year Dream Fulfilled”

Dear Mr. Hubby

Sometimes Hubby goes to elementary school classes to talk about what its like to be blind. Recently, he attended a fourth grade class (organized by the school librarian). He got a stack of thank you letters and here are a smattering, on stationary that gives the kids a bunny, a bug and a big pencilContinueContinue reading “Dear Mr. Hubby”