Nothing beats being payed to go to seminars and conferences! Not only do you get a break from the normal workaday routine, but you have a chance to meet folks who you may have only 'known' as a voice on the phone or from the e-mail.

I spent most of yesterday (Wed. 6/4) at Yale University. Despite our proximity I've never actually been to Yale and have hardly had any experience at all in New Haven either, except to head down to the main trainstation. To be honest, when I think of New Haven my memories aren't that hot to begin with.

Back in 1969 it was where I was first inducted into the Armed Forces. Eighteen and scared out of my wits, we were grouped together and put on a train to be shuttled off to Whitehall Street in NYC, from there we were sent off to the various Naval Recruit Training Centers around the U.S. The other time was to visit my mother who was undergoing treatment for cancer at the Yale-New Haven Hospital. I can't tell you the number of times I spent hours sitting in the old railroad station (a huge ugly barn of a building, before a major renovation a few years ago) waiting for trains to take me back to my current command. Nah, New Haven doesn't sit well in my memories.

Still, despite the dismal weather, the seminar itself was pleasant and I actually did learn some useful things which I hope to put to good use. We are updating our Circulation/Acquisition system here at UNH this summer and it was nice to get a heads up on some of the things I can expect.