Tuesday so it was an assist day. I was up by 6:30 and focus primarily I'm getting dressed and out the door the kitchen earlier bus than I usually do to get downtown. I was able to get to the downtown library, which is right across the street from assist. It would allow me to spend some time wandering around the stacks in the library in general. Makes me remember my days when I was in school and that makes me feel good. I was quite surprised however when I got there and started wandering around the main area of the library there was a lady sitting in this little Cove or whatever and she was the information person. This is a new position I guess they had just started there at the Salt Lake City Library. It's about time I just hope they can figure out how to seriously use an Information Specialist. I was so blown away with the whole concept that I immediately rolled up to her and engaged her in a conversation- - she seemed totally glad to find somebody who kind of knew what she was facing. I have course had to relate my whole story to her or part of it anyway you can't do much on the first time meeting and know that you're under some kind of a time procedure. But I went over the basics particularly how it needs to be some sort of portion of the information that they deliver needs to have some disability Focus. I told her that they totally really need to have a disability specialist but I doubt that that was going to happen. All the all the programs that I've been affiliated with that are information specialty in nature that said they wanted to do this very thing we're never able to really pull it off. For some reason those able-bodied folks just can't pull it together to have an able-bodied person understand and deliver information for folks with disabilities. I told her I'd be happy to assist her and not only in her owning her office or her job but to make sure there was a part of that information base that would have the folks with disabilities in mind. It would be hit and miss at best and again I told her they need to have an IL specialist who could actually inform them of what they need. She was overwhelmed and really quite excited that I would be willing to help her. I rolled out of the office and found a place where I could go to my backpack to make sure I had everything I needed for the upcoming meeting. Oddly I found this little stack of cards that identified me as a board member for the Independent Living Center which I no longer am. But I could scratch out that information and at least write down my phone number and name to give to her which I did. She said she will be in contact with me who knows?
The assist meeting itself was pretty involved and it came out that we probably going to meet for a while every other week unless some important stuff comes up. This will give the library person time to sink into her job and maybe have some questions for me at the next meeting at the assist group. I'll stop by and see if she's still around and see if she thought anymore about how she might be able to use any information I might be able to bestow. It felt good to me that I'd be able to assist her in her position and maybe just maybe there might be some kind of opportunity on a volunteer level that I might be able to assist in providing some information once again
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