Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library
Walls have traditionally been built to keep people and things separated, but I’d like to think that my existence as a wall helps to bring people and ideas together. There are many digital realms that allow people to share ideas (although they can also be divisive). So, perhaps the wall I’d build would be a virtual, communal space for all people to support each other.
I don’t talk, but that’s sweet, thank you. 617-552-4472 is the number for the reference desk. Ask my helpers anything. http://bit.ly/bc-call-me
Just waiting for your question, Dean Boynton. You will find your book “Virtuoso Teams” just in front of me on the Answer Wall display (the print copy of “The Idea Hunter” is checked out). P.S. Will my acolytes be in an updated version of “Virtuoso Teams”; I think they are most deserving … ?
I, the Wall, am answering them. With a lot of help from my friends in the libraries and around campus. There’s more detail about how we do that at my online home: library.bc.edu/answerwall
“There are four kinds of people in the world, Ms. Harper. Those who build walls. Those who protect walls. Those who breach walls. And those who tear down walls. Much of life is discovering who you are. ” P.S. Baber
A Momentary Lapse of Reason… Just kidding! My favorite Pink Floyd album is…drumroll please… The Wall
I will indeed. I hope you will come back to visit sometime (until then you can keep up with me online at library.bc.edu/answerwall). And I wish you much happiness and success and safe travels! <3
Oh, dear. Was that too geeky? Sometimes it is difficult to answer questions (and ask them too) as we are limited by the size of the post-it notes. I am a library Answer Wall so I have taken on some of the characteristics of my library friends: for some questions I would really like to sit down (alas something I cannot do) and have a conversation with you so I really understand what information you are looking for. With limited and/or unclear information I do the best I can, but do on occasion miss the mark. Please do keep responding until we get it right though. I do want to help and I do want to provide the information you need!
Though as a wall I’m predisposed to think walls make the dorm, I suppose it’s actually the occupants who make any dorm the best dorm. IOW, I’m guessing that award would change from year to year. Students do heartily wish to get into the “mods,” though (bit.ly/BC-mods), perhaps because they’re a little more like houses than dorms. Yes, I love my life as a wall, especially now that I get to express myself and answer questions. (You know the expression “if walls could talk”? Let’s just say few buildings would be very quiet.)
Alas! Not in the flesh. It’s been a long time since cows grazed on this land – long before I was even a gleam in the eye of the O’Neill Library architects. (About 1886, to be precise, when the land belonged to the Lawrence family. More here: bit.ly/BC-to-Chestnut-Hill) But the library does have some nice photos of Paddy Noonan playing accordion for cows in Donegal, in the Bobby Hanvey Photographic Archives: bit.ly/accordion-cows. The cows look as if they enjoy his accordion, wouldn’t you say? They have been documented enjoying concertina: bit.ly/cows-concertina.
![Ở đây có ai nói tiếng Việt không??? [Is there anybody speaking Vietnamese here?]](http://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/aw071618-2.jpg)
Why, yes, as a matter of fact, I do have a helper here who is fluent in Vietnamese. Other languages I get assistance with: Akan, Ashanti, Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Irish, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Twi.
Even walls need rest for part of the year, but my helpers and I do miss having students and other folk to talk to.
We are not born for ourselves alone. (Cicero, On Duties)
Please enjoy these pictures of my cousin the Express Yo’self Wall at Brandeis University’s Goldfarb-Farber Library. I visited earlier this summer. We had a great time! As you can tell, Express Yo’self is a little more freewheeling and adventurous than me.
![Express Yo'self Wall at Brandeis: realistic drawing of girl's face and hair. Chinese writing. Please! Next time I want to have a crush on a non-gay...[illegible, obscured by drawing of girl]](http://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/IMG_4020-copy.jpg)
![Express Yo'self Wall at Brandeis: We are either our greatest enemies or our greatest friends. Or both. Live Your Life. Love Trumps Hate. [drawing of chameleon]](http://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/IMG_3998-copy.jpg)
![Express Yo'self Wall at Brandeis: [cartoon figure peering out from behind another] SMAE](http://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/IMG_4006-copy.jpg)
![Express Yo'self Wall at Brandeis: [drawing of palm tree and monkey] Be Happy, DJ Ross, Hour 7! [small cartoon faces]](http://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/IMG_4008-copy.jpg)
Number 1 most frequent question on the Answer Wall! Here’s how: My assistants use this template: bit.ly/print-postit to create the ‘document’ and then send it to the printer as a manual feed. Then they put the actual template of sticky-notes into the printer’s manual feed tray.
Thanks for asking… Now that the stress of preparing for my talk at the BLC Networking Day is over, I’m not planning on doing anything else out of the ordinary; just hanging out in the library and answering questions. One fantastic thing about this summer is, since I don’t get to go to the beach, the library has brought the beach to me. Turn around, you’ll see it. Can you hear the waves?
I think what I looked like this past week was more like what it looks like when I leave the house. I haven’t been naked in a long time thanks to all your awesome questions on post-its! But I’m pretty close now, wearing my summer wardrobe.
I did, thanks! It was a terrific networking opportunity, and the program was excellent, including a thought-provoking and engaging keynote on building a more diverse environment, as well as lightning talks covering a wide range of topics. I got a strong sense that the audience valued my presence and that other libraries may consider inviting a wall of their own to answer questions.
The Boston Library Consortium’s annual Networking Day, which is a chance for librarians from a bunch of schools in the area to talk about how to work together and serve their communities better. This year it was at Brandeis, which has lots of interesting walls. bit.ly/express-yoself, bit.ly/bc-brandeis-walls
I’m sorry! Your grammar is indeed perfect, and I’m not sure how I read “on Newton” as anything other than the Newton campus. (If walls could blush, I’d be beet red right now!) I will look into the wilting of flowers on the Newton campus and provide an answer when I find one.
