Less than a month to go!

May and June passed so quickly! Over the past couple months, I was very busy finishing up business as chair of Penn State's Library Faculty Organization, and then I began a new role as a mentor for the Pennsylvania Library Association's PALS leadership program. Preparing for the American Library Association annual conference kept me hopping, too. As vice-chair (now chair) of the Library History Round Table, I arranged one educational program and did a lot of administrative work. In addition, all summer long I have been inventorying PaLA's photo collection and tying up loose ends at my "day job" before I leave.

Now my sabbatical starts in 29 -- only 29! -- days! Over the next few weeks, my first priority will be to update all my instructional handouts, tutorials, and web sites, so my colleagues will be better prepared to cover my duties while I am away. I would also like to finish up and submit an article about Hannah Packard James' early career. And then, I need to make travel arrangements for August. Next month's plan is to finish research I have already begun at Pottsville, Reading, and other sites in eastern central Pennsylvania. So I need to contact each location and reconfirm the best dates for me to visit.

It's going to be a busy month!