Library Gazette

Person Recognized

Giz Womack

Given By

Kaeley McMahan

Reason

Giz led the student assistant wiki workshop and helped us get the hang of the wiki "thing"!

Person Recognized

Lauren Pressley

Given By

Kaeley McMahan

Reason

Lauren helped with the student assistant wiki workshop and did a great job of helping us to understand wiki editing!

Person Recognized

Kevin Gilbertson

Given By

Roz Tedford

Reason

For creating us a candidate feedback form for the Head of Access Services Search Committee. He did it in record time on short notice!! He’s the best!!

Person Recognized

Scott Adair

Given By

Kristen Morgan

Reason

Thank you Scott for so diligently helping me with the building issues, including all the time you’ve spent with the Fire Marshal and items related to his visit.

Person Recognized

Colleen Lerner

Given By

Lauren Pressley

Reason

Thanks to Colleen, most microtext materials now read "checked out" when out of the building on InterLibrary Loan. This helps patrons and saves the microtext department a lot of time!

How does one go about sharpening the blade of a board shear? Well it is not a simple matter of pulling out your whetstone, oiling it up, and having at it! The blade of our board shear is 45” long and is curved. Not only that, there is a 4 foot long metal plate that aligns with the blade that must also be sharpened.

In early July, Hugh Brown came by and helped me remove the blade from the cast iron cutting arm. I needed Hugh’s hefty 5/8” hex wrench to remove the screws that held the blade onto the cutting arm. Once the blade was removed, I triple-wrapped it and sent it via UPS to Mid-Atlantic Knife Co. in Ashland, VA. A few days later, Mid-Atlantic called and asked me why I hadn’t sent the metal plate along with the blade. I replied:”What metal plate?” Apparently, the metal plate the board shear blade slides past on its way through binder board must be sharpened at the same time as the blade. Once again, two kind fellows from Facilities helped me remove the metal plate. Then, I triple-wrapped it and sent it UPS to Mid-Atlantic Knife Co. in Ashland, VA.

This week, both the metal plate and the blade returned to me screwed onto a wooden board. With the help of my student assistant, Trey Godwin, we re-attached both the plate and the blade to the board shear and returned it to good working order. Re-attaching a 45” long metal blade was a tricky operation requiring aligning 8 screws and the holes on the cutting arm. This was akin to standing on one leg, rubbing your stomach, patting your head, and reciting the poetry of Rudyard Kipling. Not to worry, the blade is back where it belongs and the board shear is cutting through paper and boards of all kinds–like butter.