Get (this party) Started

Gods, they’re back.

They’ve been sweeping in for the last couple of weeks, crowding streets and restaurants and shops and busses that have been so blessedly quiet for months. But today is the big day: the frosh have arrived, with their parents and siblings and bottomless swag bags which they hope will end the day containing the keys to success at Cornell in among next week’s recycling.

This year I’m doubly responsible for making that hope a little less vain: as co-chair of the Reference and Outreach committee, I’m sharing prime responsibility for organizing the Cornell University Library’s orientation efforts, which generally means covering tables in effective handouts and making sure there are libraryfolk there to disseminate and explain those handouts. I’ve also been serving on the Get Started! 2011 working group, who’ve actually produced a lot of those handouts.

It’s been crazy, but awesome. I’ve gotten to work with some amazing people, and we’ve produced things that are truly excellent. The map/guide z-card is, I think, the best item of its kind the library has ever put out there, and it’s been a big hit. The new Get Started home page is also great, and has an excellently fun video component:

I’ve also gotten to meet more than a few very cool students at these events. On Monday I had dinner with the kids taking part in the POST program, who dedicated the week before orientation to doing public service projects around Ithaca (and sleeping in an elementary school gym). Every year I wonder how many of this crop of frosh will end up staying in this town after their time as students; with those kids, I think it’s both more likely, and would be really awesome if they did.

Welcome back, y’all.

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This post would be remiss without a shout out to Kaila, Liz, Nan, Susan, Carla, Gwen, Jenn, Camille, Wendy, Sarah, Chris, Jim, Hilary, Ken, and anyone who’s worked a table at one of these shindigs. Apologies if I’ve forgotten anyone.

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