Celebrating Tenure with "Stack Wars"

Last Friday (September 8) I attended the showing of my first animated short. Three other librarians and myself were the "stars" of this animated short. Coincidently we all just received tenure at UK starting this year. In honor of that accomplishment the Libraries hosted the first Annual Maggie Awards. The Awards were named after Margaret I. King, first librarian at the University of Kentucky. Amazingly, all four award categories went to members of the cast of "Stack Wars." I won for best musical score. Since all the awards went to the same animated short, there was then a showing of "Stack Wars."

Does this all sound a bit concocted?? Well, yes it it. But the film they created was very cute. They transposed all of our heads onto animated bodies and the backdrops were all pictures of areas in the Library system (the auditorium, some office spaces, meeting rooms, etc.). Other characters were pictures of characters from books that had all escaped from their books and were kidnapping the Dean and Associate Deans. They were all saved by me and my three colleagues. Is this why we got tenure? The end of the film included a song with lyrics scrolling up the screen and my face and fake body dancing to the music. The song was "WTYL" (for William T Young Library) set to the music for YMCA. At the end of the song, my head falls off and rolls away!!

The showing was very cute and the whole "awards" show they created was fun, if a little embarrassing. But it came with a gold "Maggie." It was a Librarian Action figure that they must of spray painted gold. Very creative.

At the very end they also presented us with little books that were made in our honor. Mine is very nice and definitely a keepsake. My picture is on the front, it has a short version of my CV (just education and job titles), pictures of music groups I like, a page from the Mozart clarinet concerto, a picture of an authority record with a little detective next it wearing something that is supposed to represent the scarf I keep at my desk and wear around the library when it is cold. It also has pages of pictures to represent places I've visited or want to visit (Italy, Ireland), and a music page with clarinet stuff on it. At the very back of the book is a pocket with a date due slip in it (we are all librarians, afterall). It lists my degrees and years I got them as well as the year I received tenure at UK.

It was a nice way to celebrate tenure and the program was followed by a very nice reception.