Now the only worry is the weather. First comes rain, then sleet and ice, finally snow. Farther north, near the Wayland exit, the car emerges once more into a cold, but tranquil night. Everything is calm again. Once at the Grand Rapids Regional Center, there's a rush to get to the computer classroom, lay out the handouts, and turn on all the computer terminals before the class arrives.
Students drift in, and soon the class begins.
WestCat, the online catalog of the WMU University Libraries is demonstrated, to be followed by the steps of searching PsycINFO 1967, an online index to psychological journals and books found in FirstSearch, an OCLC online service provider. Though we've combined a couple of our mishaps, these are problems that really do happen whenever we travel away from the Kalamazoo campus. As continuing education librarians who serve Western Michigan University students at five regional centers, we often have to deal with similar and worse weather conditions, and a multitude of technical glitches that comes with the territory of computerized services. As a result, above all, we have to be adaptable, and roll with the punches. These are students who come to learn how to learn, who are attentive, and actively engaged in the process, and who truly appreciate our being there for them.