by Scott Martin, Biological Sciences Librarian, University of Michigan Library
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| Some of Scott’s toys (guitars and wooden swords in a standing rack). |
Hey all! It appears as though Sharon the shark still isn’t answering their email, so in lieu of a more entertaining elasmobranch’s-eye view of current goings-on, I’m back with another personal update and some news about a major update to an EEB-relevant library resource.
I’m writing this on April 21st, which is my Twitter anniversary – a fact which wouldn’t be memorable in itself, except that I started posting on that day in 2016, and my second tweet was a memorial message for Prince when the news of his death broke that afternoon. Prince’s music, particularly his mid-80s through mid-90s output, has been influential on me for decades, and the suddenness of his passing was a deep shock. Without really intending to do so, I’ve marked the occasion in the intervening years by attending a live show on or very near the date of his death. Sadly, the lockdown prevented me from keeping up that tradition this year, but I’m compensating by reinvigorating my interest in my own music-making: exploring some old and new iPad apps for synthesis, sequencing, and effects, and finally buying a guitar-style controller so I can translate my modest skill on the instrument into the electronic realm. I don’t have a SoundCloud link yet, but when I do, you’ll be the first ones invited to entirely ignore it.
Something you won’t want to ignore is a major update to the online version of Birds of North America. Cornell Labs has rebranded it as Birds of the World, and added material from three other resources: Handbook of the Birds of the World (superseding the previous HBW Alive online product), Neotropical Birds, and Bird Families of the World. The combined database contains species records for over 10,000 species, including literature references, maps, and media assets (photos, audio, and video) from the Macauley Library at Cornell. As if that weren’t enough, BoW also incorporates hundreds of millions of observations from eBird, for up-to-date abundance mapping. You can get more information about the database here; U-M community members can access our institutional subscription here. Even if you’re not a ride-or-die #TeamBird member, you’ll still find tons of useful information to inform your backyard birdwatching, wherever your backyard is (looking at our sabbatical folks here!).
My own backyard boasts an abundance of bird life, from myriad songbirds to sandhill cranes to the resident bald eagles near the fish farm on Island Lake Road. I have to admit, though, that I don’t spend a lot of my outdoors time birdwatching. In recent days, I’ve been more apt to spend it with a sword in hand. Now that the weather has (mostly!) turned for the better, I’ve started using my afternoon “commute” time to practice my taiji sword and saber forms outside – it’s possible to swing a three-foot wooden sword in my dance-practice space, but not comfortably. My taiji practice occupies a happy middle-ground between my meditation and dance practices: it calms the mind and brings me into the present moment the way meditation does, while centering me in my body like (but also unlike) dancing does. Different tools for different needs.
Speaking of needs, if you have any needs for research or teaching resources, I’m happy to help out. My email and Twitter info can be found on my Library profile page, so feel free to get in touch with me!