Lucia Orlando, Reference Librarian at the University of California at Santa Cruz, writes:
My name is Lucia Orlando and I'm contacting you at the encouragement of Linda Resler. Ms. Resler conducted our inspection this year and suggested we submit to Readers Exchange, a poem that was written to our Government Publications staff. The poem was written by students from Environmental Studies 140, National Environmental Policy. It was a grueling assignment, and we were honored the students thought so highly of our service and collection that they wrote the poem for us. The poem was written in 1997, but the class is still being taught and the students are still just as appreciative.
Lucia Orlando
It's only October, and such a hard week!
With a policy brief looming, my life looks bleak.
The commodity research is causing me stress.
My ideas and thoughts - "Boy, what a mess!"
There's only one way to relieve it all,
To the Gov. Pub where problems are solved.
Stumbling around from aisle to aisle,
In a desperate search for a government file,
It seemed I'd been wandering for over a mile,
When a friendly woman appeared with a smile.
"Are you from ES140, taught by Daniel Press?"
It's all such a blur, but I think I said, "Yes!"
She chuckled then replied, "Man, what a mess!"
Behind her were others who were once also stressed.
"We've got bullets, tobacco, coffee, and plastic bottles,
Can I help you with something? a flow-chart? a model?
I'm looking for a SIC code for my commodity."
She said, "In this blue book, is where it ought to be."
I got myself together and found my code.
2211, the gateway to the Yellow Brick Road!
Two weeks later, I was nearly done.
In fact, this was becoming sort of fun!
But there were numbers and charts that my policy lacked.
I knew the Gov. Pub would have my stats.
"I'm looking for pollution emissions, where do they lie?"
"I think you should try the TRI".
We could go on for hours and hours,
Telling the tale of the Pub and its powers.
But our project is finished, and it's time to sleep,
While we've left the Pub with a mess miles deep.
We thank the Pub for relieving our fears
("Hopefully, ES140 will be neater next year!")
So when you're feeling down and you're stressin' out,
You don't know where to go, and are wondering about,
Remember, Monday to Friday, nine to five,
Come to the Gov. Pub, where "spirits" are high!
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