The bad news: A pipe broke in our building. Our building flooded, resulting in a lot of water damage to our equipment and records.
The good news: Thankfully, the staff just finished reviewing its Disaster Preparedness plan last week! First of all, as the coordinator of our recovery team, I called the building and facilities staff to turn off the water. I then used our phone tree to communication started. Since our operation only has a few employees, this didn't take too long.
Our designated media spokesperson typed up a statement about the damage, and sent copies to all of our current donors. She would have read this statement to any reporters who asked about the flood, but no one was particularly interested in it (we are a private, low-profile business, not a public institution.)
Although our staff all pitched in to help clean up the water on the floor, they left the actual plumbing repair to the professionals. They were able to make good use of the protective masks and gloves we had stored in an unlocked supply closet for just such an emergency. One of our staff members has asthma, so I sent her home; she can make up the hours after all potential for mold or other airborne irritants has passed.
Once the mess was under control, our office assistant used the contact info written in our disaster plan to find the number for our insurance agent and reported the damage.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Termination Checklist
1. Is the employee aware of the things which will result in termination? At 78rpm, those things are: theft from the company or donors, refusing to do the work which is assigned, reporting to work under the influence of a substance to the point of being unable to work effectively, and/or verbal or physical harassment of other employees or donors.
2. Has the employee been given written warnings about his or her performance? If not, then do this and give the employee a chance to correct things before proceeding.
3. If termination is necessary, then please implement the following steps:
A. Inform the employee as soon as the decision has been made. It is the only respectful thing to do, no matter what day it is.
B. Collect any equipment or materials that the employee has been using.
C. Allow the employee to collect his or her personal belongings and projects to take home.
D. As 78rpm is unable to offer benefits packages, there is no need to terminate health insurance, etc.
E. Give the employee his or her last paycheck.
F. After the employee has left the premises, change the locks and computer passwords. This is really the best way to ensure the security of our expensive equipment and rare and unique items.
G. Inform the other employees what has happened, and allow time for discussion of the event in an open and respectful atmosphere.
H. Inform the donors with whom we are currently contracting of the fact that the employee is no longer with 78rpm.
2. Has the employee been given written warnings about his or her performance? If not, then do this and give the employee a chance to correct things before proceeding.
3. If termination is necessary, then please implement the following steps:
A. Inform the employee as soon as the decision has been made. It is the only respectful thing to do, no matter what day it is.
B. Collect any equipment or materials that the employee has been using.
C. Allow the employee to collect his or her personal belongings and projects to take home.
D. As 78rpm is unable to offer benefits packages, there is no need to terminate health insurance, etc.
E. Give the employee his or her last paycheck.
F. After the employee has left the premises, change the locks and computer passwords. This is really the best way to ensure the security of our expensive equipment and rare and unique items.
G. Inform the other employees what has happened, and allow time for discussion of the event in an open and respectful atmosphere.
H. Inform the donors with whom we are currently contracting of the fact that the employee is no longer with 78rpm.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Experience: Discussion Leading
In this unit, I was one of two discussion leaders. It took a couple of emails to realize that none of the other students listed on Blackboard besides Jonathan were still in the class, so we were off to a little bit of a slow start. Once that was established, Jonathan and I communicated via email and decided to just both post things we found relevant and thought-provoking, and to post a few open-ended questions about each item.
I posted three items. The first was a short story about a hiring manager faced with the dilemma of hiring either a black man or a white woman for a high-level, high-profile position in what seems to be a successful and competitive firm. The executive wrestles with his decision; in the process, the reader learns about the many subtle factors - personal, ethical, and logistical - that go into this decision. I posted it in the hopes of starting a discussion about the "sticky" factors that go into choosing between more than one qualified candidate. I was interested in hearing how willing other students would be to be transparent about the factors that might influence their own hiring decisions, and whether or not they felt comfortable with those factors or felt they could bear a bit more critical thought.
The second item I posted was an article that appeared in a relatively recent issue of the Economist, about the change in attitude of job-seekers during the recession. I posted this in response to some of the issues that were brought up in the lecture/powerpoint presentation.
After a few days, no one had responded to either of my posts at all. I tried responding to a few other threads, but I got no response on my own.
Frustrated by this, I set out to find an article that would be relevant to what people actually were discussing - namely: Google benefits. The article I found and posted described cutbacks in Google's benefits package. No one responded to this article, either.
I emailed Jonathan (my co-leader) in frustration. Kindly, he quickly posted a response to the short story. To date, no one has responded to either of the articles I posted.
All in all, trying to lead a discussion on an online discussion board was a frustrating and ultimately futile experience. I sought out some class members in person who are also in this class, and none of them even realized I was supposed to be a discussion leader for this unit. In fact, no one seemed to know (or bother to look up) who the discussion leaders ever were. This certainly makes it difficult to "lead" any discussion online.
One thing I have gained from the experience is the knowledge of what it feels like to try to lead a discussion in what feels like a vacuum. As a result, I have been careful to look up who the discussion leaders are for this unit. When I post my thoughts and replies this week, I will take care to reply to at least one post by each of the designated leaders. Hopefully, this will also increase the overall continuity of the discussion(s) on Blackboard.
I am thinking carefully about how to change my strategy for next time I'm a discussion leader so as to make it a more beneficial experience - both for me and (hopefully) for the rest of the class!
I posted three items. The first was a short story about a hiring manager faced with the dilemma of hiring either a black man or a white woman for a high-level, high-profile position in what seems to be a successful and competitive firm. The executive wrestles with his decision; in the process, the reader learns about the many subtle factors - personal, ethical, and logistical - that go into this decision. I posted it in the hopes of starting a discussion about the "sticky" factors that go into choosing between more than one qualified candidate. I was interested in hearing how willing other students would be to be transparent about the factors that might influence their own hiring decisions, and whether or not they felt comfortable with those factors or felt they could bear a bit more critical thought.
The second item I posted was an article that appeared in a relatively recent issue of the Economist, about the change in attitude of job-seekers during the recession. I posted this in response to some of the issues that were brought up in the lecture/powerpoint presentation.
After a few days, no one had responded to either of my posts at all. I tried responding to a few other threads, but I got no response on my own.
Frustrated by this, I set out to find an article that would be relevant to what people actually were discussing - namely: Google benefits. The article I found and posted described cutbacks in Google's benefits package. No one responded to this article, either.
I emailed Jonathan (my co-leader) in frustration. Kindly, he quickly posted a response to the short story. To date, no one has responded to either of the articles I posted.
All in all, trying to lead a discussion on an online discussion board was a frustrating and ultimately futile experience. I sought out some class members in person who are also in this class, and none of them even realized I was supposed to be a discussion leader for this unit. In fact, no one seemed to know (or bother to look up) who the discussion leaders ever were. This certainly makes it difficult to "lead" any discussion online.
One thing I have gained from the experience is the knowledge of what it feels like to try to lead a discussion in what feels like a vacuum. As a result, I have been careful to look up who the discussion leaders are for this unit. When I post my thoughts and replies this week, I will take care to reply to at least one post by each of the designated leaders. Hopefully, this will also increase the overall continuity of the discussion(s) on Blackboard.
I am thinking carefully about how to change my strategy for next time I'm a discussion leader so as to make it a more beneficial experience - both for me and (hopefully) for the rest of the class!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Help Give Old Voices a Chance To Be Heard Once More!!!!
Love old records? Looking for work with a higher purpose? Then we’re looking for you! 78 RPM, an industry leader in mediating between record collectors and archives, is seeking an assistant sound engineer.
78 RPM contracts with record collectors to gather, clean/organize, digitize, and catalog their beloved records. The digitized copies are returned to the collector, while the original records are donated to an archive of the collector's choosing. As assistant sound engineer, you can help preserve rare and unique cultural artifacts while ensuring that generations of people have the chance to hear them.
Applicants should have:
>Formal training in audio engineering, or at least 5 years professional experience in archival-quality audio engineering
>Experience working with archival-quality sound transfers of historic recordings, including proper level setting, azimuth adjustment, selection of appropriate styli, appropriate filtering, etc.
>Ability to work closely and cooperatively with other staff
>Ability to self-direct and prioritize large amounts of work under deadlines
>A love of old sound recordings and a passion for preserving them to the highest standard possible, including staying current on new technologies
78 RPM is a small company, and can offer flexibility and autonomy not found in larger corporations. We are always interested in improving our service, and will listen to your ideas and inspirations. Our studio is top-of-the-line, and we are happy to let our employees use our high-quality audio equipment and software for their own projects when it is not in use. Most importantly, as part of our small but talented team, you will be able to make a real difference in preserving and making accessible some really fun and historically significant sounds!
Qualified candidates, please contact 78 RPM at dream job@78rmp.com, or call us at (919) 555.8749. If you would like, you may send a resume via snail mail to 6000 Pennsylvania Avenue, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, or fax it to us at (919) 555.8722.
78 RPM contracts with record collectors to gather, clean/organize, digitize, and catalog their beloved records. The digitized copies are returned to the collector, while the original records are donated to an archive of the collector's choosing. As assistant sound engineer, you can help preserve rare and unique cultural artifacts while ensuring that generations of people have the chance to hear them.
Applicants should have:
>Formal training in audio engineering, or at least 5 years professional experience in archival-quality audio engineering
>Experience working with archival-quality sound transfers of historic recordings, including proper level setting, azimuth adjustment, selection of appropriate styli, appropriate filtering, etc.
>Ability to work closely and cooperatively with other staff
>Ability to self-direct and prioritize large amounts of work under deadlines
>A love of old sound recordings and a passion for preserving them to the highest standard possible, including staying current on new technologies
78 RPM is a small company, and can offer flexibility and autonomy not found in larger corporations. We are always interested in improving our service, and will listen to your ideas and inspirations. Our studio is top-of-the-line, and we are happy to let our employees use our high-quality audio equipment and software for their own projects when it is not in use. Most importantly, as part of our small but talented team, you will be able to make a real difference in preserving and making accessible some really fun and historically significant sounds!
Qualified candidates, please contact 78 RPM at dream job@78rmp.com, or call us at (919) 555.8749. If you would like, you may send a resume via snail mail to 6000 Pennsylvania Avenue, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, or fax it to us at (919) 555.8722.
Friday, January 16, 2009
78 RPM Mission Statement
There's something magical about old records. Hearing voices from the past, before the music industry straight-jacketed the creativity, variety, and (sometimes) sheer insanity of what could be released upon unsuspecting listeners, is a thrilling experience. But there are significant obstacles to hearing these records. The records themselves are rare, and - once obtained - require special equipment for playback. Many of the rarest and most interesting records are owned by reclusive collectors who distrust the traditional routes for making these recordings available to the wider public - including libraries and archives.
On the other hand, there are a lot of collectors out there who are worried about what will ultimately become of their lovingly tended gardens of sound. Will they disappear into a box somewhere? Will they be sold off, record by orphaned record?
78 RPM will act as a much-needed mediator between record collectors and archives. For a fee, 78 RPM will gather, clean/organize, digitize, and catalog a collector's holdings. The digitized copies will be returned to the collector, while the original records will be donated to an archive of the collector's choosing.
78 RPM will be a small company, consisting of a director, a sound engineer, a sound engineer's assistant, a cataloger, a shipping/receiving person, an administrative assistant, and a director. Additionally, 78 RPM will have a close working relationship with a tax specialist who can advise collectors about the benefits of donation.
By contracting with 78 RPM, collectors are guaranteed that their collection will not linger, uncatalogued and unused in the stacks of an archive. They can also feel good about their decision to donate their beloved collections, knowing that the original records are in the hands of professional archivists who will provide top-notch care for them for the foreseeable future. And archives will be able to provide access to these rare and culturally valuable recordings to generations of users.
On the other hand, there are a lot of collectors out there who are worried about what will ultimately become of their lovingly tended gardens of sound. Will they disappear into a box somewhere? Will they be sold off, record by orphaned record?
78 RPM will act as a much-needed mediator between record collectors and archives. For a fee, 78 RPM will gather, clean/organize, digitize, and catalog a collector's holdings. The digitized copies will be returned to the collector, while the original records will be donated to an archive of the collector's choosing.
78 RPM will be a small company, consisting of a director, a sound engineer, a sound engineer's assistant, a cataloger, a shipping/receiving person, an administrative assistant, and a director. Additionally, 78 RPM will have a close working relationship with a tax specialist who can advise collectors about the benefits of donation.
By contracting with 78 RPM, collectors are guaranteed that their collection will not linger, uncatalogued and unused in the stacks of an archive. They can also feel good about their decision to donate their beloved collections, knowing that the original records are in the hands of professional archivists who will provide top-notch care for them for the foreseeable future. And archives will be able to provide access to these rare and culturally valuable recordings to generations of users.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
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