Despite all other evidence, it seems that I do not, in fact, live in a black hole. Since I have arrived, I've been trying to get publishers catalogues. I can remember working at places where they were the bane of everyone's existence. A stack would land in an inbox, and there they would sit until the person in charge of ordering would get on everyone's case to get a move on them. However, I have no books, and I'd like to order, well, alot of them. However, I have no tools to do so. I signed up for the free month of Publishers Weekly, Quill & Quire, Library Journal, School Library Journal, etc., but those have run out. I've been reduced to searching blogs, discussion groups and various awards, Chapters recommendations, anything I can think of that might have suggestions for math books, social books, biographies...at a high school level.
This isn't to say that they don't exist here. They do. They just don't seem to make it to my school. The poor man in Shanghai who I deal with has sent them out to me on three separate occasions. The first time they didn't arrive, we double-checked the address and he sent them again. But, they never arrived. So, we re-checked the address and, sure enough, it was correct. So, we double-checked with the school secretary, and sure enough, the Chinese address was also correct. Off they went again. And, despite the fact that it should only take a week, a month later - today, in fact - the sweet 16 year old 'guard' brought them into the library. I'm not sure if I'm more relieved to know that the school doesn't just exist in some sort of rural vortex or if I'm happier to get the catalogues.
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