Is anybody out there?

Ydy unrhywun 'n allan, yna?

That's an Elvish, question, by the way. It asks: 'Is anybody out there?'

What? I hear you say. It looks like Welsh to me. Well, aren't you clever. That is because the Library Elf's mother was Welsh and also because, contrary to popular belief, elves are not mono-lingual. Swedish Elves speak Swedish, English Elves speak English, Indian elves speak Hindi, and Welsh elves speak Cymraeg.

But why am I asking that question? And why in Cymraeg?

Well, because it is a heart question. The deepest question an elf can ask. Ydy unrhywun 'n allan, yna? Therefore it must be asked in a heart language.

Is anyone out there, out there ... out there ... out there?

The second most important question is: 'elli di clywed i fi? Can you hear me?

I have a good reason for asking both questions. It is because I want to hear from you. That's right, you, because, deep down, my little elf-heart wants to know if there is anybody out there in Cyber-library-land.

Towards this end, (very formal Elvish prose), I am going to show you how to subscribe to this blog and how to post a comment.

First subscribing:

On the right hand side of this blog you will see a text box that looks like this:

If you are technologically sophisticated, you can set up an RSS feed, but the simplest way of keeping in touch is to subscribe. Then you will receive library updates (in English Elvish), in your email account.

You type your email address in the box and click on subscribe.

You will be asked to verify your request.

Then, yn ddisymwth! every time we update this blog, you get an elf message, in your inbox

Another way you can respond to my primeval cry (oh, yes, please do), is by leaving a comment. You will have noticed that at the end of every interesting and highly informative blog, there is an itty-bitty-pixie message that looks like this:

Just click on the hyperlink: 0 comments and you will see a screen like this:

Your job is to leave a comment.

Some witty riposte or intelligent book related comment would be great. But even a little brown-gnome-grunt (like: Hi!) would be fine. Then choose and identity.

Then like a fluttering of many pages or the thump of a heavy folio, like the rattle of trolley wheels or the beep of a hand held scanner ... all library-land will respond.

There will be dancing in the after hours chute and prancing at library opening time. There will be laughter on the OPACS, and shouting from the shelf tops, followed by a general hullabaloo of reading and shelving and perfect-ordering, such as library-land has never seen, followed by a great Elvish shout of: Dydw i ddim yn unig!

I am not alone!