With my retirement as a university librarian now a reality (August 28, 2009), my decision over a year ago to create a stand-alone web site, independent from my place of employment, has proved to be a good decision.  It allowed me to lay the groundwork for my transition to  a new life.  I have been able to refer scholars with whom I have common interests to my site as a whole or to particular pages within my site to facilitate our dialogues.  Of particular value, I was able to easily collapse  my annual supplements to my annotated bibliographies of secondary sources on Elizabeth Gaskell into a single cumulative supplement.  It has allowed individuals searching the Internet to gain information about artists and authors covered on my site, some of whom are minimally covered elsewhere.  People who discovered my site since it was first posted have contacted me for clarification and additional information.  We have been able to share information and ideas in what is a growing community.  In short, the site has met  my needs as well as those of others interested in some of the same topics and issues as I.

Additionally, by including links to sites that support my spheres of interest, my personal web site also serves as a portal to information and information sources others might find interesting or useful (a worthy goal for a librarian). Lastly, I have been able to post a small selection of photographs of people, places, events and animals of importance to me.  Now that I am retired and have more discretionary time, it is my plan to be more active in making this site useful to others researching the authors and artists profiled.  If you have suggestions or questions, do not hesitate to contact me.