Although librarians adopted Internet technology quickly, they initially dismissed search engines, which duplicated tasks they considered integral to their field.

1. Where in the world were you?

I was in the United Kingdom, staying in London through July 31, and then Edinburgh, Scotland, for the final week of this program.

2. What work were you doing there?

The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded grants to two programs administered by the University of Oregon Libraries.

Stephanie Wood received $194,103 for her project, "Mesoamerican Cultures and their Histories: Spotlight on Oaxaca," through the Institutes for School Teachers program. The UO’s National Digital Newspaper Program was awarded $235,000 for Phase Three of the project headed by Karen Estlund.

The Ford Family Foundation has named UO career instructor Mike Bray a 2013 Hallie Ford Fellow in the visual arts. The $25,000 award is given to artists who have demonstrated excellence in their work and who show potential for significant advancement.

Score one for science.

Brandy Todd, assistant director for administration at the UO Oregon Center for Optics, was named 2013 Eugene Slug Queen Aug. 9, joining the celebrated ranks of unofficial ambassadors who champion causes during a one-year “rain” over this quirky city we call home.

“I’m very pleased and honored,” Todd said recently, green eye shadow still gracing her face from the competition. “It’s a wonderful and irreverent cadre to be invited into.”