Kia Ora koutou,
I have discovered a new tool: the chatbotGPT3 which is a natural language AI (I think) which can do some pretty cool things!
https://chat.openai.com/chat
I, however, have ignored all those cool things and gone straight to asking it to do silly things. So I present a quick competition I will judge this Friday morning (the 9th December) (the winner will receive a chocolate or a high five, winners choice!).
See if you can create the best themed Christmas poem about librarians from prompts to the chatbot:
I have my most recent example here:
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the stacks, Librarians hustled and bustled, with interlibrary loans on their backs.
They packed up their sleighs with books of all kinds, Determined to deliver to patrons in a bind.
Through snow and ice, they trudged on their way,
Hoping to make it before the break of day.
As they travelled, they faced many a foe,
From grinches who grumbled to blizzards that blow.
But the librarians persevered, with grit and with grace,
For the love of books and the joy on a patron’s face.
Finally, they arrived, just in time for the feast,
And brought cheer to all with their literary feast.
So here’s to the librarians, the unsung heroes of yore,
Who brave the elements to deliver books to your door.
Submit your ai generated poem in the comment below to be considered.
I will judge the poem on the following four criteria:
Originality /10
Relevance to Christmas themes /5
How epic it makes librarians seem /10
Style /5
Happy ‘composing’
Dale
(To the tune of “O Little Town of Bethlehem”):
O little library in our town,
How still you seem to be,
When through your floors we wander down,
Such calm and peace we see.
Yet in your back rooms scurry,
a team who work at speed,
Librarians all, they hurry
to serve the ones who read.
For someone will request a book,
That may be hard to source,
And those librarians will look
and locate it of course!
O bibliophiles together,
Proclaim the marvellous deeds
of those who work so very hard
To serve your bookish needs.
Especially at Christmastime,
When book ‘wish lists’ are long,
We value our librarians,
and praise them in our song!
The librarians, in their festive hats,
Bring a sparkle to the library that chatters and clats.
The bookshelves, adorned with Christmas decorations,
Glisten with the sparkle of a hundred celebrations.
The librarians, in their tinsel capes,
Bring the spirit of Christmas in with their festive shapes.
The lights twinkle bright, in shades of red and green,
Soaring up the walls and along the beams.
The librarians, with their books of knowledge and care,
Bring a warmth of joy, in the air.
The books they share, throughout the year,
Bring knowledge and insight, to those far and near.
The librarians, with their Christmas decorations and care,
Bring a festive atmosphere, to the library that’s rare.
Their stories and books, to our hearts they bring,
Bringing the spirit of Christmas, with every festive thing.
Christmas in the library,
A festive and special time,
The shelves stretch far and wide,
A treasure trove sublime.
The librarian, a special one,
With eyes that twinkle bright,
A Santa’s helper all year round,
Guiding readers day and night.
On this special Christmas Day,
The librarian will be on hand,
Helping visitors find joy and peace,
In this special cultural land.
From classic stories to the modern,
The librarian will help you find,
Your own special Christmas moment,
In the pages of your mind.
So enjoy the Christmas season,
In the library so grand,
Where stories, knowledge and joy,
Are held in the librarian’s hands.
(We help people find things in the pages of their mind!! Now that’s some next level reference interview skills)
Summer, Christmas and Librarians,
And tuis and cats cavorting free,
The days of sun and Christmas season
Awaken memories of glee!
The librarians sit in their rows,
Their hands on books so light,
Filled with stories and knowledge
To make their hours bright.
The tuis, their twittering song
A challenge to the raven’s caw,
For they bring a peaceful balm
To the summer’s heart and law.
And cats, with their dazzling eyes,
Their sleek and elegant fur,
Seem to know the secrets of life
As they watch from beneath the purr.
These three combined bring solace
At the dawn of each day anew,
In the summer and the Christmastime
From the librarians, the tuis and cats too.
This is fun – my entry coming shortly, AI being extremely topical right now, here is an excellent article from the Atlantic in September you might have seen: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/09/artificial-intelligence-machine-learing-natural-language-processing/661401/?utm_content=linkedin-newsletter&utm_campaign=the-atlantic&utm_medium=email&utm_source=linkedin
(to the tune of Silent Night):
Silent space, student’s balm,
All is neat, all is calm,
Librarians all, like Santa’s elves,
Making sure that books are on shelves,
Read in heavenly peace,
Read in heavenly peace.
Makerspace, second floor,
Students flock, through the door,
Tired from study, they need a break,
Jess is there and helps them to make,
Christmas gifts of all kinds,
Christmas gifts of all kinds.
Christmas time, exams are done,
Study over, time for fun,
But our librarians’ work doesn’t end,
Interloans, copyright, items to send.
How they deserve a rest,
How they deserve a rest!
OK, here’s one actually following the rules and using the Chatbot:
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and in the library
The librarians were busy, working silently
Shelving books and checking returns, making sure all was in order
While outside, the snow was falling like a wintery border
Suddenly, a bark was heard, and then another
The librarians looked up, wondering who could be the owner
Out in the lobby, they saw a sight
A pack of dogs, all dressed up in holiday light
There was a golden retriever, with a wreath around its neck
And a poodle, with a Santa hat on its head
They barked and they wagged, as if to say
“We’re here to spread some Christmas cheer, in our own doggy way”
The librarians were delighted, and joined in the fun
They petted the dogs, and offered them some treats, one by one
And as the night went on, the library filled with joy
Thanks to the librarians, and the dogs that brought such ploys.
Apparently the AI poem generator is experiencing such high demand now the system is down and I had to use a different one…
See the reading of the teacher,
I think he’s angry at the preacher.
He finds it hard to see the dust,
Overshadowed by the brutalist fixed investment trust.
Who is that running near the book?
I think she’d like to eat the chook.
She is but a worn Librarian,
Admired as she sits upon a disciplinarian.
Her sleepy car is just like magic,
It needs no gas, it runs on tragic.
She’s not alone she brings cheese,
a pet Santa, and lots of sleaze.
The Santa likes to chase his dreams,
Especially one that’s in the teams.
The teacher shudders at the alien pages
He wants to leave but she wants the ages…
Fantastical librarians
Like Christmas elves in the stacks
Silent and serene
Librarians at Christmas
Like stars in the summer sky
Epic and serene
Brains that Cool: A Christmas Sonnet
Glorious librarians, wonderful and kind
Their knowledge vast, their passion never wanes
Like Christmas lights, they shine and light the mind
In summer heat, they cool us with their brains
They love chocolate, like a child at play
And coffee too, to keep them sharp and bright
They even like a beer, at end of day
To relax and unwind, a welcome sight
Their work is like a symphony, composed
With care and skill, each note in perfect place
They guide us through the stacks, as if enclosed
In a treasure trove, a hidden, secret space
Librarians, like a gift, bring joy and light
Their love of learning, a beautiful sight.
In the library on Christmas Eve,
The librarians were ready to leave,
But before they could go and rest,
They heard a noise coming from the west.
They looked out the window and to their surprise,
They saw a group of wombats in a line,
Each one was holding a book in its paw,
And they were all heading towards the library’s door.
The librarians quickly let them in,
And the wombats began to spin,
They danced and sang and read aloud,
As the librarians looked on, awestruck and proud.
The wombats had come to celebrate,
And to share their love of literature and mate,
They stayed until the morning light,
And then they disappeared out of sight.
The librarians were left with a smile,
Thinking of the wombats for quite a while,
And they knew that next year, on Christmas Eve,
The wombats would return, and they’d have to believe.