It's been a blast, but I have decided in the face of gathering age and commitments that the time has come for me to step down from working on the journal library and posts.
Debbi has been doing an increasing amount of the work in the last two years, ably assisted by Jacquie in France, and Jenny in Alabama. They will now step up and fulfil the necessary rôles in the library: listing new journals, chasing up missing or overdue ones, adding slideshows, enroling new members.
Please take the project onwards from strength to strength and give them your help and inspiration. Gill Tennant in Wales/Cymru UK

I only ever received one complaint about that idea, and that was from someone who had already kept and lost journals belonging to other creators. Since the rules of journalling originally laid down clearly state that the creator of a journal retains ownership and it should be returned to that creator when asked by that person or when completed whichever is sooner, then I felt the protection offered by journallers agreeing to a set of simple requests in order to qualify as a journaller made perfect sense.

Unfortunately it has not offered journals, nor journallers the protection I hoped it would, simply I believe because many journallers are unaware of it, or too lazy to check their requester is a 'member': i.e. has the journal library logo in their friends' list. It is a simple matter to check before accepting a request - rechecking even if you have already sent to that person. One thing I did that took many hours regularly was to check that journallers were still active on BM, had not kept the journals belonging to others, had relisted promptly. Those infringing big time would be defriended for the protection of the innocent.

That reminds me you need to bug me, Debbi, I have at least one journal overdue for relisting: it is yours and you sent it to me! Mea culpa We all transgress at times of stress, and we are all human, even the library staff, so I hope people will just "'Fess up". Understanding, sympathy and compromise usually follow an appeal for clemency, so I am hoping Debbi will forgo the pleasure of beginning her reign with my summary execution for my crime. ;-)

I would ask all journallers to help as much as they can: spread the word about checking requesters are bmjl friends, and active. If they are not, let Debbi, Jenny or Jacquie know. Also encourage all journallers you interact with to subscribe to this low-traffic forum showing the maximum available number of days' messages, and to likewise check requesters' status, so journals can return safely home, with slideshows on the journal's page so all contributors can check what the completed journal looked like, and the creator, whether still active or not, has a fulfilled and completed idea!

On that last I have Hanhel's 'Cows! cows! cows!' which arrived here today from a journaller in Asia who told me it was full. I'll add to the inside cover, scan the whole and send the pics. to Debbi to add to the slideshow at her leisure and then it will be sent home to Hannah. Thanks to all who made such a range of delightful entries in it. Completed journals have been so few and far between that it is an achievement to have two in five years to send back home. I hope more will now achieve that goal.

I shall be around as a journaller from time to time, especially when my first novel is finished. I'm busy revising it now, and keen to start the next idea lining up behind it. Then perhaps it may inspire a new journal too! Gill T.