It has been way too long since my last post to really catch up with what has happened. Basically this past semester was overwhelming -- far more overwhelming than I expected.
Volunteering at the special library has been going well except they are having financial difficulties and had to lay off a number of the staff. I have been helping out as best I can but the whole thing is frustrating. I am not sure how an institution that supports a college and a museum thinks closing the conservation lab and the archive is a good idea. Ugh!
I have also begun looking for librarian positions, I figure in this economy the earlier I start looking for a job the better the chance that I will have a new job near graduation in May. I am casting a wide net, looking at public and academic library positions as well as archives. This is furthering my belief that I was right when choosing classes that created an overall education rather than specializing in one type of librarianship. The whole thing is making me nervous, I was not planning on the economy to completely collapse...really not part of the plan.
I am definitely ready to be done with the library school part of this, I don't think two more classes are going to make me any more of a librarian than I am already. On the bright side one of my classes is an online course and the other is a weekend class so I am only on campus for about six days this semester. Which is good because if the snow these past few weeks is any indication it is going to be a bad winter.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
Fall Semester
It is a miracle but I am actually signed up for the classes that I want for fall semester. I had to get the dean's permission to take one of the classes but after a letter and a series of phone calls I am in the archiving class I needed. I am also taking Preservation and Conservation as well as Searching Electronic Databases.
I am starting to get anxious about finishing school. While I like my job I am getting to the point where I want something else. I definitely ready to finish this degree so I do what I want to do.
I had taken a break from volunteering since I was in a class that met on Saturdays, maybe getting back to doing librarian things will help this ease this anxiety.
I am starting to get anxious about finishing school. While I like my job I am getting to the point where I want something else. I definitely ready to finish this degree so I do what I want to do.
I had taken a break from volunteering since I was in a class that met on Saturdays, maybe getting back to doing librarian things will help this ease this anxiety.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
New Class and Fall Registration
This weekend I began my last summer class. This one is entirely devoted to serials and the consistent inconsistencies about them. The class meets all day on Saturday as well as Tuesday and Thursday evenings but is over in three weeks. It is an intense few weeks but I am kind of looking forward to it. Originally it was one of the only classes that was still open when I registered but now it is relevant to my volunteer work since I have begun cataloging bound and fragile periodicals. However there are some things about the class I do not like: we spent the first Saturday defining serials and that took the entire class time, and there is not only a final paper/presentation but a final exam as well.
I will be registering for fall semester in about a week. This has caused some anxiety because the archiving classes are only offered in the fall and I will have a hard time getting into them. One of the classes that I very desperately want to take has a prerequisite that is also only offered in the fall which makes things very difficult. I am sure that if I could register for both at the same time it would be alright except the prerequisite conflicts with another class I desperately want to take. A conversation with my advisor is the best course of action. The part that really irritates me is that if I were in the School Library Media concentration I would be able to take the classes I miss in the fall in the following spring. I really can't wait until the following fall to take these classes, I need to graduate in the spring.
I will be registering for fall semester in about a week. This has caused some anxiety because the archiving classes are only offered in the fall and I will have a hard time getting into them. One of the classes that I very desperately want to take has a prerequisite that is also only offered in the fall which makes things very difficult. I am sure that if I could register for both at the same time it would be alright except the prerequisite conflicts with another class I desperately want to take. A conversation with my advisor is the best course of action. The part that really irritates me is that if I were in the School Library Media concentration I would be able to take the classes I miss in the fall in the following spring. I really can't wait until the following fall to take these classes, I need to graduate in the spring.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Calm Before the Storm
The first summer school class ended this week. I was very busy during the class which is why I haven't had an update in so long. On average I was reading 10 books a week and even though they were children's books a 200 page chapter book is still 200 pages so my time free or otherwise was spent reading.
The class went well although I wish there was more emphasis on how to get a child interested in reading or how to chose the right book for a child. For that matter how to conduct a reference interview with a child would be good to learn how to do as well since we barely covered that in my reference class. This again proves my point that no amount of theory will prepare a librarian for actually working in a library. I could have read every book in the library but if I don't know how to match up a child to a book it really doesn't matter. But then again I suppose a children's librarian is born it is not taught.
I have a two week break between the class that just ended and the serials class that I will take for the section section of summer. The next class is probably going to be boring however it may come in handy because the work I am doing at the special library has moved into cataloging serials. This is interesting mostly because many of the titles are in foreign languages and trying to match up the title and the information in OCLC is difficult. (OCLC = Online Computer Library Center)
Right now I am just enjoying my break, I will still be working but being able to come home at a reasonable hour every day and have the option of walking or biking to work will be very nice.
The class went well although I wish there was more emphasis on how to get a child interested in reading or how to chose the right book for a child. For that matter how to conduct a reference interview with a child would be good to learn how to do as well since we barely covered that in my reference class. This again proves my point that no amount of theory will prepare a librarian for actually working in a library. I could have read every book in the library but if I don't know how to match up a child to a book it really doesn't matter. But then again I suppose a children's librarian is born it is not taught.
I have a two week break between the class that just ended and the serials class that I will take for the section section of summer. The next class is probably going to be boring however it may come in handy because the work I am doing at the special library has moved into cataloging serials. This is interesting mostly because many of the titles are in foreign languages and trying to match up the title and the information in OCLC is difficult. (OCLC = Online Computer Library Center)
Right now I am just enjoying my break, I will still be working but being able to come home at a reasonable hour every day and have the option of walking or biking to work will be very nice.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Summer Semester
I am not sure if my university realizes this but the summer starts in June technically the last third of June, which is why I was not prepared for summer semester to begin in the first half of May.
Either way I am now two weeks into summer semester.
I received my grades for the spring, all A's as I was hoping although one professor (who is referred to as "the douche") gave me an A- which I believe was to send me a message because one assignment was turned in late. But all in all I am happy with my grades and this proves that I can take three classes in a semester and not only survive but thrive.
Hopefully I will remember this as I get through this semester. Currently I am taking a class that is titled "Library Materials for Children" which is basically a children's lit class. This is a very good class for the summer because it is fun, I get to read children's books and it gives me new book ideas for the wee red-head. On a side note I should really start calling the wee red-head the wee blonde or the wee strawberry blonde but I don't think that is as cute nor is it as indicative of her inherent adorableness so I will continue to call her the wee red-head.
As I was saying I am in this children's lit class which is actually very good. The reading list is pretty good, Neil Gaiman and Mo Willems as well as some other favourites of mine are on it so I can choose some books that I have already read as well as branching out to read new ones. And the assignments are practical: creating booklists and doing booktalks for specific age groups, doing a readers theatre project, writing a book review - all of these are things a children's librarian would do. The only thing I wish could be done is to actually have an experience working in front of a group of children; it really doesn't matter how prepared a person is, if they don't learn how to work in front of a group of kids it just won't work. But I realize that is a time issue since we only have seven weeks, and most of the people in my class are already working with children either in a school or library setting.
After this class is over I will have about a week and a half before my second class begins. This one is about serial management and the problems one faces when cataloging serials. At first I thought this might be a waste of my time and really just a space filler so I could get financial aid for the summer but it might actually be useful. This usefulness is because my duties at the library that I volunteer are going to be changing a bit. I have apparently caught up the library with most of the processing and now I will be weeding through the periodicals and deciding what to keep and what we can toss. I am really excited about getting more responsibility at the library and that they are allowing me to be doing something closer to "librarian work" as opposed to volunteer work. If all goes well they will find that they can't live without me, or at least that is my hope.
So it looks like I won't be getting much of a break until August and then I will definitely take some time off...I promise.
Either way I am now two weeks into summer semester.
I received my grades for the spring, all A's as I was hoping although one professor (who is referred to as "the douche") gave me an A- which I believe was to send me a message because one assignment was turned in late. But all in all I am happy with my grades and this proves that I can take three classes in a semester and not only survive but thrive.
Hopefully I will remember this as I get through this semester. Currently I am taking a class that is titled "Library Materials for Children" which is basically a children's lit class. This is a very good class for the summer because it is fun, I get to read children's books and it gives me new book ideas for the wee red-head. On a side note I should really start calling the wee red-head the wee blonde or the wee strawberry blonde but I don't think that is as cute nor is it as indicative of her inherent adorableness so I will continue to call her the wee red-head.
As I was saying I am in this children's lit class which is actually very good. The reading list is pretty good, Neil Gaiman and Mo Willems as well as some other favourites of mine are on it so I can choose some books that I have already read as well as branching out to read new ones. And the assignments are practical: creating booklists and doing booktalks for specific age groups, doing a readers theatre project, writing a book review - all of these are things a children's librarian would do. The only thing I wish could be done is to actually have an experience working in front of a group of children; it really doesn't matter how prepared a person is, if they don't learn how to work in front of a group of kids it just won't work. But I realize that is a time issue since we only have seven weeks, and most of the people in my class are already working with children either in a school or library setting.
After this class is over I will have about a week and a half before my second class begins. This one is about serial management and the problems one faces when cataloging serials. At first I thought this might be a waste of my time and really just a space filler so I could get financial aid for the summer but it might actually be useful. This usefulness is because my duties at the library that I volunteer are going to be changing a bit. I have apparently caught up the library with most of the processing and now I will be weeding through the periodicals and deciding what to keep and what we can toss. I am really excited about getting more responsibility at the library and that they are allowing me to be doing something closer to "librarian work" as opposed to volunteer work. If all goes well they will find that they can't live without me, or at least that is my hope.
So it looks like I won't be getting much of a break until August and then I will definitely take some time off...I promise.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Almost done
I know I already posted my end of semester blog but I just finished my last final exam. Its a take home thing so I still have to go to class tomorrow but I am just so relieved that this semester is over! I didn't realize how busy and tired and overextended I was until I realized I had 10 days off before summer session started and how happy that made me. I just wish I had more time off.
Oh and that cat is happy too, now I have time to play fetch with her. We have been playing for about an hour, poor starved for attention kitten.
Oh and that cat is happy too, now I have time to play fetch with her. We have been playing for about an hour, poor starved for attention kitten.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Two down three to go
Two semesters down, three to go and then I'll be done. Well technically this semester isn't done until next week but I needed a break from doing final exams/papers so I thought I would write this a little early. All I really have left is about 2/3 of a take home final exam and then I will be done.
This semester was a bit more tolerable than the previous because I finally got to take a class that was not required by the program. In general I have come to the conclusion that I just need to get through most of the classes and that although there may be some interesting moments or topics for the most part it feels like busywork full of theory without any practical use to offset the information I am getting from a book.
I realize it is a little silly for a future librarian to be complaining about the information found in books but when one is learning to be a librarian there is a lot that can only be learned by doing. Working at the special library has really been the practical experience that I needed. One of my latest finds has been a copy of Faust translated into Hebrew from the 1860s. There is something very odd about such a Catholic text being translated into Hebrew. It must have been odd for the person first reading it, almost like a book of witchcraft - deals with the devil and all that.
This summer will be a busy time. I will be taking two classes and probably starting a new internship in addition to continuing to work at the special library and with the wee redhead. Somehow I will fit this all into four months (since according to the university the summer begins in May).
I will be going to a student archivist meeting in a few weeks, I am excited about that. The university I am attending seems to ignore the needs of students interested in archives and offers all the archivist classes in the same semester. Hopefully we can organize a way to bring this to the attention of the school.
This brings me to the realization that I had about my dream job. When I was in my Early Books and Manuscript class I realized that as much as I would love to work with such texts the probability of doing so is pretty slim. I would most likely need a second Masters degree probably in history or even linguistics and I would need to learn more languages and probably Latin. At this point I realized that I am more interested more modern materials that need archiving. When working at the film center library I loved finding artifacts of film history and when I visited the local GLBT library I loved that they had an archive of GLBT history. It is this type of thing I would rather care for, things that could easily be overlooked because they are relatively new but in time will be a part of history. I would like to preserve these things before they are lost and before they begin to fall apart.
This semester was a bit more tolerable than the previous because I finally got to take a class that was not required by the program. In general I have come to the conclusion that I just need to get through most of the classes and that although there may be some interesting moments or topics for the most part it feels like busywork full of theory without any practical use to offset the information I am getting from a book.
I realize it is a little silly for a future librarian to be complaining about the information found in books but when one is learning to be a librarian there is a lot that can only be learned by doing. Working at the special library has really been the practical experience that I needed. One of my latest finds has been a copy of Faust translated into Hebrew from the 1860s. There is something very odd about such a Catholic text being translated into Hebrew. It must have been odd for the person first reading it, almost like a book of witchcraft - deals with the devil and all that.
This summer will be a busy time. I will be taking two classes and probably starting a new internship in addition to continuing to work at the special library and with the wee redhead. Somehow I will fit this all into four months (since according to the university the summer begins in May).
I will be going to a student archivist meeting in a few weeks, I am excited about that. The university I am attending seems to ignore the needs of students interested in archives and offers all the archivist classes in the same semester. Hopefully we can organize a way to bring this to the attention of the school.
This brings me to the realization that I had about my dream job. When I was in my Early Books and Manuscript class I realized that as much as I would love to work with such texts the probability of doing so is pretty slim. I would most likely need a second Masters degree probably in history or even linguistics and I would need to learn more languages and probably Latin. At this point I realized that I am more interested more modern materials that need archiving. When working at the film center library I loved finding artifacts of film history and when I visited the local GLBT library I loved that they had an archive of GLBT history. It is this type of thing I would rather care for, things that could easily be overlooked because they are relatively new but in time will be a part of history. I would like to preserve these things before they are lost and before they begin to fall apart.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Been A While
I realised I hadn't posted anything new in a while. This is mostly because not much has been happening/I have been ill most of March.
Aside from midterms there hasn't been much going on in the Education of Librarian Elise. One would think that midterms would be educational but sadly they are not. However one of my midterms was a presentation/paper on a library visit. This was helpful both as a future librarian and as a current nanny.
I decided not to go to one of the city branches because frankly they all disappoint me by doing the bare minimum of programming and outreach and sometimes they even fall short of that. Last autumn I tried to find a storytime/lap-sit to take the wee redhead too in the winter months but there was nothing in our area. I called about four different branches and they didn't offer anything.
Anyway I decided to got to the nearest north suburb to see what they were offering children and young adults. I got to talk to the director of the library (which was the main point of this assignment since it was for my management class) and I talked to a young adult librarian. Both of these individuals were highly interesting and reminded me that library school is not indicative of actually working in a library. They were able to answer my questions and were very happy to talk to me. I imagine it would be nice to see a future member of your profession, a sort of confirmation of the work you are doing.
The library itself was amazing. This is one of the more wealthy suburbs and they recently renovated their children's and young adult sections. I will need to take the wee redhead to the children's department, it is like an indoor version of The Secret Garden, I was truly in awe of what I saw. The young adult section was similarly awesome, it is full of bright colors and comfortable seating along with a wall of television/computer monitors for video game nights.
The programming is really phenomenal too, there were lap-sits for the 0-12 month crowd, storytimes for the toddlers and preschoolers, and after-school activities for the elementary students and young adults as well as adult programming. It was really fantastic to see a library really trying to reach their community, especially in the young adult age group, those are the kids that are difficult to get into the library but the most important since they will become library supporting adults.
It is really sad that I live in a city with one of the largest public library systems in the country but the suburban library just outside the city is outdoing and outshining that system. This is one of the reasons people move out of the city when they have children and it is truly a waste of librarians and resources.
Aside from midterms there hasn't been much going on in the Education of Librarian Elise. One would think that midterms would be educational but sadly they are not. However one of my midterms was a presentation/paper on a library visit. This was helpful both as a future librarian and as a current nanny.
I decided not to go to one of the city branches because frankly they all disappoint me by doing the bare minimum of programming and outreach and sometimes they even fall short of that. Last autumn I tried to find a storytime/lap-sit to take the wee redhead too in the winter months but there was nothing in our area. I called about four different branches and they didn't offer anything.
Anyway I decided to got to the nearest north suburb to see what they were offering children and young adults. I got to talk to the director of the library (which was the main point of this assignment since it was for my management class) and I talked to a young adult librarian. Both of these individuals were highly interesting and reminded me that library school is not indicative of actually working in a library. They were able to answer my questions and were very happy to talk to me. I imagine it would be nice to see a future member of your profession, a sort of confirmation of the work you are doing.
The library itself was amazing. This is one of the more wealthy suburbs and they recently renovated their children's and young adult sections. I will need to take the wee redhead to the children's department, it is like an indoor version of The Secret Garden, I was truly in awe of what I saw. The young adult section was similarly awesome, it is full of bright colors and comfortable seating along with a wall of television/computer monitors for video game nights.
The programming is really phenomenal too, there were lap-sits for the 0-12 month crowd, storytimes for the toddlers and preschoolers, and after-school activities for the elementary students and young adults as well as adult programming. It was really fantastic to see a library really trying to reach their community, especially in the young adult age group, those are the kids that are difficult to get into the library but the most important since they will become library supporting adults.
It is really sad that I live in a city with one of the largest public library systems in the country but the suburban library just outside the city is outdoing and outshining that system. This is one of the reasons people move out of the city when they have children and it is truly a waste of librarians and resources.
Monday, March 3, 2008
No Time
No time seems to be my new catchphrase. I had class this weekend and between that, my Thursday class and the laundry room in my building closing at 10pm I did not have time to do my laundry. This led to me doing it at work. This isn't necessarily a problem but it was a bit weird. It caused my employer to remind me that I can take some time off work if I need to. I have vacation days that I have not as of yet used but I always feel guilty about using them. I haven't even used a sick day, even when the wee redhead gave me a cold. So I am taking a few days around my birthday and the Monday after my next weekend class. This should help me from going too crazy.
This weekend wasn't actually all that bad. Like the previous class weekend we had a presentation due at the end of the second day and a paper due in a few weeks. My group did a presentation on the Luxeuil Abbey and the Luxeuil miniscule that they created which can be seen here http://medievalwriting.50megs.com/scripts/examples/luxeuil.htm
My group and I tried to recreate the script and the illuminations used as best as possible. Part of the presentation was do to a mock page of text to try to better understand the life of a scribe.
I don't know if I understood the life of the scribe that well but on Sunday night my neck and shoulders hurt so bad from the tension due to writing that I couldn't sleep.
I also introduced the others in my group to Google docs and to Refworks. Since we are all writing the paper together and because there aren't really clear divisions of the topics it makes sense to write it together in Google docs. This way we can all share the information as we go. Hopefully this will also make editing the parts together a bit more streamlined. Refworks is a really great tool when doing a bibliography, it will format it once the sources are entered into the program. You can also put websites into it by using RefGrab-It. This makes paper writing so much easier, it even does the in text citations.
I was very lucky to have Garrett's help this weekend. He encouraged me to enjoy the art project that I was assigned (even though I paid thousands of dollars for this class only to be assigned an ART PROJECT!). And even better he took Miso (the cat) for the weekend so that I would have uninterrupted rest. Most nights I get kept up until late hours because she decides to randomly bite my arm or she wakes me at 5am with her call of the wild moments that last for about an hour. Although it was very nice to have her back Sunday night, she fell asleep next to me by about 10:30 and stayed that way most of the night. I think I was missed.
Technically this week is spring break but next Tuesday I have a presentation to give about a library visit for my management class. I spoke to the library director today and will visit the library tomorrow evening. There is also a corresponding paper due the week after the presentation and a midterm take home exam for my cataloging class. Combine this with the paper for my early books and manuscripts class so I don't really have a Spring break at all.
I am debating my decision to take three classes next fall. This has been a very busy semester however part of the difficulty have been that these are the last of my required classes and the added problem of snowy commutes. I hope that taking classes that I want to take and in weather more conducive to commuting I should be ok. I think I will register for three but drop one if need be.
This weekend wasn't actually all that bad. Like the previous class weekend we had a presentation due at the end of the second day and a paper due in a few weeks. My group did a presentation on the Luxeuil Abbey and the Luxeuil miniscule that they created which can be seen here http://medievalwriting.50megs.com/scripts/examples/luxeuil.htm
My group and I tried to recreate the script and the illuminations used as best as possible. Part of the presentation was do to a mock page of text to try to better understand the life of a scribe.
I don't know if I understood the life of the scribe that well but on Sunday night my neck and shoulders hurt so bad from the tension due to writing that I couldn't sleep.
I also introduced the others in my group to Google docs and to Refworks. Since we are all writing the paper together and because there aren't really clear divisions of the topics it makes sense to write it together in Google docs. This way we can all share the information as we go. Hopefully this will also make editing the parts together a bit more streamlined. Refworks is a really great tool when doing a bibliography, it will format it once the sources are entered into the program. You can also put websites into it by using RefGrab-It. This makes paper writing so much easier, it even does the in text citations.
I was very lucky to have Garrett's help this weekend. He encouraged me to enjoy the art project that I was assigned (even though I paid thousands of dollars for this class only to be assigned an ART PROJECT!). And even better he took Miso (the cat) for the weekend so that I would have uninterrupted rest. Most nights I get kept up until late hours because she decides to randomly bite my arm or she wakes me at 5am with her call of the wild moments that last for about an hour. Although it was very nice to have her back Sunday night, she fell asleep next to me by about 10:30 and stayed that way most of the night. I think I was missed.
Technically this week is spring break but next Tuesday I have a presentation to give about a library visit for my management class. I spoke to the library director today and will visit the library tomorrow evening. There is also a corresponding paper due the week after the presentation and a midterm take home exam for my cataloging class. Combine this with the paper for my early books and manuscripts class so I don't really have a Spring break at all.
I am debating my decision to take three classes next fall. This has been a very busy semester however part of the difficulty have been that these are the last of my required classes and the added problem of snowy commutes. I hope that taking classes that I want to take and in weather more conducive to commuting I should be ok. I think I will register for three but drop one if need be.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Early Books and Manuscripts
This weekend I started my Early Books and Manuscripts class. Overall I am really enjoying it, during undergrad I never had a chance to take a Medieval History class and that is essentially what this class, at least this weekend was.
The workload isn't too bad, for each of the three sessions we have a 10 page group paper and the majority of the reading has already been done. Most of the groups are three people, unfortunately someone dropped the class so my group is only two, which makes the part of the paper I am writing longer. Next session we switch groups so hopefully I will be in a group of three.
My only criticism of the class is that we are only focusing on Medieval Europe, I wish we would cover non-Europe texts, I would love to learn about Middle Eastern and Asian texts. I don't believe the school offers a class like that. But to be honest I didn't expect to have a more global coverage.
This is my first non-required class and I am so glad that I finally got to take one this semester. Taking a third class does add a lot of work but this is the only class that is truly enjoyable and should help make the other classes a little easier to take.
Volunteering is also going well. I was able to go in on Friday since I had the day off work. I got some work done and met more of the library staff. They all seem pleased that I am there, although there were moments when I wished they would leave me to my work and stop asking questions, but they were just being friendly. I am looking forward to going back on Sunday when it is quiet. Out of all of my responsibilities this is the one thing I am enjoying the most, sadly it is the one thing that I can only do occasionally and will be the first thing to cut if I don't have the time.
The workload isn't too bad, for each of the three sessions we have a 10 page group paper and the majority of the reading has already been done. Most of the groups are three people, unfortunately someone dropped the class so my group is only two, which makes the part of the paper I am writing longer. Next session we switch groups so hopefully I will be in a group of three.
My only criticism of the class is that we are only focusing on Medieval Europe, I wish we would cover non-Europe texts, I would love to learn about Middle Eastern and Asian texts. I don't believe the school offers a class like that. But to be honest I didn't expect to have a more global coverage.
This is my first non-required class and I am so glad that I finally got to take one this semester. Taking a third class does add a lot of work but this is the only class that is truly enjoyable and should help make the other classes a little easier to take.
Volunteering is also going well. I was able to go in on Friday since I had the day off work. I got some work done and met more of the library staff. They all seem pleased that I am there, although there were moments when I wished they would leave me to my work and stop asking questions, but they were just being friendly. I am looking forward to going back on Sunday when it is quiet. Out of all of my responsibilities this is the one thing I am enjoying the most, sadly it is the one thing that I can only do occasionally and will be the first thing to cut if I don't have the time.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Busy Bee
In order to procrastinate just a bit I thought I would write a bit about last week. The weather here in Chicago has been absolutely insane which has made the commute to class very difficult. In both my classes last week the professor ended an hour early in order for us to take our time getting home.
On Tuesday the day started at 50F but dropped into the single digits by 9pm. Getting into class it was about 40F and raining but when I left it was very cold and snowing. Unfortunately Thursday was even worse, it snowed all day and it took me 90 minutes to get to class, making me half an hour late, then since the professor let us out an hour early I was only there for an hour and a half then repeating the process going home. The only upside to that entire trip was the cheaper suburban gas.
Homework has been getting heavier, I had multiple chapters to read in each class and have started the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, Second Edition. This is insanely boring. There are multiple pages about the different ways to enter a title into a bibliographic record depending on if there is a subtitle, secondary title, title in a non-English language etc. Then the same number of pages for the "statement of responsibility" which is essentially the author.
But on the upside I am starting to feel a bit like a librarian. I began volunteering at the museum library this weekend. While it does take away from the weekend "break" period I have and cut into study time it is well worth it. Just being there reminds me of why I am doing all of this craziness in the first place. I am not doing very interesting work but it is helping out the librarians quite a bit. Mostly I will be processing books - getting them ready for the shelves. They are already cataloged but need to be stamped with the library stamps (along side of the book, if it is reference or non-circulating), mylar covers need to be put on dust jackets, spine labels need to be made, magnetic strips put inside the spine to deter stealing, that sort of thing. I actually really like the process, although my supervisor told me many times that I will soon bore of it and if I want to do something different to let her know.
I know it is a small thing but I feel like I am really helping the overall workings of the library. In a small way I am helping patrons find the information they are looking for. Just by making sure the spine label is correct I am helping someone find the book they are looking for, that is pretty cool.
On Tuesday the day started at 50F but dropped into the single digits by 9pm. Getting into class it was about 40F and raining but when I left it was very cold and snowing. Unfortunately Thursday was even worse, it snowed all day and it took me 90 minutes to get to class, making me half an hour late, then since the professor let us out an hour early I was only there for an hour and a half then repeating the process going home. The only upside to that entire trip was the cheaper suburban gas.
Homework has been getting heavier, I had multiple chapters to read in each class and have started the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, Second Edition. This is insanely boring. There are multiple pages about the different ways to enter a title into a bibliographic record depending on if there is a subtitle, secondary title, title in a non-English language etc. Then the same number of pages for the "statement of responsibility" which is essentially the author.
But on the upside I am starting to feel a bit like a librarian. I began volunteering at the museum library this weekend. While it does take away from the weekend "break" period I have and cut into study time it is well worth it. Just being there reminds me of why I am doing all of this craziness in the first place. I am not doing very interesting work but it is helping out the librarians quite a bit. Mostly I will be processing books - getting them ready for the shelves. They are already cataloged but need to be stamped with the library stamps (along side of the book, if it is reference or non-circulating), mylar covers need to be put on dust jackets, spine labels need to be made, magnetic strips put inside the spine to deter stealing, that sort of thing. I actually really like the process, although my supervisor told me many times that I will soon bore of it and if I want to do something different to let her know.
I know it is a small thing but I feel like I am really helping the overall workings of the library. In a small way I am helping patrons find the information they are looking for. Just by making sure the spine label is correct I am helping someone find the book they are looking for, that is pretty cool.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Bit of an update
I am starting to feel a bit overwhelmed with everything. Homework is starting to get more involved and to make matters worse I caught a cold from the wee redhead. I was able to write a paper today that is due early next week so I am somewhat caught up but I still have one assignment and a lot of reading to do.
My cataloging class is going better than expected, I did well on the first paper (the standard library visit paper). And I do seem to be understanding the topics presented although our first real assignment is this week so we shall see.
Also to add to my responsibilities I am starting to volunteer at the library next weekend. I am really excited about this because I feel the need to be working in a library but I am worried about how much time this will take up.
My cataloging class is going better than expected, I did well on the first paper (the standard library visit paper). And I do seem to be understanding the topics presented although our first real assignment is this week so we shall see.
Also to add to my responsibilities I am starting to volunteer at the library next weekend. I am really excited about this because I feel the need to be working in a library but I am worried about how much time this will take up.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Lots of new
I began my first two classes of the semester in the last week. My third class doesn't start until February but I am already doing assigned reading.
Cataloging is going to be a lot of work, which I was expecting, but luckily the professor seems to understand that cataloging is not for everyone. It is the only class that we can really be tested on material because like math there is a correct and incorrect answer without any room for discussion, luckily the exams are take-home, that eases my nerves considerably.
Today I started my Library Management class, this professor's ego is so large that I am surprised that we fit into the room. And he did one of the things I cannot stand in professors, he assigned his own articles as assigned reading. It is better than assigning one's own book (since we then have to purchase said book) but it is still very frustrating. We are already getting his opinions during the lecture we do not need to read his opinions as well.
I also found a new route to class that seems to be a much better and faster way of getting there. Instead of taking the expressway I take a side street that is large enough to have proper traffic lights but small enough that it isn't used much during rush hour. Hopefully it will stay that way.
I went on my "interview" at the museum library that I want to volunteer. I don't really want to call it an interview because they are very happy to be getting free help from a library student and when I went to talk to them it wasn't a matter of if I could volunteer but what would I like to do. Assuming that the background check they did on me goes through, which should unless I committed a crime while sleepwalking, then I should be starting to volunteer on weekends soon. Most of what I will be doing is getting new books ready to be shelved but I am happy for the experience and ready to feel part of a library.
Cataloging is going to be a lot of work, which I was expecting, but luckily the professor seems to understand that cataloging is not for everyone. It is the only class that we can really be tested on material because like math there is a correct and incorrect answer without any room for discussion, luckily the exams are take-home, that eases my nerves considerably.
Today I started my Library Management class, this professor's ego is so large that I am surprised that we fit into the room. And he did one of the things I cannot stand in professors, he assigned his own articles as assigned reading. It is better than assigning one's own book (since we then have to purchase said book) but it is still very frustrating. We are already getting his opinions during the lecture we do not need to read his opinions as well.
I also found a new route to class that seems to be a much better and faster way of getting there. Instead of taking the expressway I take a side street that is large enough to have proper traffic lights but small enough that it isn't used much during rush hour. Hopefully it will stay that way.
I went on my "interview" at the museum library that I want to volunteer. I don't really want to call it an interview because they are very happy to be getting free help from a library student and when I went to talk to them it wasn't a matter of if I could volunteer but what would I like to do. Assuming that the background check they did on me goes through, which should unless I committed a crime while sleepwalking, then I should be starting to volunteer on weekends soon. Most of what I will be doing is getting new books ready to be shelved but I am happy for the experience and ready to feel part of a library.
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