First Semester as LISSA President In the Books
Posted May 13, 2025 by Aurora Daniel
As I wrap up finals, my library shifts dwindle until my summer internship starts, and I attend my last meetings about student engagement, I find myself wanting to reflect on my most productive and busy semester at Simmons. Way back in January I was elected to be the Library and Information Science Student Association (LISSA for short) president at SLIS. LISSA serves as the umbrella organization for all student orgs at SLIS. As LISSA president in many ways I serve as the student body president of SLIS. I attend various meetings with SLIS faculty and administration, other centers at Simmons, and even the Simmons University Board of Trustees where I serve as the voice for the SLIS student experience. Additionally, LISSA itself is an organization so I plan and host events, create and send out the “This Week at SLIS” email newsletter, and oversee our Instagram. Some of the events LISSA has held this semester were selling SLIS t-shirts, a movie night for “Google and the World Brain,” a study break event in the Simmons…
Archives Internship
Posted April 30, 2025 by Emmy Mahoney
Hello everyone! As I mentioned in one of my previous blog posts, I have been working as an intern in an archives. The opportunity to complete this internship was granted through the course, Introduction to Archival Theory and Practice, for which we are required to complete sixty internship hours. Through this class, I was paired with the Moses Brown School, in Providence, Rhode Island. The project I have been working on is arranging and describing one of the institution’s former headmaster’s papers. Named L. Ralston Thomas, he was the headmaster from 1924 to 1955, making him the longest serving headmaster at the Moses Brown School. The collection also contains a wide range of records regarding his wife, Editha Thomas, a performer and musician, who eventually joined L. Ralston Thomas to work at the Moses Brown School. One of my favorite parts of working on this project has been getting acquainted with the archives. This internship was my first time working in the field and it has been such a wonderful learning experience. With the guidance…
Spring Days!
Posted April 28, 2025 by Isabella Rodrigues
Hi, everyone! I’m sure you all have felt the shift in the weather the past week. Congratulations, we have made it to spring finally! Remember to sign up for Student 9s to get discount Red Sox tickets! While the sun stays out longer, students across campus are gearing up for finals. I for one find my to-do list more than anxiety inducing. For both professors and students, this is a time of stress and it’s extremely important we all take care of ourselves while we finish the semester strong.
Events, Conferences, and Lectures, Oh My!
Posted April 25, 2025 by Aurora Daniel
April is a busy time at SLIS: It’s career month, there are professional conferences, and it’s a time for capstone presentations and other culminating events. Although I’m not graduating this year and thus not required to attend any of these things, I’m still going to get a sense of what they are like so I can be better prepared for them next year. Additionally, as the Library and Information Science Student Association (LISSA) president I want to be present as many things as I can on-campus to show my support for current students as well as to spread the word about opportunities for student engagement and leadership. I volunteered to speak at both the in-person and online Accepted Student Day events early on this month. As the LISSA president I wanted to make sure that potential incoming students were aware of the kind of clubs that we have and that they’re able to put a face to the person behind the weekly emails they’ll get if they start in the fall. It was wonderful to…
<LIS 488>
Posted April 17, 2025 by Emmy Mahoney
In order to complete the MLIS degree, we are required to take a course called Technology for Information Professionals. This class essentially teaches the fundamental principles of technology. At the beginning of the semester, I was really intimidated by this class. I had never considered myself well-versed in technology, so reading words like Python, HTML, and Cascading Style Sheets on the syllabus made me very nervous. Now, as we near the end of the semester, I can say that this class has boosted my confidence in technology. For our final project, we are making websites using HTML coding. We started this project at the beginning of the semester, and have been working on it for our weekly assignments. Through this project, I have learned that a lot of the coding process is trial and error, and that can be tedious. That being said, nothing is more satisfying than figuring out the right code and seeing the elements appear on your website exactly how you want them to look. In the early stages of the project,…
Commencement Reminders
Posted April 14, 2025 by Isabella Rodrigues
Hello everybody! As Commencement on May 16th is just around the corner, I thought it would be fruitful for you as well as me to go over some logistics.
Favorite Resources of a Boston-based Student
Posted April 11, 2025 by Aurora Daniel
As a Boston-based student I rely heavily on campus resources for things like working out, accessing course materials, and eating so I figured I should share some of my favorites just in case they might be helpful. 1.) Holmes Sports CenterI use the sports center multiple times a week. As someone with chronic physical health problems I need to stay active otherwise my pain becomes unbearable. While I primarily use the free weights and stationary bikes there is an indoor track, swimming pool, basketball court, fitness studios, a spin studio, and a number of fitness classes that are open to all students. The sports center is included in your tuition and fees so it’s something that you should take advantage of if you’re a Boston-based student. Since I both work on campus and take in-person classes it’s really convenient to go to. If you’re looking to save a bit of money on gym membership fees definitely check it out! 2.) Beatley LibraryI may be a bit biased since I work here, but Beatley is an…
Spring Reader’s Advisory
Posted April 10, 2025 by Isabella Rodrigues
Hello everyone! I thought it might be a good idea to take a break and reset. I for one, am very excited about graduating and finally being able to get some fun reading in. So in celebration of that, here are some books I am eager to read this spring and summer! A bloodthirsty governess arrives at a wealthy manor and strives to leave her violent compulsions in the past. But, between the entitled children and awful parents… she might have to take matters into her own hands. Soon to be a movie! I absolutely loved Rachel Gillig’s last series The Shepherd King, so I am very excited for this new fantasy novel by her between a prophetess and a knight. From acclaimed author, Zadie Smith, comes a story of two people in 1873 England—Mrs. Eliza Touchet and Andrew Bogle as they navigate the world of the past that isn’t that distant from our present. I never read this popular YA series as a kid, but I’ve always wanted to. Set in a world where…
Springtime in New England
Posted April 8, 2025 by Emmy Mahoney
Hello everyone! As the weather gets warmer, I thought it would be fun to create a list of my favorite things to do in and around Boston during the spring. When the weather gets nice, one of my favorite activities is to take a walk in the woods. The Mass Audubon organization has several different nature sites across Massachusetts. My favorites are Moose Hill in Sharon and Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield. Admission to these sites generally costs between $5 and $10 and gives you access to miles and miles of trails to explore. In case the woods are not your favorite, Massachusetts also has several flower picking locations that open up this time of year. The Massachusetts Horticultural Society in Wellesley and Ward’s Berry Farm in Sharon both offer tulip picking beginning in mid April. These locations are great if you only want to spend some time outside. There are also plenty of fun things to do in Boston when the weather warms up. With Simmons’ proximity to Fenway Park, going to a…
Hiring Freezes: What it Means for Us
Posted April 4, 2025 by Isabella Rodrigues
As I’m sure many of you know, most academic universities, non-profits, and federal institutions seem to be in some sort of limbo with their hiring. Of course, I’m speaking generally, but it seems when I send an application in for a post-graduate position, I receive an email back stating that the organization is on an indefinite hiring freeze due to the changes in the federal government. Many of my SLIS friends, peers, and coworkers are starting to worry. I won’t lie and say I might also be starting to worry. My managers at my library job have already sent check-ins (all appreciated), but it doesn’t help our collective anxiety much. The job market is not looking good and it is not our fault. I really don’t know what else there is to say. I think communally we will come through this and I know a lot of students graduating this year or even next year will feel a little left behind or angry. This is normal and there are always resources available if you need…