Semester Wrap Up and a Library Gala
Posted May 2, 2014 by Emily Boyd
My final “real” semester of school has finally wrapped up and it was quite a whirlwind! Had I known how difficult it would be to simultaneously juggle two intense classes and two demanding part time jobs I’m not sure I would’ve done it. That said, looking back I’m happy I survived and managed to find a reasonable amount of balance along the way. Next Friday I will participate in the GSLIS graduation ceremony and receive an empty diploma as I still have two courses left before I’m officially done. I’m looking forward to listening to our speaker David Weinberger and participating in the ceremony.
The courses I’ll be taking over the summer are both week long intensives and should be a lot of fun. First I’ll be taking LIS 430 Organization and Management of Public Libraries the last week of May with Professor Mary Wilkins Jordan. I started this class in the fall semester but dropped it (because I signed up for too many classes) and I think it will be a fun and informative week. My very last class at GSLIS, LIS 425 The History of the Book with Professor Martin Antonetti, will take place on the Mt Holyoke campus in Western Mass. Wrapping up my time at Simmons with a course I wanted to take long before I applied to the program feels fitting. Especially after this last semester of two tech heavy and demanding classes, it will be nice to conclude with courses I’m much more excited about.
Sunday afternoon I hit “submit” on my final project of the semester and got dressed up for my library’s annual gala fundraiser event. We were fortunate enough to have Andre Dubus III as our speaker, the author of The House of Sand and Fog, among other best sellers. The event had a fantastic turnout and everyone was incredibly impressed with the speaker. Dubus spoke at length about his craft as a writer and what that process means to him. His most memorable comments were about democracy and the value of libraries. He said that democracy is able to continue because of public school teachers, independent bookstores, and public libraries. This comment was met with resounding applause. If my time at GSLIS has taught me nothing else it is the importance of libraries in society as places of free access to information. I may not be going to work in a library straight after graduation but this sentiment certainly rings true. Listening to this speaker, surrounded by many people in my community who also hold the same ideals was a great way to end a difficult but exhilarating semester.