Free Books and SLIS Resources
Posted March 20, 2018 by Ashley Jackson
One thing I am really enjoying about the Children’s Literature program here at Simmons is the ample opportunity for free books. The SLIS classrooms are in the same building as The Horn Book Magazine, which is a bimonthly literature magazine that was established here in Boston. They always have a cart outside their door that has free materials to take such as Advanced Reader’s Copies (ARCs). It’s a great way to see what new material is being written about. Even if you do not pick up any of this material to take home, it is a great resource to have for browsing.
Along with the Horn Book book cart, there is also the Book Nook. It is a small space on the third floor just outside the offices where you can sit and enjoy a book from the rather extensive collection of new Children and YA books on the shelves. This is a non-circulating library, but you are always welcomed to come in a choose a book to sit and read anytime you like. These books are the most current Children and Young Adult books, so yet again, it is an excellent opportunity to see what’s being published! I have not yet found spare time to read one of these books, but I do go almost every time before my classes to browse the shelves for books to add to my reading list. Also, the Book Nook is a great place to meet other Children’s Lit students and destress a while.
Now for the exciting part: because the Book Nook has so many books, they have a book lottery after book award season to pull that season’s current titles and make room for more! This means, for one week, as students, we are assigned (randomly) a particular day to come in and pick FIVE free books from the shelves. Very exciting. This happens to be this week and my assigned day is tomorrow. Which coincides perfectly because I have signed up to meet with one of the slots with Amy Ryan, SLIS Adviser-in-Residence, current chair of the Digital Public Library of America, and former President of the Boston Public Library (talk about titles!) to discuss my resume and career endeavors. Free career advice and resume help is something Simmons offers its students if you are willing to put in the effort to make the appointment. The SLIS staff gives you ample opportunity to take advantage of these career advancing moves, so do it! I’m telling you, this place wants its students to succeed.