Mary Kassman
Photo of Mary Kassman
My name is Mary Kassman and I am currently a first year student in Simmons’ Master of Library and Information Science with a concentration in Archives Management. I’m from Houston, Texas and just moved to Boston back in September. I got my bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Houston with a minor in women’s studies. When I have free time, I love to watch TV, read, bake, or work on whatever craft I am into at the moment, currently it is crocheting. I am a long-time Taylor Swift fan ,love any mystery or crime based tv shows, and am an avid follower of Formula 1 racing.
Entries by Mary Kassman
With only a few weeks left, it is hard to believe that this semester is almost over! With every week, my knowledge of the Library and Information Science field continues to grow along with my passion to keep learning new things. In my Digital Stewardship class (LIS 448) we are wrapping up a group project where we digitized and created an online collection of different pieces of art from around Boston. This project, and class, has really taught how important good metadata and description is when it comes to creating digital resources and surrogates. Fostering users’ access to the information they are looking for is at the heart of what we do as information professionals, and that can’t be executed well if there are no good descriptions and access points that aid in its discoverability. I am seeing this also reflected in my photographic archives class (LIS 471) as well. We have been analyzing multiple different online photographic collections to see what works and what does not when it comes to organization and description. The…
Spring semester is beginning and I’ve officially completed my first semester in the MLIS program! I was not sure what to expect going into my first semester of classes, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed them. I took LIS 407, Information service, behavior, and Ethics, which went over the basics of providing information services, common information behaviors, and the ethical dilemmas that information professionals might encounter while on the job. In a time where books and information are constantly being banned or censored, I found learning about the ethics of this profession to be extremely relevant and important. The next class I took was 415, Information Organization. This class went over the fundamentals of organizing information, metadata, and the various information systems used by information professionals. I enjoyed this class because coming into this program, I had no knowledge of what information systems were and how they worked, but by the end of the semester I was able to establish a strong understanding of them , and feel more prepared to…
With the weather getting cold and our first bit of snow, I have found a few items essential for surviving the Boston winter, as a person from the south who has never experienced this cold of weather before. First, and most importantly, a good jacket to keep you warm, followed by a scarf, hat, and gloves too. I recommend looking for sales at the end of spring and summer to get a good discount on these items. A good pair of boots is essential too. You don’t want to slip on ice or get dirty in the water and mud from melted snow. Along with boots, a good pair of thick socks is helpful to keep your feet warm. Next, a heated blanket, for when you’re cold even with the heat turned on. Next, a good hand cream. Along with the cold, Boston’s air is also super dry, so having a good hand and or body cream helps lock in moisture. I would personally recommend trader joe’s hand cream. And lastly, a good travel mug…
