Olivia McGovern

In Search of Green Spaces

I’m from a town in Wisconsin where open farm fields and forests are less than a 20 minute drive in any direction. When I moved to Boston, a big part of my initial culture shock was the lack of nature. But I’ve lived here for almost 2 years now, and after some searching and exploring, I’ve found a couple of good spots to touch grass, sit under a tree, or get out in the wilderness.  The most central place in all of Boston to sit in the shade of a tree is the Boston Common and Public Gardens. The first time I went, I started by walking through the willow trees in the gardens, crossing the foot bridge and looking out at the pond, where a few ducks swam past. Since then I’ve visited an art exhibition, walked around the Central Burying Ground trying to find the oldest dates, and got rained out at the 2023 Pride Festival. The Common is a great gathering place and easy to get to, but it’s not the first…

The Simmons Zine Collection

About a month ago, I started a new job working in Beatley Library on campus. I got my very own cubicle, equipped with a computer, a scanner and a label printer, but one corner is dominated by two boxes of uncataloged zines. I came to learn that Simmons houses a sizable collection of zines that have been curated for years, and it was the job of my predecessor to catalog and process them.  Unfamiliar with zines? Here’s the rundown: “zines are a noncommercial, nonprofessional, small-circulation magazines which their creators produce, publish, and distribute themselves” (Duncombe). There is usually a DIY crafting component in the creation of a zine, followed by photocopying, folding, and stapling into pamphlets. Zines are inexpensive and easy to make, which has led them to play an important role in activism. The Simmons librarian, Dawn Stahura, who really kicked off the zine collection wrote (in a zine): “Zines are not only creative they are unique primary sources, a gateway into the lives of the marginalized, the silenced, the overlooked.” A unique cataloging…

How to Survive the Boston Transit System: Tips for Commuter Students

I remember the days of living in a dorm and walking to class. Rolling out of bed, throwing on a sweatshirt and brushing my teeth before taking a casual stroll across campus. Then, later, popping back over to my room to take a nap or grab a snack. Now, as a commuter student, I’m a compulsive Google Maps refresher, with a 20 minute walk and a 30 minute bus ride. It’s tough being a commuter student, and it isn’t helped by the commuting options in Boston being unreliable at best and completely broken at worst. Here are some commuting tips from someone who’s walked, biked, bused, and braved the MBTA to get to Simmons. Always check before you go. The transit systems in Boston are constantly changing, and even if your commute is usually consistent, that can change on any random day. A holiday might mean that the buses are running on a different schedule. A road can suddenly be blocked off for construction. Don’t even get me started on the MBTA. If something’s down,…

Welcome New Student Blogger, Olivia!

Hello! I’m currently in my first year at SLIS, but I’ve been living in the Boston area for almost two years. I am in the Archives concentration, and I am the co-chair of SPECTRA, the LGBTQIA+ Affinity Organization at SLIS. I’m originally from Wisconsin, so by default I love mac and cheese and saying “ope” when I ask to “sneak on by ya there.” Before starting library school, I was a tutor for ESL and new immigrant high schoolers. Today, you can usually find me hunting for a geocache, crocheting, or reading a book.