Student Snippets A Window Into The Daily Life & Thoughts of SLIS Students

Events

Nine Credits Later…

My first semester is over.  Three core courses complete! I have a great sense of accomplishment, mixed with relief (phew!) and just a touch of sadness. (And dread for all the neglected house chores awaiting me…) I can’t believe how much I have learned in just a few months. I have met the most amazing people in this first semester at Simmons GSLIS.  I have enjoyed sharing my first glimpse of library school with all of you, and look forward to sharing much more over the coming months. Many congratulations to my peers who are graduating! I love library school and have a great course line-up for the fall semester, but right now, it’s time to party in the library! Enjoy!  


10 Things I Learned in Library School: Year 1

  Today, I turned in my last assignment of the semester, and I can officially state that the term is over. I tend to get self-reflective in moments like this, so I thought I’d make a list of 10 things I’ve learned in my first year of library school. The list includes not only some of the things I learned in my classes, but also some personal life-type tidbits that have popped up along the way. Hope you enjoy, and to anyone else finishing up an academic semester or year right now, congratulations! 10 Things I Learned in Library School: Year 1 The Dewey Decimal Classification and Library of Congress Classification systems in many ways reflect the stereotypical 19th-century WASP male worldview, and therefore have had to undergo revisions over time to erase those biases and include knowledge about marginalized groups. Most people in library school aren’t fresh out of undergrad, but people don’t look at you TOO funny if they find out you are. The Massachusetts Historical Society digitized Thomas Jefferson’s Notes on Virginia,…


Power Moby Dick

I never understood the first line of Moby Dick, “Call me Ishmael.” Got it now though. The site Power Moby Dick doesn’t so much interpret Moby Dick but rather reveals the history and meaning of words in the text. Very helpful. You can make up your own mind on author’s intent. Plus they have links to every conceiveable related resource on the web and beyond. Fascinating if interested in Nantucket history and that of whaling operations and their minutia. Some drawn out passages sure, but ends with more violence than several Die Hard movies. Good stuff. Also put the Whaling Museum on your list.


Getting Involved

I know, I know. It’s annoying to talk about how important it is to get involved in extracurricular activities. We’ve been hearing about it in every stage of education since we were old enough to make our own decisions about how to use our time. I think it is important, however, to re-emphasize once again, even if only to myself, how crucial it is to make an effort to get involved in the student professional community during your short time in library school. For me, Simmons GSLIS was very different from anything I’d ever experienced before in terms of how much effort it took to get involved. For the first time, I’m attending a commuter school; this semester I only have to be on campus twice a week. Each semester I’ve worked 3-4 days a week, and oh goodness, so much homework! How could I possibly find the time to drag myself to campus other times during the week to go to faculty and/or student group-sponsored events? It’s true, there’s no way to conjure up…


Marathon Monday

When you move to Massachusetts, they give you a free holiday!  The third Monday of April is Patriots’ Day, the Massachusetts state holiday commemorating the Battles of Lexington and Concord.  There were battle reenactments, parades, and ceremonies all over the state this weekend.  One other big thing about Patriots’ Day is it always serves as the day of the Boston Marathon.  It was certainly an exciting weekend to be a resident of Boston! Unfortunately, I didn’t make it out to any of the Revolutionary War commemoration events, but I did have a chance to be a spectator at about mile 24 of the Boston Marathon.  I used boston.com’s handy interactive map to determine that the route went through Coolidge Corner, which is within walking distance from my apartment.  (With Boston well over-capacity due to the international pull of the marathon, I did NOT want to brave public transit!)  I doused myself in sunscreen and made way to join the crowd of eager Bostonians awaiting their chance to cheer on the marathoners.


How Running a Marathon is (sort of) Like Attending Simmons GSLIS

I want to make the Boston Marathon relevant to GSLIS. I really do. “Library school is like a marathon.” “The last two weeks of the semester are the final sprint to complete a marathon.” “The Boston Marathon is awesome, and so is GSLIS.” As much as I enjoy figurative language, those statements just don’t quite get it done. I couldn’t watch the Boston Marathon last year, but two years ago it was one of the most inspiring things I have ever witnessed. Despite being a certified stoic, at one point I found myself holding back tears. The combination of beautiful weather, everyone’s positive energy, and the camaraderie among the runners and spectators created an experience that I will not soon forget. There is something overpowering about watching 27,000 people meander 26.2 miles from Framingham to Downtown Boston. A marathon is hardly about winning in the traditional sense. Everyone out there, whether on the course or alongside it, wants every single marathoner to succeed. In a marathon, to succeed is to finish and to finish is…


The Shawshank Redemption and an example for the defense of libraries

The Shawshank Redemption is a fantastic film, we can move past that point. But when discussing libraries (and marketing) I often remember Andy Dufresne’s persistance in writing a letter a week to the state house asking for funds to buy more books and supplies. It is a crystal clear example of inserting yourself into the conversation that has to continue for public libraries to survive. Of course, once he gets a check and a few boxes of weeded books (after 6 years of writing) he doubles his efforts and writes two letters a week. Well played.


Librarians in Disguise

On Wednesday I went to an Alternative Career Panel sponsored by the Simmons Special Libraries Association (SLA). The panel consisted of three women, all of whom graduated from Simmons GSLIS in the past ten years and none of whom are employed in a library. (Gasp!) One of the panelists researches potential litigation cases for an economic consulting firm, and the other two, whom I will call “techies” for lack of a better/more creative term, work in the user access/user experience area of technology. On the most basic level, the first panelist does research (duh), and the techies collaborate with web engineers and graphic designers to simplify and enhance user interaction with a web interface. One of the questions for the panel was “How do you define yourself professionally?” The researcher said “librarian” (although no one she works with would refer to her as such), one of the techies said “information scientist” (but sometimes “librarian” when she really wants to blow someone’s mind), and the other techie said “information architect.” Technically, they are all librarians. Technically,…


Simmons MSLA-SIG Conference Tomorrow!

I’d like to take this blog post to shamelessly plug the annual Simmons MSLA-SIG conference happening tomorrow in the Main College Building from 8:30-3:00 p.m.  Though I admittedly had a personal role to play in organizing the conference as the secretary of the Simmons student interest group of the Massachusetts School Library Association, I would encourage anyone interested to come because it promises to be a great day.   We’re featuring panelists discussing “how to survive your first year” and “teaching middle school” as well as two presentations that were given at the 15th annual AASL conference this past October in Minneapolis on fostering collaboration and getting multicultural literature off the shelves and into the hands of readers.  I think this conference also demonstrates what is so wonderful about Simmons and the GSLIS program in general.  The MSLA-SIG is a student-run organization, though the wonderful Dr. Fran Zilonis serves as our advisor.  This conference, which has been going on for several years now, is entirely student organized, and attracts phenomenal speakers from across the state each…


Change of pace | Library recycle bin find

Library recycle bin find. Copyright 1972. Patterns include a dog blanket, wall hanging to display blue ribbons, and a throw for your horse knitted with circular needles you made from that leaky hose in the backyard. -via rockstar Somerville librarian Cathy P.


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