General
Reader’s Advisory
Posted October 22, 2024 by Isabella Rodrigues
Alright Sharks, let’s talk about Reader’s Advisory. As many of you know from either class or job experience, reader’s advisory is a key and also fun part of the job. It is also a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the seasons as well as any national heritage or awareness months. October is a plethora of celebrations such as Halloween and National Hispanic Heritage Month (starts in September and ends mid-October.) It is important for librarians to stay plugged into new releases, popular titles, and my favorite: “deep cuts.” I know I’m stealing that term from the music industry that describes underrated or unknown tracks or albums, but I like to apply it to books as wel l. Recommending a patron a deep cut may seem risky, but in my experience, it can really open somebody’s mind to digging deeper and get off the NYT Bestseller’s list. Plus, it makes you look like an all knowing book god. I always encourage readers to check out that unheard title from decades ago, you never know it could be…
So, You’re Afraid of Technology?
Posted October 18, 2024 by Erin Wood
You love books and decide you want to go into library science, but during your research you find out you’ll have to work closely with computers and even learn how to code. You aren’t great with technology, you studied humanities in undergrad, you can’t learn code! If this sounds like you, don’t worry, that was me too. In fact, that’s how it is for a lot of people entering the field. Technology is scary! But I promise it’s not as scary as it seems, and I’m so bad with technology I often refer to myself as a “grandma” when it comes to doing anything beyond opening a word document. In fact, my own Nana was definitely better with technology than me. You are not expected to know anything about coding prior to entering library science school, professors tend to operate under the assumption that everyone is a beginner because, more often than not, that is the case. From my experience, my professors have been extremely thorough, provide us with a lot of helpful resources, and…
A Lot To Learn At Beatley
Posted October 16, 2024 by Aurora Daniel
Prior to starting at Simmons I primarily worked with museum registrars and collections managers to catalog museum objects, organize storage space, and assist with install/de-install/shipping of works. While that type of work has different demands and expectations than working in an archive there is some overlap. The collections are unique meaning typically only one version of it exists or it’s very rare. They require attentive and gentle handling because conservation is expensive and you likely can’t replace the objects or collections themselves. While cataloging and ingesting the collections looks different depending on type of collection and the database your institution uses there is still the notion that preserving the order it came in with is important. All that being said, transitioning to archives from museums in grad school felt seamless. Imagine my surprise when I hit the library learning curve. I began working as a library reference assistant at Simmons’ Beatley library this semester. I worked in a physical therapy office before starting my undergrad degree so the customer service aspect of the job was…
It’s OK To Take A Break!
Posted October 11, 2024 by Isabella Rodrigues
When I decided to go to grad school, someone very wise told me to treat it like a 9 to 5 job. Especially after I hadn’t been in school for a couple of years. I remember staring at them, scoffing, and saying something along the lines of: “Okay, well I already have a job. How am I going to juggle two?” School, I believe for a lot of us, is something that we might see as intuitive. We have been doing it since we can remember. So what if we have taken some time between degrees? I figured I could jump back in easily, imagining I was one of those adults who could do it all. Work, school, and have a social life. And I did! And do. But, I am also tired. I think burning ourselves out is something we, generationally and socially, are almost expected to do. During my first year at Simmons, I was barely at home, eating exclusively takeout at strange hours, and falling asleep at my friend’s dinner parties. Things…
Commuter Tips
Posted October 3, 2024 by Erin Wood
We’re officially a month into the semester, and it feels great to be back into the swing of things. The adjustment of being back on campus the first couple of weeks can be a bit brutal, especially for commuters like me. I just live on the North Shore, but SLIS students commute in from all over the place, I have had classmates who live in New Hampshire and Rhode Island! Regardless of where you’re commuting from, you need a plan. Thankfully, Simmons has a parking garage on campus where students can park at a reduced rate. However, some people don’t want to drive in the city and would rather have a more public-transit centered commute. Personally, I have never parked in the Simmons garage, preferring to park at a t-stop in Revere and take the train from there. As to the station you decide to park at, that depends on what works best for you! If possible, though, I would recommend not parking at an orange line stop just because there’s usually limited parking if…
Goodbye Internet Archive?
Posted October 2, 2024 by Morgan Wilson
Recently, I read an article about the Internet Archive’s legal troubles, which got me thinking about a few things. I know many people use the Internet Archive because it is an affordable and easily accessible resource. I know many of my peers (myself included) have even used it to access textbooks for some classes. If disbanded, that brings an accessibility issue into play as we are losing a prominent free resource. Right now it seems as if they are in a battle with themselves; the memory stored on the site could soon disappear. With the impending legal battle, I wonder what this will mean for their borrowing policies for digital resources. I also read that this could affect how libraries handle digital preservation projects in the future. The digital preservation issue will forever affect archives as many use the Internet Archive as a major player in preserving digital materials. This is especially concerning regarding historical resources no longer available in print or online. As a whole, this case will have long-lasting effects on how archivists…
A Peek Into Digitization
Posted September 30, 2024 by Aurora Daniel
As promised in my last post I’ll be sharing the work I’m doing this semester at the City of Boston Archives. I’m part of a grant funded project to digitize records related to Boston’s Heroes Squares, which are historical markers located on squares throughout the city to recognize and remember veterans from Boston who died while on active duty. This grant comes from the Massachusetts State Historical Records Advisory Board and was specifically designated for projects related to veterans history. The City of Boston Archives applied for it last year in order to cover the cost of paying a graduate-level intern to work on this project and hired me over the summer. Thus far I’ve been scanning files, editing them, and creating PDFs to represent the dockets that either support or veto the creation of the different squares. By the time I finish I will have scanned over 1,100 dockets. Currently, I’m about a third of the way through scanning. Once that is complete I’ll be uploading all of this to the archive’s database and…
Welcome Back Everybody!
Posted September 25, 2024 by Isabella Rodrigues
Hopefully everyone has had a couple of weeks to settle into the new semester at Simmons. We are so excited to have you whether you are a new or returning student! A few housekeeping things before we start. Over the summer break, Simmons has moved around a little bit. You might have noticed that you are taking classrooms in a different building or that your advisor’s office is in a new location, especially for the SLIS students. The new SLIS faculty offices are now located on the third floor of the Academic and Management building, go say hello! Check in with the front desk to enjoy the SLIS graduate student lounge in the back for a quiet space to study, read or just hang out. The Graduate Admissions office is now on the first floor of One Palace Road, but if you have any questions about your time at Simmons you should try the One Stop (still located in the Main College Building on the second floor) or the Center for Student Success on the…
Exciting Allen Smith Scholar Upcoming Events for SLIS Students – Fall 2024
Posted September 23, 2024 by Lindsey Clarke
Allen Smith Fall 2024 Visiting Scholar Simmons University School of Library and Information Science welcomes Dr. Sandra Hirsh, Associate Dean for Academics in the College of Information, Data & Society at San José State University, as the 2024 Allen Smith Visiting Scholar. Hirsch will spend a week at Simmons SLIS this October sharing her research around the future of libraries. Hirsch will deliver a keynote lecture on Monday, October 7th at 5pm and will facilitate a panel discussion with five library experts from the Boston area on Thursday, October 10th at 5pm. Both events will take place in room C-503 of the Management and Academic Building and will conclude with a small reception outside of room C-503. Future-Ready Libraries: A Glimpse into 2035 Keynote Lecture Reception to follow As we navigate the rapidly changing landscape of information and technology, the future of libraries is continually evolving. What will libraries look like by 2035? Drawing on key insights from library leaders in the recently published Library 2035: Imagining the Next Generation of Libraries (March 2024), this…
Advice to First Years:
Posted September 20, 2024 by Morgan Wilson
I wasn’t sure what to write about, so I thought encouraging first-year grad students to get involved would be a good idea. During my first two years at Simmons, I had the pleasure of working with the Student Chapter of the International Relations Roundtable (SCIRRT) and the Special Libraries Association (SLA)—both amazing groups that you should check out! I had to step away from clubs after starting a job last summer, but if you’re looking for a way to meet new people, you should definitely get involved. Joining a student group is also a great way to learn more about the other concentrations in SLIS. I learned a lot during my time with SLA, and I am in the dual degree program. Attending different events and talks is also a way to make connections with others in the field, and that is always a bonus!