General
Mid-Semester Update
Posted February 24, 2023 by Rebecca Devereaux
And just like that, we are almost halfway through the semester! It’s crazy how quickly ithas been zipping past. At this stage in the semester the larger projects are beginning to loomlarge in my to do list. My class on reference librarianship asks each of the students to develop aresearch guide. This is a cool project because I can add this to my resume not only as a skill butas an example of my work. In my archiving class we are learning the theory and practice behindprocessing plans and writing finding aids. On the library side of things this semester’s homeworkfeels very practical. I get to try my own hand at things which librarians regularly need toaccomplish. Slowly but surely, I am developing into a librarian!On the history end of things, I am off to a nerdy and exciting start. My history class thissemester is Transnational Labor History with Professor Sullivan. The topic of my final paper forthis course is loosely going to be tied to the labor of central Washington’s fruit industry. I amlooking…
Thesis Thoughts
Posted February 22, 2023 by Ivy Noonan
Hello everyone! I hope everybody’s been having a good semester so far. It’s crazy to think that this is potentially my last semester with Simmons. I’m currently writing my History thesis and taking LIS 456 – Records Mangement. Taking a class alongside the thesis is a lot of work but it’s been nice to be able to switch my brain off from historical writing to focus on an LIS project. Managing my classes and two jobs requires a lot of time management and planning out my days well in advance. I’ve found it’s super easy to get caught up in my to-do list and then forget about self care and doing fun small little things with a little bit of my free time. I’ve made a short list of things that don’t take a ton of time in the moment but you can walk away from feeling better. There are many others but these have really been helping me when I need a break. Good luck to everyone writing their thesis this semester and to…
New Blogger: Lauren Redding
Posted February 18, 2023 by Lauren Redding
Hi Everyone! My name is Lauren Redding and I am so excited to be blogging for SLIS Student Snippets. After a longer-than-planned stint with remote classes, I’m psyched to be on campus, at Simmons, and involved with the SLIS programs in person. Even in my final semester, I still feel like I find out about a new and exciting thing Simmons has to offer with every passing week. I am a MLIS student in the School Library Teacher Concentration. Final semester for SLTs means I am in the thick of my second of two semester-long teaching practicums (a.k.a. student teaching). It’s been engaging and exhilarating to finally be able to apply the skills I’ve been honing and learning in my Simmons classes for the past five semesters. I grew up in Utah, outside of Salt Lake City and attended undergrad there as well. Ever since I experienced the noted contrast between the warm, fun, social, vibrant library center at the middle school I attended and the studious, quiet, work-focused atmosphere at the high school, I…
Welcome New Student Blogger: Klaire Chandler
Posted February 15, 2023 by Ivy Noonan
(I’m kind of midsentence in this picture, but my friend took it on real film and develop it for me, so it’s sort of special.) Hi, I’m Klaire Chandler! I’m currently in my third semester here at Simmons. I’m in the Archives Management and History dual program. I’m from a very small town in Maine close to Acadia National Park. I grew up riding horses through the woods and collecting various “historical artifacts” (mostly just bits of trash) that I kept in my own little “personal museum,” (aka a cabinet in my room). The things I didn’t find in the woods, I found while combing through yard sales and flea markets with my dad. My prize possession was a WWI address book I found in an estate sale. Before coming to Simmons, I attended Salem State University where I majored in English and minored in Art History. After I finished my undergrad I moved to Seoul, South Korea to teach English for a year. Traveling to the other side of the world in the middle…
Lessons from LIS 488 – Technology for Information Professionals
Posted February 14, 2023 by Regina Dziergas
I recently started updating my final project for LIS 488, commonly referred to as “Info Tech” here at SLIS, and got to thinking about how funny it is that my favorite class at Simmons has been the one that I was most afraid of! Out of the three required foundational classes in the SLIS curriculum, LIS 488-Technology for Information Professionals tends to be the class that most SLIS students are afraid of. On the surface SLIS is a community of wonderfully nerdy people, each of us with our own niche interests and skills that bring unique perspectives to every class we take, but not all of us are confident with a computer or have encountered these technologies before. Comfort with technology is also increasingly becoming a job requirement for librarians and information professionals, so it can feel like a big hurdle to jump over that arrives early in your time at SLIS. As someone coming into SLIS with a masters’ degree in ethnomusicology, my work hasnever involved writing code. I’ve conducted my own fieldwork projects,…
Welcome New Student Blogger: Regina Dziergas
Posted February 2, 2023 by Lindsey Clarke
Hello everyone! My name is Regina Dziergas, and I am currently enrolled in the Library and Information Sciences masters’ program with a concentration in Cultural Heritage Informatics. I am originally from Syracuse, New York, spent time in Western New York while completing my undergraduate degree in psychology/musicology at SUNY Geneseo, and moved to Boston in the fall of 2020 to start graduate school at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts for my MA in Ethnomusicology. So far, my favorite course at Simmons has been LIS 438: Introduction to Archival Theory and Practice, and I’m looking forward to starting my 60-hour field experience through that course later this semester! In my free time I like to collect books and vinyl records, practice flute and piano, bake bread, do yoga, hike, attend concerts, collect old cameras/shoot photography (primarily 35mm film), explore Boston, and spend time with my friends and family. I’ve also spent my last few years doing ethnographic ethnomusicological fieldwork in the greater Boston area, researching live performances, meeting and documenting the stories of local musicians/industry…
Wrapping Everything Up
Posted December 8, 2022 by Rebecca Devereaux
As the semester rushes to a conclusion, I am reflecting over the academic ride this firstsemester has been. I have been in three courses this semester: LIS 415 Information Organization,LIS 488 Technology for Information Professionals, and HIST 597 Historical Methods. Takingtwo library classes and one history is standard for dual history and library science students.I have experimented with online classes and discovered that they are well organized andstraightforward to complete. Going into the semester I was hopeful that my hypothesis wouldhold true, that if anybody can do online classes well it would be a school for librarians. So farthat has been the case. Even with learning the brand-new skills of basic coding I feel like I havegrasped the concepts! Taking a few courses online has been really useful since my schedule ismuch more flexible. I have been able to run errands and go to museums at quieter times, and Ihave been able to get a job which does not conflict with my school hours. If you are consideringtrying online courses, the Simmons library program is…
Finals are Here!
Posted December 2, 2022 by Ivy Noonan
As the title suggests, finals are here! I know for students, that can be one of the scariest words during the semester. I know currently I’m sitting on two very large essays and a group project, all due within days of each other. Lots of fun! This is my last winter finals season for a while so I’ve been trying to remind myself to step back and enjoy it (as much as I can). I’ve also been trying my best to form good habits when this stressful season comes around, but I’m still ironing everything out. For now, I have a short list with some quick little activities you can do for yourself when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Remember! Your papers/code/group projects will shine if you’re taking care of yourself. Ivy’s quick tip list for managing stress: Good luck to everyone!
Registering for Spring 2023 Courses and a Fall Semester Update
Posted November 16, 2022 by Elizabeth Poland
Today is finally the day for SLIS students to register for their Spring 2023 courses! From what I know, it seems like a majority of people have an 11 a.m. start time on November 16th (as do I). I may or may not be writing this at 11:05, my adrenaline still pumping and the sweet relief of getting my desired courses washing over me. Since the course schedule for next semester was released a few weeks ago, everyone has been on the edge of their seats. Whenever I hear my classmates buzzing about what classes they want to take and where they’ll be when it hits 11 o’clock, my body tenses. I can’t help but feel a bit competitive! It’s like Black Friday or when your favorite artist’s tickets go on sale. I’m graduating at the end of next semester and need to fill my requirements. Of course, there are multiple alternative ways to get into your desired class even if they seem to be full today: be on the waitlist and see if…
Maintaining Balance
Posted November 11, 2022 by Ivy Noonan
For everyone who experiences daylight savings time, I hope you’re managing okay! I know the extra hour of sleep can be a blessing but also throw everyone’s rhythm off. That paired with finishing up midterms can result in everyone feeling a little warn down. So I hope that everyone’s been finding great ways to do self-care while we get through the final chunk of the semester. For me I’ve been going on walks and admiring all of the brightly colored foliage and planning a small fun activity here and there so I have something to look forward to. I would also say this is a great time to visit Salem if you haven’t been yet. It’s much quieter so you can really enjoy walking around and seeing all of the museums and information available. I also always recommend to try and take a weekend where you do…nothing. I’ve noticed there’s often pressure to make use of all of your time whether it be academic, going on adventures, or just cleaning your house. While all of…