Librarians
Librarians are Resources!
Posted October 24, 2019 by Peggy Hogan-Rao
My assignment for yesterday was to bring a picture book of my choice that was published within the last five years, along with 6 assigned picture books, to my Writing for Children class. To prepare for class, I went to my local branch of the Boston Public Library. The children’s librarian there is very helpful for students of all ages. She is a Simmons grad and loves working at the library with the youngest patrons. This is just one example of how everywhere I go in the Boston Public Library – whichever branch I visit – I find a Simmons grad. Hoping to utilize the expertise of the librarian, I told her that I needed an exemplary picture book written in the last five years. I was hoping for a book that could teach me about a picture book’s narrative structure. The children’s librarian searched for notable picture books from 2018, and suggested A Perfect Day by Lane Smith: a hilarious book inspired by animals visiting the author and illustrator’s backyard. Knowing I had a…
Referencing Spook
Posted October 21, 2019 by Katie Carlson
I recently moved from circulation up to reference at the Watertown Free Public Library where I work! It was interning at the reference desk at my local public library in college that sparked my desire to be a librarian in the first place, so it felt a bit like coming home! It’s already been fun to help people that I recognize from working in circ with some of their more in depth questions. My first shift on desk (after my training) was Wednesday night, and I was able to help patrons with flyer making, provided information on literacy classes, completed some reader’s advisory, and updated some bib records. But my favorite thing by far was getting to design a book display! Whenever I do displays, I make sure to showcase the voices of authors of color and of various gender alignments. Displays are a chance to recommend books — even to people who don’t engage with you at the reference desk — and a fun challenge! I wanted to create something spooky, but not overtly…
Senioritis
Posted April 4, 2019 by Megan Ondricek
If you haven’t been able to tell from some of my posts, I’ve been battling an extreme case of senioritis this semester. Now that the sun is out and the birds are singing it has become even harder for me to get down to work. I’m sitting outside right now watching my kids play and I just can’t think of anything more interesting to write about. You see, there’s a very small part of me that wants nothing more whatsoever to do with libraries, databases, websites, research, emails, and due dates from the moment I turn in my last assignment of the semester. This really is the final countdown for me, and I am so beyond excited to be almost DONE. Then there’s the question, that I’ve been getting a lot lately, of what I plan to do after I graduate. What I really want to say to people is: “Do I have to do anything after I graduate!? How about just enjoy my accomplishment and not having any more homework?” It’s fine, I know…
Never Thought I’d See One of Those in an Archive…
Posted February 27, 2019 by Maria Reilova
I am now approaching my 5th week of interning at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design Archives and it could not be more of a perfect fit! After graduating with my MSLIS, my dream is to work as an art librarian, so you can imagine my excitement with my placement at this institution! To further sweeten the deal, MassArt is right next to Simmons and my supervisor is a Simmons alum! So easy it is an easy commute and I love hearing about her experience while she was in the program. Just as a quick recap in case anyone isn’t too familiar with how the LIS438 internship works, you are required to complete a 60 hour internship in conjunction with your regular course assignments. The great thing about this internship is that Simmons set it up for you so there is none of that application stress and decision fatigue. I should point out though that the one downside to that is you don’t have any say in where you get placed. You fill out…
Time Flies
Posted February 20, 2019 by Sarah Callanan
Oh my goodness as of today I have officially entered Week 5 of LIS 451: Academic Libraries! My class is already a third of the way over! It feels like we just started. Can you believe it’s almost March? A part of me thinks that is a good thing though- this class keeps me so engaged, so interested, and so busy that it doesn’t feel like it has been a long time (although five weeks isn’t too long of a time). This class has been so interesting and so, so useful for me. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I currently work in an academic library as a Reference Assistant, and between my job and this class it has really given me a sense of what the future might have in store for me if I were to make academic libraries my future after I get my degree. Just this last week in class we had a Journal Subscription Budget exercise where we were given database usage statistics and their cost for some universities, and…
Which Side Are You On?
Posted February 18, 2019 by Megan Ondricek
Do holidays completely de-rail anyone else’s week, or is it just me? One of the harsh realizations I have had as a mom is that holidays and celebrations all come down to you. All those fun and magical things you expect to happen on special occasions have to be planned, shopped for, carried out, and cleaned up by somebody, and that somebody (in my family) is me. So thanks to Valentine’s Day (or week, as it felt like), I’ll be playing catch-up this weekend. I’ve realized something interesting about the work I’m doing this semester and about the library profession as a whole. My metadata class and my reference/instruction internship are at the opposite ends of the spectrum of librarianship. Metadata belongs on the “technical services” end, along with cataloging, circulation, inter-library loan, database management, etc. This side is known for its back-end, back-room work and lesser degree of human interaction. My internship belongs on the more public facing end, with reference, instruction, outreach, etc. where a much higher degree of human interaction is expected…
Finding Your Librarian Identity
Posted February 8, 2019 by Megan Ondricek
I have two interesting stories from this week! For the first, I unexpectedly came face-to-face with a real life preservation situation and I knew exactly what to do. I keep all of my family’s important documents and records in a heavy duty plastic file box. The other day I was pulling out a package of extra file folders when I noticed an icky smell. The outside of the package smelled really bad, and looked a little….wet, or maybe greasy? I looked back in the box and noticed the pocket folder next to the package was deformed and buckling, like it had gotten wet. I gingerly pulled it out and observed some interesting damage and deterioration all over the surface where the glossy finish was wrinkling and peeling. I cracked the folder open, which in retrospect, wasn’t the best idea because it was stuck together with MOLD!!! I stared at it for a good three seconds with equal parts fascination and repulsion thinking, “so that’s what active mold looks like” before I hustled the whole thing…
One Year Down!
Posted December 19, 2018 by Sarah Callanan
I have officially completed my first year at Simmons! I started in Spring 2018, and I’ve just finished the Fall 2018 semester. I’ve completed all three of my core LIS classes- LIS 407 (Information Sources and Services), LIS 415 (Information Organization), and LIS 488 (Technology for Information Professionals). I’ve learned so much over the past year, and I’ve made such huge strides both personally and professionally. While the past year has been challenging at times, it has also been extremely rewarding. Here’s a quick wrap up of some of the lessons that I’ve learned and things that I have accomplished over the past year: I’ve learned so much about search strategies and techniques, instruction, finding and evaluating information, the way information is organized, circulation and cataloguing, ethics and professional standards across the industry, and so much more, and I’ve been able to directly apply nearly everything that I’ve learned so far in my professional life. I have learned that coding is an incredibly useful tool and it is not something to be feared. However, learning…
International Opportunities at Simmons SLIS
Posted November 27, 2018 by Maria Reilova
One of the great things about Simmons SLIS is how many events are hosted each week! We have a very active student body and there are more panels, workshops, field trips, socials, etc. than anyone could ever hope to go. While being a graduate student is synonymous with overbooking your time, I have made an effort to attend a few events, specifically anything that has to do with international librarianship. I have always loved to travel and learn as much as I can about different cultures. So any chance I get to combine this passion with my passion for libraries, I will seize it! In this past month, I went to two really amazing presentations from faculty about their work abroad. The first was with Professor Lisa Hussey, who I currently have for 407, and Professor Nanette Veilleux on their Summer course in Rwanda. This program is only a year old but offers students interested in international librarianship, archives, and computer science an opportunity to gain hands on experience working with a handful of schools…
Hump Week
Posted November 8, 2018 by Megan Ondricek
I’ve dubbed this week “hump week” because I have major assignments due in BOTH of my classes on Saturday. They are the last assignments before our final projects, so it’s the last “hump” of the semester before the final hump. As such, this will be a brief post just to check in and confirm I’m still alive after last night’s adventures of writing papers and monitoring a child with a bad case of croup. I’d like to say it gets easier as you progress in your program and get into the rhythm of schoolwork, but that hasn’t been the case for me. Each semester has brought fresh new challenges, and each has necessitated some late nights and bouts of stress and anxiety. The fact that getting your library degree might be your dream or passion doesn’t make it any easier, but it does make the work more meaningful. We are more than halfway through the semester (only four classes left!) and it is just flying by. If my spring schedule shakes out as planned and…