Libraries
Dungeons and Dragons or: Libraries and Librarians
Posted April 2, 2012 by Sarah Barton
On Friday, to conclude the Best March Ever, I went to The Future of Reference hosted by Simmons GSLIS. The keynote speaker, Joe Janes, Chair of the MLIS Program at the University of Washingtons Information School, ended the evening with a bang. He championed the idea that librarians are important. He was, of course, preaching to the choir, but I tend to have a hard time justifying my existence as a library student. Arguments I have heard against libraries include, but are certainly not limited to: When was the last time that any of our friends went to a library? and Libraries are like dungeons. (Does that make librarians fire-breathing dragons?) But Mr. Janes unleashed the dragon in his talk called Information makes us human. He said that Our profession is central to what we are as a people. We make humanity more human. That message had me breathing sweet hot librarian fire. Libraries may seem like dungeons in the incandescent world of Google, but over time libraries have preserved information in a way that…
Want Your Own Action Figure?
Posted March 28, 2012 by Julie Steenson
All I have to do is look around a typical GSLIS classroom and any librarian stereotypes disappear. I dont know anyone who looks like this action figure (although I am guilty of wearing my hair up in a clip on occasion who has time to style hair in library school?). As I regard my peers on any given day, I see a mix of men and women, young and not-so-young, tattooed and pierced, in all manner of clothing and hair styles. Any doubters just need to peek at the Men of the Stacks 2012 calendar: http://menofthestacks.com/ or check out the Belly-dancing Librarian: http://www.sonic.net/~erisw/bdlib.html to know that these old-fashioned shushing librarian stereotypes have no place in modern librarianship. We are fun! We are tech savvy! We love helping people! Librarians come in all shapes and sizes just like everybody else…so why do the stereotypes persist? And how will we change them? To learn more, check out this book by Ruth Kneale: You Don’t Look Like a Librarian: Shattering Stereotypes and Creating Positive New Images in the Internet…
Library Promotional Considerations
Posted March 26, 2012 by Sarah Barton
New technologies are changing how people use libraries, and libraries must evolve their services and outreach accordingly. Last Wednesday I went to the volunteer kick-off event for the Friends of the Somerville Public Library. The Friends, like many similar organizations representing public libraries across the country, are always looking for new ways to promote their library. So, over the past few days I came up with some fun means of bribery to generate awareness of the library. [Disclaimer: some of these ideas are more feasible than others.] Readers Race Library 5k A road race is not a novel idea (pun intended), but serves as an effective promotional technique. The race starts and ends at the library, and all proceeds benefit the Friends organization. Free books would be available at the finish line, and local businesses could set up booths in the post-race hangout area. Get a Free Library Card Day Ok, so every day is Get a Free Library Card Day, but maybe emphasizing the FREE aspect might help catch peoples attention. Random…
Time Management?
Posted March 21, 2012 by Julie Steenson
In thinking of what to write this week, all I could say is I am swamped. I know we eat and sleep more than med students, but maybe not this week! This is a week where some of the time management skills I have preached to my daughter could come in handy. Please forgive the brief entry and enjoy this funny video of why Library School Hurts So Good! I couldnt stop laughing when I saw it, and hopefully, it will ease some of your stress, too. I really love Library School! Library School: Hurts So Good by: fiver615
An Archives Kid behind the Circ Desk?: Gaining Meaningful Experience at the Social Law Library
Posted March 14, 2012 by dunhame
Today marks six months that Ive been a Patron Services Assistant at the Social Law Library. I have to say, Im still surprised at the fact that my venture to Boston led me behind the circulation desk of a law library; as an archives concentrator with no prior interest in law or law librarianship, it seems like quite the anomaly! As unexpected as it is, Im quite grateful for the opportunities and experiences I have had at Social Law. When I was making plans to move to Boston and attend Simmons, I was hesitant at the prospect of working and going to school at the same time. Many of the graduate school workshops I attended as an undergrad emphasized that, for a graduate student, school is your job, and warned that working during grad school would be too overwhelming. Im glad I realized that this advice was usually geared toward students pursuing academic degrees rather than professional ones. In the library science field, gaining experience in and outside of the classroom is incredibly important. Not…
The Grand Canyon of Libraries
Posted March 12, 2012 by Sarah Barton
Last week was Spring Break, and instead of crashing crazy parties in Cancun I traveled through northern Arizona and southern Utah. Having never been anywhere in the Southwest, I had no idea what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised by the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Zion National Park, and the red rocks of Sedona. Now that I am at GSLIS, my travels prompt me to think about the libraries that support the places I visit. This may sound silly, but I really do love when I see a library in an unfamiliar town. Or, even if I don’t see the library, it is interesting to check out its website afterward. After spending two days in Springdale, Utah (population 457; a small, touristy town right outside of Zion National Park), I was not surprised to find that its library staff consists of three people and that without a library card, internet access costs $1 for 60 minutes. After two days in Sedona, Arizona (population 10,031; an artsy, touristy, and outdoorsy city), I was not surprised to…
My Vow to Browse
Posted March 6, 2012 by Sarah Barton
When I visit a library with the sole intent of choosing my next book, I tend to become borderline robotic. In fact, last week I embarked on Mission: Obtain this months Book Club selection. I looked up the call number online, went to the library, grabbed the book, and left. I was in the library for no more than two minutes. If a million dollars was sitting on the shelf below my book, Justin Bieber was manning the reference desk, or the periodicals were on fire, I didnt notice. I was on a mission. Must.Get.Book. (Spoken in robot voice). That high-speed library mission got me thinking about the last time I entered a library without a specific book in mind. I decided it was probably sometime in fifth grade. These days I usually know, or at least have an idea of, what I want, and look at nothing else. Must.Get.Book. In a library full of infinite browsing possibilities, my robot-like obstinacy keeps me focused exclusively on what (I think) I want, which can be both…
The Joys of Public Libraries
Posted March 4, 2012 by Maya Bery
For someone who grew up going to the public library on a near weekly basis and then spent two years overseas in a library wilderness, moving to Boston has been nothing short of a heavenly experience. As a Boston resident, I am entitled to borrow books from any of the branches within the Boston Public Library system (extensive in its own right), and I am allowed reciprocal privileges through the Minuteman network as well. What this means is that I basically have any library between here and New Hampshire at my disposal, through the wonders of the OPAC and interlibrary loan. In addition to the countless hours of personal pleasure the BPL and Minuteman libraries have afforded me, they have also played a central role in my GSLIS academic career.
Library of the Future
Posted February 29, 2012 by Julie Steenson
Just as we all come from different backgrounds, we all come from different libraries! I have had the opportunity to experience very modern libraries and simpler, old-fashioned ones. Just two years ago, I worked in a rural school district that still had a card catalog and stamped the due date on the library book cards, a nostalgic throwback to my childhood! At the other extreme, I recently came across a YouTube video of the Monroe County Public Library, in Bloomington, Indiana, which was awarded the Trailblazer through Technology Award in 2011. In its goal to provide abundant access and technological literacy to the community, this library is a model for all of us!
The Processing Plan
Posted February 25, 2012 by Danielle Geller
Open access and fair use and two issues concerning archives and archival materials is an issue that has recurred in my work and research time and again. Ideally, I believe that information should be freely available for students, researchers, and the average citizen to access and use, but the reality is often much different. Barrierswhether in terms of economics, time, or organizationrear their ugly heads from all angles. This week, Ive been working on processing plans for two separate collections (one for a class and one for an internship), and access has been at the back of my mind for each project. Archivists are the gatekeepers, not just in the sense that we are safeguarding materials, but that we are also responsible for guiding people to materials relevant to their need. In laying out the foundations for a finding aid, our ultimate search tool, how do I ensure that I am doing my job effectively?