Libraries
What’s the name of that book…?
Posted April 24, 2013 by Julie Steenson
Working in a public library, I often have requests for a book with an unknown title. These requests come in many varieties. A few of my favorites are listed below. It has a brown cover, sort of, is about this thick (patron displays width with fingers), and has an Indian on the front. Answer: The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks It is blue and was sitting right here on the New Shelf when I saw it about three weeks ago. Answer: Benediction by Kent Haruf I am looking for a book I read as a kid in the 1940s – it had a train and some kids…and they passed messages with the conductor or something… Answer: The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit We listened to an audiobook a while ago – it had some weird clock and something to do with eyes…and there might have been gypsies or something like that… Answer: The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski I love these kinds of questions. I heard today about another local library…
Information Overload
Posted April 21, 2013 by lazylibrarian
The whole world knows what happened in Boston this past week. I don’t wish to ruminate on the agonies, rather focus on the lessons. As common with tragedies, there are many. One that I came across, that might seem minor in the scheme of human suffering this week, nevertheless is the one I want to focus on because of its tie-in to library science. There has been much media coverage over the “social media aspect” of the Boston Marathon Bombing and in the horrific misidentification of the suspects in the New York Post but even before the New York Post coverpage there were thousands of people on Reddit and other websites trying to solve the crime like amateur Sherlock Holmes. I do believe their intentions were good but more and more I saw links to the supposed Twitter of the suspects, their Facebook, statements such as “if this is the same so and so then they worked here” or “if this is the same guy he won this award in the year X”. We’ve already…
World Book Night
Posted April 20, 2013 by Maggie Davidov
What a week this has been! I’m overwhelmed with relief, grief, exhaustion, and patriotism. It’s been a week. Incidentally, aside from being the week of the Boston Marathon Bombing, this week was also Library Appreciation Week, and this Thursday was also Poem in Your Pocket Day. How I wanted to celebrate these holidays. Yet they slipped through my fingers, and got away from me. Today, as we breathe a collective sigh and remember what’s important in life I’d like to point out another way to celebrate books, Boston and general well being. Next Tuesday evening, as you’re walking home from school or work keep an eye out for the ladies and gentlemen giving away free books in celebration of World Book Night. While April 23rd (this Tuesday) is UNESCO’s Day of the Book as well as Shakespeare’s birthday the people of World Book Night give away books, donated by a variety of authors, to promote the love of reading. This program is only 2 years old! It’s free to sign up to be a distributer…
How Libraries Changed Me
Posted April 14, 2013 by lazylibrarian
So I came across this wonderful article entitled Five Times a Library Changed Me and began to think about how the library had changed my life, outside of you know, wanting to be a librarian. I went to a pretty small private school where everyone knew everyone and what you could or could not do. I wasn’t good at sports, was too scared to sing or play an instrument in front of people and was too much of a rule-follower to be known as a rebel or class clown. But I found my little niche in books and specifically in the library. I was the girl who held the record in Mrs. Johnson’s first grade reading contest, the girl who received permission to take out the “adult” books (this was a Christian school, that just meant regular adult-level books), the girl who organized everyone’s classroom libraries and the girl who was always picked to read devotions (again, it’s a Christian school) for the class every morning. But the greatest thing of all was being the…
The Great Library Cat Debate
Posted April 10, 2013 by Julie Steenson
Nothing gets people more worked up than their pets. I belong to many forums on library issues, and recently, the issue of a library cat was the hot topic on an ALA LinkedIn Forum. The title of the discussion was: “A Grinch in Swansea, MA wants the library’s feline resident, Penny, to find a new home. Does your library have a pet?” The “Grinch” in this case, is making the claim that the cat’s “presence violates the Americans with Disabilities Act because people with allergies to animals are being discriminated against if the cat is there when they want to use the library.” Full article: http://www.turnto10.com/story/21809894/swansea-man-says-librarys-cat-violates-ada The cat has been a resident there for 14 years, and according to townspeople, the man doesn’t frequent the library, but that is beside the issue. The reactions on the LinkedIn forum were enthusiastic to say the least, with librarians on both sides of the debate. I quickly got into the fray by asking everyone: What about Dewey?! How did the famed Iowa library of the most famous library…
The Mysterious Line
Posted April 6, 2013 by Maggie Davidov
Have you ever driven or walked past a Shake Shack? What is the most distinguishing characteristic of this place of business? Picture it in your mind. See the line. Do you see it? I went there last night to see what all the fuss was about but gave up when I saw, l wondering what it is exactly they put in those burgers and fries. What’s the x factor? I read in a magazine about the Shake Shack CEO who talked about how the line builds character. How people want to conquer the line. It’s a “challenge accepted” concept. again, a line around the corner outside of the restaurant. Though it is spring, you really wouldn’t know that at night. So instead I chose a local burger place and was quite satisfied. But here I am stil You’re probably wondering what this has to do with library school. Nothing. It has nothing to do with library school, unless you get reeeeeally creative. Think about that longing and desire to cross the threshold of the Shake…
The Art of the Symposium
Posted April 2, 2013 by Carolyn Lucas
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend a very cool symposium put on by many of GSLIS’ student organizations including SCoSAA, LISSA, ALASC, ASIS&T, Panoption, SLA, and UXPA. This Symposium was the second one GSLIS has ever put on, and provided a really interesting glimpse into many different areas of GSLIS. There was a keynote speaker, GSLIS’ own Martha Mahard, and four panels of students and past students. Each panel had a topic, and the panelists gave a presentation on their specific area of study and then answered questions. Overall, there were a wide variety of topics, from Technology to Ethics, and it was incredibly interesting to see what my fellow students were working on (not to mention impressive… I’m feeling like a bit of a slacker for not having presented!). An additional super-cool part of this Symposium was that it was available for both live and future streaming. As the Facilitator for the Archives Management Cohort Online, it was awesome to be able to present this opportunity to the online students that…
How Cool Are You?
Posted March 27, 2013 by Julie Steenson
At this point in my education (just past the halfway mark), I am bursting with ideas of how to be a game-changing librarian. I am also eager to turn ideas into actions. After all, being a 21st century librarian is about a lot more than storytime (not that I don’t also love storytime!). In fact, no matter what your interest as a librarian, an opportunity exists for you to make a difference. If you need a little motivation, check out these cool librarians!
Professional Organizations: A Brief Intro, and How They Relate to You
Posted March 26, 2013 by Carolyn Lucas
SAA, SLA, MLA, ALA… in the world of the library and all its’ properties, it seems like almost every three letter combination stands for a professional organization. And, unlike the title suggests, you don’t have to be a “professional” to join them! Many professional organizations are organized to help budding entrants into their fields. Because this is my first year into the library science world, I’ve been researching many of these organizations, trying to evaluate if they will be helpful to me pre-graduation, and what resources they offer. Here’s a quick glance at some of them: ALA, the American Library Association: the quintessential professional organization for anyone in the library field, ALA costs only $33/year and supplies its’ student members with newsletters, updates on the job market, free round tables, and even online classes! One of the biggest perks of joining ALA is the conference that is held once a year, usually in June, which brings librarians together to talk about the latest and greatest inventions, problems, and advances in the field. SAA, the Society…
Book Talking
Posted March 23, 2013 by Emily Boyd
Last week was spring break, so I took the week off from blogging. Most of my break was spent catching up on schoolwork and working, but I was able to escape home to Vermont for a couple days of much needed relaxation. One of my favorite parts of my trip home was visiting my local public library and attending a meeting of the “What is on Your Nightstand?” book club. The premise of this book club is that it is not a book club, at least not in the traditional sense. There is no chosen book for each monthly meeting. Instead, on the second Tuesday of every month, anyone who is free to talk about books is welcome to come to the library and share what they are reading. The librarian running the meeting keeps a list of all the titles discussed and the conversation is always lively and interesting. Before moving back to Boston to start school in January I was home in Vermont for eight months and had the opportunity to attend almost…