SLIS
In Search of Green Spaces
Posted April 19, 2024 by Olivia McGovern
I’m from a town in Wisconsin where open farm fields and forests are less than a 20 minute drive in any direction. When I moved to Boston, a big part of my initial culture shock was the lack of nature. But I’ve lived here for almost 2 years now, and after some searching and exploring, I’ve found a couple of good spots to touch grass, sit under a tree, or get out in the wilderness. The most central place in all of Boston to sit in the shade of a tree is the Boston Common and Public Gardens. The first time I went, I started by walking through the willow trees in the gardens, crossing the foot bridge and looking out at the pond, where a few ducks swam past. Since then I’ve visited an art exhibition, walked around the Central Burying Ground trying to find the oldest dates, and got rained out at the 2023 Pride Festival. The Common is a great gathering place and easy to get to, but it’s not the first…
Feeling Stressed? Talk to someone!
Posted April 17, 2024 by Isabella Rodrigues
As the semester comes to a close and the sun comes out, it is tempting to look longingly out the window rather than prepare for finals. While of course studying and working on classes is important, taking charge of your mental health and getting vitamin D is also vital. Stress about summer internships, jobs, or the end of classes can have many students in a downward spiral. Taking walks and getting out with friends is productive, but don’t forget to utilize our counseling center on campus even if you are feeling a little overwhelmed. The counseling center (located in One Palace Road, B-308) takes appointments and is ready to help! You don’t have to be in crisis to make an appointment; I highly recommend it if you are feeling anxious in the slightest. If you are like me, you might de-stress by venting to your friends, but speaking with a professional is even better. Graduate students might be directed to the Student Assistance Program to set up an appointment.
Course Registration Is Upon Us!
Posted April 9, 2024 by Aurora Daniel
In the midst of the last few weeks of the semester is another crucial time: course registration for summer and fall. I’ve decided to take one summer course this year, LIS 488, in order to wrap up the general degree requirements so I can take an elective course in the fall. Since it’s my second semester I have to take LIS 438: Intro to Archival Theory & Practice as well as HIST 597: Historical Methods in order to complete general requirements for my Archives Concentration and my MA degree. That leaves me with one course I can choose to register with what I want. Right now I haven’t decided if I’ll take LIS 446: Art Documentation or LIS 532Q: Museum Studies. That’s always the hard part: what do you choose when there are so many options? While taking a summer course may seem like an easy decision so I could knock out requirements I did not make it lightly. I’ll be working full time this summer and want to avoid getting burned out. The summer…
The Simmons Zine Collection
Posted April 4, 2024 by Olivia McGovern
About a month ago, I started a new job working in Beatley Library on campus. I got my very own cubicle, equipped with a computer, a scanner and a label printer, but one corner is dominated by two boxes of uncataloged zines. I came to learn that Simmons houses a sizable collection of zines that have been curated for years, and it was the job of my predecessor to catalog and process them. Unfamiliar with zines? Here’s the rundown: “zines are a noncommercial, nonprofessional, small-circulation magazines which their creators produce, publish, and distribute themselves” (Duncombe). There is usually a DIY crafting component in the creation of a zine, followed by photocopying, folding, and stapling into pamphlets. Zines are inexpensive and easy to make, which has led them to play an important role in activism. The Simmons librarian, Dawn Stahura, who really kicked off the zine collection wrote (in a zine): “Zines are not only creative they are unique primary sources, a gateway into the lives of the marginalized, the silenced, the overlooked.” A unique cataloging…
Pushing Through Spring Semester
Posted April 3, 2024 by Isabella Rodrigues
If you’re like me then you might already be hoping for summer to start. The weather, seemingly, is getting warmer. People are getting antsy in class and in the streets. In a few weeks, the swan boats will be on the pond, crowds of baseball fans will overrun Fenway, and tourists will swarm the city. Whether you stay in Boston over summer break or go elsewhere, we all still have the same hurdle to jump. Ending the semester. We are about a month out from the end of the semester so everyone is cracking down or about to crack down on finals. Here are some helpful tips on staying focused while also keeping yourself healthy.
Looking Forward
Posted April 2, 2024 by Emily Jones
I can’t believe the semester is almost over! My first semester went by so fast that I feel like it just started. I have been enjoying the warmer weather and getting to walk around Boston. I haven’t spent the Spring yet in Boston so I’m excited to see all the flowers bloom. While I’m looking forward to the semester ending so I can have a break, there is a lot of work to do between now and the end of the semester. It’s almost time for fall class registration and I have been planning my classes for next semester. I’m looking forward to next semester and getting to take more electives. Graduate class registration is not as stressful as undergrad classes were so I don’t mind this process. The SLIS faculty is also smaller so I feel like it’s easier to know someone who has taken the class or had the professor before.
How to Survive the Boston Transit System: Tips for Commuter Students
Posted March 28, 2024 by Olivia McGovern
I remember the days of living in a dorm and walking to class. Rolling out of bed, throwing on a sweatshirt and brushing my teeth before taking a casual stroll across campus. Then, later, popping back over to my room to take a nap or grab a snack. Now, as a commuter student, I’m a compulsive Google Maps refresher, with a 20 minute walk and a 30 minute bus ride. It’s tough being a commuter student, and it isn’t helped by the commuting options in Boston being unreliable at best and completely broken at worst. Here are some commuting tips from someone who’s walked, biked, bused, and braved the MBTA to get to Simmons. Always check before you go. The transit systems in Boston are constantly changing, and even if your commute is usually consistent, that can change on any random day. A holiday might mean that the buses are running on a different schedule. A road can suddenly be blocked off for construction. Don’t even get me started on the MBTA. If something’s down,…
Half-Way There Check-In
Posted March 26, 2024 by Aurora Daniel
It’s difficult to believe that the semester is halfway over! I started at Simmons this semester and the time has flown by. As a dual LIS – Archives concentration and History degree student I have enjoyed the balance I’ve had between learning Information Science procedures and continuing my studies in History. My favorite part so far has been the discussions in LIS 407 and HIST 568 regarding ethics, engaging with the public/users, and what role collections care and stewardship plays in both. In HIST 568 we had a site visit at The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum where we met with an archivist and discussed how some of these issues emerged in her day to day work. Part of why I chose the dual degree program was for opportunities like this— to connect what I’m doing in both degree programs as well as to think about how this will factor into my future career. I tend to be a bit critical of museums (blame my BA in Art History), but it’s a good…
Summer Session Summary
Posted August 11, 2023 by Magenta Jasinski
As the Summer II session begins to wrap up, an urge to write non-academically has been pushing at me. Writing for this blog in particular has been a source of joy, so I figured I should get back into it! In this post, I’ll take some time to detail both of the summer classes I took during Simmons’ two summer terms, as well as how I experienced academic burnout. I took one class for each summer session this year, which totaled out to five credits. The first class was CHL 424C (Series Fiction – Middle Grade) and it took place from May 22nd to June 28th. This was a rigorous two credit course where we explored five genres of books that make up the foundation of the middle grade category. Not to be confused with middle school, middle grade books are written for a third to sixth grade audience. I enjoyed the depth that our discussion went into each week, but finding time to read an entire series in seven days was a challenge. When…
Welcome Emma!
Posted March 14, 2023 by Lindsey Clarke
We are adding another blogger to the mix. Everyone say hello to Emma! Hello friends! My name is Emma Hayden and I started my second semester as a dualHistory and Library & Information Science student at Simmons in January. I attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where I got a degree in History with a minor in Religious Studies. I just moved to the Boston area in the fall from Southern California with my cat Phoebe. Phoebe (alsoknown as Pheebs) loves going on walks around Boston in her backpack! I have taken her withme on many adventures but I think our favorite spot so far is Fenway Park or the Boston PublicGarden. In my spare time I enjoy reading romance books, crocheting, and line dancing!I am new to the SLIS program, however I have really enjoyed the classes I have taken so farand am looking forward to my classes this semester. Last semester I got my first taste of basiccoding and markup languages in LIS 488: Technology for Information Professionals, which wasa lot more fun…