Students
A Little Help Never Hurt Anybody
Posted October 2, 2014 by Hayley Botnen
It’s easy to assume–especially if you’ve already completed an undergraduate program–that you know all there is to know about writing. Or maybe I should just say that I thought I knew enough about writing to get by in a graduate program since I got my undergraduate degree in English. I could probably decorate the walls of my apartment with all the papers I wrote as an undergraduate. Not to mention the fact that I write for myself on the side. Who needs help writing a measly three page paper? Well, I do. Actually, I think we all might. For my first two papers in graduate school, both professors commented on my lack of “cohesiveness”. Maybe it’s the two years I took off, or maybe it’s the fact that I write two blogs, or maybe it’s that I feel like my brain flows just fine thank you very much, but I struggled with that comment. I put so much thought into those papers! I put so much work into those papers! I didn’t want to get…
ASIS&T Trivia Night
Posted September 27, 2014 by Samantha Quiñon
There are so many student groups to get involved with at SLIS. If you have an interest or professional aspiration, chances are good you can find a group connected to it. (A list of student groups and their descriptions can be found here.) All SLIS students pay an activities fee each term. Part of the fee is given to LISSA (Library and Information Science Student Association), of which all students are automatically members. LISSA then disburses this money across all student organizations according to the budget each group has been allotted. This arrangement has many benefits. For one, you don’t have to pay dues to any of the SLIS student groups, and since your activity fee goes towards all of them, you are eligible to join any and as many as you’d like. Another fun part of this is that you can attend any event or meeting a student organization is having without having to be part of the group. For example, I’m going on a free guided tour of the Boston Museum of Fine…
Taking Care of Business: Finding the Right Spot
Posted September 24, 2014 by L. Kelly Fitzpatrick
When it comes to homework, where we work can often determine if we work. Moving to a new city for a new job or academic program can mean setting your roots deep into some academic and professional goals – and sometimes that can mean finding the perfect place to sit down with your laptop and coffee, and get to work. Let’s be real – coursework can grow to become an influential part of our lives. As someone who needs to leave Netflix’s sphere of influence in order to put words on a page, I know that going somewhere new, even without the comforting embrace of a wifi connection, can make the difference when trying to wrangle all those assignments. After becoming a regular in Western Massachusetts hotspots during my time as an undergrad battling a sea of footnotes, moving to Cambridge with the start of my grad program meant scoping out places where I could extract myself from my cozy apartment to get things done. Now entering my third semester at SLIS, I’ll share my…
Falling Down and Getting Up
Posted September 17, 2014 by Jill Silverberg
Yesterday, I fell off a ladder. This wasn’t some deep metaphorical ladder, but rather the type that one climbs when one is shelving books.This wasn’t my first time falling off a ladder or step stool while trying to either shelve books or pull them down, and it probably won’t be the last time either. After all, couldn’t you argue that life is filled with moments like this; moments when you fall down and moments when you get back up. The other day while I was working at the Student Service Center’s desk on the 2nd floor of the Palace Road building, a new student came by looking for information about the archives program. They wanted to know what I thought of the program, was it a good place to be if they were still a bit unsure about where exactly they wanted to go with their degree? Was I enjoying the dual degree program or did I regret adding the second Masters? And finally, what can they do to make sure that whenever they graduate…
The Balancing Act Begins!
Posted September 14, 2014 by Alison Mitchell
Well, my first full week of school is over, and my two biggest accomplishments were getting a student discount (10% at Tags!) and making my kids do my homework. Kidding. Kind of. Going back to school at age 41, with a husband and kids and part-time work, is, in some ways, just like going to school at any age. I puzzle over how long it will take me to get to school from our home in Somerville (almost an hour!), where to get my ID (the campus card office), what kind of notebooks to use, whether I needed a snack during a 3-hour class (yes!). There are some major differences, too. Before I leave for class, I make lunches for my kids and get them ready for school. I check my phone during breaks to make sure the school hasn’t called. I drag myself to book club one night, and we talk about our parents’ health problems (probably not what my 20-something classmates are discussing over dinner). I balance my freelance work and shifts at…
Making Membership Worth It
Posted April 14, 2014 by Alec Chunn
I voted in my first ALA election today. So, consider this entry my big “I voted” sticker. I’m actually quite proud of myself. No joke. For once, I didn’t let those thoughts in my head of “I’m not a real librarian” get to me. Because, if you’ve read my previous entries, you’ll know that I am. We all are here at Simmons. Anyways, since I didn’t really know most of the people on the ballots, I had to skim through everyone’s bios to see who I thought were the best candidates for each position. The best part, though, was when I did know someone (go Em Claire!). It kinda got me thinking about the strong likelihood that some of the people I’m in library school with now will someday be on that list. I may someday be on that list. And you never know who’s going to remember you, or whom you’re going to remember. I’m certainly going to take that to heart. This extends beyond the Simmons community. I will probably meet a lot…
LISSA’s role in GSLIS
Posted April 6, 2014 by Gemma Doyle
Before I went to the NEA Spring meeting a few weeks ago I was pleasantly surprised to discover that LISSA would reimburse my expenses at the conference up to $300. This was great news for me, because money is always tight as a grad student. LISSA has always been one of those elusive organizations on Simmons campus for me – it crops up in conversations a lot, but I’ve never been involved in it or really known what it was. One of my fellow students, Joy Rodowicz, is involved with LISSA (and helping to plan this year’s Graduate Symposium) and offered to write some pointers about it for everyone, because as a GSLIS student (or potential student), LISSA is a valuable tool to be aware of. 1) How did you get involved with LISSA? I first got involved with the Library and Information Science Student Association (LISSA) after I finished my first semester here at Simmons. I wanted to find a way that I could be more involved with the GSLIS community and saw my…
Storytelling Semi-Finals this Weekend
Posted March 22, 2014 by Maggie Davidov
This is a shameless plug for a certain storyteller (ME) who is competing in the MassMouth Story Slam Semi Finals this Sunday at Ryles Jazz Club in Cambridge at 6:30 pm. I’m telling a story from my days in the Peace Corps, so it should be …hilarious. A story slam is every bit the event you are conjuring in your imagination: a forum where people from the audience tell personal stories, within a time limit and people cheer for a well told tale. In this particular story slam there will be no judges. The audience decides! So come out to hear some great stories and support a fellow GSLISer. Storytelling is a big part of our society these days thanks to organizations like MassMouth and the Moth. Librarians should stay involved in an arena they championed so many years ago. Let’s get back in this game and begin telling our stories!
What Happens When I Fly Away?
Posted March 5, 2014 by Maggie Davidov
Is anybody else amazed at how fast this year is flying by? Yes, spring break is upon us and we are all grateful, but speaking as someone who will be graduating in December (heaven help us if I don’t) I feel these days slipping away faster than usual. I’m losing track of time. Every email whizzes past my inbox and I begin to crave and fear the future. What happens after graduate school? I imagine big paychecks, tomes that in no way resemble textbooks, and oodles of time to sit down in a garden somewhere. These are the lies that we tell ourselves. Life will be easier after graduate school. Will it though? Will you receive updates about the latest technologies enhancing our profession? Will you have the opportunity to network on a weekly basis with super smart people? This is all food for thought for you, but mostly for me. I’m aching to leave and begin my life as a fully-fledged librarian. I want my wings soooo badly! I think the question I continue…
There’s Nothing Part-Time About My Schedule
Posted February 21, 2014 by Emily Boyd
As of this semester I’m officially a part-time student, doesn’t that sound nice? It implies that I have tons of extra time when I’m not doing schoolwork. The same applies when I mention my part-time job, sounds like I’ve got all the free time in the world. The picture quickly changes when I start doing the math: one part-time job of about 25 hours a week and another of 10 or more hours and I’m quickly at 35 hours! Add in two classes, one in person and one online, a weekly commute to Boston and all these part-times are suddenly adding up. You thought being a full-time student was hard? Try being a part-time student. At first this seems like an oxymoron, how would taking fewer classes be more demanding? I’d never thought about this until I became one of the part-timers, and six weeks in I’m finding it incredibly challenging. It’s no wonder, just look at my schedule! When you’re a full-time student, school is your primary focus, this is no longer the case…