Students
Spring Break!
Posted March 6, 2019 by Sarah Callanan
It is Spring Break everyone! Does it feel like Spring Break to you? It certainly does not feel like Spring Break to me. We are not having Spring Break-esque weather with the snow and the freezing cold and everything. Last year for Spring Break I participated in the SLIS Alternative Spring Break program at Papercut Zine Library, but this year I have to work so sadly I am unable to participate this time around. This year they are working with The History Project, The Prison Book Program, 826 Boston, and Papercut Zine Library. I had a great time last year and I learned a lot, and volunteering is a great way to give back to the community while also gaining valuable experience! Also, last year I had recently moved to the area and it was a great way for me to meet new people. The Alternative Spring Break program is an excellent way to get involved at Simmons, to give back to the community, and to gain experience. This year for Spring Break, as I…
Tongue-Twisting Terminology
Posted March 5, 2019 by Amie Grosshans
When I tell people that I’m in school to become a librarian, they are immediately curious and ask what my classes are like. I usually give the same response: “Classes are awesome! But there’s a lot of…terminology.” I know ellipses are overused nowadays, but I can’t think of another way to represent the long, slightly awkward pause in which I scrunch up my face, look off into space and try to find the best way to describe my classes. It’s difficult because my classes are very broad. Both LIS 415: Information Organization, and LIS 488: Technology for Information Professionals are required classes, and they are meant to introduce students to concepts and standards that will be used later on in our classes and careers. They’re not meant to make us experts in any one area, but to be a starting point on our journey. So, we go through a lot of topics in a relatively short period of time. There are different types of information in each class. For Info Organization, it’s all about the…
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…
Everything is (Kind of) Organized
Posted February 19, 2019 by Amie Grosshans
As I enter my fourth week of classes, I’m kind of in shock. I can’t believe I’ve been in school for almost a month! It feels like it’s been much longer, but not in a bad way. It’s just that I’ve learned so much already, and it’s still only the beginning of the semester. I have notebooks and papers strewn on my kitchen table and files and folders on my laptop to keep track of all my assignments and emails, not to mention multiple calendars with all my reminders and due dates. It’s a lot to handle, especially with working full time, and it’s clear that I need some sort of system to keep track of everything. Which brings me to my topic this week: organization. One of my classes this semester is LIS 415–Information Organization, and it’s already given me a ton to think about. Information organization may be one of the pillars of library science, but I have never given much thought to how and why things are organized. I realize now that…
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…
A Lightbulb Moment: When You Finally Realize What You Want
Posted February 15, 2019 by Amie Grosshans
How did I get here? I’ve asked myself this question a lot the past few weeks. I’ve spent the last fourteen years as an administrative assistant for an accounting firm. It’s not what I was planning on doing with my master’s degree in art history, but life doesn’t always take you on a straight path. I always thought I’d move on and find something else to do, but I didn’t know what I wanted. So I stayed, got comfortable, and saw myself continuing with the firm for awhile longer. But then, an unexpected shakeup left the future in doubt. My plan to stay with the firm when the younger partner took over was no longer feasible. For the first time in awhile, I had to seriously think about what I wanted for the future. I started thinking about the things that I love–books, organizing, helping people–and what jobs would fit that criteria. I thought being a librarian would be perfect, and browsing through Simmons’ website, I knew I was right. I read the program and…
Welcome New Blogger – Amie Grosshans
Posted February 15, 2019 by Lindsey Clarke
Hello readers! We’d like to introduce our new student blogger — Amie Grosshans! She will be posting regularly soon. Read a little bit about her below: Welcome Amie! Hi, I’m Amie! I was born and raised here in Massachusetts and have a master’s degree in Art History. As soon as I read about Simmons’s LIS program, I knew that I wanted to be a librarian. It’s a bit of a shock to be back at school again after almost twenty years, but I’m loving every minute of it. I’m finally in my element and so excited for the future. I’m currently in the archives concentration but am open to exploring other areas of librarianship. When I’m not working or doing schoolwork, I’m usually reading or listening to an audiobook. I also love to knit shawls, sweaters, and socks and am pretty much never without my needles. My handknits make the crazy Boston winters a bit more bearable. Aside from my family, my dog Peggy is my biggest supporter and study buddy.
Going Home and Going Online
Posted February 13, 2019 by Maria Reilova
I got back from winter break a little later than everyone else since I had my brother’s wedding to attend the last week of January. If anyone needs a refresher (I’m sure I mention it in nearly every blog post) but I am from Florida, and in true extra Florida fashion, my brother got married on a 3-day Disney cruise to the bahamas. It was fantastic, I got to spend quality time with my own family and my new sister-in-law’s family, most importantly though I got to spend that time with family in the sunny caribbean. I mention this lovely vacation not to brag (that’s a lie, I am totally bragging about how great Florida is) because in order to spend the most time with family over break and for the wedding, I decided that this semester I will be taking classes fully online!. It just made the most sense given that I wanted to spend as much time as possible home in Florida. Which is one of the great things about Simmons, they offer…
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…