Archives and Popular Media
Posted February 10, 2013 by lazylibrarian
My friend was watching an episode of White Collar the other night. I don’t follow the show so I was only half listening until I heard, “We are going to have to go check out the archives.” A meme/blog post has been going around recently about movies with library scenes in them and it set me to thinking about how archives are portrayed in popular media. For a lot of people, that’s how they see us, that’s their only interaction with an archives. If that is the case, we don’t look too good. This particular scene in White Collar had the archivist come out, show them into a room full of card catalogs drawers and filing cabinets, and leave them there. When one of the characters asked, “Wait, which cabinet is 1940?” the archivist called over her shoulder as she walked out, “All of them.” Now of course this is not true to life (hopefully!) especially since scenes in the archives are usually framed as a race against time, a scene that creates dramatic tension…
The Phantom Tollbooth: Fifty-ish Years of Things that Could Be, Rather Than Things that Are
Posted February 6, 2013 by Carolyn Lucas
For Christmas this year, my parents gave me the esteemed gift of the 50th Anniversary Edition of my absolute favorite book in the world, The Phantom Tollbooth. Norton Juster’s personification of a bored boy who travels into a world where words become literal (the “doldrums” are a place you can visit, where nothing gets done and everyone sleeps a lot) and the weird runs rampant is the key to unlocking the imagination of even the most stodgy and uptight reader – or even student, in the midst of papers and projects. Even though the actual fiftieth anniversary of The Phantom Tollbooth was in 2011, now is as good a time as any to reminisce about the importance of thinking like a child – which is exactly what this book puts me in the mind frame of. Especially the moral at the end of the story (*spoiler alert*) which is if you believe you can, the impossible is achievable. This concept of the impossible is one that rattles around in the brains of students quite often,…
Cream or Cookie?
Posted February 5, 2013 by Julie Steenson
In case you missed it, here is the Library World’s brief moment in the limelight at the Super Bowl! http://youtu.be/rIDaX0eMeIk What I really want to know is who whispers in the library?! Is this still our image? I work in a public library and we are a noisy, fun place, although we try to offer quiet spaces for those patrons who desire quiet work areas. And the librarian…What’s with the finger shaking? And the cardigan? At least she didn’t have her hair in a bun…
Lobbying for Library Cards
Posted February 4, 2013 by Sarah Barton
On Saturday I spent three hours lobbying for library cards. During the month of February, the Somerville Public Library is competing against the Arlington, Belmont, and Lexington Public Libraries to see which can sign up the most new library cardholders. I donned my “Libraries: Shhhh Happens.” t-shirt (which received many comments and compliments) and stood at the entrance of the Somerville Winter Farmers’ Market trying to attract potential cardholders. I was surprised by how many people already had a library card, delightfully surprised by how many people are avid library supporters, and happily surprised by how many people said “I’ve been meaning to get one of those!” It was great to see such positive levels of interest and support from a random sample of locals. It felt equal parts strange and refreshing to be representing the library outside of a library setting. Branding, marketing, and publicizing are all aspects of public libraries that can never be overdone and can always use improvement, and talking to unsuspecting farmers’ market dwellers was a great environment for putting…
A Blend of History and Archives
Posted February 3, 2013 by lazylibrarian
As a dual degree student in Archives and History, I have one foot in the LIS (Library and Information Science) world and one in the CAS (College of Arts and Sciences) at Simmons. At times it can be a little frustrating since I’m dealing with two different departments but a lot of the time there is more overlap then I would have imagined. Currently, I am taking a Public History course. I have never taken one before and I love it. I almost wonder why I never thought of Public History as a career choice before. I have a Bachelor’s in both English and History and saw Archives as the wonderful combination of the two, but as I continue through this dual degree program, Public History seems the perfect combination of Library Science and History to me. We are currently reading Museums, Monuments and National Parks by Denise D. Meringolo about the evolution of Public History in America. One of the key points of the book, pointed out from the very beginning in the prologue,…
Library Lovers Month
Posted February 2, 2013 by Maggie Davidov
That’s right folks! It is indeed that time of year. Love is in the air! Love for LIBRARIES, that is. I genuinely resent the Hallmark holiday that gets us all hot and bothered. In college I remember taking my friends out for margaritas, mocking the holiday and celebrating my love for them. While margaritas are always an excellent idea and cherishing friends is always at the top of my list I think Library Lovers Month offers a new way to channel my love. First, take a second to think about the following questions. Why do you love libraries? What have libraries done for you lately? Have libraries changed your life? Those reading this blog, besides my mother, are most likely interested in the field of library science. And why not? Library science is where it’s at people! So I think it’s time we remembered to honor those hallowed halls of learning and discovery that brought us to this field of study. Your library deserves a hug of some kind. Here are some ways in which…
Happy Birthday, Pride and Prejudice!
Posted February 1, 2013 by Emily Boyd
This Monday marked the 200th anniversary of the first publication of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. In honor of this milestone, NPR featured a number of stories analyzing the history and popularity of this epic novel over the past two centuries. My favorite related story was a cartoon depiction of Pride and Prejudice by Jen Sorensen (check it out: http://www.npr.org/2013/01/27/170253360/pride-and-prejudice-turns-200). While NPR celebrated the continued relevance of this Jane Austen classic in its Arts and Life programs, All Things Considered ran this story: “New Reading Standards Aim To Prep Kids For College – But At What Cost?” (listen here: http://www.npr.org/2013/01/19/169798643/new-reading-standards-aim-to-prep-kids-for-college-but-at-what-cost?sc=tw&cc=share). The program discussed new attempts to raise reading scores for high school students by exchanging English class curriculum based primarily on literature to a greater focus on nonfiction. The timing of these two stories seems too ironic to ignore. How can we be celebrating the importance of a piece of classic literature, one that has been enjoyed for two centuries, at the same time as our education system decides to move away from a curriculum based on…
Priority Deadline Tomorrow, February 1st!
Posted January 31, 2013 by Katie Olivo
Just a quick note for all prospective students applying for Summer 2013 or Fall 2013 – the priority deadline is tomorrow! If you’d like to be considered for merit-based aid, your application must be complete, meaning we’ve received all your recommendations, transcripts, etc. by or on February 1st. For all Summer 2013 applicants, February 1st is also the final deadline for applications. Those of you applying for Fall 2013 but do not need/want priority aid, the final deadline is March 1, 2013. To check on the status of your materials and application, please visit this page and click on the “check your application status” link. This will allow you to sign in and view any applications you’ve begun or submitted and the status of each requirement necessary to complete the application. If you have any questions or concerns, please call our office at 617-521-2868 or email us at [email protected].
The Big Picture
Posted January 30, 2013 by Julie Steenson
It has been a year since I started the GSLIS program, and it has taken me this long to understand the value of a degree program. I am not just talking about the “getting a job” piece – this is a professional program so it goes without saying that the purpose of the degree is to enhance employment options. There is another value that isn’t well understood. The degree program doesn’t just teach us skills. It teaches us how to be visionaries. That might sound a little lofty, even to me, but I came to this realization recently at my job at a public library. I am in a pre-professional job, which is great experience, but ultimately a dead-end position. (Hope my boss isn’t reading this, but I think this is important to share with you.) I do a lot of circulation and I am the inter-library loan coordinator. I answer reference questions, coordinate the use of the library meeting rooms, do an occasional program, prepare user instruction materials, and maintain some usage statistics. …
Dreaming of a more peaceful time…
Posted January 29, 2013 by Carolyn Lucas
Growing up, I used to have a routine before going to bed. I would say goodnight to my parents, grab a beverage – sparkling water in the summer, hot tea in the winter – grab whatever book I was in the middle of, and spend the last delicious hour of consciousness lost in whatever fantastical world those pages contained. In between leaving my home for college and being halfway through a graduate program, something changed. My evenings are no longer filled with the writings of great minds; my dreams are no longer of magic, dragons, and wizards. There are still plenty of hot beverages, though – but not tea. Now I find myself guzzling coffee at all hours of the night, attempting to wrangle one more hour’s worth of energy into finishing whatever project I am working on. And I still read – but instead of characters with beautiful names and tragic back stories I read the (rather dry) biography of Melville Dewey. Or the historical conflict between archivists and librarians… or archivists and record keepers……