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……
Putting Evaluation Into Action
Posted January 28, 2013 by Sarah Barton
Last week at my internship, my boss overheard me telling a co-worker that I am taking my final core class, Evaluation of Information Services. My boss was intrigued, and suggested that we schedule a meeting sometime next month to look at the evaluations she has done in the past and perhaps start thinking about future evaluations. This is a prime example of GSLIS curriculum in action, and a perfect way to incorporate my coursework into an actual work setting. But, to be honest, my first reaction was to momentarily freak out. I didn’t have a meltdown or anything, but I felt as though she had asked me to design a prototype for a spaceship. I have only had two classes so far this semester, and I guarantee that my boss knows far more about evaluation than I do. What type of insight could I possibly bring to this meeting? Once I got over that initial freak out, I calmed down and realized that this is a great opportunity for me. My boss didn’t recommend meeting…
Reference Questions Via Email
Posted January 27, 2013 by lazylibrarian
One of the more common topics discussed in Library School is “the reference question.” For many of our patrons this still fits in nicely to the librarian stereotypes and what they expect when they enter a library: the tall foreboding desk with an old maid sitting behind it that you only go to ask questions of as a last resort. Of course, more often than not, the stereotype is not true but it is still true that the reference desk is a familiar aspect of libraries, and answering questions and providing information is a core part of the librarian’s duties. As such, a lot of emphasis is placed on how to navigate a reference interview during library studies. Many times when a patron asks a question they tend to ask a very general one which might not be exactly what they are searching for. The question, “Do you have any books on butterflies?” might seem like a simple question request but if the librarian simply answers “yes” and delves no further she will not know…
The United States of YA
Posted January 26, 2013 by Maggie Davidov
In this week of festive, inaugural, bi-partisan activities I thought I’d let everyone know about a fun list of books lingering out there on the interwebs. This is a list developed by the brilliant minds over at epicreads.com. A question was posed: What is your favorite young adult book? Name the state in which it takes place. Thus, the United States of YA was born, or at least, the list. Then the blogger made this amazing graphic (see above). The graphic and the list were made readily available for display makers, like me, and I stumbled across them on pinterest. I thought it would be an easy display. I wouldn’t have to do any list making. I could just pull the books and let the graphic speak for itself…WRONG. In the end it took me a WEEK to put up. But let me just say, it was worth it. Check me out.
Technical Difficulties
Posted January 25, 2013 by Emily Boyd
There seems to be an assumption that all twenty-somethings are incredibly tech savvy. I wish I could say I fit this stereotype, but in actuality I have a lot of room for improvement. I don’t want to suggest that I am living in the stone age (I do have an iPhone and an iPad after all!), but troubleshooting gadget mishaps and searches more complex than Google can be baffling to me. Truth be told, I was initially attracted to the library field because I thought it would be a way to escape technology. Could I have been more wrong? Technology is the backbone of this profession and it is crucial for librarians to keep up with constantly evolving new developments. Although I am nowhere near where I need to be, I have become more open to experimenting with and embracing new technologies since starting at Simmons. All new GSLIS students are required to take a self-guided course called the Technology Orientation Requirement (TOR for short) during their first semester. The course takes you step by…
16 Great Library Scenes in Film
Posted January 24, 2013 by Katie Olivo
Check out this article about the author’s favorite library moments in film. My favorite line from it is this: “See what happens when you cut back on library staffing? You risk Voldemort taking over.” Enjoy!!
A Change for the Better
Posted January 23, 2013 by Julie Steenson
One year ago, I started the GSLIS program worrying about catching up on technology and the laundry, and filled with both anticipation and anxiety about going back to school. It seems like a long time ago. I am not the same person I was last January. Where there was fear, there is now confidence. As a future student considering our program, the question you need to ask is, “What happened?” What transformed me from a forty-something who was afraid to get into the car on that very first day of grad school into a confident and comfortable graduate student who embraces challenges and seeks out new professional experiences? The Faculty I have been fortunate to have great faculty who have treated me as a fellow librarian regardless of how many credits or how much experience I had. Rather than being intimidating authority figures or haughty experts, they are respectful colleagues. They have helped me to grow, acknowledging that we all come to librarianship from different places. They have encouraged me to step far outside…