Work Experience
Posted February 19, 2012 by Danielle Geller
If I were applying to an MLIS graduate program today instead of a year ago, there is one major thing I would have done differently: I would have tried to get more related work experience before starting my classes. Its not as if I feel behind in my classes or am having trouble keeping up, but it would definitely have given me more applicable skills to help me in not only finding an internship, but also working in my 438 internship. There are a lot of great volunteer experiences available, too. Unfortunately, many historical societies and repositories run on very limited budgets, and they might not have the funds or the staff to complete all the projects they want (or even need) to complete. Im talking specifically about archives, but many local libraries are looking for volunteers, too. Even the National Archives of the United States has an active call for volunteers open: http://www.archives.gov/careers/volunteering/ I know from experience that juggling work (to pay for rent and food), your social life, and side projects can be difficult…
The wonders of LISSA
Posted February 19, 2012 by Maya Bery
One of the many nuggets of useful information I received at new student orientation in July 2010 was the way the LISSA officers kept reminding us of the fact that each GSLIS student receives an allotted amount of money for professional development each year. As long as you fall within the yearly limit, LISSA will reimburse 75% of the cost of any professional development-related activity. What really stood out to me however, was the fact that the LISSA officers stressed how few people took advantage of this opportunity each year. To which I say, GSLIS community, what gives?! The LISSA reimbursement is the ideal tool for the broke graduate student hungry for professional development (which unfortunately costs money). While I don’t want to comment on the specific rules for reimbursement, I do want to illustrate how the reimbursement has enriched me on a personal level. Last year, as an eager new GSLIS student, I duly signed up for ALA membership, and joined the two associations most relevant to my chosen path: AASL (the American Association…
How “The Outsiders” Happened
Posted February 16, 2012 by fox32
In 1988 Susan Eloise Hinton won the first ever Young Adult/School Library Author Achievement Award for The Outsiders. If you haven’t read it [What? You gotta be kidding me?? Chocolate cake for breakfast?? The best.] …then run don’t walk, and grab a copy.
Technology and the Newbie
Posted February 15, 2012 by Julie Steenson
Deciding to make a mid-life career change from mom/educator to librarian came with many uncertainties. Was I too old? Would I be able to catch up on all the technology that I hadnt used over the last few years? What are the differences between Blended, Online, and Face-to-face classes and how would I choose? When would I do the laundry? I had an opportunity that allowed me to begin as a full-time student so I quit my job as a nanny, started volunteering at my local library, and jumped in. I live two and a half hours from both Boston and West campuses, so I opted for one online class, and two West campus classes – one blended and one face-to-face. By trying all three learning approaches, I will figure out early in my student career the pros and cons of each. The laundry question is still being addressed but no, I am not too old, and the technology wasnt quite as scary as I first imagined, but be forewarned, you cannot avoid it. Being a…
Why I Chose Simmons College GSLIS: Archives Management/History
Posted February 14, 2012 by dunhame
Ive been in somewhat of a self-reflective mood lately, which is convenient since its time for my first post on the GSLIS Admissions Blog! With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, I have not had much of an opportunity to step back and think about all that has brought me to Boston and Simmons College. Its hard to believe that just a year ago I was in Kirksville, Missouri anxiously waiting to hear back from the handful of library programs I applied to. Ill never forget how excited I was the day I got my letter from Simmons College GSLIS. Im almost positive this is exactly how I reacted: Except imagine the inside of an apartment rather than a beautiful, open field.
Why I Am Here
Posted February 13, 2012 by Sarah Barton
Since this is my very first post (yay!), let me tell you why I am at Simmons GSLIS. I love libraries. I love what they are, what they stand for, and what they provide for their communities. I have never worked in a library, but pursuing a library degree just felt right. So here I am. On my first day of class, the professor asked who wants to work in a library after graduation. No one’s hand went up. If the professor hadn’t called my name from the list at the beginning of class, I would have thought I was mistakenly in the wrong classroom. In reality, my mistake was thinking about a library degree superficially. Thinking that everyone in GSLIS wants to work in a traditional library setting. When I started here, I thought I wanted to do reference. I have not abandoned that idea, but it has been pushed down the list. I could do something in publishing, digital media, news librarianship, or even wine librarianship. (Yes, that does exist.) So, when thinking…
The Internship Hunt
Posted February 11, 2012 by Danielle Geller
One fantastic aspect of the GSLIS program at Simmons College is the internship provision: over the course of your graduate career, Simmons helps to place you with two archival internships. I have an interview scheduled with the Cambridge Historical Society next week to discuss the possibility of me working on one of their cataloguing projects, which Im looking forward to! However, my internship hunt hasnt ended there. While I have the option to take classes over the summer, Ive been looking into a lot of really exciting internship possibilities at places like the Cultural Resources Center of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian AND (this is exciting on an entirely different level) with the Digital Media Assets team at Blizzard Entertainment. In the application process, I decided to head over to the Career Education Center at Simmons for help with my resume and cover letters.
SLT Practicum
Posted February 10, 2012 by Maya Bery
It’s only a month into the new semester, but for those of us in the school library teacher (SLT) program, we’re already looking forward to August and September. Our wonderful advisor, Dr. Fran Zilonis, has already wrapped up meetings with all students planning to undertake a practicum experience in the fall to let us know about deadlines and offer advice in choosing a site. The practicum experience is the capstone of the SLT program, and is required by the Commonwealth for our teaching licenses upon graduation. Each SLTP student does two practicum experiences – one at the elementary level (k-5 or k-8), and one at the middle or high school level (6-8 or 9-12). There are two hundred hours of work required in total, which are done under the supervision of a licensed library teacher at dozens of schools across the greater Boston area (students who attend GSLIS West do their practicum experiences in western Massachusetts, generally). What this means is that the great scramble to find practicum sites has officially begun.
A look at an updated library symbol
Posted February 9, 2012 by fox32
Library design consultant Aaron Schmidt has designed this alternate symbol for libraries, rather than the currently used “lone reader” (which while simple and striking, does present a potentially negative, isolationist attitude). He notes, “Theres still room for solitary reading, sure. But theres more going on. There are people. Not only do we need to think of our institutions in these terms, we need to convince the public to think of us like this too. Otherwise, more libraries will turn into kiosks.” I like it. I had never clocked that the older symbol represented an L have to admit…
my archives internship
Posted February 2, 2012 by fox32
I recently had the opportunity to complete an 8 week internship in the William Munroe Special Collections that is housed downstairs in the Concord Free Public Library (left) in Concord, MA. Open to the public btw, but if you have an idea of what you are looking for I recommend you communicate in advance with the energetic and straight-talking curator Leslie Wilson. Quick note to the uninitiated; Concord and its residents were closely involved with pre- and post-American Revolutionary history (18thC), and was also a seat for the Transcendentalist movement of the 19thC (Thoreau, Emerson et al.), and much more. It is chockablock with history. Has history coming out of its ears…