Halfway There!
Posted October 24, 2018 by Sarah Callanan
Well, we’ve just about reached the halfway point in the semester! My fall class has certainly been keeping me busy. As I’ve said in previous posts, I’m taking LIS 488 (Technology for Information Professionals) this fall, and I’m taking it online. The last time I talked in detail about the class on this blog, it was still the beginning of the class, so we hadn’t really taken a deep dive into anything too computer-y. I thought I’d give you a quick update on how things are going since then as we have now reached the halfway point. I have learned how to code. I mean, I am still a beginner, but we’ve gone through units on HTML and CSS, and we’re starting JavaScript this week. The random strings of numbers and letters that make up the backbones of webpages actually means something to me now. As you may recall from previous posts, this was one of the things that made me nervous about taking this course. My mindset going in to this class was that…
If the Shoe Fits!
Posted October 23, 2018 by Katie Carlson
This past Friday, I had the awesome experience of touring both the Reebok archives and America’s Test Kitchen. Check out next week’s blog for ATK! At Reebok I was given a fun looking ID badge that identified me as a guest of Stephanie Schaff, Archive Coordinator, who graduated from Simmons in 2015. She showed us around Reebok’s new digs in the Innovative and Design Building on Drydock Ave. The work area was entirely encased in glass, and we were told that desks are first come, first served. After touring the general building, we entered the actual archive. The space was decked out in white, with sketches displayed across the tables, cases of brightly colored shoes, and a fair amount of moveable stacks. I was very excited to be able to hold the oldest shoe in the collection (forgive me, Stephanie, but I forgot the exact date) which featured spikes that were caked with century old dirt — which is a testament to how well the archive treats its items! I ALSO was able to hold…
Decision Time!!
Posted October 22, 2018 by Megan Ondricek
The spring 2019 course schedule dropped this week and I was all over it like frost on a windshield. It is time to plan out my last semester of Simmons, folks! The finish line is in sight! The summit has emerged from the mist! Registration won’t open for another few weeks so I’ve got some time to make a game plan. Now that I know what courses will be offered I can chart the rest of my program to the very end. It’s a weird – and liberating – feeling. Basically it’s time to decide whether I’ll complete the archives concentration or veer off to the general track. Either way, I’ll have an MLIS. If I decide to stick with the archives concentration then my spring schedule is locked in: I’ll have to take LIS 439-Preservation and LIS 442-Establishing Archival Programs. Both are being offered face-to-face at SLIS West. In fact, preservation is scheduled as a two-week long “crash course.” Class will be held from 9-4 Thursday – Saturday two weeks in a row. Because…
The First 100 Days – Guest Blogger – Hanna Soltys, ’17
Posted October 19, 2018 by Lindsey Clarke
Hi Everyone, Please join me in welcoming our one time, guest blogger Hanna Soltys! She recently had the most exciting opportunity at the Library of Congress. Bio: Hanna Soltys ’17 MS, Archives Management is one of five in the Library of Congress’s pilot Librarians-in-Residence Program. She was placed in the Reference & Instruction track, within the Prints & Photographs Division, and began her six-month appointment in late June 2018. The First 100 Days As a Librarian-in-Residence at the Library of Congress Since I’m now in DC, it only feels right to reflect on my First 100 Days. Let’s be real, a residence program at an institution such as this is intimidating. The anxiety and doubt bubbled up as that plane took off from Logan Airport with just my luggage in tow. Though from Day One, I quickly saw how Simmons and my experiences throughout Boston had prepared me for this program. The work I completed with Simmons students and former professor Martha Mahard in the Boston Public Library’s Prints Department ensured I wasn’t too green coming…
A Whirlwind of Activity
Posted October 17, 2018 by Sarah Callanan
Oh my goodness the past two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity! So many things have happened! I flew to North Carolina to be a bridesmaid in a good friend’s wedding, which was very exciting. I have been to several weddings, especially in the past year, but I’ve never actually participated in one, so it was a new experience for me. I was so thrilled for the couple, I’ve known the bride for ten years and she is one of my best friends, and it was my first time back to North Carolina since I’ve started at Simmons. I completely forgot how hot it is in October in North Carolina! It was about 90 degrees and extremely humid every single day I was there. Additionally, while I was at the wedding, I met someone who was considering pursuing their Master’s in Library and Information Science. It’s really funny, at the past three weddings I’ve been to, I’ve either met someone who has gone to Simmons SLIS, someone who works in the LIS field, or…
Starting Strong and Staying Strong
Posted October 16, 2018 by Maria Reilova
A little over a month into my first semester of grad school and, oh boy, what a whirlwind! From really nailing down my commute in from Brighton, (never thought I’d be team bus over T) to learning how to layer (someone please teach how to scarf) so as not to over heat during said commute, these past weeks have been quite the experience. But enough about my struggles over the weather, let’s talk classes. For my first semester, I chose to take the 3 core courses to get them out of the way before the snow hits too hard and I lose all motivation to leave my bed. This means that I’m enrolled in 407-Information Sources & Services, 415-Information Organization, and 488-Technology for Information Professionals. I was warned by my advisor before the semester that this course load would be tough with a lot of reading and a lot of assignments. Personally, I always feel more energetic and refreshed Fall semester since it’s a new school year and you’re coming off from ideally a relaxing…
Learning about Learning (or rather, metalearning)
Posted October 11, 2018 by Megan Ondricek
I saw a mug in the bathroom at Mt. Holyoke on Saturday that said: “Anything you can do we can do meta” and I’ve been chuckling to myself ever since. You see, the prefix “meta-” is something I hadn’t really encountered before I came to library school and now I can’t seem to get away from it. Librarians love it (and we aren’t the only ones). I’m going to do you a solid today and tell you what meta means and then make up some words with it just for fun. The Google dictionary defines meta as “denoting something of a higher or second-order kind” but I actually like this one from Urban Dictionary better: “Meta means about the thing itself. It’s seeing the thing from a higher perspective instead of from within the thing, like being self-aware.” The example you’ll encounter most frequently in library school is metadata, which is essentially data about data. Right now in User Instruction we’ve been reading about metacognition, which is thinking about your own thinking. And since this…
Adding to the Team
Posted October 9, 2018 by Lindsey Clarke
Hello everyone! We’d like to introduce our second new student blogger –Maria Reilvoa! Here is her bio. Stay tuned for her first post…coming soon! Welcome Maria! Hello! My name Maria, I was born and raised in a small beach town on the east coast of Florida a little over an hour away from Orlando and yes we would take field trips to Disney growing up (also to Medieval Times, which is a personal favorite, it’s basically a year-round Renaissance festival-Huzzah!). But I am trading in hurricanes for nor’easters and ready to brave the winter wearing ever article of clothing I own! I am currently in my first semester at Simmons studying for my LIS degree with a concentration in cultural heritage informatics. My educational background is in Arts Administration and I love all things historical! Which is one of the reasons I wanted to attend Simmons in Boston. I’m eager to start exploring all the fun history Boston has to offer as well as all the great sights and eats (pastries from the north end,…
The Real Numbers for Moving to Boston
Posted October 5, 2018 by Katie Carlson
104 days to panic between graduation and move in 5 inquiries sent to potential roommates//landlords 4 rejections (some last minute) 1 perfect fit 10 pages of the world’s longest packing list — organized by room, and including a physical description of purchased objects 294.8 miles between home and home 2.0 1,000,000 anxious thoughts 2 red minivans packed to the brim, seats all folded down 4 hours and 58 minutes << the anticipated drive time 9 hours and 4 minutes << the actual drive time 1 crucial Dunkin’ stop 1 high school friend I duped into riding to Boston with me (thanks Alex!!!) 1 lovely girlfriend of the high school friend I duped into riding to Boston with me >> who also happens to be a Boston local 1 rolled IKEA queen size mattress 3 sets of too small bed sheets, purchased in a confused panic 1 set of sheets that actually FIT the bed 1 amazing past and future roommate, flying in from Kentucky 1 committed and supremely organized mother 2 air mattresses, 1 sleeping…
On Teaching
Posted October 4, 2018 by Megan Ondricek
It is always with a slight swell of pride that I tell people my dad is a college English professor. I’m not completely sure why; perhaps it’s because I see it as a noble profession. There’s also the fact that he followed his passion into his field and I think that’s what makes him so good at it. I’ve always wanted to emulate him in following my own passions, but I didn’t necessarily think that would mean teaching. Now that my mom has her master’s in teaching perhaps I should be wondering if teaching is in my blood. This semester with User Instruction I feel like I’m finally learning something about the “family business.” It may all be in the context of information literacy, but we’re still learning basic principles of instructional design, pedagogy, reflective practice, outcomes assessment, and learning theories. We’re also practicing our speaking and presenting skills. It’s something you might not have expected to find at library school but it has broad and exciting applications. On Saturday we had an assignment to…