A Christmas Gift for All the Bibliophiles on Your List
Posted December 4, 2015 by Katie Caskey
In some ways, book lovers are the easiest people to buy a gift for. If all else fails, they will always be ecstatic to unwrap a new book. But wading through the infinite pool of possibilities to choose the perfect book (or book-related item) can be daunting at best. Enter this gift guide, complete with the best tried and tested book and gift options around! So before you head to the store this season, arm yourself with this list…and some sort of caffeinated beverage…and prepare to win at your holiday shopping this season! For the traditional book lover… In our glitzy, shiny, high-tech world, there are still those who love the dusty smell of an old book, love to crack open the binding and feel the coarse paper between their fingers. For the traditionalist on your list, steer clear of the chain stores with their e-readers and their paperback-filled shelves. Instead, visit your local used book store and hunt the racks for a hidden treasure. Maybe you’ll find an early edition of…
6 Assignments in 12 Days: The Final Two Weeks
Posted December 3, 2015 by Tara Pealer
For those wondering, I did win NaNoWriMo. I’m currently in the final throes of the semester, with a LibGuide, a presentation, a homework assignment, 2 discussion posts, 2 annotated bibliographies, and a five-minute instruction session standing between break and me. It’s a lot of work, but I’m sure if I focus and crack down, I’ll get everything done without being stressed. So, of course, this weekend I’ve made plans to go to the Boston Public Library Book Sale and go Christmas shopping. I’m sitting in the SLIS lab co-working right now, and trying to not stare outside at the Simmons Green Cupola against the brilliant sky blue background. With winter break fighting its way toward us, and the end of the semester nigh, I have to keep reminding myself to focus on completing tasks and paying attention to the present here and now. Here are some of my tips for refocusing attention from ‘four weeks of no school’ to ‘6 assignments and 12 days left to get everything done’. Co-working An extensive rewards system, i.e: ten minutes…
My Disney Rant
Posted December 2, 2015 by Jill Silverberg
*I want to preface that the topic discussed in the following blog post is something that is near and dear to my heart. The thoughts and opinions that follow are not meant to insult anyone. Please enjoy the oncoming rant. Thank you.* Dear Disney, Remember the good ‘ol days when you were known for creating stunning works of animation and beautiful stories? Remember all the colorful characters and memorable songs that have become, for many, wonderful pieces of childhood nostalgia? Well I remember those days. In fact it wasn’t too long ago that your studio produced what many argue to be one of the best Disney films in years. I’m sure you know the one that I am talking about. It’s the one with that extremely catchy song that kind of sort of hasn’t totally gone out of the public conscious. Oh I remember what it was called. FROZEN!!!!!!!! Considering that this little blockbuster of yours has earned $1.219 billion at the box office, I was kind of shocked to read that in the coming years, your…
Dreaming of December Reading
Posted November 24, 2015 by Alexandra Bernson
While free time and sleep are definitely high on my list of “Things I can’t wait to have once this semester is over,” the top of that list is “reading for pleasure.” I’ve been trying to sneak books in during slow weeks where presentations and projects and papers aren’t due, when there are only a few scholarly articles to read, but I can’t wait to dedicate some good time to my armchair, curled up with one of the many books I’ve put on hold at the BPL. In honor of this upcoming pleasure reading, I’ve included some of my favorite books that I’ve read recently in hope that you will recommend some of your recent favorites to me! Feel free to comment or email me with any suggestions! “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/91lUeBR2G1L.jpg I see the words “murder mystery” and I’m a goner. Sadly, sometimes these grisly tales are poorly written, super predictable, or completely impractical: but this novel is none of these things. Plus, as a frequent rider of the…
Blogs: The Perfect Remedy to Academic Article Overload
Posted November 23, 2015 by Katie Caskey
I know that as grad students, we are never in short supply of something to read. Between class work, research, any reading for the plethora of part-time jobs and internships we take on, and just trying to keep up with the latest work coming out in our particular field, it is truly surprising that our eyes don’t just go on strike and refuse to read one more word! But if, by some miracle, you should find yourself in need of something to read, might I suggest exploring the vast world of the blogosphere? With writing of every skill-level on every topic imaginable, there is no shortage of 500-word snippets to tempt any literary palette. I know the selection pool can seem overwhelming, so allow me to suggest a few of my personal favorites to get you started. In no particular order, here they are… Anita Silvey’s Children’s Book-A-Day Almanac Link: http://childrensbookalmanac.com/ This blog is perfect for a librarian in search of a book for read-aloud time, a parent browsing for a new book for their…
Librarianship as Emotional Labor
Posted November 21, 2015 by Amy Wilson
This post is a little different from my previous ones – basically, I want to gather my thoughts on a topic that I recently read about. Rose Hackman wrote an article earlier this month for The Guardian, arguing that emotional labor is the next frontier of feminism. Emotional labor refers to the type of work that count on “service with a smile,” and historically there has been a “positive bias” toward women in these roles. Hackman also argues that it is work that is not accounted for in wages. “The way I think of emotional labor goes as follows: there are certain jobs where it’s a requirement, where there is no training provided, and where there’s a positive bias towards certain people – women – doing it. It’s also the kind of work that is denigrated by society at large.” The article does not mention librarianship, but I immediately thought of this profession, especially as it evolves away from the “shushing librarian” image and more toward positive user service interactions. Librarianship is an industry of knowledge,…
Inventorying the Boston Public Library’s Print Collection
Posted November 20, 2015 by Jill Silverberg
Since the beginning of October 2015, I have been part of a team that is currently working on inventorying the Boston Public Library’s print collection. The print collection, housed in the heart of the BPL, is massive and although considerable progress was made on inventorying the collection over the course of the summer, there is still a long way to go. Currently, my duties are split in two. On Mondays, I spend my shift rifling through index cards (remember those?) and looking for duplicates. Sometimes there aren’t any (YAY!); but usually there are a lot of them. For example, I am currently weaning out duplicates from a stack associated to the French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Without the duplicates, the collection of cards is about two-hundred and fifty. Multiply that number by 2. Talk about a lot of cards!!! As much fun as removing duplicate cards sound, Wednesdays are my personal favorite day of the week. That’s because on Wednesdays, I get to actually dig into the collection, open up boxes, see what’s hiding inside. Basically…
The Joys of Co-Working
Posted November 19, 2015 by Tara Pealer
“If you have a friend you like to spend time with, but also want them to have their dreams to come true, co-work. Accomplish your dreams together.”–Hannah Hart One of the biggest problems I find myself facing when I’m trying to complete schoolwork is the fact that I let myself decide that I’m not in the right mood to get anything done. I could be in a sleepy mood, and who wants to work then? Or I could be too awake to do work. Or none of the Spotify stations are playing music which I can get work done to. When I don’t ‘feel’ like getting work done, I can have a million and one excuses. Now, as a lot of people know, one of the fixes for this is to set up a space where you get work done. Now, I don’t know about anyone else, but, although I love my apartment, it’s small. My desk has a mix of school books, scarves and bills on it. It’s not, currently, a friendly workspace. Another,…
Pickles and PhDs
Posted November 13, 2015 by Amy Wilson
As I approach the end of this semester (my final assignments are due 12/3 and 12/8) I am feeling an increasing sense of urgency, but also a feeling of confidence. Part of this is likely due to the fact that I have a whole weekend ahead of me with no plans, except making pickles. I’ve never pickled anything so it should be an interesting journey. Anyway, it will be nice to make some real progress on my research this weekend. Last night I indulged in a night of crafting, Gilmore Girls, and no homework. I stitched initials onto some Christmas stockings that I bought for our apartment, and then started making a hat for my boyfriend. I learned how to knit from my old bosses in my job at the Saint Michael’s College library, Kristen and Naomi. It’s an unspoken law that librarians must learn to knit. I also have a cat, so I can check off that box too. Last weekend I came very close to being the owner of two cats, when I…
This Blogger’s Ranking of the Best Book-To-Movie Adaptations
Posted November 13, 2015 by Katie Caskey
With excitement building for the upcoming final installment of The Hunger Games film series, I got to thinking this week about other successful (and not so successful) book-to-movie adaptations. So here are my top five favorite movies that started as beloved books. ***NOTICE: I said MY top five. Agree, disagree, vehemently disagree…that’s fine. I’d love to hear your lists as well! My Regulations: I am only including films on the list that I have seen about books that I have read. Hence, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Twilight will not be making an appearance…cheer or grumble as you will. I am only including film adaptations of children’s books. I could go on and on about the plethora of Jane Austen movies (and I just might in one of these posts), but I have to narrow the field for this list. I am not including made-for-TV movies or miniseries. There are some wonderful creations out there, and it could even be argued that the miniseries is a better format for book adaptation as it…