A Checklist for the Perfect Coffee Shop
Posted September 18, 2015 by Katie Caskey
Being from Minnesota, I do not handle the heat well. Give me -40 degrees and I am perfectly capable of layering up and venturing out into the tundra, but when it’s hot, as it has been here the last few weeks, I find my energy and motivation slowly wilting away. So, when last week saw the emergence of the pumpkin spice latte at various coffee shops around the city, I was ecstatic because I knew it could only mean one thing…fall is near! Any literature or library student worth their salt knows the importance of finding the perfect coffee shop. It provides the necessary atmosphere for contemplative writing, critical reading, and people watching when you Just. Can’t. Read. One. More. Article. But what exactly makes for the perfect coffee shop? When I first came to Boston, I set out to find my regular study spot but found it difficult to narrow down my search, given the enormous selection around the city. I will include my checklist of must-haves here, for those of you new to…
I Can’t Use GPS
Posted September 17, 2015 by Tara Pealer
I got lost this week. I mean, technically, since I have my phone on me 24/7, I wasn’t really lost, but I was doing a really good impression of it. I moved to Boston to start the fall semester a few weeks ago, so I haven’t gotten the hang of the city yet. I was running…not late, exactly, but there was some kind of issue affecting the E line, so I got off at Hynes. My best friend, on days she wanted to walk, would get off there. She and I had walked that way once, and she had shown me some of her favorite sites on the route. I had planned to be about an hour early anyway–no big issue if I took a walk, right? The walk would hardly add fifteen minutes to my commute. I got out of the Hynes stop and got lost immediately. At first, I went the wrong direction. Twice. Then, after consulting my GPS, I realized I had no clue where I was, since my phone was taking…
Trivia Night at Thornton’s
Posted September 16, 2015 by Jill Silverberg
Last Friday night I attended the trivia event that was hosted by ASIS&T, ALA, LISSA, Panopticon, PLG, SCoSAA, SCIRRT, SLA, and Spectra. Considering the number of student organizations that were involved with making trivia night possible, I think we should really be calling it a super event. I’m not certain how often the SLIS student organizations come together to collaborate on putting together big events like this but I hope that they do more of them in the near future. For those who have never been, Thornton’s Fenway Grill is located on the opposite side of the Emerald Necklace from Simmons, on Peterborough Street. It is conveniently located on a strip of businesses that almost all specialize in food. By the time a friend and I arrived at Thornton’s for trivia, the place was already jammed packed with students. Fortunately, I was able to snag one of the few remaining seats at a table of friends. After ordering a round of drinks (the place was featuring a $5 Blue Shark drink that we all couldn’t ignore), we…
Nope, Not in a Routine Yet
Posted September 15, 2015 by Alison Mitchell
It’s technically the third week of classes at SLIS, and I am definitely not in a routine yet. My kids are only in their first full week of school and gymnastics, so I’m not completely clear about their rhythm, which means I’m also not completely clear about my rhythm. I’m taking two classes — 481, Children’s Collections, which meets Thursday evenings (my first evening class!), and 407, Reference, which I’m taking online and has significant work due every Tuesday night. Because of some one-time scheduling issues, I’m a bit behind this week — I’m not the type who enjoys doing work due Tuesday on Tuesday, but that’s what’s happening right now! Hopefully I’ll get it all straightened out this week, and by next week be on a better schedule for schoolwork. And I have full confidence that the kids will get themselves straightened out. They have excellent teachers, love their classrooms and enjoy gymnastics, so as long as I get them where they need to be when they need to be there, with snacks, we…
Non-Library People Logic
Posted September 10, 2015 by Jill Silverberg
So here’s a funny story: last week while I was working at the reference desk at a medical and pharmaceutical college, a group of students approached me with a question. Normally the sort of questions that I get asked usually pertain to one of two subjects: ready reference such as location of bathrooms or the color printers OR questions related to one of the college’s many databases. This question was not related to either. Instead, the student wanted to know if I could apply my reference skills to help her track down not a book or an article but… *drum roll* A GUY SHE FOUND ON TINDER I really wish that this was just some made up anecdote. Want to know my reaction? Needless to say that this reference interview didn’t last particularly long. After the student and her friends walked away, I was left wondering why exactly she thought that I would be the person best suited for the task of semi-stalking some stranger. This encounter, coupled with things I experienced way back when I…
Back to School
Posted September 9, 2015 by Alison Mitchell
It’s September, which means it’s back-to-school time. And in my family, three of the four of us return to school (my husband continues on as a lawyer, without the seasonal changes of second grade, fourth grade or library school). Last year, my daughters and I all started on the same day, and it was kind of crazy. This year, we start at different times, and it’s still kind of crazy. That’s the way it is, I’ve learned, when you’re both a parent and a student. I know what to expect this year, though, and that will make things so much easier. I know that my classes will be a lot of work, but that the work will all get done. I know there will be times that I really need to work on something for school, but a family matter will take precedence (and that the work will still get done). I know that I will feel older than my classmates (because I am), but that there are other SLIS students who are parents and…
Welcome to the Beginning (for new students) of the End (for me)
Posted September 3, 2015 by Jill Silverberg
Welcome to the Beginning (for new students) of the End (for me) Yesterday I experienced something entirely new. For the first time since starting college, I did not have to endure an entire day of moving all of my stuff from one place and unpacking it at another. For those of you who have never had to undergo the ordeal of September 1st AKA Boston’s largest moving day EVER, you are not really missing out on a life-changing experience. The only really fun part of the day is getting to meet your roommates -if you are meeting in person for the first time- and seeing what free stuff you can find abandoned on the side of the road. And while I may or may not have selfishly done a happy dance at the fact that I didn’t have to climb up and down stairs with boxes that weigh more than myself, I did take a moment to acknowledge the fact that Sept. 1st represented more than just the fact that Boston’s population just grew exponentially…
Vacation Library
Posted August 13, 2015 by Alison Mitchell
My family is on vacation, somewhere we go every summer, and when we’re here, we (of course) frequent the fabulous local public library. My kids love the children’s room — in addition to a great collection and lots of cozy places to read, it has a corner with a bookcase of board games, another corner with a bin of dress up clothes, and innovative programming. I love the friendly staff and collection that’s just different enough from our library at home to be interesting. I find it pretty hilarious to see how our borrowing changes while on vacation. The other day, my kids wanted a movie, and I said yes (at home, I definitely would have said no to Shrek the Halls in August). Last summer, I ended up checking out practically an entire shelf of DIY books, somehow inspired by being away from home (my talents run more to knitting and sewing — DIY never works out that well for me). We also get many books from the “local interest” section, something we don’t…
Age and Maturity
Posted August 11, 2015 by Hayley Botnen
It’s my birthday on the 14th. I’m turning 25. It feels weird. It’ll be my first birthday celebration without either my family or my best friend. I have friends to celebrate with. Awesome friends who I am so glad to have in my life. We’re going to the Museum of Science and then finding food somewhere. That is my birthday plan. Growing up, I loved throwing birthday parties. Having a birthday in the summer meant that it was hit-or-miss for whether people would be in town to show up, but it also meant that I could throw my party basically any day. I would spend all summer planning my birthday party. When I was in my late teens, I worked at the Fair in my hometown. It happened to fall on my birthday every year. So every year I would work on my birthday. I started a tradition for myself to get a caramel apple on my birthday. I don’t know where to get a caramel apple in Boston. It’s weird to grow-up. I don’t…
Future Librarian?
Posted July 28, 2015 by Alison Mitchell
Last week, my kids came to visit me at work. I think all kids get a huge thrill out of seeing where their parents spend time when they’re — gasp — not actually with the kids, but I really can’t imagine many better workplaces to visit a parent than the children’s department of a public library. The girls had a great time. My almost-7-year-old formed an immediate bond with one of our high school pages, and they had a lovely time reading Officer Buckle and Gloria together. Both girls went to Story Time, and even though it happened to be Toddler Story Time, they enjoyed the songs, books and craft project. They were happy, I was happy. It was a good visit. The best part of the visit, though, might be the fact that my 9-year-old organized the library’s entire Erin Hunter collection. She arranged the books by category (Warriors, Seekers, Survivors), then subsection (Dawn of the Clans, Omen of the Stars, etc.), and then book order. For those of you who are not familiar…