Taking Care of Business
Posted February 28, 2015 by Alison Mitchell
So, the first half of this semester was a little unusual. I’m just thankful I didn’t take any Monday classes, because between snow days and holidays, they have only met once. How crazy is that? By the end of last semester I figured out that things worked best for me if I had big blocks of time for each part of my life. A day here for work, a day there for homework. From 3:15 – bedtime, all my focus was on the kids. Weekends were family time, unless there was a big assignment on the horizon, in which case I carved a few hours out of precious family time so I wasn’t freaking out. It was a little hard to keep to that schedule at the beginning of this semester, as I got used to the slightly different rhythm of an online class. Still, I was keeping a positive attitude and trying to figure out the best way to get things done. I mapped out the dates for all the group projects in…
3D Printing: A Nerd’s Fantasy Realized!
Posted February 27, 2015 by Jill Silverberg
Have you ever been online and saw something that you wanted? I’m sure the answer is yes, but how many times have you actually acted on that impulse? But what if the thing you wanted is something a bit bizarre? Like an Ocarina of Time? Or maybe you want your own House Crest from one of the Four Houses of Hogwarts? As a self-declared nerd, these items are merely just an example of things from various books and video games that I have wanted since I was a child. Of course, like most early twenty-somethings, I am not currently at a place in my life financially where I could justify buying these things. Thankfully, I don’t have to. When 3D printing was still a concept that one could only read about either online or in the newspapers, I thought it was the coolest things ever. I still do. However, I never thought that I would ever have the chance to see one up close, let alone 3D print something. On Newbury Street, there is a…
Ancestors & Acquisitions – My Genealogical Internship
Posted February 23, 2015 by Alexandra Bernson
There is such a difference between learning the theory behind everything we study here and actually putting those theories to good use. As I am currently enrolled in LIS438 (Introduction to Archives), I have the fortune of spending a few hours each week at the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston, Massachusetts. Before I go into my work there, I want to encourage all of you to visit the NEHGS. While my work there will definitely keep me busy, I plan on returning to this organization and looking into my own family tree. While parts of my family are very new to the United States, there is so much to discover and explore. The librarians, genealogists, and researchers that work at the institution from Tuesday to Saturday each week are incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and helpful. The society’s collections include published genealogies, manuscripts, maps, art… and not just from New England. One floor is dedicated to European materials, while their general reference and microfilm collections include materials from New York, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Midwest. …
Forced Fun and Productivity
Posted February 21, 2015 by Samantha Quiñon
Okay. So you’ve heard by now how much snow we’ve had in Boston. Living here, it’s hard to forget, but I’m trying. Everyone is trying. Here’s what I’ve been doing to make the time go by: School Work: Writing an XML schema Reading for classes Writing critiques of the aforementioned readings Gradually making a strategic plan for Emory University Archives for a group project Things Usually Procrastinate: Doing my taxes Filing my financial aid forms Laundry Cleaning stuff that will eventually get dirty again (i.e. everything) Writing thoughtful replies to e-mails (i.e. more than “Thanks” and “Will do”) Fun Distractions and Outings: Going to a Mexican food restaurant without windows to pretend I wasn’t in Boston Many movie nights (courtesy of DVDs from various libraries) Binge watching The Killing on Netflix Tweeting stuff no one cares about Perfecting the art of making warm cocktails (Hot Toddy anyone?) Reading Lisa Genova’s Still Alice (which is so good!) Somewhere in here I also managed to go to work and my internship after dealing with long commutes, but…
Dilemma
Posted February 20, 2015 by Alison Mitchell
Like many others, I was inspired by this Humans of New York story. It made me think about the impact teachers and principals can have, and, following that logic, public librarians in urban settings. When I applied to library school, I wrote part of my application essay on the need for quality library services for traditionally underserved populations. I want every child to have access to a great public library with materials and programming and technology and responsive librarians. I want to be one of those responsive librarians. Except that I work in a suburb with a decidedly not underserved population. Don’t get me wrong. I love my job and everything about it. But the other day, reading story after story about Mott Hall Bridges Academy and the inspiring Principal Lopez (and the even more inspiring Vidal Chastanet), I started to think that maybe I should be working in an urban library. Then, I saw a job listing for the same type of position I have now, but in an urban setting. I shouldn’t have…
Outsides and Insides
Posted February 19, 2015 by Hayley Botnen
Because of the snow, I had a hard time getting to the library these past couple weeks. Which is only unfortunate because I’m taking a picture book class which meets once a month, and in which we need to read 120 picture books. I was planning to check out about 10 a week, but when I missed a couple weeks, I ended up checking out about 30 picture books yesterday. I was mildly embarrassed simply because I don’t have any children, and, to a certain extent, I felt like I was taking away books from possible child readers. But then I reminded myself that the bookshelves were still full even after my two bags of books were removed. In really trying to give myself over to picture books, I noticed a few things about my preferences. I know my last post was also about picture books, but this is slightly more applicable to all books. I’ve said before that I’m terrible and I totally judge books by their covers. Well, in looking at picture books,…
Book Recommendation: The Map Thief
Posted February 16, 2015 by Alexandra Bernson
Despite cancelled classes due to Boston’s clearly insane weather system, I’m sure all of you are deep into your classes and the last thing you need is a book recommendation. But I would be amiss if I did not share with you a great new book that I just finished and absolutely adored, not only because it is so well-written but primarily because it is incredibly relevant to contemporary libraries, archives, and special collections. http://www.michaelblanding.com/mapthief/ The Map Thief by Michael Blanding is made only more intriguing by the scandalous subtitle: “The Gripping Story of an Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps.” The story seems out of the plot of some sort of period film, but all took place within the last decade. Forbes Smiley, a Massachusetts native, entered the rare map trade in the 1980s when map collecting was just becoming popular. He loved the history and artistry of the maps and often worked closely with librarians at major universities as he was researching maps for potential collectors. He was instrumental in…
An Open Letter to Snow
Posted February 15, 2015 by Jill Silverberg
Dear Snow, You have been very busy these past two months, my dear friend. Since the end of January, not a week has passed where you haven’t unleashed yourself upon the city of Boston. I wonder, is this perhaps retaliation of some kind because the meteorologists were predicting a mild winter? Or perhaps, you simply enjoy covering Boston in your snowy blankets, changing the city into a winter wonderland? Whatever your motivation for delivering snow storm after snow storm upon my beloved city of Boston, I write to you today, as strong winds howl outside my apartment creating clouds of white, to ask you for leniency. Enough is enough. Please, can we not have anymore snow? I am fully aware that writing this plea to you is most likely folly, but with 45.5 inches of snow as today (according to CNN.com), a plea such as this can’t hurt. And yes, that’s right: 45.5 inches. That’s a lot of snow, especially in such a short amount of time. Let me list a just a few of…
Blizzard Books
Posted February 14, 2015 by Samantha Quiñon
If you are inclined to get carried away with the spirit of Snowmageddon 2015, below I offer you suggestions for books to read while you’re hunkered down in this mess or while you’re hearing about it on the news from far away (lucky you!). In retrospect, perhaps I should have complied a list of beach reads instead. Oh well. Here it goes: Blankets by Craig Thomason- The black and white artwork in this graphic novel makes the snow it depicts intense in contrast with the rest of the drawings. Set in the 90s during a heavy winter in the Midwest, this tale of young love will make you want to snuggle with someone to keep warm. https://mirrorsofchrist.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/44-blankets-by-craig-thompson/ Simila’s Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg- Secrets wait beneath the ice in this dark crime thriller that takes place in Denmark and Greenland. Simila, the protagonist, will make you re-consider the very structure of snow itself and all the trails you leave behind in it as she tracks down a child’s murderer. Snowpiercer (both volumes) by Jaques…
Picture Books and Graphic Novels
Posted February 5, 2015 by Hayley Botnen
Picture Books. At some point in our lives, we’re all told that we need to move on. We need to read “at our age level”, whatever that means. As a future children’s librarian, I’m required to take two different classes centered solely on the picture book. So why do we encourage young readers to move beyond such amazing and poignant book forms? Picture books can be a lot of different things. There can be no words (but still have a very meaningful story). There can be a lot of words (have you ever looked at illustrated fairytales? sometimes those have a lot of words!). But one thing we’re usually taught as we grow up is that picture books and graphic novels are totally different forms. Usually we’re taught that in high school by someone who reads graphic novels or maybe by teachers who are open to graphic novels as a form. The ALA Youth Media Awards kind of brought the question of graphic novels to the foreground. First of all, congratulations to all the winners…