Networking
Posted December 2, 2014 by Gemma Doyle
One thing I have not been very good at while at Simmons (and that I have mentioned here several times before) is networking. The idea of going up to a stranger in my field and talking about myself pretty much makes me break out in hives, and I know I’m not the only person who reacts that way. The unfortunate part is that networking, especially in the libraries and archives spheres, is a huge career booster, and the sort of thing that you pretty much need to know how to do, no matter how much you might hate it. Our NEA mentoring group recently talked about ways to network at our last meeting, and there were some concrete suggestions on ways to do it that I think are a little less unpleasant than having to make awkward small talk with complete strangers. Here are some of them: Join professional organizations like New England Archivists, Society of American Archivists, the American Library Association, etc. Once you do, join the professional discussion lists, like NEA Discuss, the…
Just in time for the holidays – Volunteering at PBP
Posted November 24, 2014 by Alexandra Bernson
I love volunteering, but I never know what exactly I can do. I know I’m not qualified to be building anything, or cooking anything in mass quantities. But recently, a fellow classmate advertised the opportunity to volunteer at the Prison Book Program, a local organization in Quincy, Massachusetts easily accessible on the Red Line. I jumped at the chance, and spent several hours there last Thursday. Located in the basement of the historic United First Parish Church (where John Adams, Abigail Adams, and John Quincy Adams are buried), the Prison Book Program sends out hundreds if not thousands of books to prisoners in United States penitentiaries and correctional facilities. According to their website, PBP does what it does because they believe that “books are crucial to the political, spiritual, and educational development of all people… In a time of cuts in educational programs for prisons, we serve a vital purpose.” All of the books and packing materials are donated to this organization, but the cost of shipping is expensive. Among the PBP’s new and used…
The Rainbow Fairies
Posted November 23, 2014 by Alison Mitchell
I can’t believe I am about to say this, but… I don’t hate the Rainbow Fairies. The completely formulaic chapter book series centers on two tween girls, Rachel and Kirstie, who become friends with fairies. There are about 150 books total, broken into themed sets of seven. In each set, Rachel and Kirstie have to help the fairies solve a problem before Evil Jack Frost and his Goblins mess things up forever (forever! It’s very dramatic!). Aside from the theme, each book is essentially the same. Kids love these books. LOVE. Parents hate these books. HATE. I have been known to say that reading these books is like sticking a fork in your eye, but they actually have some redeeming qualities. Rachel and Kirstie are best friends. They totally have each other’s back in all sorts of weird (yet repetitive) situations and circumstances. Being friends is important to them — so important, that in one book, when they start fighting, they realize that Evil Jack Frost must be up to No Good. The girls outwit…
The Next Step
Posted November 22, 2014 by Samantha Quiñon
I’m still mired down in final projects and papers, so it while it feels like last week moved very slowly, I oddly remember very little of it. One momentous thing does stand out, however. Remember a few weeks ago when I contemplating switching out of the Archives program only to decide to stay in it? Well, this week I ended up switching out of it after all. That’s right– I’m on the general track now! It’s scary to change the course of my life and career like this, and a little sad too. These feelings are understandable, because I’m giving something up, but that change also allows me to make room for something that’s a better fit for me. Ultimately, my decision came down to where I saw myself being happier to work every day. During my internship at the Emerson College Digital Archives, I realized how much I missed working, serving, and interacting with people. I have a strong background in hospitality. Actually, I thought it traumatized me and scared me away from wanting…
NBA All-Stars
Posted November 20, 2014 by Hayley Botnen
NBA in this case is not basketball. It’s the National Book Awards which were held last night. I have a lot of interest in the National Book Awards. More specifically, I have a lot of interest in the Young People’s Literature category of the National Book Awards. This year, I am thrilled to share the winner was Brown Girl Dreaming, Jacqueline Woodson’s memoir of growing up in the 1960s and 1970s between South Carolina and New York. This win is particularly exciting if you follow the We Need Diverse Books movement. Basically, the We Need Diverse Books movement is a grassroots campaign to get more diverse books published and out to readers. What are diverse books? According to the WNDB mission statement, “We recognize all diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities.” This year’s short list for the National Book Award included some aspect of diversity in every book. That’s amazing! Kathleen T. Horning wrote a stellar article about the…
An Evening with SCoSAA
Posted November 19, 2014 by Jill Silverberg
With the final weeks of the fall semester just around the corner, life has been a bit hectic around here. In between the reading, papers, and projects that I need to do for all three of my classes, finding time to relax has become somewhat of an afterthought, at least for me. However, every now and then, an event on campus catches my eye, something that despite how busy I am, I want to try and find time to attend. Well, last week, I found out from a classmate that SCoSSA (the Student Chapter of the Society of American Archivists) was going to be hosting a panel discussion on the topic of community and social justice archives. With guest speakers from Northeastern, Brandeis, and Simmons, the event, which was held last night, would focus on discussing the challenges and considerations connected to community and social records and the responsibilities and decisions of the archives and archivists to handle them. Considering that 1). I only live about ten minutes away from campus, 2). this was a…
Local Bookstore of the Week
Posted November 17, 2014 by Alexandra Bernson
Like the good librarian stereotype that I am, I left my two cats to visit David’sTEA (probably while wearing a cardigan) last Saturday when I stumbled upon Commonwealth Books in downtown Boston. Right off the Freedom Trail, between the Old State House and the Old South Meeting house, this seemingly little bookshop is not little at all! I had no idea that this bookstore existed until I noticed their covert sign pointing down the narrow alley to the shop’s front door. When I first moved to Boston, I had searched for local bookstores and hadn’t seen this particular shop listed in Google Maps or in the many “Best Bookstores in Boston” lists online. This bookstore might just be another great Boston secret. At first glance, Commonwealth Books appears to be just another used book store a la Brattle Book Shop (another great shop near the Boston Common, if you’re looking). But take a few more steps inside their wooden store front and you’ll notice an amazing selection of antiquarian items, including rows of old prints,…
Since I started library school…
Posted November 16, 2014 by Alison Mitchell
I’ve noticed that since I started library school, people have been posting an increasing number of library-related things on my Facebook page. People just like libraries, I guess. When I was a lawyer, no one posted legal jokes on my Facebook page (actually, Facebook didn’t exist when I went to law school). Still, librarians are way more popular than lawyers, even with the whole librarian “shhhh” reputation. Anyway, here’s a sampling of things friends have posted for me. 12 Children’s Books with Non-Princess Female Protagonists This type of list is big in the circles I run in, and now that I’m in library school, many of my friends think I’ve automatically read all of them. I haven’t, and I’m always thrilled to learn of another book that fits in this category. The Librarians TV Show I don’t actually know much about this — a TV show about superhero librarians? Sounds good to me! It premiers on December 7 — I’ll set the DVR now. What Do You Do, Dear? My librarian crush. I wrote…
The Home Stretch
Posted November 15, 2014 by Samantha Quiñon
Classes end the first or second week of December (depending on whether or not the class started in the first or second week of September). This generally means that SLIS students are working on a final project for every class right about now. This isn’t like undergrad. There is no big final examination. It’s intense. For one class I have to build a working website with five HTML pages and use CSS manipulation, which I’m sure is no big deal for some people, but it’s a huge deal for me. For another class (Reference), I have to work with a group of four other people to create a 40-minute tutorial for a medical database called PubMed. I’m gearing up by watching video guides that PubMed currently has posted on its website. The shortest one is an hour, and it covers just one aspect of the site. It’s going to be interesting to see how we condense all of this information into a manageable, cogent presentation. I also have a literature review due for my archives…
Interviews
Posted November 11, 2014 by Gemma Doyle
I’ve had a few job interviews in the last couple of weeks, and I have another big one coming up soon (so cross your fingers for me, if you would), so it seems like I’ve been interview prepping for months now. I’ve probably had a hundred or so interviews in my life, so I’ve got the general idea of them down pat, but every one is different, so there’s always (for me) something to be nervous about. (Being so nervous in important interviews is definitely something I do, to the point where my mind goes blank. It’s an issue.) The main thing to remember is this: no one likes interviews. Not the interviewee, who is usually at least somewhat stressed and under pressure, and not the interviewer, who isn’t under the same pressure but is still in the awkward position of having to ask questions of someone who is. My worst interview ever was with a library in Massachusetts that quizzed me on Library of Congress call numbers and then made me to a skills…