Baking Fun!
Posted October 19, 2013 by Jill Silverberg
If you haven’t noticed, we are already more than halfway through pumpkin month! It is kind of hard to believe that October is nearly over, meaning that I’ve already been a student at Simmons for two months. Time certainly flies when one is busy at work with their studies. But between learning about MARC, RDA, AACR2, and how to create a finding aid, one needs a little time to unwind. Well, considering that I love to bake and it is almost Halloween, I decided to take some time off between writing papers and MARC to try my hand at something new. Whoopie pies are something that I have known about for a long time but have never had an opportunity to make. Well, this past week I decided to take a break and try something new. Well, the whoopies pies I ended up baking turned out to be not only phenomenal but super easy to make. So the next time you feel like taking a study break, give this recipe a try. The results are…
That Time Already?
Posted October 18, 2013 by Emily Boyd
It’s hard to believe, but yes, this week I chose my courses for the spring semester! My new classes don’t start for nearly three months but I’m sure that will go by in the blink of an eye. I did not sign up for any online courses but who knows if that will change in the coming months. While looking through past course evaluations to determine which professor might be the best for the dreaded and difficult LIS 415 Information Organization, aka Cataloging, I got some great advice from the all knowing Student Services Manager Richard Gates. Prior to Wednesday I had never interacted with Richard other than reading his many emails providing students with crucial information about course registration and events on campus. He is such a wealth of knowledge and I gladly accepted his advice about potential courses and professors. Once again I was reminded how different my graduate school experience has been compared with my undergraduate. At Simmons it seems like there is always someone available to help, from advisors to professors…
Entry-level Expectancies
Posted October 14, 2013 by Sarah Barton
I spent some time with my brother on Sunday afternoon, and we were talking about school, jobs, life, and all that fun stuff. My brother just turned 22 and will graduate college in May. He must be living the life, right? One and a half more semesters of partying, hanging out with friends, partying, sleeping in, and partying. I can assure you that he has the partying part covered, but what is creeping closer and closer to the forefront of his mind is getting a job. Ugh…total buzz kill. The good news is that my brother is way ahead of where I was at this point during my senior year of college. He acknowledged that he isn’t sure what he wants to do, and said he’s having a hard time finding “entry-level” positions. (My response: Do those even exist anymore?) Compare that to when I was 22 and about to graduate college: I was positive that I wanted to go into publishing, and getting a job would be no problem. I could not have been…
Course Registration Jitters
Posted October 13, 2013 by Jill Silverberg
So it seems that it is already that time of the year again, that magical time when we the students are asked to pick our next round of classes for the following semester. During my undergrad years, course registration went something like this: at the end of October, the course list would be released and we would have about two or three weeks to figure out which courses we wanted to take. At Simmons, this process is a wee bit different. In the course of this upcoming week, not only will the official spring semester course list be released, but by Friday, I’ll officially be registered for the spring semester. Talk about covering a lot of ground in just five days! Although I, like my peers, do not know which courses will be offered this spring, I am thankful that I was able to sit down with my advisor to discuss registration. Fortunately, since I am still only in my first year, I still need to complete LIS 407. One class down, two to go. To…
Better than Thanksgiving or Christmas…It’s Registration Season!
Posted October 12, 2013 by Maggie Davidov
If you’re like me and you’re finding the Christmas fliers in your mailbox irritating, then I invite you to celebrate a new season: Registration! Yes, ’tis the season to be planning your future. What classes will you take, and with whom? Talking to friends and colleagues is a great way to get started but another option when checking out professors is look at their ratings. Ever wonder why we fill out those reviews in the tech lab at the end of every semester? It’s so people like you can say, “Hey, I’ve heard that Storytelling (LIS 423) is a hoot and a holler. Why shouldn’t I take that? It should be an easy A.” If you read the evalutations though I’m sure it would say the opposite. Storytelling is an intense class involving a lot of research and performance. I know this because I’m taking it, and I also reviewed the class in those handy binders outside the student lounge on the second floor of the Palace Road building before I took it. It is…
Long Weekend!
Posted October 11, 2013 by Emily Boyd
This semester started just over a month ago (although it feels like longer) and I’ve been going nonstop, this weekend it’s time for a break. Three of my closest friends from college are coming up to Vermont to enjoy the long Columbus Day weekend and I cannot wait for them to arrive! On Sunday we will be running in Harpoon Brewery’s Annual Oktoberfest Road Race and enjoying the festival afterwards. I am researching the Boston Beer Company (aka Sam Adams) for my Business Reference class so I can count sampling Harpoon beers as research, right? In more library related news, both of my Monday classes will be online this week instead of meeting in person. This works well because it allows me an extra day off to enjoy time with friends and a great opportunity to experience an online class. Registration for the spring semester starts next week (hard to believe) and I’m hoping this week of online classes will help me choose which format will work best for my schedule next semester. Finding balance…
Okay Google Now…
Posted October 8, 2013 by Julie Steenson
I need to talk about Google. Most librarians have a love/hate relationship with Google as it is such a useful tool, the ultimate federated search, but also often perceived to be the biggest threat to our job security. With my last tuition payment this month (cheers all around!), I celebrated by finally joining the smartphone world. I opted for a Motorola Droid phone as they have good antennas and I live in the boonies, and I expected to love being able to check email and have a really nice camera with me at all times. I did not expect to fall in love with its excellent voice recognition software and my ability to ask Google whatever I wanted to know. I remember when a computer with far less processing ability than my little phone would literally fill a room, so I am enthralled with the power in this little device. My favorite feature is “Okay Google, now…” which allows me to ask it anything. Gasp! A librarian who is having an affair with Google…. We…
31-36 of 36
Posted October 7, 2013 by Sarah Barton
Well, here it is, folks: The last installment of my “What classes is Sarah taking this semester?” posts. I suppose it is bittersweet (for lack of a better cliché), although at this point it definitely feels more sweet than bitter. I think that I have taken about all I can from GSLIS, and am ready to start applying my newfound knowledge and skills to a full-time job. But enough about me, what about my last two classes? Online – LIS 401; Foundations of Library and Information Science This is a new core class, and all students are now required to take it in their first semester. So why am I taking it now, as one of my last classes? Well, it fits my schedule (my class is completely online, but there are also sections that meet exclusively in-person), and I thought it would be patently poetic to finish the program by taking a course that is now required to start the program. Not surprisingly, many of the lecture topics are familiar to me, but the…
Internship Time
Posted October 6, 2013 by Jill Silverberg
Tomorrow afternoon, I start my internship requirement for LIS 438, Introduction to Archival Methods and Services. For those of you who don’t know, each student enrolled in LIS 438 needs to complete a 60 hour internship project. While the list of potential internship sites was numerous, each student was told to select just three potential locations and from there, one of the three would eventually be chosen. Well, after waiting anxiously, two weeks ago I was finally given my placement; the Cambridge Historical Commission. As someone very interested in history, I couldn’t be more happy with my placement. Tucked away in Cambridge, the Commission is an institution concerned with preserving and chronicling the development of the city. Although on the smaller side, the Commission is filled with photographs, registries of those who have lived in the city, and other items related to the city’s history. As for the people who work there, they seemed super excited to have another Simmons student working with them for the semester. Fortunately for me, I couldn’t have shown up at…
The Horn Book Awards at Simmons
Posted October 5, 2013 by Maggie Davidov
I am always marveling at my good fortune. I live in a beautiful city, rich in history. I have a wonderful job that challenges me. I have supportive family and friends. I do not, however, appreciate enough the opportunities that Simmons provides to its student body (that includes me) every week. Between the lunchtime lectures, the LISSA conference sponsorship, and all such other offerings it is sheer neglect that I don’t give a shout out now and again to Simmons and GSLIS itself. Today, though, I’d like to offer up praise to my forsaken program, the department of Children’s Literature. While I was only in the dual degree program for a day until I dropped it like a hot potato I do appreciate all the unique opportunities the Center for the Study of Children’s Literature offers YA junkies like myself. Last night at The Horn Book awards I got to listen to nine of the best authors and illustrators in the world speak about what they are passionate about. Robert Byrd, author and illustrator of…