Where am !? What am I doing?

So far this semester has gotten off w/ a BANG! Literally, I think I heard the gun shot about the 23rd and feel like I've been running ever since. I need to slow the ponies if I'm going to make it until December.

Classes are good...1) Collection Management and 2) Information Users & Uses. I like them both, but not as thrilled with some aspects of CM. I would really appreciate a better organized syllabus esp. when it comes to what's-due-when. I don't know...I like things a bit tidier. I can see where this isn't going to be my favorite class, although I do find the readings to be enjoyable and interesting.

And here's the head kicker...already my prof for IUU is making my headache! Oh stop with the crazy references to scholars on the definition of information!!! I can't take it! LOL...just kidding...I love it, actually, as it makes my brain feel like it's getting a good workout. My summer was spent pumping iron in the gym. Now my brain needs to do it, too!

I LOVE (LOVE) my internship with the ERIT group. Really happy to be there and am loving my project work. I wish I could turn it into a class, that's how good it is (and time consuming with the journaling).

Okay..off to do my readings! 2 weeks down and 13 to go...

Orient Me!

I get "orientated" on Saturday - whoo hoo! So here's my schedule:

8:30-9:00 a.m.
Check-in and continental breakfast (muffins, fruit, juice, coffee, etc.)

9:00-9:30 a.m.
Welcome and introduction of faculty

9:30-10:00 a.m.
Introduction to the program requirements

10:00-10:15 a.m.
Break, refreshments will be served

10:15 -10:45 a.m.
Campus information: (Parking, Books, bookstores and other book buying options, Jackson Library, TLC and TRC, LISSA membership, Campus computer labs, A walk through Curry will be given on the way to lunch)

10:45-11:30
Various Classrooms (Assignments TBD)
Meet with Advisor (Andrews, Bird, Carmichael, Chow, Chu, Durham, Gann, Hersberger, Kealy, Martin, Oguz, and Shiflett)

11:30-1:00 p.m.
Lunch with a current LIS student/LISSA member
Each group will be assigned one current LIS student/LISSA member

1:00-4:00 p.m.
Technology Boot Camp (304 and 305 Curry) - Signed copy of a technology competency checklist at the session for student folder will be handed out upon completion.

This means I can get there closer to 9am which really excites me because I was dreading the thought of getting out of my bed at 6:30 on a Sat. I know, I know...summer is over, but I'm clinging a little bit harder to it this year as I'm a bit fearful of all the work I've signed up to do. I just need to get started...

My Teach-Library job, however, is rockin'! I've already edited a tutorial that my boss did on how to conduct research. Once it goes live I will post it because the Plagiarism/Paraphrasing part is probably the best thing I've seen on the topic. Good stuff!

Okay..now I need to go read how I am supposed to write about what I'm learning and all that good fal-de-rall.

Cheers,

A

Got Me A J.O.B....

I'm pretty excited about this new adventure I'll be heading into in just a few short weeks. A few weeks ago, I applied for the Teach Library Internship within the Electronic Resources & Information Technology (ERIT) group on campus. I was pretty sure I wouldn't get it...how's that for being optimistic (and confident!!)? So I was amazed when I received an email two weeks ago telling me that I was the recipient! Whoo hooo...thank you God! This pays for my tuition for the entire 2010-2011 year. A huge deal in our household..AND...it's in an area near and dear to my heart - distance education!

I don't know exactly what I'll be doing, yet, but I know that I'm working with the Distance Ed. Librarian and a faculty member from LIS. It's a project-based internship where I'll actually 'make' something and it will be (fingers crossed) used by the ERIT group.

Anyway...now comes the tough part of getting myself back in gear with ye old ID stuff. It's been awhile...almost 5 years...and although I think most of it is common sense, I don't want to walk in to this job with the "duh" sign hanging over my head. However, I AM excited about the possibility of doing some real ID work and possibly creating some online courses. That would be fab-u-lous!

More to come...cheers!

A

To Be Real

I just received my "welcome" and mandatory orientation invitation by email yesterday. Hmmmm...is this all for real?? Am I really going to be a full-fledged student AGAIN!?!? Guess me and Toto are going to find out on the 21st of August!

There's going to be lots to do and learn this year. My 2 courses for this semester are...drum roll...:
1 Core - Collection Mgmt
1 Elective - Info Users and Uses

I'm pretty doggone psyched I'm going to have Dr. Hersberger again and that her course is mostly online (yippee!). I've liked all my core classes so far, too and collection management fascinates me. How does one decide what books, periodicals, reference matl's, etc. to choose!?!?!

As for orientation...well, I hope we do fun things since it's all day on a Saturday. I'm sure we'll be introduced to the faculty and other "new" students - like meeting new people, but...I'm not big on icebreaker stuff (but who really is!??!)

Secretly, the geek in me is hoping we get a tour of Jackson Library. I've been there and used what I need to use, but it would be nice to get the "behind-the-scenes" view. Besides, it would just be great to know a little more about what's there.

So...I'm limbering up my fingers so I can start writing about my journey again. It's been a little slow this summer but that's all going to change in 5 short weeks.

Cheers,

A

Be a Better Blogger!!

Great article and very simply written by Kevin Martineau. I'm trying...I really am...thanks for writing this Kevin. ; )

ps...I made my post short so I could re-read it!

Navigating My New Membership

Since I 'officially' enrolled in my LIS program this spring, I decided to go ahead and join both ALA and NCLA. I have to admit, I am a joiner! I love professional organizations and conferences and meeting new people, etc., etc., etc.! I don't know why...I just do! ; )

AND...I got my membership card a few days ago in the mail, so now I'm really official. tee hee hee

I have to admit, however, that it's a bit overwhelming. Even figuring what round tables or committees to join is a bit daunting. I joined 2 RT's so far:
New Members RT
Library Research

The New Members should be REALLY helpful in getting plugged-in. The Library Research was "free" and looked interesting. Since I'd like to actuallydo research one day, it might be helpful to tap into that one now. ; )

One thing I did stumble across (and so glad I DID) is ALA-Connect. I found this even before I joined ALA. I can't remember the details, but someone was offering a seminar online that I thought looked interesting. Anyway, I poked around enough to know what was on the site. Now that I'm a member, I get access to other cool things, such as discussion groups and committees.

In addition to joining the round table discussion groups, I also joined several 'member communities' discussion groups (I didn't actual pay and join these committees, yet. I think that this might be a good way to 'test the waters' before doing so):

Member Communities

* Distance Learning Interest Group (DLIG) (LITA - Library Information Technology
Association)
* Distance Learning Section Discussion Group (ACRL DLS)
* Instructional Design

A little disappointed that there isn't more recent action on these, but I did learn that one of the people who's pretty active in distance ed/instructional design is a local! Yipee...always good to know there is a potential contact living nearby. ; )

One other cool thing I found is that I could join groups through my LinkedIn connection, too! I joined ACRL and ALA Groups and have found ACRL to be extremely helpful. Lots of posting about jobs, careers, education, etc. And it's FREE!! (Yea - I'm all about free.)

So that's it for now...getting back in the saddle in a few short weeks...and looking forward to it!

Cheers,

A

What Do I Want To Be When I Grow Up????

I know this is a departure from my chatter about my last course on reference materials, but I've found some other cool and rather interesting reading I felt like sharing (with myself, of course).

When I first started the LIS program, I thought I wanted to become a school media specialist. It seemed like a natural fit: books, kids (I have 2 and like them very much), technology, and THE BIG BONUS: the same school calendar as my kids. PERFECT!! Then I started learning more about the job. If all I've heard is true than I don't want to be someone's tech slave, esp. someone who just isn't interested in learning how to hook a laptop up to a projector. Been there, done that.

About the same time as this revelation was happening, we started reading about social science research methods in our intro class. WOW...I was hooked!! That's when I realized I wanted to stay in higher ed and some how, become involved with research. My plan is to become an academic librarian but I'm not sure where or how that will happen. Sure there are quite a few universities and colleges in this neck of the woods, but timing is everything.

Right now, I'm exploring the different round tables on ALA's website. I missed their conference this year, but hopefully will get to go next year.(I gotta figure out how to work the free or discounted student options to go!) I joined as a joint member of ALA and NCLA for $35!!! Way cool...

On my to-do list is to start finding a way to get plugged in and my first stop is the NMRT (new member's round table) as well as looking into the ACRL round table or discussion group. I need to start reading too and have this tome on my desktop:
"Futures Thinking for Academic Librarians: Higher Education in 2025". That scares me a little bit, but I need to get some perspective while I'm still in school (and still able to make decisions about 'what-I-want-to-be-when-I-grow-up'. ; )

One other cool thing...I get this awesome little e-newsletter called ALADirect. Love it! There are some great article snippets, updates, announcements, jobs (yea, jobs) and other tidbits posted in this email. Very cool! Here's one resource I want to share with everyone:

ALA's Page on Library Issues & Advocacy

Anyone can type in their zipcode and choose different alerts to send to their senators or representatives regarding libraries.

Well, that's my initial crack at ALA/NCLA...Let the research on these 2 sites begin...

Cheers,

A

Why Google Isn't the Be-All-End-All

(but you can still use it and like it!)

Okay, so I was thinking about some of the major comments that kept popping up in my reference class this past semester. I think everyone agreed that we could all find the answers to our professor's questions using Google. (yes, he prepared some really challenging ones for us to seek out our answers in the reference dept. "NO GOOGLE. Get OVER IT"..his words, not mine.)

However, what I began to realize is that Google doesn't provide you with a direct source in terms of:
a publisher
an author
a publication date
an authoritative resource or subject matter expert

While Google is great at culling a massive amount of information, it doesn't really help a novice pin point the EXACT reference that will constantly be the right source for repeat searches.

Fact books and almanacs are wonderful gems in your library's reference section! Most provide a brief overview of topical information, but can provide resources for more in depth study and research. I used these when I was researching my bibliography topic, "Reality TV". I found them to be helpful in forming my direction for research.

Here are some general resources I used in my Reference course that were helpful and informative:

InfoPlease
The New Encyclopaedia Britannica
World Almanac
Encyclopedia of Associations

A fun resource is the Guinness Book of World Records. The libraries I used had a huge collection of these - from 1960's to present. It was fun to look through these and reads some of the wild records!

(Oh, yeah - it's okay to have fun doing research!!)

Okay, enjoy using some other resources other than Google...I'll talk more about subject specific resources next time.

Cheers,

A

Recap: Why I'm Doing This

I've been posting information on pretty dull topics: dictionaries, atlases, gazetteers, etc. I know, not the stuff of legendary or memorable posts. So I wanted to stop and remind myself why all of this is important and why I need to keep going with this blog.

1. At some point, I will be asked to recap my experience in my LIS program. It's called the "Capstone" project. It will include a personal statement, a portfolio and, overall what-have-you-learned-and-what-do-you-plan-on-doing-with-it-when-you-leave. This is my online memory of the various things I have learned and why they are important (to me).
2. I think librarians get slack for not being creative, innovative or tech-friendly. I want to debunk this myth. TECHNOLOGY IS IMPORTANT. It's good. It helps us do incredible things. As Librarians, we need to embrace it and figure out ways to make it work for our information seekers. We need to test it, fiddle with it, break it, and come back to it with a fresh perspective each time it changes or evolves.
   
3. While #3 is important, I think it needs to be noted that BOOKS ARE IMPORTANT. (Hmmm...who does that sound like?) We still need them in addition to all the very cool and wonderful pieces of technology out there. Both are necessary and useful, so let's not start throwing out the baby w/ the bath water, okay?
4. I love library school, but I know there will be days when I don't love library school. These are the days I will need to remind myself why I'm here doing all of this.
   
5. I like to write and I like having a blog. It's fun!

So that's my recap...I guess it would be nice to have some altruistic goals for this blog. Such as:

• It would be great if I could create a more user-friendly library resource blog
• Create book lists for different reading levels
• Encourage support of local public libraries

I'll try and work on this as I go along..hey! I have 3 more years of classes so who knows what will happen!

Cheers,

A

Who was the guy in the movie....????

The older I get, the more I realize I need to do those Mensa puzzles or start doing crosswords so my brain doesn't turn to mush. I'm smacked awake at night trying to figure out what the name of some actor was in some movie (that I probably didn't even like) or I'm in the middle of a conversation w/ friends and I completely forget the name of the main character....

This ever happen to you??? I don't blame you if you don't want to admit to it, either. ; )

So here's my helpful resource for today: (drum roll) Biographical Resources! Yep...some will help you (or me, rather) with the above issues.

Most reference areas have these books....and I have to say....looking at the content in the book is sometimes more rewarding than looking these up online. Of course, if you are in a hurry and can't get to the library, online is great.

In my opinion, these were the best overall (not subject specific) biography online resources:

• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (DNB)
• American National Biography (ANB)

If you prefer an essay format, a picture and an author, these two databases are exceptional. They both provide advanced search features, but also, searchable themes. Students searching for info on the American Revolution or the "Bluestocking Circle" can find people associated w/ the topics, bibliography resources (in some cases) and links to related or similar themes.

Some subject dictionaries that are exceptional are:

• The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
  
• The Grove Dictionary of Art

Both of these are accessible online and in print, however, I found the music dictionary in print much more user-friendly than the online version. I'm sure this is just a matter of familiarity, but newbies might want to check out the print version.

Actors, writers, political figures, notable and infamous...most are here in these dictionaries! Some libraries specialize in regional and theme-specific dictionaries, depending on their clientele. So ask the Reference Librarian if you are looking for someone special....

Other Resources:
Marquis Who's Who
Current Biography

Cheers,

A

\ˈdik-shə-ˌner-ē, -ˌne-rē\

That would be the pronunciation of Dictionary for all of those who are wondering about the title of this post.

I know...this probably sounds like the most boring topic in the world. But it's not...trust me....

Most of us just go online to Merriam-Webster's online dictionary (and thesaurus) to find our definitions, right? Well, that's me at any rate...if I can find it online, I use it. However, guess what I found? It's not always the most authoritative source! There are better dictionaries out there ... I know you are speechless at this point. ; )

I'm not knocking M-W - it's a good one. Let's just say you are looking for a little more than just the definition. Maybe you want a more historical perspective, variations in spelling - that sort of thing. The Oxford English Dictionary is your new best friend! The fully online version is only available through a subscription service so you may want to go see the reference librarian at the local college or university.

As a side note...Dictionaries are either general, general abridged or etymological, like OED. However, they can use descriptive language to explain a word or they can be prescriptive. Webster's or American Heritage are examples of dictionaries that use prescriptive language.

Below are some comparisons that I hope help you the next time you are in need of a good dictionary:

Oxford English Dictionary - descriptive, historical in order of word's development and usage
American Heritage - prescriptive, gives most accepted meaning first
Webster' New World College Dictionary - prescriptive, gives some historical order of the word's development and usage
Webster's Third new International Dictionary of the English Language (unabridged) - descriptive and historical

Of course, these are general dictionaries...there are also more subject specific dictionaries in art, music, biographies, etc. That's my next post....

Peace out - A

Resources:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
http://dictionary.reference.com/
http://www.askoxford.com/ (OED compact - not full subscriber version)

Ps...A good dictionary will run anywhere from $60 (Amer. Heritage) to $1000 (for 20 vols. of OED!) ; )

A brief vacation...

Classes ended back in early May and I have been having a great time keeping up w/ my summer reading list and knitting. : ) So much for my library blog....

So, over the next few months, before everything gets crazy AGAIN (isn't it always crazy), I'm going to try and recap my experience from 620. (Which was a great class!).

I have lots to share about the info I learned in this class, and one very important lesson - we still need books! More on that as I work through the recap.

Cheers,

A

Slacking already

I have 2 class posting to catch up on so I had better get rolling on these!!! I know you all are dying to know more about what types of books you can find in the reference dept!

Jan. 27th
Atlas, Gazetteers, Road Maps, Etc.

First of all, I love maps. Really and truly. But the highlight of this week was the Gazetteer. OH MY GOODNESS...lots of great info on places from the small to the great. The best thing about these: PRONUNCIATION and not just from some scholar who has no idea about the local slang - they got the locals perspective on this one! NOTE: This is really important if you are traveling in the South and want to blend w/ the locals. If you hear the words, "you got a pretty mouth", you are going to be kicking yourself for not figuring out the local lexicon!

Feb. 3rd
General & Subject Encyclopedias

Well, as much as I love maps, I LOVED our first set of World Book encyclopedias we had growing up. Lots of interesting information, esp. the human body w/ see-thru overlays so you could see where all the muscles, veins and guts went. Pretty cool!

A word about the General: These are pretty basic and if you want to use a good one, where the authors are pretty respected in their subject fields, go w/ the Britannica. However, World Book's is a very good primer for young school-aged children, has great pictures and diagrams and is overall, very easy to use and understand.

A word about the Subject: These tend to hold their content "value" for 30-35 years, but older editions are still valuable - don't toss'em!! Some really interesting ones are:

• LGBT
• Southern Culture
• African-American

Overall takeaway - ALWAYS, ALWAYS start w/ the INDEX!!!! They are their to help you in both the General and Subject encyclopedias!

Okay...now go look up something fun like The Battle of Antigua or Grenada or Soccer and see what you find!

Is it bad when...

you get the title of your course wrong and you're only a week in??? Okay...so I'm taking:

Information Sources and Services

TADA!

Oh man, I think I'm in trouble (la la)....

Oh Biblio, Oh Biblio...

This semester I'm taking 620 aka Information Reference and Resources. So, not so bad for the first night back...got the syllabus, the book, the calendar and...the workbook!! Ooh....that looked a bit scary at first glance. I think it will be helpful as it contains various exercises using the reference area resources.

The scariest thing in this course is the bibliography assignment. This is going to be a huge undertaking and involve the entire semester. I need to pick my topic NOW!

Here are some of my thoughts:
- knitting
- ghosts
- Edward Gorey/life work (can't do report on people, esp. living as there is not enough info)
- English Setters
- Father's geneaology

These are in no particular order! I'm just trying to figure out what would be the most feasible for a semester. I lack focus so picking and sticking to one topic is going to be a challenge. I need to have this hammered out by next Wed., too.

The other nuisance is that I can't do my work from home. I HAVE to go to the library. I'm going to try and use the local college library so I don't have to do the 40 min drive over to my school's library. We'll see how this goes...My hope is that, being academic libraries, they both have the same reference books (right!??!? sounds logical, doesn't it???)

Wish me luck... ; )

Second Semester, Not The Same As the First!

Next Wed. is the big day! This time last semester, I had my syllabus and my book. Okay, okay...I know every prof. is different, but really - no syllabus, yet!??!

I've heard this course is a hard one but that I will learn so much. It's a little intimidating but I'm ready. I'm glad I'm just taking this one course, too.

More to come...

A Library Is a WHAT??!?

or "What I Learned in My LIS 600 Foundations Course"

I went in dead certain that I was going to be a School Media Specialist. Yep - that's it! That's what I'm going to do. No questions about it. Have summers off. Be w/ my kiddos. Yadda yadda. Blah, blah, blah.

And then I took Foundations. About 1/2 way through, I knew the jig was up. My whole plan was blown to smithereens. And here's why:

1. Defining a library was hard
2. Defining a librarian was harder
3. If Caves and subway cars and liquor stores can all be defined as a sorts of libraries, why do we need to go to school to get an MLS or MLIS to work in a "library"?
   

I'm guessing you are scratching your head right now. That's okay. So was I. One day in class, I even told my professor that I was so thoroughly confused that I had no idea what I was even doing or why I was here!

But it got better...well, sort of....

A few weeks later, I read the course readings on social science research (Babbie) and fell in love! I pondered going on for a PhD, but decided that I was in the right place at the right time. It was time to pursue the MLS at UNCG. I was ready to become a librarian in whatever form that might be and do research from the practioner side.

I conducted my first action research project and, found it so interesting, I decided to do another research project on my own time. I worked with another student and we examined the effects of circulation before and after storytime at a local library. We found that our hypothesis did not match our results, and although we were a bit disappointed, we were intrigued!

I wrote my first professional values statement. (Think teaching philosophy w/ a twist).

The bottom line: I learned to see libraries and librarians in a completely different light. I see the value of information access and intellectual freedom in a new way. I understand that good policy is made before crisis strikes. AND...I have learned that to be a successful librarian, I need to think about my patrons and how to meet their needs, not my own, when it comes to information access.

Open. Thoughtful. Action not Reaction. Future Forward.

Cheers,

A

Introduction

I'm not much of an 'introductionist' but I will say that I like to start things. Beginnings are great and go by fast. Middles are slow and arduous at times. Endings are never near enough (unless you are on vacation...then it feels more like a "beginning" the whole time!).

I'm a first year grad student at UNCG's Masters in Library and Information Studies program. Well, let me rephrase. I'm a first years Visions student which means I'm testing the waters and haven't taken the final plunge. I decided to take 1 course at a time to make sure this was the right place. After taking the LIS 600 Foundations course, I'm pretty sure that I'm in the right place. I hope to be accepted this spring and "official" by the Fall '10.

I quickly realized that I didn't know much about libraries and librarians and the future of all that...I also realized that if I was going to remember everything from start-to-finish, I had better write things down.

I'll try to be cogent. I promise I will try and be consistent, although we are coming up on winter break, so I may be hit-n-miss thru the holidays. ; ) Bear with me...this is a journey of learning. I hope to share what I learn and by the time I'm through, have more than this humble blog to show for it.

Cheers,

Amy