End of the Semester Review

As this is the final week of classes and I'm one paper away from finishing the semester, I believe it's appropriate to write a blog post reviewing the semester. I began the semester completely in the dark about Library Science. Now, I can't say I learned everything about library science in one semester; far from it. In fact, this semester has showed me that there's sooooo much to learn that it's even more overwhelming about how little I know. But this semester I did learn some basics and it helped me get some idea about my future career choices.

1. I could never become a professor. I don't want my library science experience to be all about writing books, publishing papers, and grading papers. I would rather get my hands dirty doing the work I'm training to do.

2. I could also never be a cataloger. I learned TONS from Barbara Kwasnik's class and cataloging is a noble and necessary aspect of librarianship. However, it's not really my cup of tea.

3. Right now, I'm highly interested in reference. I enjoyed Megan Oakleaf's class and I learned a lot from the assignments in that class. I love working with people and it's very thrilling to be the one that gets to answer the questions (maybe that's because I'm a control freak, haha).

Regardless of the fact that my interests may change throughout my time in this program, I feel that I have a grasp of what I'm doing and this semester erased my doubts about whether I had signed up for the right program. I've made great friends and some great contacts and I'm eager to see what next semester brings! No worries, I plan on continuing this blog in the future, so get ready!

And here's a librarian cat meme for your enjoyment.

Special Collections and Book Repair

The class tour of the special collections and book repair/preservation/conservation sections of Bird Library was very eye-opening. As a librarian-in-training, I was completely clueless about the behind-the-scenes aspects of the library (besides the cataloging and technical services). I'm now more cautious about how I treat books; I've never been picky about whether the spines on my books crack and I always bend the pages. However, I only do those things to my own books, and never to a library book. I also now understand why I'm always cold in the library; it's because the temperature has to be monitored in order to keep the books in excellent condition. The whole session about book repair intrigued me but when I heard that it takes about 6 years to get the experience and fulfill the requirements, as well as the fact that the pay isn't that great, I was kind of put off. But now I definitely have a greater appreciation for the staff's ability to keep Bird's large collection in great condition. My favorite part of the tour was the Special Collections. As a student wandering Bird, I haven't seen many signs about the Special Collections section of the library. I tried once to go to the 6th floor but got very nervous and confused about the elevator set-up. But getting a chance to see a sample of the Special Collections from Ken Lavender was really exciting. My favorite book was the personal copy, belonging to Queen Elizabeth the First of the history of the Roman Empire. That would probably be my "fire book" too.

Over Break

While on my break from school I heard some disappointing news. I recommended a book to my grandmother; she asked me if she could just buy it at Barnes & Noble. I said of course she could, but I also told her that she could look for it at her library. She frowned at me and said she does not use her library. When she makes that face, I know not to ask anymore about it, though I was itching to know why she wouldn't use her library. I understand why she would refuse to try out a Nook (which she most crankily did) because of the challenging technology (my grandparents' house doesn't have wifi). However, I couldn't understand why she refused to use the library. As a senior citizen, and living in this troubling economy, I know money is tight, and yet she would keep on buying books at B&N (which aren't cheap like a second-hand store). Luckily, she has no problem with passing on books to friends and relatives when she's done with them. The last unsettling  moment was when my grandmother told me that she picked up a book (not knowing what it was about) and realized that the romance novel was about a gay couple. Well then she proceeded to throw it in the trash with disgust. If she had borrowed the book from the library, she could have returned it and saved the new book from meeting its early end.

Also, my family's pursuit of the traditional Black Sunday shopping made me miss the opportunity to visit the Corning Glass Museum Research Library. One day I will go back to visit the library instead of shopping around for pricey glass.

Misc.

Lots of things have happened in the past week. One of the most startling things was a story my sister told me. Apparently when my mother heard that my boyfriend had bought me a Kindle, she panicked and told my mother that they needed to start saving up for a wedding. I was surprised to hear this because I have never discussed getting married with my mom. I also do not understand why the Kindle purchase led to a wedding. While I love my Kindle a lot and it's definitely the best gift given to me in a long time, I did not have the same thought process as my mom. It's true that books are the best way to my heart (besides food) but it was just a hilarious story. My friends seemed to find it funny to and suggested I write a story entitled "From an e-book to marriage".

Speaking of my boyfriend, I've been thinking about my career path. After graduation I plan on working in a military library or a library on an Army base. As far as internships, I have been doing some brainstorming. I think that this summer I may go back home and try to find an internship on the Marine Corps Quantico base. I'm having a difficult time trying to find internships. I have also thought about working as a community college, so I may start looking for internships in that area.

I've been working on about 4 projects this week. I've learned a lot and there's no way I can discuss all of them but I just wanted to say that having 4 projects due in one week is definitely a good representation of how Library School is definitely not easy, and yes in fact you definitely deserve a degree for the hard work that happens in this program.

Library Lock-In

Friday night I volunteered at a library lock-in/scavenger hunt at my university's library. My job was to monitor one of the floors, to provide assistance (not giving away answers of course) and to make sure people didn't walk away with books (which almost happened). First of all, it was quite difficult, as a librarian-in-the-works, to tell the groups that actually I couldn't help them find answers. I'm currently taking a reference class and so when I was asked to help find certain call numbers, I was itching to help them. The only help I was allowed to give was to explain to an international student that "correspondence" usually meant "letters". Previously, I never really had an interest in reference, but after this experience I think I could really enjoy it. I truly wanted to help these students because so many were frustrated and confused by the library. I find this really sad because these students couldn't be more than 4 years younger than me. I can now understand, however, why so many students avoid going to the library all together. Parts of the library are poorly marked, maps and signs aren't placed in obvious spots. Also, many students do not realize that the reference call numbers are in their own section on each floor. The scavenger hunt was very eye-opening for me and the library staff members. It's true that librarians view the library in one way, but sometimes the users see it in a different way and that's why many aren't able to access what's hidden right in front of them. I love that the library put together this event because at least the 40 students that participated have a better understanding of how to navigate the library.

Getting Practice

While this week, due to Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy's "appearance" in New York, I did not do much that was library related, I did experience a moment with my roommate that convinced me that I am learning how to become a top notch reference librarian. My roommate is currently taking a class in Music Research. She had an assignment in which she had to find print sources for a research paper. While I was holed up in Bird Library working on an assignment, she came to me for help. I led her over to an available computer and we explored the library website. I explained to her the purpose of the subject guides, and after looking through them, we could not find anything she needed. We then looked through the Catalog (Advanced Search of course) and she looked through her options while I merely stood there to guide her. Through trial and error, and by using appropriate keyword searches, we found some print sources. She wrote down the call numbers and I told her that if she needed help finding them, I'd be willing to help. After 5 minutes she came back with a handful of books. She smiled and said she was glad she had such a good librarian to help her. While this experience may not seem that significant, it helped me to practice my reference skills and it also gave me satisfaction that a lot of people do truly appreciate the help of a librarian.

Video!

Now I'm no expert at making videos, but I didn't want to edit actual film, so I created my video on "You Need a Degree for THAT?" by using PowerPoint. It was a lot harder than I expected due to all the timings of animation and incorporating music as well. I did have a lot of fun making the webcam pictures. The audio quality is not perfect, but I'm clueless about how to fix it. I hope you all enjoy! Also, open the video up to full screen and turn up the volume a little bit!

Library Visits

This weekend, in attempt to get started on a project, I ended up going to four different libraries. They were all different and had their own unique qualities. When browsing these libraries, I noticed different things and personally evaluated them with the consideration of space that Professor Lankes mentions in his book. Here is my breakdown of the four libraries.

Bird Library: I'm sure every SU LIS student has been to Bird before, but this weekend was the first time I've been beyond the first floor. I found myself situated at multiple spots on the 2nd floor (I went to Bird twice this weekend). One thing I noticed is that the areas labelled "QUIET" are hardly followed. I think the problem arose from the fact that the area of available computers, where people were printing (and trying to fix the printers) was noisy and unfortunately located right next to tables where people were trying to get work done. I had a hard time stopping myself from giving multiple people the "stink eye". I also ran into some confusion when I was searching through the Reference area on the 2nd floor. One small area is labelled Reference; however, many of the Reference books I was searching for were eventually found beyond the region of Reference. In fact several of my searches led me to the other floors. I'm convinced that the 3rd floor has a missing section of call numbers. Also, I was too embarrassed to actually ask for help due to the fact that I have pride as a Library student and therefore believe that my searching skills are adequate and that it's not "user error" that I can't find my book, haha. Lastly, even though I knew (and read signs) that a large chunk of the stacks had been moved to Carnegie Library, I still tried to reach the 6th floor of Bird. I almost got stuck in an elevator and eventually reread signs and found my book in the 5th floor. The moral of that story is that SU Library needs to change their online catalog so that it doesn't tell me my book's found on the (unreachable, so far) 6th floor.

Carnegie Library: I was fortunate to be invited to a tour of SU's Carnegie Library. After trying many doors, I found the entrance that was not under construction. Obviously the library looks a lot different than Bird, especially because of all the construction. However, I loved the intimacy and tight quarters of the library. There was a more serious tone to this library; Carnegie focuses on the science and math subjects (and library science, though that was a surprise to me, even after 2.5 months into the program!) and therefore the library members are those who use the library mainly as a research area, not as a social space. Though it makes the reconstruction of the building more difficult, I loved how the stacks were a part of the structure of the building.  Books literally hold this place together. Touring Carnegie was like an experience through a time machine. The stairs for each level wrapped around a dumbwaiter   which is used for the transportation of books. I can't wait to see Carnegie Library once the construction is done. I am certainly intrigued by the idea of specialized libraries and I believe I could get some serious work done at a place like that.

Manlius Public Library: Besides the Fayetteville Free Library, this is the first public library I have been to since I've been in Syracuse. I loved that there was a pond and park right by the library. There's nothing wrong with aesthetics at library, even if it is outside. When I entered, I noticed that the children's section was enclosed in it's own room. I liked that because it allows for noise control; I can imagine story hour and any event that the library puts together for the children not being so disruptive to the rest of the library. Like my library at home, the teen section is the area with the most work tables. I searched the library for a computer to search for some books. While there were quite a few computers, they were not easy to access, because they required a log-on username and password. I am not used to this kind of difficulty. At my local library at home, anyone can access a computer without having to enter a password or a library card number. Most of the computers were like that at Manlius; however, I searched around and found about 3 computers just for the library catalog. My last concern about this library was the issue of a book cart. I'm not sure if this is  just happens at academic libraries, but usually the library posts signs asking users not to re-shelve books and to leave them on a cart. However, when I looked for a cart, there were none to be found. I felt guilty about leaving my books on the table I worked at, but come on, I'm just helping the library evaluate what books are being used, haha!

Petit Library: I went to this library with a friend so that she could check out a children's book for a project. My first observation was that the parking was tiny! I know there's been discussions about this particular issue, and now I understand. Luckily we were able to park, no problems. After entering, my second observation was about the size of the library. It's certainly the smallest library I've ever seen. However, that didn't prevent the community. I guess there was an event going on because there were so many people gathered around talking and eating from a spread of snacks. When we went to the children's section, we looked for a particular dinosaur book. We searched and searched but couldn't find it. After re-checking the online catalog we asked the friendly reference librarian in the children's area. She pointed out that sometimes they pull books for different sections and thankfully we found the book in a crate labelled dinosaurs. Later on, I noticed this same librarian chatting with a small boy. She seemed to know him by name and was asking him about school. I loved how the library and librarians at Petit really try to reach out to their community.

All in all, I saw a lot of cool (and frustrating) library practices going on. These visits helped me open my eyes to see how different each library is and to understand that handling space in the library is what you (librarians) make of it.

Relate and Debate

This past weekend I went to my home state of Virginia to visit my boyfriend and his family. During those three days I spent my time (besides relaxing and simultaneously stressing about my homework) talking to people about grad school and the program of Library Science. It made me laugh that even during this mini-break, I can't seem to get out of my library persona. Here are the multiple situations I found myself in, through the format of a list.

1. I was gifted a Kindle and had an internal debate about how I was giving up my stubborn stance for the protection and continuation of books in print. While the English major in me still loves a good book that I can write in and bend the pages, the New Librarian in me had some convincing points. When I was traveling from Syracuse to Virginia, and then back again, I found how convenient it would've been to have just brought my Kindle instead of lugging my thick 800 page Anna Karenina with me on the plane. Not just that, but I discovered today that my public library back at home (of which I am still a member) allows members to check out copies of e-books that can be transferred to my Kindle. They're free and when I'm done reading, I can just return it back to the library; that will take up less space and use less data. I'm slowly embracing this new technology and as my boyfriend told me "it's the advancement of the world, Erin. It's ok. We don't still watch tv in black and white either". Haha.

2. Over a few drinks I had a debate with my boyfriend's twin about the Dewey Decimal system and the Library of Congress Classification. He was convinced that his school used Dewey and that it the call number had letters. I aggressively responded and told him that there's no way the classification was Dewey (since Dewey only uses numerals) and that it was actually the Library of Congress Classification system. I literally gave the line "You should listen to me; I'm the librarian here!"

3. Throughout the weekend I tried my best to relate how librarians are useful in the world. I talked with a few law students and told them that librarians work just as hard as they do. I received a few nods. The hardest person I had to deal with was my own boyfriend. He didn't understand what I was studying in Library school. After pulling my massive binder out and letting him browse, I told him about the interview assignment that we had to do for IST 511. When I told him that a fellow classmate of mine had interviewed WWE's one and only librarian, he was shocked. I think that at that point I reached out to him. He is a huge MMA fan (so much that he could be an asset to the MMA/UFC library, if there was one) and when he heard from me that even professional wrestling companies needed a library, I think he understood that libraries and the need for an organization of information, as well as the need for a librarian, was necessary for "the advancement of the world", to quote him directly again. I think this agrees with Lankes point that librarians need to reach out to their members to find their interests and provide them with the information they want.

Libraries, you can't escape them.

In With the New

When reading the Librarians thread of Lankes' The Atlas of New Librarianship, I found a blurb that really stood out to me. When Lankes mentions that one day "we will discard modifiers like 'participatory' and 'new' and simply be librarians, part of a better society, respected by our communities, and devoted to our members" (187). It's interesting, because when I was reading the Atlas, I didn't really focus on the "new" aspect of librarianship. When I started applying to Library Science programs, I (naively) believed that there was nothing wrong with libraries. What I mean is that I was satisfied with what I had experienced throughout my many years of visiting libraries. I didn't realize that as I entered this field that there was a major change, or to be dramatic, a revolution in the world of libraries. I have no objection to the ideas presented in this textbook. In fact, I'm glad that my lack of experience in the library field means that I don't have to be "retaught"; I have a fresh start.

I'm glad Lankes connects Library Science to other fields. As an English major I figured that I would do well in Library Science. But it's more than a love of books (or artifacts). A really good point was made that not only does my specialized degree in humanities provide me with a strength in analyzing texts, but humanities has provided me with a way of seeing society as a large conversation and it helps me to understand the importance of social compacts (176). That's why it's so great to have a diversity of knowledge in the library field. So many people can offer multiple conversations and they can become valuable resources in the library.

The Atlas is a great text for new librarians to read. However, because of its inspirational nature, it definitely has me itching to get into the nitty-gritty of library skills so that I can use my unique individual skills to impact whatever library and community I work with in the future.

Darwinism in Libraries

Darwin is famous for his theories on evolution. 

My favorite theory to apply to all aspects of life is the "survival of the fittest." While this theory was originally applied to species that did not last (because they did not adapt), it can be applied to the institution and field of libraries and librarianship. Professor Lankes, in The Atlas of New Librarianship, mentions Ranganathan's fifth law of librarianship: "The library is a growing organism" (128). After reading (and agreeing with) it, the analogy of a library, as a living thing that's always growing and changing, helped me connect libraries with evolution. Now I do not claim to be the first person to think of this, but it's a cool thing to discuss again and again. As man had to develop from ape to an upright homo sapiens who could develop his own tools, so libraries must adapt and develop according to the needs of the community. The introduction of the electronic and digital age has forced libraries and librarians, sometimes uncomfortably, to make the necessary changes. For example, now that e-readers and e-books are becoming more widespread, the policy for developing and maintaining a     physical collection isn't going to be as important. Now, I'm not trying to say that, just like some species that died off and can't adapt or survive, books and physical artifacts are going to disappear. I just believe that the act of physically checking out books or searching through reference books are not what the community needs anymore. Libraries and librarians must survive the constant and innovative changes that the community desires, in order to be successful and not stuck in the mentality that libraries are going to die off. 

We, as librarians, must evolve and keep up with new developments and help contribute to the new innovations, so that we can maintain a functioning and developing role as facilitators in our communities and in this world.

Good news! We can and have evolved from this: 

Libraries are NOT Doomed...

Libraries are not doomed; however, they do need some serious work. As I was reading The Atlas of New Librarianship, I noticed that there was a recurring issue. Libraries and librarians strive to make library and community members self-sufficient in terms of technology; Lankes points out that by doing this, members are dependent upon the technology and lose touch with the librarians in the process. It's true that "members use systems that help them" but at some point, do librarians feel unnecessary (Lankes, pg. 89)? Every job should promote self-worth, and librarians especially can feel a sense of self-worth when they assist the community. Librarians might not always be the "go-to" person for questions of reference, but as facilitators and coaches of the community members, their role changes, but the act of community service does not disappear. I like the idea of libraries developing writing centers, music centers, and topical centers. That way, the librarians' role in the community is still present, even if they are not just helping catalog books. As David Lankes mentions throughout his entire Atlas, libraries are not just about the artifacts.

A Librarian's Business Card

After reading the thread "Facilitating" from the book The Atlas of New Librarianship I realized that as a librarian there's a lot that can be put on a business card. Sure, it would seem more professional to have the standard and important information on the card, like one's name, official title, and contact information. However, I've found, it's so hard to define exactly what a librarian does with just a title like "Executive Director" or "Reference Librarian".

As Lankes mentions, librarians need to facilitate conversation so that knowledge can be created in communities (65). To provide facilitation, librarians should be publishers, teachers, and moderators. Think how cool it would be for business cards to be like Twitter profiles, where you can create your own blurb about one's profession. For example, my future business card might say:

Erin Berry

Instructor, Publisher, Student, Moderator

Loves: British Literature, crockpot recipes, and Google searching

And why be restricted to a small paper rectangle? I love the idea that Lankes offers about library websites: they should not advertise the library, but rather the librarians (78). I am a not a techie, but I think it would be really neat to have the top of the home page display pictures of the librarians, where you can hover over each librarian and their name and business blurb would appear.  That way library members could learn a little about their librarians for they ask for assistance or services.

What would your business card say?

To Serve Man

Here's another Lio comic strip! I love this one!

There's nothing like sharing a library book with a friend. Good to know that the library has a diverse selection of cookbooks. I wonder what the index of this cookbook looks like (shout-out to IST 616)!

Getting Tired of Lio?

Here's Friday's comic:

So instead of books being chained to the library shelves, it's webs! Love this. Are books getting dusty or accumulating webs because of e-books and the Internet? Just a thought...

Lio: Part 4

Once again, another comic strip, too good to pass up!

I love that Lio's enjoying the classics. Also, every new librarian must promise not to fulfill these grumpy old librarian stereotypes!

Lio: Part 3

Once again, another library-themed comic strip! Hopefully the theme stays the same for the whole week.  Here's today's comic:

There's the grumpy librarian again! I love the transition from the imaginative to the literal. I have never read War of the Worlds but when I do, I'm pretty sure that this will come to mind when I read the text. I have nothing discussion-oriented to say about this, just thought I'd share!

Lio: Part 2

So once again, the Lio comic has a library related strip today! Here it is:

In this strip, Lio relates in a perfect way about two aspects of the library. The first one is that reading transports you to a new world, and in Lio's vivid imagination (and with his love for monsters) he imagines being chased by the Jabber Wocky (shout-out to Lewis Carroll!). While reading does allow one to develop a strong sense of imagination, at the end of this strip, Lio is hushed by the public librarian, even though the image does portray him as screaming, which would not be allowed inside any kind of public building.

Will librarians ever earn a reputation besides that of a grumpy old lady who will not tolerate noise from the members of the library? Will libraries ever be a place of communication, speech, and discussions above the sound of a whisper? I think libraries are progressively tolerating noise and conversation. I know these changes are just baby steps. In the library at the University of Mary Washington, the first level was specifically for group projects and talking was allowed and not frowned upon. The second level did have study/group rooms, but they were enclosed rooms and some people were not afraid to knock on the door and tell you that you were being too loud (a personal experience of mine, haha). The third floor was the quiet floor where whispering was barely tolerated and many would look at you if you dared to make any noise while opening a bag of chips (again, has happened to me)! However, it's hard to make any judgment against wanting a quiet space to read or study. Because that's how many people remember a library, it is hard to change. I know I have stared many times at people who talk on their cell phones while in the libraries, both public and academic.

So what do you prefer? A quiet library? Or a place where discussion and imagination is not stifled? Can you have both?

Lio Loves Libraries!

Don't you love alliterations? Anyways, on my Google Reeder/RSS feed, I follow one of my favorite comic strips, Lio, created by Mark Tatulli. I love this comic because the boy is quirky, unique, and mostly because there is no dialogue. And today's comic is perfect:

While I received my library card at a young age and perhaps didn't realize the significance of it all, I've definitely had this moment. When I moved away from home to start my studies at the University of Mary Washington, I realized that I would have to get a new library card; while the library at UMW does have a selection of current and popular books, I needed a place with a larger selection that could keep up with my continuous reading. So I got online, found the nearest library in the Fredericksburg area, signed up as a member and eventually, a week later, I received my library card in the mail. That moment felt glorious, and while there were no fireworks, I was so excited to check out books and explore the library. I hope everyone, especially young children, get to have an experience similar to Lio. Have a great day and read a book!

The First Search

Because this is a new blog, I suppose that I should explain that this will be used as a portfolio and as a space to formulate my thoughts about Librarianship. I'm a first year student at the Syracuse University iSchool, working to earn my Master's in Library and Information Science (MLS for you acronym fans). Therefore, I'm completely open to comments and discussions generated from my posts.

In David Lankes' recent book The Atlas of New Librarianship, he covers the creation of knowledge and the role of librarians (and libraries) in regards to how knowledge should be provided to their communities. He reiterates throughout the thread that knowledge is created through conversation; it is not a physical object or an artifact (31). Lankes encourages his readers (us new librarians) to use new forms to expand conversation beyond going to your nearest reference librarian and asking a question (53). The example used was the program Scapes which allows members to connect search links online and interact with friends and librarians to answer questions and all together it will try to "handle the results of our learning" (60).

When flipping through the images of how Scapes works, I noticed that in Figure 32, when the member is looking to chat with the librarian for a more advanced search, he has the option of remaining anonymous (57). This prompted a question in my head (knowledge is created by conversation and the best kind is a conversation with yourself!) and I wanted to briefly blog about embarrassment and fear.

Now, did the person who was seeking to find more information about Gwen Stefani's song "Rich Girl" choose to remain anonymous about his interest in the song? From his chat picture (Figure 30) he appears to be an adult male and may be embarrassed about listening to that song all the way through; I know many guys would switch the station the first second the song started. Now, I don't hold any judgment against him for liking that song. Stefani's song is catchy and I admit I own the album and have it stored on my iTunes. But what I also wanted to bring up is the controversy of anonymity.

Let's pretend that this guy, instead of going online to find his answers about Stefani's song, he went to his public library and asked a reference librarian. While he wouldn't have to offer his name or personal information, he wouldn't remain anonymous due to the face-to-face interaction and perhaps the librarian would judge him. Therefore my question, for others to ponder and hopefully answer, is this: does fear of embarrassment also aid in the development of online or digital resources? One argument that may prove this is the popularity of using a Kindle or Nook when reading promiscuous and scandalous novels like 50 Shades of Grey so that others cannot notice the title due to a lack of book cover. Is there a fear of conversation happening? How about a fear of knowledge? Should we, as librarian students, remain anonymous because we are scared and new to the field and need to ask a question in Blackboard without judgment from others or our professors? Is this slowing down the conversations that lead to knowledge?

These are just a few questions that came to mind during the reading and I'd love to hear some ideas about the questions at hand.

And just for fun, I included the original music video of Gwen Stefani's "Rich Girl". Enjoy!

   If I were a rich girl, I'd cancel my student loans!