When I tell people I’m in graduate school studying to be a librarian, I receive the response, “You need a Master’s degree for that?” I find myself struggling to defend it. Librarians do more than what the average person realizes, but how much of that is really gained through the MLS? I usually wind up confessing it is like a stamp to gain entry a nightclub. I’ve been advised countless times by librarians that your coursework doesn’t really matter, but your experience does. I agree that there is no teacher greater than experience, but isn’t this a huge flaw in our profession’s degree? This is also disheartening for me because the first word I’ve used to describe myself most of my life is “student.” I like being in the classroom. I want to learn. I want more degree to mean more than a stamp or a merit badge.
…
I’d love an apprenticeship instead of a MLS/MLIS degree. Librarianship is more like a guild than the academy. Unfortunately, I do agree with Andy that the MLS is here to stay because of the way that higher education is currently structured. Now, we have two options. We can keep advising every new class of MLS students to push through the degree like a chore and get as much experience as possible or we can revise library school curriculum to also prepare our future librarians.
librarean:
missrumphiusproject:
cbsundance:
fatwink:
sext me in mla format
Have some standards - only accept apa.
I spent high school and undergrad using MLA, and grad school using APA and Chicago.
MLA is still the only style format that turns me on.
Wait…does this mean library school uses APA and Chicago? I mean, I used APA for a psych class I took and I once helped a tutoree with Chicago style, so it’s not like I’m intolerant, but I personally swing MLA.
The Rutgers School of Communication and Information, in which my library school resides, uses APA. They do this because it is the most used format for scholarly works the library field. My archival classes use Chicago, because—and I’m not sure about this, someone correct me if I’m wrong—it is the most used format for scholarly works in the archival field. The school you go to might be different. My information may be incorrect. Anyone want to pitch in on this discussion?
It’s the first day of the semester.
My schedule is terrible. I don’t mean that my classes are terrible. They’re not. They’re great. Unfortunately, they’re all late afternoon and night classes. So at nine tonight I get to drive home from New Brunswick to N/W Bergen county. Plus, I’ll miss most of my choir practices. Ugh.
I’ve only had YA Materials so far. I’ve had the prof before, so I know it’ll be good. Next up is Preservation of Library and Archive Materials. I’m going into this one a bit blind, not sure what we’re covering or who the prof is. Ah well, it’s an adventure, right? Thursday will be Manuscripts and Archives. I know what we’ll be covering there, but I don’t know that professor. I thought I knew everyone in the program by now. Apparently not.
Wish me luck.
I’m still finding books here and there from my Children’s Materials class. It’s incredibly lucky that I can just delete my library fines.
Oops.
Edit: It’s okay, I’m actually allowed to do that. Perk of the job. (Just in case you were judging me really hard.)
My semester is super officially over.
I’m going to shave my legs now. Then I might actually step outside and see the sun.
I’m coming to hate Project Muse with a seething passion.
Who designed this user interface? Why are my search options so terrible? Why do I have such a strong inclination to throw my laptop across the room?
It’s that point of the semester…
The point where my immune system collapses. My nose is runny. My throat is sore. My eyes are puffy. My skin is splotchy. Hello again two-week-to-the-end-plague. Can’t say I’ve missed you.
Last spring one of my classes was cataloging. We all took the final exam, and when we were finished we went out to the lounge to wait for the rest of our classmates. We were standing in a circle, talking and joking, and I started looking around. Every last one of us looked like hell. As in yesterday’s-jeans-and-sweatshirt, bags-under-the-eyes, hair-all-over, no-makeup, probably-haven’t-eaten-anything-about-to-fall-over-any-moment-now hell. I was trying so hard not to crack up.
Oh grad school. Who came up with that brilliant idea?
Hey tumblarians, I need your help!
I’m doing a project on social networking and libraries for my MLIS program. I’m researching tumblr and twitter. My partner for the project is researching facebook and pinterest.
I’m handing out links to thelifeguardlibrarian’s amazing list of tumblarians, and ex-tabulis’ amazing list of archivists on tumblr.
For the presentation I’m using the Library Journal articles “Tumblrarian 101” and “Our Favorite Tumblrs.” Am I missing any other key non-peer-reviewed articles about tumblr? I feel like I am. Please let me know. I don’t need huge amounts of material. We have a lot to cover in a short presentation, and it’s just an overview. That said, another good article or two can’t hurt.
The pool of peer-reviewed articles on twitter in scholarly journals is much larger than the pool on tumblr. That said, I have less practical resources on twitter. I’m not so much of a power user on that medium; my account mostly acts as a tumblr feed, I’m ashamed to say. Does anyone have a list of “twitbaries” and/or “twitbarians?” I would love you forever if you could send it my way.
Finally, I’d like to ask you for your direct input. How has twitter and/or tumblr enhanced your library experience as an employee, or as a patron; how has your library used these mediums for marketing/programs; have you ever actually used either medium for reference questions, etc, etc, etc? Respond here, or by ask. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Imagine a “Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi; you’re my only hope!” gif here?
For my Children’s Materials class I was casually researching children’s nonfiction to support the new Common Core curriculum. My first google hit? An article and video of my professor talking about children’s nonfiction to support the new Common Core curriculum. Redundant!
/headdesk
(Granted, incredibly informative, but we’ve covered this in class already.)
They did teach me all of those things in library school, but that’s because Marie Radford is the best. (Okay, I’m done bragging about my professors now.)
Librarian Fact #864
librarianfacts:
Ever since the Great Biblio War of 1906, no more than two librarians have been allowed to discuss the relative merits of Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress classification systems at any one time.
Except that one time my Cataloging and Classification class got into a brawl. That was one of my favorite MLIS moments.
GPOY so Fobazi can find me at the Scarlet Latte tomorrow. So excited to meet new MLIS classmates!
Get email saying you can pick up your student loan refund check at the student cashier.
Can’t afford the gas to drive down to campus.
Grad school problems.
