MSLIS News

This week I’ve returned to the Syracuse campus for the last residency of my MLIS degree: IST612, Youth Services and Libraries and Information Centers. Essentially, this is a collection development and youth literature course taught by Barbara Wall, librarian at the Krieger Elementary School in Poughkeepsie, NY. In this course, we are learning to booktalk books, write reviews and annotations, and develop a core collection of books for a library after analyzing the library’s demographics and services. This course is also a great opportunity to hear about lots and lots of different books for all age levels and discuss controversial and ethical issues in school library collection development. I have to say, I was really excited about coming to Syracuse for a week this year. After a year of juggling full time classes, part time work and a young family, the excuse to come here for a week and hang out with librarians and talk about books all day sounded heavenly! I joked to my facebook friends that I was going to “library camp!”

A weeklong class can be admittedly intense and exhausting, but stimulating at the same time. I’ve had the opportunity to talk with some new SU MLIS students who are just coming off their week of iSchool “boot camp.” They are understandably exhausted and somewhat overwhelmed, but it has been so much fun for me to talk to them and hear about the new additions to boot camp since last year (apparently there was a role playing game added which sounds like it was a blast, as well as student blogging). I’ve also been able to return the favor to some new students that was bestowed upon me by several students last year: advice on what courses to take when and with whom. Going back to school is for some people a major culture shock (it was for me), but once you get a rhythm going, it is a fantastic experience. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn’t change a thing, and there’s nowhere I’d rather be this week (non-air conditioned dorms notwithstanding - figured the one week all summer it’s hot!). When else have I attended a book advisory lecture by Nancy Pearl and then wandered down to Marshall St. for some of the best Thai food I’ve ever had in the company of people I really enjoy talking to, all in a couple of hours time? Honestly!

Incidentally, if you’ve never heard of Nancy Pearl, she is the author of several wonderful reader’s advisory books such as Book Lust and Book Crush, and she even has her very own action figure, complete with shushing action! She is on campus this week teaching a course in Adult Services in the Public Library, and I had the good fortune to hear her speak at the Onondaga County Public Library. She booktalked a list of 21 books and was so obviously excited about them and so engaging that I couldn’t help but want to read them! If you ever get the chance to read her books or hear her speak, take it. SU is lucky to have her here.

Feel free to comment here or on the Syracuse iSchool LIS facebook page.

Posted by Rebecca Buerkett, Syracuse MLIS distance student, rlbuerke@syr.edu.

I’ve heard it said that even though graduate students come into the Syracuse MLIS program with widely varying degrees of experience in libraries and with technology, by the time they enter their second or third semester they are all on a level playing field. I am finding that to be fairly accurate. I considered myself relatively computer-savvy prior to starting my program last summer, but I had absolutely no library or teaching experience. My first two semesters were mind-blowing. So much exciting new stuff to learn! I just couldn’t get enough of it all. At first, I felt embarrassed to post to the class message boards for fear of saying something foolish. Many of my classmates are either working in libraries already or teaching in schools. I certainly wasn’t the only one who was making a complete career change and starting from scratch, but for a while it seemed like I couldn’t possibly learn it all. However, despite the information overload and techno-stress, my classes were very stimulating, my professors were patient, and my classmates informative and helpful.   

Now, entering my third semester as a full time MLIS student, I am starting to see the light. Between my classes and my fieldwork, I have gained more confidence in my future as a librarian. I’m noticing some overlap in my classes. I now recognize the names of researchers in the library literature. I was surprised to find myself rated an “omnivore” in the Pew Internet Project Internet Typology test. But this didn’t happen overnight and it took effort to immerse myself as much as possible in not only my coursework, but also in other online resources. Here are my recommendations for other students who might be feeling overwhelmed in the early stages of your MLIS program: 

• Read library blogs and follow library movers/shakers on Twitter. Find out what’s going on out there in the real world of librarianism.
• Communicate with fellow classmates not only on the class message boards, but also via Twitter and Facebook, etc. This is especially useful if you are a distance student. It helps you feel more connected and reduces the sense of floundering when you realize others are feeling the same way.
• Spend as much time in libraries as you can. If you are a school media student, start your fieldwork as early as possible. Discussing your assignments with practicing librarians lends a greater relevancy to what you are learning. I am finding it helpful to spread out my fieldwork over the course of a whole semester rather than doing it in one short spurt. It allows me to follow up on things I am learning in class and get a different perspective.
• When you have assignments that require hands-on library projects, don’t do them all at the same library. Seeing how various different librarians run their libraries is a great learning tool. Plus, it expands your contact base of future colleagues.
• Ask questions. All the time. Of anyone you can. It really isn’t as annoying to them as you think. Most people kind of like talking about themselves. 

Most of all, enjoy this time. The best part of becoming a librarian is that the field requires constant learning, so the intellectual stimulation of the graduate school experience doesn’t have to end! At least that’s what I’m hoping. 

Posted by Rebecca Buerkett, Syracuse MLIS distance student, rlbuerke@syr.edu. Feel free to comment on this post on the Syracuse iSchool LIS facebook page.

I attended the NY Library Association conference in Saratoga Springs a couple of weeks ago. It was my first-ever library conference, and it was a total blast! As a distance student, the opportunity to connect with some of my fellow students face-to-face and to meet some of my professors in person was really valuable. I have been to other science-type conferences before in my current field, but it was also the first BIG conference I had ever attended. You know, the first time I had one of those cool badge thingys with the ribbons and the first time where I got one of those sweet free big bags for collecting vendor swag! I learned a lot, not only at the three excellent sessions I attended (which will be discussed in future blog entries), but also just some general conference-going tips. 

1.    Leave your coat in the car. I forgot to do this, and lugging my coat, my purse, and the big bag ‘O  swag around became very cumbersome.
2.    Bring business cards. Even if you don’t have official business cards, make some on your computer. Not only does this save time in filling out raffle forms at vendor booths, you should also have them available for potential employers or other contacts.
3.    Collect ribbons. I’m sure this is less important to experienced conference-goers, but if you’re a newbie student like me, you can pick them up at your alma mater booth, your library section booth, or wherever, and they attach to your badge thingy. They are intended to be conversation-starters I think, and besides, they’re pretty.
4.    Talk to people. Don’t be shy, introduce yourself! You never know, that person waiting in line for coffee in front of you could be a potential employer, or a contact for a future collaboration. Or, you could just get some great ideas based on projects other people are working on.
5.    Meet the vendors. A librarian mentor gave me this advice. As a student, you may soon be in charge of a libraries of your own, and having a good relationship with the vendors may mean good deals on future purchases.
6.    Be polite about vendor swag. Don’t be pushy, and don’t take more than your share. Yes, some of it is really cool, and yes, many of the vendors are looking to unload as much as possible so they have less to carry home. But they are also there to do their job, so be polite and chat a little. You might just learn something! 

I’m sure many of you have other tips and advice, so feel free to comment either here or on our SU MLIS facebook page.

I was intrigued by the recent article in Publisher’s Weekly-Children’s Bookshelf online, “School Librarians Connect Kids With Galleys” (10/23/08). Middle school library media specialists srom several schools are allowing kids to check out the galleys handed out at trade shows and sent by publishers, and encouraging student comments. This is great for the publishers, of course, because it helps create pre-publication buzz for new titles and the librarians provide them with feedback on what kids are reading. However, it also benefits librarians by letting them know what the kids are interested in, and it serves as a great learning tool. Asking kids for feedback on the books they are reading not only encourages critical reading and analytical skills, it also empowers them to make their own reading choices and therefore encourages reading. Plus, kids like the idea of being the “in the know” about a new title.

As Professor Nicholson pointed out to me, the article doesn’t mention any particular agreements that the librarians have with the publishers for use of the galleys. Some publishers may not want their galleys distributed, so librarians need to make sure they are not giving students anything labeled “not for distribution.” It is likely that the libraries mentioned in this article have special use arrangements in place.

The article goes on to describe some other creative programs these library media specialists are implementing, such as age-level and genre book clubs, including a parent-student book group that meets in a local coffee shop. As a parent of a middle schooler, I wonder how many kids that age are willing to be seen in a public place hanging out with their parents (SO uncool!) but I love the idea.

What about you? Are any of you using galleys or book clubs at your libraries or do you know of any interesting extracurricular library programs? We future librarians want to know!

Thanks to Jill Hurst-Wahl for pointing me to the

Hi-Fi Sci-Fi Library video

You can also see it at
http://libraryman.blip.tv/file/1199162/
and information and credits about who was in it can be found at
The Libraryman Blog

Our own David Lankes was down under presenting on Participatory Librarianship. If you are interested he’s posted slides and audio from his presentations to the Australian Library and Information Association’s Information Online Conference

[slides here, audio here]

and the TAFE New South Wales Librarians

[slides here, audio here]

One of the research fronts being explored here at Syracuse is that of Participatory Libraries. How do you make a library space that brings the users in and has them participate in the creation of the experiences (instead of just being a receptor of the experience)?

You can learn more about that at
http://iis.syr.edu/projects/PNOpen/

Along these lines, there is a video blog called “The Show with Zefrank”. It’s usually entertaining and sometimes enlightening. His episode for 2/5/07 has a message that we need to think about in regard to how we can survive this changing information landscape.

the show with zefrank: 02-05-07

There’s an interesting set of articles posted on the blogosphere..

First, this one from LISNews questioning the future of libraries…
http://features.lisnews.com/features/05/10/07/0921246.shtml?tid=18

and this response, with 33 Reasons why Libraries and Librarians are still extremely important.
http://www.degreetutor.com/library/adult-continued-education/librarians-needed