The end of the end

My last post. I started out writing a really sappy, introspective diatribe about what this year has taught me, how confused and lost I feel, how I'm trying to have a positive attitude, blah blah blah. Instead, I would like to bid this blog and this crazy grad school experience adieu by referencing something that ALWAYS makes me happy and is a big part of who I am: my love for "The Office." I find Dwight's goodbye speech, given when he quits Dunder Mifflin, to be completely appropriate for the occasion, so here it is:

"I do not fear the unknown. I will meet my new challenges head on and I will succeed. And I will laugh in the face of those who doubt me. It's been a pleasure working with some of you, and I will not forget those of you soon. But remember, while today it is me, we all shall fall." - Dwight K. Schrute

In other words, peace out Pittsburgh - it's been one hell of a ride.

That's a wrap...almost

Well here we are. The last week of the semester. My next few days are going to be jam-packed with last minute activities/goodbyes/packing up my whole life to move. Also someone hit my car this weekend while I was parked on the Southside, and I desperately need to get it fixed before the big road trip home. Pittsburgh just can't let me go without a fight. I'll miss some things about the city for sure, but parking is NOT one of them. I can't wait to have a driveway again...

Stay tuned for my grand finale blog post before the end of the week. It's going to be a cathartic way for me to say goodbye to this whole grad school experience, a.k.a super boring to read and possibly incoherent. Excited?

Hire me please!

So I have some news - after all my ranting and raving about applying to jobs, I'm finally starting to get called for interviews! A few aren't at libraries, or even library related, but I don't care. I've learned a lot of transferable skills during this year, mainly about how to navigate databases and how to stay organized, so I would love to apply these skills in a corporate setting if necessary. However, I just had a second interview for a job today at an insurance company looking for an archivist. I figured I would apply, even though I have taken no archiving classes and it's not something I ever thought I would be interested in. Turns out that I know NOTHING about archiving, even less than I thought, which became painfully obvious during the course of the interview. But who knows? Maybe they haven't gotten many applicants with ANY library experience, after all why in the world would I be called for a second interview? I don't think it is necessarily the best fit for me, but at this point I can't be picky.

I am extremely excited about another interview though, at a public library in a very affluent town that borders mine. It's seriously the cutest place ever and minutes from my house, and it has small enough staff where I think it might actually be fun (i.e., not stressful) to work there. It might be just perfect. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, I'm sure there are many qualified applicants. But it's nice to have an interview lined up for a real-live professional librarian job! It's starting to sink in that I'm getting released into the real world soon - a scary thought, but amazing nonetheless.

Down to the wire

Wow...so my friends who were visiting for the weekend just left and it hit me that I have only one full week left in Pittsburgh. It's truly unbelievable. I also just finished the quiz which was hanging over my head all weekend, I hate that so much but my friends got here at 1 pm on Friday and left at 1pm today and I really didn't want to sit down and take the quiz while they were here. HOWEVER, now that it's done I feel so relieved. I really only have a handful of smaller assignments left to do until I can officially kiss this place goodbye. It feels so nice to have made it through grad school and have the rest of my life to look forward to. It's a totally open book, who knows what will happen, but at the very least I have my Master's degree and no one can ever take that from me. Oh yes and in the spirit of my relentless obsession with countdowns, I have 3 more blog posts after this one and I'll try to make them good! I'm trying to find stuff that I can turn to after this class is over to keep with the changes in library technology, and I found this cool little website of technology guides about library automation systems and more, maintained by the Director of Technologies at Vanderbilt University:

http://www.librarytechnology.org/

#18

While I'm patiently waiting for a chat about a lovely Search and Seize assignment to appear, I thought I'd update my blog. I know that no one reads this thing so it's been more of a stream of consciousness exercise for me, and it's actually helped me to keep on track this semester. In the spirit of this, I would like to point out that this is my 5th to last blog post ever. I knew that I would never be able to remember to post twice a week unless I counted out how many posts I would end up having to write total. So since we started a week late, that's 11 weeks x 2 which is 22 posts. This is post 18...crazy! In exactly two weeks I'll be done with school for all eternity. I always thought I would be the type of person who would love to stay in school as long as possible, maybe even to the doctorate level. Clearly this is not the case, as I can't even imagine doing that now. I am so ready for the real world (minus having a regular schedule, I've been spoiled with 4 day weekends the past few months). I only wish the real world was in a better state, that I could have my pick of jobs instead of settling for something out of pure desperation. It's hard to stay positive when faced with such a dire state of affairs, but at this point, I'm ready for any kind of change. Not being in school for the first time in 15 years will be a huge adjustment, but it's one that I feel totally ready for.

Time to relax...a little

Well this weekend was definitely more stressful than I would have liked. I knew that having to attend classes on a Saturday wouldn't exactly be a picnic, but that wasn't even the culprit this time. I just felt like so many little things kept going wrong - I had a problem with my bank account, I broke something that wasn't mine and had to replace it, I had to do a major cleaning job, and on top of that I had to wake up at 5:30 am on a Saturday and spend all day in class. And tomorrow, another week starts! Ahh! I am really at the end of my rope for this semester. I have so much going on right now between trying to finish up school, applying for jobs, getting ready to move out of my house, and just attempting to function normally as a human being (the last one has been harder than it should be these past few days! haha) Other than feeling like a big ball of tension right now, things are looking up. I will have my Master's degree in a little over two weeks, I am having visitors this weekend, and I have a great friend and family support system right now. I just keep trying to remind myself that things will eventually fall into place so I don't get discouraged and give up. I WILL get everything settled, I WILL finish school, I WILL find a job...eventually. I am so close to finishing a major chapter in my life that it would be a shame to fall apart now. Anyone out there about to graduate - STAY STRONG! We're almost there.

The home stretch

Wow...so these last few assignments that revolve around creating a web page are going to kill me. This has been a cruel reminder of how much I don't understand about computers and technology, and how far I have to go before I can consider myself even remotely literate in this area. I know that part of it is my own attitude - I just look at all these little details and immediately freak out. Even while watching the tutorials I get stressed because all the narrators sound so happy and excited about what they are doing. I get it, it's fun for some people. The appeal of creating an awesome page from scratch and mastering all the nuances of website creation is not lost on me. The first time I was able to see my American Notes work displayed in my browser, I felt really accomplished, and once I got through some initial frustrations, it was definitely a little easier than I thought. However, as much as I'd love to feel this excitement all the time, I fear that I will never possess that same lust for technology and gadgets as some of my contemporaries. In that sense I guess I'm an old lady - technological change gives me anxiety more than anything else. Hmmm...maybe I made the wrong career choice???

Countdown

What an exhausting weekend! Having today off from work is great, but unfortunately I will probably be spending the whole day doing homework. It's crazy because while nothing I will be working on is due this week, it is necessary to start on because it's crunch time. It's already July which means only a few more weeks until I am done with school...forever! I can't believe how fast the time's gone. It feels like only yesterday I was moving down here with absolutely no idea of what I was getting myself into. While the past year was nothing like I expected it to be, I feel like I'll be leaving here with a sense of contentment - like everything unfolded just the way it should have, for better or worse. It's been a roller coaster of ups and downs, there were times when I missed people from home so much it hurt. But now I'll be leaving behind some wonderful people too when I go back to CT. I've learned so much about myself this year, and I think those lessons will be more valuable to me than anything I learned in a classroom. I think the most important lesson I'm taking away from this experience is that I'll never be done making mistakes. I went into grad school thinking I had to "fit the part" - become this serious, super-professional person who would be content with focusing all her energy on school and being perfect at everything. But that's just not me, and it never will be. I'm only 23 years old, there is still so much I haven't done or don't know, and that's okay. Things have a way of presenting themselves to you when you're ready to handle them, and anything else just makes you stronger. You just have to be brave enough to make those mistakes in the first place.

ALA reports on the Library's Role in Technology

While I wasn't one of the many MLIS students trekking to D.C. this weekend for ALA Annual, I had to check out the agenda to see what I was missing.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larra-clark/ala-conference-this-week_b_625950.html

This article focuses on a report that outlines many of roles that libraries fill when it comes to providing technology to the community. I think it's important to remember that information professionals have a very crucial role in educating the public about technology, especially when that technology is something the library utilizes itself. There are many people who are not digital natives, and I think it's a great idea to have digital literacy classes available for those who wish to become a little more tech-savvy. The library is the perfect place for seminars like these to take place, as they can reach the most amount of people and are usually free.

Panopto - the greatest invention ever? or the worst?

Watching the Panopto from Tuesday's class right now, and it has me thinking about how technology plays into distance learning. In theory, recording lectures is a fantastic idea. It allows distance learners to feel as if they were actually in class, hearing the voice of the professor, listening in on the questions of classmates, etc. You can access it on your own time, pause if you have to take a break, even multitask if you can handle it. So why in reality is it so hard for me to get into this form of learning? For some reason, I would much rather actually be in class than watch a recording of a lecture, but I can't pinpoint why. I think it possibly could have something to do with the blended nature of this method - there is an actual class happening that you weren't a part of, but you still are required to "be there" in a sense by watching the video. My WISE class was totally online (not blended) and I had a much better time with that. I knew each of my classmates were getting the same experience as me, and I enjoyed the written format of the learning modules over videos. This could be because I read pretty fast and I consider myself an expert skimmer, while watching a video is gonna take as long as it's gonna take. I know this is probably a personal preference, but I wonder how many other people feel the same way. Is it that Panoptos just don't jive with my individual learning style, or is there a more universal element at work?

Technology is not always my friend

Okay, I know I'm always talking about applying for jobs on this thing but that's because it's literally all I do. My goal is to have something lined up for after graduation, but as that date creeps closer and closer, I'm not sure that's really going to happen. I guess the thing that makes me the most angry about job searches is technology related. That is: filling in online databases with the same information that's on my resume. Why can't I just attach it with a cover letter and be done with it? Sometimes it takes hours to complete just one application. What's even worse is when they use your attached resume to automatically populate the fields in the database, getting it completely wrong 99% of the time. I know there are ways to make an importation friendly resume, but honestly, I spent a lot of time making my resume look pretty and I don't want to have to conform to these stupid standards (which tend to be different for each new application anyways!). I have to admit that I think technology has actually made finding a job harder and more futile than ever before. You send out all this information, your resume, your cover letter, what have you, into this abyss, hoping that someone reads it and contacts you. It's madness. I'd much rather do the legwork and apply in person, because then at least they can attach a face with a name, you can meet the hiring manager (for future correspondence) and they can tell you really put in the effort to find the job. Of course, online job applications have made it possible for me to apply to jobs back home while still in Pittsburgh, but I would much rather send out my information in the mail or through email than fill out one more of these silly online forms.

Busy weekend

I gotta say, that canceling of the eprints assignment came at just the right time. I will definitely be checking out the program as it seems pretty cool, but this week marks the end of my University of British Columbia WISE class - which is amazing, but it means a lot a work until it is officially over on Sunday. I actually really enjoyed the class and learned a lot, I would recommend taking a WISE class that interests you to anyone who may be considering it. Mine was an Academic Libraries course, and we actually had a whole unit on Library Technology, so it tied in very nicely with this class. My only complaint is that the learning modules we used were set up in kind of a confusing way, and the assignment descriptions within the course modules were sometimes inconsistent with the ones under the assignments tab, so it unclear what was expected of us at times. This is a universal problem across all distance learning programs I think. The teachers were really nice and helpful though, and I loved how all the Canadian students spelled things (organised, favourite). Also, there were some funny things that came up when we talked about applying for jobs: instead of a "cover letter" they call it a "covering letter." Just little subtle differences like that but it delighted me all the same. It reminded me of being in London!

New Layout!

I was playing around with some of the new templates on Blogger today so welcome to my new format! I really like how this website makes it easy for technophobic people like me to make their blogs look professional and put together.

Whenever I learn about new features on websites, the first thing that comes to my mind is how much work and specialized knowledge goes into web design. People who are good at it might laugh at this, but really I think it's incredible because I don't know the first thing about it. I know this is a skill I will eventually have to get some sort of grip on, but for now I just like to sit back and watch the experts come up with cool new stuff for the Internet. :)

You tech-y people out there never cease to amaze me, it's like you're speaking some beautiful, foreign language and possess a skill set so apart from my own that I can't even feel threatened or jealous. And you're all so wonderfully nerdy in ways that don't grate on my nerves as much as some of the wanna-be hipster, faux-intellectual, "I'm so unique and quirky" people I've come across in the library world. If I wasn't so scared of shattering this idealized image of IT people that I have, I may be inclined to cross over to your side of things....

A rant about Pittsburgh

Just found a really exciting job opportunity at a small community college in my hometown! It's perfect because while I don't see myself living in the place I grew up for the rest of my life, it is entry level (which has been surprisingly hard to find during my job search), I can live at home for a bit and pay off loans while I work, and I'll get to go back to Connecticut. Honestly, I miss it there sooo much, I can't even explain it. One of the hardest things about having classes during the summer (besides the obvious) is that I'm STUCK here in Pittsburgh - a dry, landlocked, dirty little city not even remotely close to the ocean. I love the beach. Love. It. And the thought of not being able to go there without driving 9 hours absolutely infuriates the New England girl in me. How do you native 'burghers do it? HOW? I visited my friend who lives in Portland, Maine while I was home over break, and besides having a lot of fun, I got so depressed that I don't live in a city by the sea. All I gotta say is - thank goodness this program is only a year. I'm starting to get really antsy about moving back home, and this gorgeous summer weather is not helping matters.

Pittsburgh, we need to have a talk. It's been a experience and I don't regret my decision to come here. We've had some fun times, but it's just not working for me anymore. We both knew this was only temporary, and it's almost time for us to go our separate ways. I hope you understand, no hard feelings okay?

Okay, I got this

I'm proud of myself for having a fairly productive Sunday. The urge to go out and enjoy the semi-nice weather was strong, but I had to resist and get ahead on some work. My motivating force is that I FINALLY get to go home to Connecticut next weekend. It's for one of my oldest and dearest friend's going away party - he's joining the Army and leaving for basic training next Sunday, followed by a year appointment in Monterrey, CA. I wouldn't miss it for the world, and also it's a great excuse to take a mini vacation this weekend. I've been able to visit home at least once a month since I've started this program and it's really enabled me to stay sane. It gives me something to look forward to and as long as I feel caught up on work, I can actually relax and enjoy myself. I get to leave on Thursday, so I'll have to complete the online quiz while at home :( But it will be worth it!

Getting some work out of the way before the weekend has another huge benefit: I've been taking a WISE course through the University of British Columbia on Academic Libraries. It's been really interesting and the instructors seem very nice, but it's a pretty heavy work load because it's only a 6 week class. Which means we have about two papers due every Sunday, plus all the discussion board postings we are supposed to complete throughout the week. It's rough, but since I'm making myself do all my work early, I'll be done with my last two papers for the class before the weekend! Then the last week of that class will be when I come back, where we don't really have much to do except a few discussion questions. I will be thrilled to be done with this class because then I'll only have 3 courses to worry about and can focus all my energy on those. Oh yeah, and those annoying job applications...

Oops

Just put up the Zotero tutorial...it was a little more complicated to embed it than I originally thought. I love that Screencast gives you the embed code, and Jing is super easy to use. However, my first few attempts at embedding left me with HUGE videos, and only the top left hand corner of the video was visible in blogger. After some google-ing and some trial and error, I tried changing the width of my video in the html code. It worked! It looks a little silly now with some of that blank white space, but it was the only way I could get the whole screen into the post. Just another example of how technologically challenged I can be, but I'm proud that I was able to fix it a little, so please don't rain on my parade :)

Zotero Tutorial

Here is a short tutorial I created using Jing, which explains how to install Zotero onto your Firefox web browser

A Word of Advice

I finally had the opportunity to read through some of my fellow classmates blog posts (it's been a slow day at work) and I noticed that a few of you seem very nervous, overwhelmed, and frustrated about the program at this point. I'm not sure if any of you will actually read this since you have so many other things to worry about, and that's okay. But if one of you happens to stumble upon my blog... READ THIS POST, even if you don't read any of the others.

I know that the MLIS program here at Pitt can seem like it takes up all of your time, especially if you're not used to the work load of grad school - trust me I've been there. I started the program immediately after receiving my Bachelor's, and I felt so burnt out on school before anything even began. To top it all off, I moved here from Connecticut right at the end of August, leaving behind most of my support system and trying to figure out life in a new city in less than a week. Luckily, I had two friends here, so that made the transition a little easier, but moving is ALWAYS hard. Any of you new students that have come from far away lands, I feel you.

The biggest piece of advice I can give to you is to RELAX. I know that sounds incredibly cliche and you're probably saying to yourself "Okay lady, I have so much to do, I'll never get it done, shut-up and let me freak out about it!" Take it from someone who is probably one of the biggest worry warts in the world: it's a waste of your time. You WILL get it done. The most important thing that I've learned during my time here is how to prioritize tasks and manage my time effectively. It will take a little bit of practice to get into that routine, but it will happen. Just trust in yourselves - you are all obviously organized and intelligent enough to get into this program, and what's even better is that the professors here know that. They aren't out to get you, they aren't going to fail you if you mess up one little thing. They are understanding, they know that the material can seem abstract or confusing at times, and they appreciate any solid effort that you put forth. If you really feel like you're falling behind, talk to a professor you really like or your advisor, and just let them know what's going on. They will appreciate you taking the time to express your concerns and will definitely be able to give you peace of mind.

If anyone needs some personalized advice, feel free to email me at jenlvn@gmail.com. I am living proof that you can do well in graduate school AND have a life. I'm about to graduate this term and I've managed to make it through with (most) of my sanity in tact. :) Of course, this blog is a great place to vent, so I will probably have some public freak out moments myself. If this happens to you, it's okay to let yourself get frustrated for a minute, but don't let it consume you. Organize your thoughts and then move on. Remind yourself that you have what it takes. Give yourself plenty of opportunities to do something fun, go out with friends, or take your mind off of school for a little while. You'll feel better the next time you sit down to do something productive. I promise.

Open Access Everywhere

One of the things I love about getting settled into a new semester is when I start to notice the different ways in which the courses I'm taking overlap. It seems like in any given week, I see recurring themes come up in at least two of my classes. It just so happened that the subject of open access publishing came up in my Academic Libraries class a few days ago (it's a WISE course from the University of British Columbia) which I found interesting as I worked to retrieve open source themed articles for our assignment in this this class. Of course, this isn't very surprising given the current serials crisis our field is facing. With the prices of journal subscriptions continuing to climb (mostly due to lack of competition), more and more people are turning to the open access movement for a solution. People usually tend to fall on either side of the open access argument, but most librarians I know are for it. The people who are against open access tend to be academics struggling to publish and wanting the recognition of getting their work into a well regarded journal. I'm hoping as the idea of open access becomes more popular, this sentiment will change and publishing in an open access journal will be considered just as scholarly as the commercial alternatives, which will ultimately lessen the financial burden of libraries.

Sunday = homework day

I tend to view Sundays as the start of my work/school week, as it is usually when I try to catch up on anything I've missed from the previous week and get a head start on the days to come. After a great weekend, I'm slowly but surely trying to get back into a productive mindset.

I started browsing the web today and found something pretty cool from the University of Michigan library. They have created a blog that specifically discusses new technologies that are implemented in their library, information about existing library features, interviews with library staff, and much more. Blogging among the library community is not new - in fact many professional librarians I know keep a very consistent presence online. The benefits are obvious: it is a fast, efficient way to spread information to colleagues, clients, and the public as a whole, and it helps us stay relevant in the digital age. UMichigan's Information Technology blog combines this idea with a focus on changing library technology and tools, making it an even more helpful guide for users who may not be aware of all the technological advances in their library. While the blog is mainly intended for faculty, staff, and students at the university, I think it is worth taking a look at as a model for other universities to consider mimicking.

http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/blt/

Second Week !

Week 2 of the semester has officially begun, and I'm already exhausted. Trying to stay on top of everything, but this rainy weather just makes me want to curl up in bed all day. I got a head start on the Scopus/Google Scholar assignment yesterday, which makes me feel a little better about myself. I also had a phone interview today for a potential post-MLIS position. I'm hopeful that it went well and that I'll be called for a face-to-face interview, but only time will tell. Homework/job applications are pretty much going to be my life for the next few months, which makes me a little depressed. BUT I've lined up a few weekends of friends from home visiting, the first one being this upcoming weekend. I'm very excited about that and it will give me something to look forward to after a week filled with coffee shop study sessions, class, and work. Right now, as the work day comes to an end, I'm going to head to the gym in a effort to ride out this last wave of energy I'm feeling before heading home. I will be in full productivity mode for a few days so I can relax and enjoy the weekend when it arrives. I hope everyone had a great day despite the weather!

"Earning your Masters in Library and Information Science is beautiful." - Lil' Wayne

Someone in my WISE class posted this link and I figured anyone in our program can appreciate it as much as I did. Lil' Wayne gave us future librarians a shout out in his first letter from prison. Represent!

http://www.rap-up.com/2010/04/02/lil-wayne-checks-in-from-rikers-island-im-in-good-spirits/

An appropriate way to kick off a new semester, I think. I'm trying to maintain a sense of humor as I enter my last session here at Pitt, because if it goes by as quickly as the last two, it will be over before it really begins. I want to wish everyone a happy semester, and welcome aboard to any new students!

I'm graduating at the end of this term and the reason I put this important core class off until the very end is because I'm a little technologically challenged. However, I'm hoping that instead of intimidating me, this course will help me get more comfortable with the important technology that I will be using in my career. I'm an on-campus student but will be taking the class online due to some conflicts. I'm looking forward to getting started and being one step closer to graduation!