LISNews: Librarian News

So I am actually going to have to break down and apply for Ohio Substitute Teacher Licensure this week.This will get amusing. The odd thing is that since I have 24 out of 36 hours done towards my master's, I technically really should inquire whether I can get the substitute license endorsed for School Media Specialist (notwithstanding that I am a cataloger with some reference coursework).Long duration social studies licensure would prove odd. I could probably manage, though, as I wound up taking somewheres around 42 semester hours of history as an undergradaute. Adding in School Media would just be bizarre, I think, though...

Alrighty. Being in the library school life, I get some interesting perspectives. I also get the chance to see many of my potential future fellow librarians.I merely note that it seems like the "prettiest girls" in my program all flock to cataloging. They all seem to have a knack for it, too. Indeed, they make fighting with OCLC Connexion seem like it is nothing through the grace they exhibit. Me on the other hand, I just fume and get frustrated when OCLC Connexion does weird things due to the networking.What do the far and few guys in my program do? I am the only "cataloger" amongst them while the others focus on either School Media Specialist work or specialize towards Academic Reference. Women outnumber the men quite heavily in my program (which I heard from a friend happens elsewhere too).It is quite odd that "the Four Horsemen of Cataloging" are composed of three women and one guy. As a group, we do not settle for simple ILS displays but crave MARC21 tags to see what went into making the record. We question why things are cataloged certain ways and get giddy when we spot mistakes in somebody else's cataloging that we can learn from.Of course, based upon most of the librarians I have seen lately, I would say most wholeheartedly that virtually none of my colleauges look at all like librarians. Most look like either teachers or legislative aides. Most learned colleagues shy away from wearing their hair in buns and indeed bunches actually lift weights and are in the gym quite a bit to stay healthy and active while handling their graduate coursework.Could that be why so many learned colleagues were applying to intelligence agencies for work?

So at this point I am still unofficially an MSLS even though I have the robes and regalia now. This is a strange and new thing for me. Of course, with 4 classes still to be taken, I know I have not totally earned the hood of a librarian yet!

This semester is finally almost done. It officially ended logistically at 10:00 PM EDT on Friday. For me, though, the fun is only just beginning.Tomorrow is the day I must march for the degree of Master of Science in Library Science. The catch is that such is a wee bit early for me as I still have classes to take over the summer. There is no summer graduation and if I want to have my transcripts annotated that I graduated in August I have to go through these formalities now.I sure do hope the robe fits over my suit...

This is the second of three semesters towards my master's degree.Finals will be done and all coursework proceedings concluded by 10:00 PM EDT Friday.As long as I get no more than one C this semester, I will be okay. I think I will not be getting any C's, though.This is a looooooong week....

At 12:24 PM on May 4, 1970, shots rang out on the Kent Campus of Kent State University. In a time of civil turmoil and concern over Vietnam, Ohio National Guard soldiers confronted student protesters on the Kent Campus. Four students died from weapons fire and nine students were injured. The "Battle of Blanket Hill" propelled Kent State University into history as a place where tensions over war were dealt with quite severely on both sides.Remembrance Day is a holiday of Kent State University upon which the tragic events of that horrific day are remembered. Three imperatives are taught to Kent State University students in the shadow of memories of that day: Inquire, Learn, Reflect. Through the complex events and reactions of that horrific day many lessons still remain to be learned even today.

Alrighty. Now that is shocking. I log in and get 50 moderator points. Are there enough comments on any given day to burn through that many points or do I want to wait a little while?Seeing as how this is finals week, moderation is not something I can spend a whole lot of time on.

1. Owns a cat(s)? No as I am allergic to them.

2. Drives small sensible, economical car? Small: yes. Economic: Not so much.

3. Wears comfortable, sensible shoes? Who are we kidding? Hiking boots are sometimes more appropriate in rural areas!

4. Reads constantly? That kinda defines library school, no?

5. Never goes out? Going out is interesting. This is a rural area to be in, though. Urban areas are a little far away.

6. Sexually inexperienced? Not sure how to respond to that...

7. Friends are all librarians? Not really. Ministers and ministers-in-training...kinda...

8. Could care less about fashion? I am not rich, I am a librarian! As long as I am clothed somehow, that is good enough.

9. Leans to the left when it comes to politics? Evangelical out on the right...

10. Was a nerd in high school? Does being a Deputy Stage Manager (Publicity) count?

11. Wears hair in a bun? My hair is falling out from stress...not enough to put into a bun...

12. Is constantly covered in dust? Been a while since that happened...which would be when I worked last in schools as a custodian...

13. Librarian by day/Bacardi by night? Voluntarily give myself stomach problems? My tummy has been rumbly too much lately due to stress and the rumbling is not related to being hungry...

14. Do you wear glasses? Only since senior year in high school...when it was finally figured out that I am near-sighted...Kinda helped finding that out before I was finally able to fit Driver's Ed into the hectic schedule...

15. Are you female? No! Would I be AshtabulaGuy if I was?

16. Abilities in the yarn arts? Not really. I can cook to survive though...

Okay...so I was gone for a while...got to see lots of libraries in NYC...almost no computer access all weekend except a quick check at a NYPL branch...Hopefully get to contribute this week...

I have been enjoying all the chatter about the Air America Radio network lately. The network just seems like it is having an interesting start. The network, intended to be a liberal answer to Rush Limbaugh, is only heard on seventeen stations across the United States and is available on the Internet and by satellite radio. As a response to Limbaugh and other things, I can see the value of it even though I am someone who likes what Tim Yeo, Michael Howard, David Willets, and others may say at Westminster or some of the things coming from Stephen Harper up on Parliament Hill.My problem is that frankly a roll-out of something like this should have taken place in several more markets. In some Democratic Party strongholds (such as Ohio's democratic stronghold known for a burning river, Cleveland) there is no typical coverage and the average populace might not really be able to afford streaming audio delivered by Internet or by a satellite service. In economically depressed areas, which historically favor the Democratic Party much more wholeheartedly than the Republican Party, which media outlet is more accessible: satellite radio or the local AM talk radio station? The Democratic Party has historically been known to be the “big tent� party that reached out to everybody while the Republican Party was known to be the rich and nasty party.I know in Cleveland WTAM is audible and carries Rush Limbaugh's program. Detroit's WJR also booms across Lake Erie and carries Rush Limbaugh's program. Where is any station booming in to Northeast Ohio and Northwest Pennsylvania carrying Air America?

I remember when doing undergraduate work serving as a residence hall senator while also concurrently serving as Parliamentary Secretary to the Vice President for Finance and Fundraising. What did that mean? It meant being the eyes and ears of the VP (who did not sit in the Senate) as to Senate proceedings.Do libraries need such things more? It often seems with legislation like CIPA, and USA PATRIOT Act that we need to cultivate good working relationships in Congress and in statehouses.It is too bad we just do not seem to have the money needed as much today, though...

Going along with the trend:

* 1. Grab the nearest book.
* 2. Open the book to page 23.
* 3. Find the fifth sentence.
* 4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.

"The center line is the beginning of all measurements in a theater space."

The question put to me is why I want to go into cataloging. That is a very good question. It seems like the profession's stereotype of a cataloger is a loner who talks to nobody. In my case, that doesn't apply. I am a bit more friendly. Of course, then again, I have tried to wage a campaign for the office of Clerk in my civil township.Just something I have been thinking about as I wrap up another semester on the cataloger track...

Two weeks have now seen two conferences come and go. At the first one I acted as my faculty member's Parliamentary Private Secretary (Westminster style) in taking care of some things. At the second one I had to stand and present much akin to what a sitting in Westminster Hall as part of the proceedings of the House of Commons might be like. Sadly I wound up talking to the walls instead of being heard by any attendees...

I just realized how many ALA higher-up folks participate here. It does seem some days that this is truly that close-knit of a profession. LISNews does appear to contribute to an atmosphere of demystification, I think.

Hmm...Fall 2003:Cataloging and ClassificationBibliography of the Social SciencesIntroduction to the Information ProfessionsInformation Sources and ServicesSpring 2004:Introduction to Research in Library scienceAdvanced Cataloging and ClassificationManagement of Technical and Access ServicesDeveloping Library CollectionsSummer is the interesting conundrum. For the summer, I am thinking of the following:History of Books and Printing (Summer 1)Database Searching (Summer 1)Serials (Summer 2)Management of Special Libraries and Information Centers (Summer 2)Such may get very, very, very interesting depending upon how the chat goes with my academic advisor over what I will actually take (the summer listing above is merely my thoughts) in the summer will be...

I see students walking around with light jackets at most. This is good. I also see sunlight outside. For someone who gets to see very little sunlight due to the library science lab being in the center of the library building without any windows to the outside world, such is verily a good thing.Two weeks...two conferences...too much to worry about!

The Allegheny foothills sure are getting a bit of snow today...fortunately I have my dorm-based dungeon as well as a nice warm library to hide out in from the snow...

Priceless things from this current vacation period:1. Not getting attacked by colleagues on their own initiative and without provocation from me for being a Christian 2. Seemingly every librarian at the Fairview Park Regional library outside Cleveland's west side saying hello and apparently recognizing that I must be a librarian-in-training or something3. Finding the pleasure and humor of books by Will Manley4. Getting to spend time with my family

Finally! Freedom from being around all those lovely nymphomaniac and alcoholic undergraduate students that I see day after day and have to hear the exploits of...