No Spoilers.
I'll do posts occasionally on books I've just finished reading. It's nice sometimes to record what you thought about a book, and maybe someone else can read what you've written and be like 'ah, yes, I might give that a go'.
In true librarian style,all my book "reviews" (I say in inverted commas, because my thoughts on a book can probably not be constituted as a proper review), will probably include lots of positive things about the work. I like to focus on the positive points about the experience of reading a novel, for three reasons:
a) I prefer being positive in general. I like looking for the 'good' in things.
b) I think that when an author has put in lots of effort to write his/her book, it's awful to just slate it and move on. Even if you think it's not so good, someone else might love it, given the chance to read it, and you should always encourage them to read and make up their own mind.
c) We had a rule for marking at school - two stars and a wish. Guess it stuck with me. You had to say two good things about the work, and one wish - something you think could have been done a bit better, or something you wish they'd have added.
So I just finished reading the fourth book in the Wicked series, by Gregory Maguire. In case anyone out there is unaware of the order, it goes as such:
Wicked
Son of a Witch
A Lion Among Men
Out of Oz
There's lots of hate out there for the last two books. People say they get boring, and are non-eventful. I honestly don't know why. Maguire takes time with his characters and storylines. Just because people can't read it in three days and be done with it, doesn't make it not worth reading. It's full of detail and excellent character/plot development. Out of Oz doesn't conclude the series neatly. You aren't handed all the answers at the end, not everything is fully explained. If this is something that would annoy you, perhaps it's not the series for you. But there are some excellent 'Maguire-esque' quotes to look out for all through the series and you're really pulled into the world of Oz, perhaps even more so (I'd say), than the original Wizard of Oz book...(eep, I'll hide in case anyone finds me and beats me with a copy of the book for that comment). The Wicked series is for adults (oh heavens, please don't let your children read them!) and I enjoyed it as such. Perhaps I feel the way I feel about the original WOO, because I read it as an adult, not as a child, and perhaps some of the charm passed over me in a way it might not have done, had I read it aged eight.
I'm beginning to ramble.
To conclude, I would rate the whole series a good 8 out of 10 overall. Read the first book, and see how you go. If you don't like the style, or the way in which Maguire twists beloved Oz, then there's no reason you can't stop with the fist book and be happy you gave it a go. I'll apologise if this post isn't as coherent as some of the others - I'm a little tired!
Over and out
Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Tuesday, 10 September 2013
Only one accident!
Today was a good day. The new students at the school have been having induction sessions for the library. We give them their barcodes, that they use to scan things in and out of the library and tell them about what facilities there are and how chocolate has no place next to shiny new books that I just managed to shelve that day. I say 'we' do the inductions, so far it's been the main librarian doing them, and I stand to one side like a spare part and hand them their barcodes half way through. But today...
I did one.
Which is a big deal for me. I stood in front of a group of students, totally alone, and remembered everything that I had to tell them. The main librarian was busy elsewhere, so my triumph went un-witnessed. But it felt good. I wondered if I'd have trouble, being the 'new' member of staff, but no...I sailed through and even supervised successfully after whilst they did some work. The students seemed to recognise me as an authoritative figure, and asked lots of questions...always a good thing as at least they're engaging. We only had one accident...a student managed tip up a bookshelf (small children apparently are far stronger than we give them credit for), resulting in all the books from Ab-Al falling on another students head. This meant that I, after sending the more battered of the two up to the medical room, had indeed have a whole lovely shelf to put back together. I was apologized to over and over, and obviously it had been an accident so I joked about it with the student, for fear that tears may happen instead (I am in no manner at all qualified to handle crying children!) and everything was calm again.
In other news, this article is old, but I enjoyed it. Putting the good word out there about all the hard work we do!
http://careers.theguardian.com/job-of-21st-century-librarian
It's a good introduction for someone who knows very little about library work and would like to know more...Dated 31st Jan 2011. It also includes some case studies.
For now,
Over and out.
I did one.
Which is a big deal for me. I stood in front of a group of students, totally alone, and remembered everything that I had to tell them. The main librarian was busy elsewhere, so my triumph went un-witnessed. But it felt good. I wondered if I'd have trouble, being the 'new' member of staff, but no...I sailed through and even supervised successfully after whilst they did some work. The students seemed to recognise me as an authoritative figure, and asked lots of questions...always a good thing as at least they're engaging. We only had one accident...a student managed tip up a bookshelf (small children apparently are far stronger than we give them credit for), resulting in all the books from Ab-Al falling on another students head. This meant that I, after sending the more battered of the two up to the medical room, had indeed have a whole lovely shelf to put back together. I was apologized to over and over, and obviously it had been an accident so I joked about it with the student, for fear that tears may happen instead (I am in no manner at all qualified to handle crying children!) and everything was calm again.
In other news, this article is old, but I enjoyed it. Putting the good word out there about all the hard work we do!
http://careers.theguardian.com/job-of-21st-century-librarian
It's a good introduction for someone who knows very little about library work and would like to know more...Dated 31st Jan 2011. It also includes some case studies.
For now,
Over and out.
Sunday, 8 September 2013
Getting experience/a job after you graduate. The endless cycle.
You've all heard it.
"Do you have any relevant experience?"
"We cannot hire you, you have no experience"
"Oh you'd like to come to gain experience? I'm sorry, you need experience for that."
*Mind Explosion*
The only thing you end up getting experienced in, is accepting rejections. I'm no expert. This recent job I'm in, I gained though a combination of sheer determination and a whole lot of luck. But I thought I'd do a post to see if I could shed some light on anyone out there who feels it's hopeless.
Tip one: If you're still at university, the summer is a fantastic time to go and volunteer at your local library. Even if you don't do much - one day a week, it's still something to put on your CV and will get rid of any niggling doubts potential employers have about whether you can survive in a library environment. The Summer Reading Challenge, run for kids by the Reading Agency, happens in almost every library in the country over the summer, and lots of libraries manage this through a network of volunteers. If they don't use volunteers, and rely on staff to do the extra work involved, so they might be glad of some help if you suggest it to them.
If you're not at university, but working full time, try using an evening (public libraries are often open late one day per week) or morning if you work later on in the day, to squeeze in that couple of hours of volunteering per week. Every little helps. Got kids? Take them with you! They won't perish from being in a library for a couple of hours whilst you help out. (Of course I understand that for some people, this isn't possible - it's just a thought!)
Tip two: Whilst giving up you're precious time gaining all this experience, keep applying for jobs. Aim for at least one per day, or one every other day. Even two per day if you're not very busy. At University? Start applying whilst you're still there. Spring/early Summer time. Look everywhere: on the internet daily, as things change on here overnight. Get ahead of the game. Don't wait till you graduate, then think "suppose I better start applying for jobs...". That's when everyone else is applying. A lot of school and University libraries hire staff over the summer to start in September with the new school year. Don't limit yourself to one year graduate placements either. I know you only need the year to be able to enrol on a postgrad course, but consider longer term employment, as you can always to the postgrad part time, or cut down your working hours when you begin the course. At least you'll have a little bit of income whilst you're studying.
Tip three: It's annoying. I almost don't want to write it. But it really helps to be flexible in location when applying for jobs. I am a northerner. I've had to move down south, almost in London. It's not great, trawling things all over the country, and I understand for lots of people it's not an option. But if you can - just apply for the job, whether it's five minutes away, or five hundred miles away. If you stick to your area, depending on where you live of course, it's rare that anything will come up.
Tip four: Start a journal or something similar, of research. What types of classification systems are there? Where are they used? What are the differences in staff approach to school libraries compared with university libraries, or public libraries. What types of library management systems are out there? What is the current attitude and perception of libraries today? Read books, newspapers, online articles and really get to know what you're talking about as it'll really come through in an interview. If you manage to get an interview somewhere, see if you can visit "undercover" a few days before you go, to scope out the place and see if there's anything major you can see that could be improved.
Tip five: Libraries aren't just books anymore. You need to know the basics of computers and their software. Or, for a start, what software is. Again, there are some brilliant books out there to help with this, some relevant to library systems. Or go on a course, if you have the time and money. But often it's just as easy to learn yourself.
I think I'm all tipped out. There's probably many things I was going to say. But for now, it's all I've got - like I say, I'm not expert by any means. It is perhaps all just common sense. But it might help someone out there. I'll perhaps do a list of useful books I read prior to my interview soon, all of which I found at my university library. So there you go, step six...check your local library and university library for books on Information Management and Librarianship!
Over and Out.
"Do you have any relevant experience?"
"We cannot hire you, you have no experience"
"Oh you'd like to come to gain experience? I'm sorry, you need experience for that."
*Mind Explosion*
The only thing you end up getting experienced in, is accepting rejections. I'm no expert. This recent job I'm in, I gained though a combination of sheer determination and a whole lot of luck. But I thought I'd do a post to see if I could shed some light on anyone out there who feels it's hopeless.
Tip one: If you're still at university, the summer is a fantastic time to go and volunteer at your local library. Even if you don't do much - one day a week, it's still something to put on your CV and will get rid of any niggling doubts potential employers have about whether you can survive in a library environment. The Summer Reading Challenge, run for kids by the Reading Agency, happens in almost every library in the country over the summer, and lots of libraries manage this through a network of volunteers. If they don't use volunteers, and rely on staff to do the extra work involved, so they might be glad of some help if you suggest it to them.
If you're not at university, but working full time, try using an evening (public libraries are often open late one day per week) or morning if you work later on in the day, to squeeze in that couple of hours of volunteering per week. Every little helps. Got kids? Take them with you! They won't perish from being in a library for a couple of hours whilst you help out. (Of course I understand that for some people, this isn't possible - it's just a thought!)
Tip two: Whilst giving up you're precious time gaining all this experience, keep applying for jobs. Aim for at least one per day, or one every other day. Even two per day if you're not very busy. At University? Start applying whilst you're still there. Spring/early Summer time. Look everywhere: on the internet daily, as things change on here overnight. Get ahead of the game. Don't wait till you graduate, then think "suppose I better start applying for jobs...". That's when everyone else is applying. A lot of school and University libraries hire staff over the summer to start in September with the new school year. Don't limit yourself to one year graduate placements either. I know you only need the year to be able to enrol on a postgrad course, but consider longer term employment, as you can always to the postgrad part time, or cut down your working hours when you begin the course. At least you'll have a little bit of income whilst you're studying.
Tip three: It's annoying. I almost don't want to write it. But it really helps to be flexible in location when applying for jobs. I am a northerner. I've had to move down south, almost in London. It's not great, trawling things all over the country, and I understand for lots of people it's not an option. But if you can - just apply for the job, whether it's five minutes away, or five hundred miles away. If you stick to your area, depending on where you live of course, it's rare that anything will come up.
Tip four: Start a journal or something similar, of research. What types of classification systems are there? Where are they used? What are the differences in staff approach to school libraries compared with university libraries, or public libraries. What types of library management systems are out there? What is the current attitude and perception of libraries today? Read books, newspapers, online articles and really get to know what you're talking about as it'll really come through in an interview. If you manage to get an interview somewhere, see if you can visit "undercover" a few days before you go, to scope out the place and see if there's anything major you can see that could be improved.
Tip five: Libraries aren't just books anymore. You need to know the basics of computers and their software. Or, for a start, what software is. Again, there are some brilliant books out there to help with this, some relevant to library systems. Or go on a course, if you have the time and money. But often it's just as easy to learn yourself.
I think I'm all tipped out. There's probably many things I was going to say. But for now, it's all I've got - like I say, I'm not expert by any means. It is perhaps all just common sense. But it might help someone out there. I'll perhaps do a list of useful books I read prior to my interview soon, all of which I found at my university library. So there you go, step six...check your local library and university library for books on Information Management and Librarianship!
Over and Out.
Week One. The first (paper) cut is the deepest.
I got through one whole week! It was good, for lots of reasons. The boarders arrived back fully on Wednesday, so I got to familiarise myself with lots of systems and learn my way around a bit before lots of kids arrived to make loud noises and make the place smell hormonal.
Things I can do now, with little, to no, help:
- Check things in/out
- Smile, in a friendly, welcoming manner to new students.
- Look serious and hopefully slightly authoritative to everyone else. (I'm yet to master the one-eyebrow raise to accompany such phrases as: "You do realise that you're in a library? Must we be doing gymnastics on the sofa?")
- Order text books for staff, sending the details to the relevant people before doing so.
- Distribute the books when they arrive, giving various copies of the receipts to relevant people.
- Forget everybody's names within three seconds of learning them.
- Photocopy!
- Weed and check for new editions of things from various sources.
- Use Eclipse, the Library Management System the school uses. It has it's drawbacks, which I'll probably do another post on. We're hoping to switch to Heritage I've heard, which would be nice, and mean I get to use two systems before the year is out!
and finally, I have still maintained the ability to shelve. It's not hard, nor the most thrilling part of the job, but to me - a person that quite likes a bit of order, very satisfying. I have re-shelved and put back together the entirety of one library on the school site that had serious works done to it over the summer. With two colleagues, I unpacked 106 boxes of books, shelved them all, got very dusty and felt very chuffed at the end when it was all over. It's better for the students to use now: there are more computers, they have a new sofa and carpet and at some point there will be a portrait of the old head to cast her beady eye over them, hopefully instilling some calm. The library staff also have a new desk!
N.B: Point of interest. You can't just put any old shelves into libraries. They have to have fully adjustable shelves, so the height can be altered to account for any large books. *Library fact*
My 'line manager' (the Librarian) has been very patient with me. Every time we try to learn something new, or try to get something done, it tends to get interrupted with requests from teachers for book orders or a group of new students coming for their induction sessions on how to use the library. Hopefully they'll be more to update next week! I also fallen foul of one of the occupational hazards of working in the library environment. I got my first paper cut.
Over and Out.
Things I can do now, with little, to no, help:
- Check things in/out
- Smile, in a friendly, welcoming manner to new students.
- Look serious and hopefully slightly authoritative to everyone else. (I'm yet to master the one-eyebrow raise to accompany such phrases as: "You do realise that you're in a library? Must we be doing gymnastics on the sofa?")
- Order text books for staff, sending the details to the relevant people before doing so.
- Distribute the books when they arrive, giving various copies of the receipts to relevant people.
- Forget everybody's names within three seconds of learning them.
- Photocopy!
- Weed and check for new editions of things from various sources.
- Use Eclipse, the Library Management System the school uses. It has it's drawbacks, which I'll probably do another post on. We're hoping to switch to Heritage I've heard, which would be nice, and mean I get to use two systems before the year is out!
and finally, I have still maintained the ability to shelve. It's not hard, nor the most thrilling part of the job, but to me - a person that quite likes a bit of order, very satisfying. I have re-shelved and put back together the entirety of one library on the school site that had serious works done to it over the summer. With two colleagues, I unpacked 106 boxes of books, shelved them all, got very dusty and felt very chuffed at the end when it was all over. It's better for the students to use now: there are more computers, they have a new sofa and carpet and at some point there will be a portrait of the old head to cast her beady eye over them, hopefully instilling some calm. The library staff also have a new desk!
N.B: Point of interest. You can't just put any old shelves into libraries. They have to have fully adjustable shelves, so the height can be altered to account for any large books. *Library fact*
My 'line manager' (the Librarian) has been very patient with me. Every time we try to learn something new, or try to get something done, it tends to get interrupted with requests from teachers for book orders or a group of new students coming for their induction sessions on how to use the library. Hopefully they'll be more to update next week! I also fallen foul of one of the occupational hazards of working in the library environment. I got my first paper cut.
Over and Out.
Saturday, 7 September 2013
You want to be a what...?
Yes. I want to be a Librarian. Sure, it's not like being a rocket scientist, or a doctor...it's better than that, and doesn't include as much maths (always a plus for me). I don't plan on spending my life 'shushing' people and glaring angrily over spectacles that hang off the edge of my nose. If you want to make it sound more fancy, 'Information Specialist' is another word for it...but I kind of like the old-fashioned 'Librarian' title.
For those that don't know, seemingly lots of people (myself included until a couple of years ago), you need both a degree, and a postgraduate degree to be a qualified Librarian. I've got the former - I graduated with a BA(hons) Creative and Professional Writing degree this summer. So, one down, one to go. However, many places will not consider you for the postgraduate degree in Information Management and Librarianship, until you have a bit of experience (fair enough). So unless you happened to have worked in libraries before, getting said experience is the next logical step and the step I myself am currently sat on.
I'm working in the South of England, as the Resident Librarian's Assistant at a boarding school. Everything about this is new to me. 'The South' is new. The 'boarding school' environment is new. And a lot of the job is new too. I had a small amount of voluntary experience in a library environment, but had never been employed in one. Until now.
The posts on this blog will vary. I'll include what sort of work I'm doing in my assistant position. They'll probably be posts about books I'm reading. Posts about libraries and relevant news in general. And, (if I ever get there), eventually, posts to do with postgraduate courses and how I'm getting on with it all. There may even be pictures, you never know.
For now, Over and Out.
For those that don't know, seemingly lots of people (myself included until a couple of years ago), you need both a degree, and a postgraduate degree to be a qualified Librarian. I've got the former - I graduated with a BA(hons) Creative and Professional Writing degree this summer. So, one down, one to go. However, many places will not consider you for the postgraduate degree in Information Management and Librarianship, until you have a bit of experience (fair enough). So unless you happened to have worked in libraries before, getting said experience is the next logical step and the step I myself am currently sat on.
I'm working in the South of England, as the Resident Librarian's Assistant at a boarding school. Everything about this is new to me. 'The South' is new. The 'boarding school' environment is new. And a lot of the job is new too. I had a small amount of voluntary experience in a library environment, but had never been employed in one. Until now.
The posts on this blog will vary. I'll include what sort of work I'm doing in my assistant position. They'll probably be posts about books I'm reading. Posts about libraries and relevant news in general. And, (if I ever get there), eventually, posts to do with postgraduate courses and how I'm getting on with it all. There may even be pictures, you never know.
For now, Over and Out.
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