Comments (1)

By Kiyomi, January 27, 2010 8:30 AM

8:15 AM  Log-on to computer.  Check Twitter feed for any relevant library news or job postings, read those.

8:32 AM  Move on the school E-mail, decide RSS feeds can wait till later.  Most of my e-mail was ACRL: Residency Interest Group related, offered to hook up applicant with current resident to help review their material before submission.

8:48 AM Login to Blackboard and catch up on message board posts for 3 classes and Graduate Student community.  Only light posting, not unexpected for the beginning of the week, decide to see if I can’t finish listening to and reading my Social Science Resources Lecture for the week (Drexel Weeks run Monday – Sunday).

9:15 AM  Not quite done with lecture, but will have to save the rest for later, time to go be a volunteer intern at RSABG.

9:45 AM Arrive at RSABG’s research library.  Sign-in and catch-up, it’s my first day back after a 3 week break due to the start of classes coinciding with ALA MidWinter.  Start researching the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for a possible grant proposal and open access repository models.

10:30 AM  Get handed a Japanese serial publication for original cataloging, plus 3 other Chinese titles.  Look up Jim Breen’s WWWJDIC and start looking up characters by radicals.  Realize how long it’s been since I’ve studied kanji. Eventually get all the publication data in Japanese input correctly in Connexion.

1:30 PM  Take a lunch break.  Finish Social Sciences Resources Readings and posting for the day.

2:30 PM  Back to cataloging the Japanese serial publication.  Now that I have the correct characters it’s time to start putting the information in the correct fields.  As I start inputing the item description I realize that the book contains articles which are given in both Japanese and English,  with some Latin descriptions, look up Latin language code, it’s LAT.  Start checking fields for all necessary foreign language additions, measure size of book.

4:00 PM  Decide to call it a day since it takes a while to work my way through the CONSER website to check my serials cataloging.  Get gas and groceries on the way home.

5:30 PM  Log-on to computer, check school e-mail and discussion boards while eating dinner.

6:05 PM  Decide to start writing my 3-4 page Learning Context Paper for Information Literacy Instruction Class.  It feels overwhelming, but I’ll just start and follow the directions and then it’ll stop being so intimidating.

6:45  PM  Finished a little over a page of my paper.  Must stop for now, time to go be Assistant Director for the play Self Help.

10:52  PM  Back from rehearsal, time to check the Drexel message boards and then work on that paper again.

11:39 PM  A little over 2 pages are written, with a little light editing.  Fading fast, time to call it a day after a quick look at my RSS Feed, mainly library related.

Comments (1)

By Kiyomi, December 18, 2009 7:52 PM

A year ago I was the quality control manager at an environmental testing laboratory, and I had just received my acceptance letter for Drexel’s MLIS program.  I’d always known that I wanted to earn at least one advanced degree, and my goal to begin working on one by the end of 2009 was achieved. (Take that the “you’ll never go back if you don’t do a second degree right away” line of thinking!)

Starting classes in March felt a bit like being on the spinning teacups ride at Disneyland, but I found my balance.  I started interning at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden’s research library, attended my first library conference,  became a 2009-1011 ARL Diversity Scholar.  To a little more detail you can read my post Catching Up.  In November I submitted my first job application with editorial help from Megan Perez and Missy Harvey.  I was unfamiliar with this some of this quarter’s topics of study: collection development, and foundations of information systems. So, I did what I always do when stressed, researched and read until comfort was achieved.  There was a lot of reading going on.  On November 30^th I was honored to be named the ACRL member of the week.

Three quarters down, two to go!  Next quarter I’ll be studying Resources in Social Science, Instructional Role Information Specialist, and Academic Library Service.  Drexel’s quarter begins January 4^th, 2010 and I’ll be at ALA Midwinter January 14^th-19^th.  If anyone is interested in meeting up I have time the 17^th after about 4pm until I leave on the 19^th.  Several of my instructors kindly provided me with the readings from the beginning of the quarter so I can get ahead before things get crazy, thank you.

A year ago I was a chemist, today I am librarian, a young librarian, but a librarian nonetheless.  Everything I’ve learned about writing, dealing with the public, organization, being in charge, and performing research, is built upon my experiences as a student at a liberal arts institution, a laboratory instructor, a chemist, a quality control manager, a library school student, and as a volunteer intern at a research library, have shaped who I am today.  I’ve been fortunate to find several librarians who are both willing, and capable, mentors. I have several people I can contact with questions, or for help proof reading.  I have people who will not only tell me what not to do, but why.  Much of my transformation from chemist to librarian is due to these individuals, and any success I achieve is due in large part to their generous advice and encouragement.

In the future I plan to pursue my interests in promoting literacy, science, and preservation.  So the question is, what will I be doing in 10 years?  My goal is to study and become fluent in Japanese, teach literacy and library science classes, continue studying preservation, cataloging, science (broad term), and e-resources, and do original research on the user group(s) who frequent my library.

My questions for anyone reading are:

How have you changed in the last year?  How would you like to change in the future?

May you all have a peaceful and relaxing rest of the year, catch you in 2010!

Comments (2)

By Kiyomi, November 11, 2009 2:26 PM

As promised, here are my picks for library job listings.  Please note that this list is geared toward corporate and academic librarianship, although, some public and school library jobs are also posted to these lists.  This list of job sources is by no means comprehensive; you should also subscribe to mailing list in your field of interest, search local library association websites, and search for websites dedicated to jobs in the area you are interested in. Topics of job websites range from USA government employee, Higher Education, School (k-12), Information Specialist/Services, to International Jobs.

Things you should keep in mind:

1. Preferred is not the same as Required, if you meet the Required qualifications and have some of the Preferred go ahead and apply.  The more skills that are asked for in the Preferred section the less likely it is that someone has all of them, be willing to learn the ones you don’t have and you could land yourself a job.
2. I realize that some people have obligations which do not allow them to move, however, being willing to move for a new job gives you a much larger job pool to draw from.  Think about what is more important to you, having a job you could love long term or staying within a specific geographic area.
3. If you are willing to move for a job start going through your possessions now.  You own more stuff than you think you do, and time may be limited when it’s time to move.  The more you have sorted, donated, and given away the easier it will be when the time comes.
4. If you follow all of these job feeds you will see a few duplicates and triplicates from time to time.  This is to be expected, the majority of the jobs are not double posted.
5. Do not ever do the final proof of your cover letter yourself.  Find a professor, or someone who has been in the profession for a while who has experience hiring, to do the final read through.  Not only will this improve your letter significantly, but you will learn things from their corrections that you can apply to the next letter that you write.

Job Lists

ALA_JobList – Twitter
http://twitter.com/ALA_JobLIST

Combined Library Jobs – RSS Feed
http://www.lisjobs.com/rss.asp
(Provided by Library Job Posting on the Internet - http://www.libraryjobpostings.org/
And LISjobs.com http://www.lisjobs.com/)

GetLibraryJobs – Twitter
http://twitter.com/GetLibraryJobs

libassociates – Twitter
http://twitter.com/libassociates

Libgig_Jobs – Twitter
http://twitter.com/Libgig_Jobs

Libraryjobonline – Twitter
http://twitter.com/libraryjobline

LibInfoSciJobs – Twitter
http://twitter.com/LibInfoSciJobs

tmj_usa_library – Twitter
http://twitter.com/tmj_usa_library

Library Staffing Companies:

AIM Library and Information Staffing
http://www.aimusa.com/app.php

Lastly I’d like to mention ACRL’s Residency Interest Group (RIG) webpage.  RIG not only posts news about current and former residents, we also post residency position openings.  There is no other place where residency information is compiled on the web.  Check us out and consider a library residency.

http://acrl.ala.org/residency/