Argh! It’s snowing! We’ve gotten about five inches so far and when it’s all over there may be as much as eight inches. The only consolation is that it will all be melted by the end of the week. That’s the only thing that makes spring snow bearable.
Saturday my volunteer shift at the library was so much fun. The Public Library Association annual convention was in town last week. Saturday was the last day and lots and lots of librarians were playing hooky. It was fun chatting with so many people from all over the United States. I got compliments from a few of them about how knowledgeable I was about the library and one even asked if I was a library student to which I proudly answered, yes! Some asked me what parts of the library they should be sure to see since they had a limited time. I suggested the children’s and teen libraries, the New Americans Center, and I told them that the compact shelving in the stacks was great fun to play with. It was a busy morning and a nice break from the usual of directing people to the bathroom.
School started today and I already have an assignment! Those of you clever librarians who said the class sounded like it was reference are quite right. I will get to learn how to do a reference interview for sure. But the main focus on the class is “information retrieval.” We’ll be working in a bunch of different databases learning how to do searches and winkle out the information we–or our patrons–are looking for. Sure to be fun.
I will be spending lots of time online this quarter not only doing database searches but reading. There is no official text but we will be reading online articles and using Drexel’s e-library resources. So it’s a good thing I got a new computer Friday night. I was about due, my trusty PowerBook was six years old. I didn’t want to let it go, I love it so much, by new MacBook Pro is convincing me to transfer my affection to it bit by bit. It’s shiny and pretty and the screen is so much brighter and the images so much sharper, and oh my gosh is it fast! And the trackpad is pretty spiffy with its iPhone features of scrolling, rotating images, and zooming all with the swipe or pinch of a finger. And transferring my files from my old computer to the new was apiece of cake. No, I am not an Apple salesperson, nor am I affiliated with Apple in any way. I am just a happy customer.
Now, off to watch Dancing with the Stars and to start in on some school work!
Congratulations on the new computer. And go Marlee!
School already! Well, it sounds like a fun class — I hope you share some of what you learn. And sorry about the snow … spring is really almost here.
My god, I need a class in information retrieval. I swear there are days in the university library when the Newton catalogue is set to ‘stun’. I certainly reel away, having been refused all access to the books I know are in there somewhere. Some days it relents and makes some reasonable suggestions. It’s like dealing with some minor authority figure who’s taken their status far too much to heart.
And ohh I want a new computer! Mine is getting very shaky.
litlove, you’ll soon be able to ask Stefanie for advice but do ask a librarian in the meantime – they can give all kinds of ideas on the best way to search their own catalogs
The info retrieval portion will be fun. I enjoyed it a lot in my class, and one of my classes this semester expands upon it. Do you have any experience with Dialog?
Sylvia, thanks. Marlee did a fantastic jive, didn’t she?
Dorothy, I will happily share some of what I learn. Google will yield up its mysteries to me
Litlove, LOL! I’m sure there must be a friendly librarian who would be more than willing to assist you. At least I hope there is. My computer was getting a bit shaky too. I was terrified that it would quit in the middle of school and that would be a disaster.
Bonnie, what a good, kind librarian you are!
Bibliophylia, I don’t have any experience with Dialog but I will after this quarter!
Spring? Did you say it’s Spring? Hmm. We got a dusting of snow this morning. I never know whether to wear a heavy sweater or a light shirt. I’m convinced that the sun is going to make an appearance soon. Surely it will! Congrats on the new computer. Mine is dying a slow and painful death. I’m holding out for that tax check (otherwise I couldn’t afford it). I’m dreading switching everything over, but I’m fantasizing over an uninterrupted internet connection and no more ‘black screens of death’!! Have fun with those classes–database searching is something you will use A Lot!
I rave about my MacBook Pro too
And, have fun with all that searching!
Here I sit, green with envy, yet again. Oh, to learn all those online searching techniques in school (online searching was JUST on the horizon when I was in library school. Seattle PL made big news in the library world by being the first public library to offer internet services to its patrons). In those days, people would have looked at you as if you’d said something naughty if you’d said, ‘I googled so-and-so.” (I see spell check, wearing its 1992 hat, still objects to the word.) Meanwhile, there is nothing I like better than visiting libraries when I go a-visiting other cities. I can imagine it must be great fun to have so many knowledgeable visitors while you’re volunteering.
The end of your post made me laugh out loud. How fun that another book lover watches Dancing with the Stars!