I’m in week seven of the fall quarter of library school. Except for a few incidents–my week of vertigo, the digital library software uninstalling applications on my computer, and the same software giving me monumental headaches trying to get it to work on my non-Windows computer–the quarter is going along pretty well. I think. I have only received one grade so far and am waiting for two more so it is kind of hard to judge exactly where I am at. I think I’m doing pretty well.
This weekend I will be working out the details of what my final project will be. It will involve installing yet another piece of software on my poor computer. But at least I get to choose the software so I can make sure that it really will work on my Mac. While it has been a pain at times, most of class this quarter has been hands-on which is nice because it is always good to be familiar with the software that universities are using in case I find myself working with it one of these days.
I have already had to register for my next class that will start in January. Human-Computer Interaction. It is an entire field of study so this class will be more of an introduction. I hope it proves to be interesting.
That’s it on the school front. It keeps me busier than I’d like and unfortunately the reading for it isn’t anything that would be fun to share, unless, of course, you are curious about how to choose digital library software for your digitization project. If you’re looking for that kind of information I’ll gladly supply you, otherwise it’s best to remain in the dark.
Human-Computer Interaction! Now that sounds interesting, although it still startles me to see the the way libraries are changing. I remember how I felt when our library switched from the card catalog to the computer…awed and intimidated.
Now, however, I wonder how I managed without the new system which gives access to so much more than what could be printed on those tiny cards. I can even search for books and have them held for me from my own computer, with whom I have great interaction (most of the time).
Human-Computer Interaction? Wow. Reminds me of The Day The Earth Stood Still – the old one with Sam Jaffee, Micheal Rennie and Patria Neal…”Klatu Mirada Nictu” which meant something soothing to the robot, although I can’t recall what it was.
Glad to hear it’s all going along well. That course human-computer interaction reminds me of the computer officer I used to know at my previous college. He used to look people in the eye and say ‘I think the problem here arose at the user interface.’ And of course the person would try to nod knowedgeably, quite unaware that he was in fact pointing the finger of blame right at them! But I don’t expect that’s what your course will teach you to do….
I remember the day the libraries switched from the card catalog to the online version – I still mourn them. I really hate that our system requires the name to be spelled exactly correctly – how I miss the days of flipping through the “S’s” muttering ‘I know it starts w/an S……..please be the last name.”
No, no! Digitalized libraries! Aaaiiiiiiii!!!! Not to discourage you but I hope your degree is for naught.
I hope the rest of the class goes well! Your next class sounds interesting, and I’m sure you’ll have some good stuff to share from it.
Jenclair, for an analog database card catalogs were fantastic and I loved them but you are right, a computerized catalog allows us to do so much more. I hope the class turns out to be as interesting as it sounds. I’ll let you know in January!
Grad, LOL. My sister says it sounds like I have enrolled at the Star Fleet Academy.
Litlove, Oh your computer officer and I would have gotten along really well. I did say to someone once after I fixed a problem that it was a “PBCK error” (problem between chair and keyboard) and they were just amazed I knew how to fix it. Thank goodness they didn’t ask for an explanation or I would have lost it!
Carrie, card catalogs were great and I have a special place in my heart for them, but I much prefer online catalogs. The exact spelling issue is so you will go and talk to your librarian for help. We build job security that way
Dorothy, thanks! I hope there ends up being lots of interesting things to share from my next class because there is sure to be a lot of reading in it.