Still alive..well..sort of!

The semester is finally coming to an end, and I feel almost as confused as I did at the beginning. This month we learned LCSH. Subject headings are NOT fun. Well...Let me re-phrase that..Subject headings are only fun when they make sense. I have to admit I do a little dance when I figure out a subject heading using the LCSH and I am right. Wondering what the LCSH is that I keep referring to? Library of Congress is one of three different Authority controls that help decide what the subject heading for a book will be so that it is easier to search for books. At the moment we are ONLY using Library of Congress authority controls (thank God!). The website that has become one of my best friends recently is here. Subject headings alone are not so bad. After I made it past the first few lectures in the first section along with the first practice, I thought, "Man, I got this in the bag!" And then it was time to move on to advanced topics and these mysterious little items and words called 'free floating subdivisions'. I like to picture these little creatures and a fly. They always appear randomly and annoy you like crazy, but if you try to catch them (to kill them, but in this case to add them) they squirm away...and it takes forever to finally pin them down! eww..I do NOT like flies--OR free floating subdivisions.
After finishing practice 2 and the graded homework (and then going over the millions of discussions that went with our homework) I am feeling a littler more confident. We will see how long that confidence lasts after we get our grades back. I felt the same way when I submitted DDC work, but my grade proved otherwise! eeeK!
I'd like to say that LCSH has been the most challenging thing this month, but MTSU/D2L is sure giving it a run for its money! I have never yelled more at a computer than I have this week...especially last night with D2L when it decided to turn off right in the middle of working on my homework.
To sum everything up, the cute little picture at the top of this post does a great job of depicting my life right now! Whew-wee! I cannot wait until everything is worked out and cataloging as a whole starts to become natural to me!

3rd month of grad school--really??

I cannot believe that this semester is almost over! It seems beyond me! This month the Dewey Decimal System was introduced. The picture I created shows the 2 sides of my emotions when starting this. The top half is surprised/curious, and the bottom half is crazy! There is SO much to learn! I did, however, have an 'aha' moment this month. I decided to try to explain what the DDC was and how it worked to my sis. I told her, for example, that we would classify a book about dogs. I showed her the index, and then the schedule and finally the number. The next day she accompanied me to the library to find some books for one of my other classes. While we were there I decided to go look up the number that we created the previous night. When we found it and it was, in fact, about dogs, I couldn't help but feel proud! I know that the DDC is in place in most libraries and they all are the same, but finding/applying my creation/knowledge really made me feel like I am on the right track and proves I'm learning. It always helps when you get to actually apply what you are learning in the classroom. I am finally understanding why librarians should be able to catalogue anything from an onion to a dog's ear!
I looked online for some guides as far as themes go and found one for children (Click here). Also the Dewey Decimal Hotlist for Librarians had a ton of info that was interesting. But none of these resources were more interesting AND entertaining as this video. It is a rap about the Dewey Decimal System.
I guess that is all for now. Until next month, which will be the home stretch, Keep Katalogin'!
-Lizzy

Grad School Blog 2

So I am about a week away from spring break, meaning halfway through the semester, and good news…I am still alive! This month was spent mostly attempting and finally succeeding (hopefully) the AACR and ISBD beginning forms of cataloging. I pretty much have a stead song in my head that sounds like this, “period space dash-dash space”. The picture included in this post is a picture of my best friend! I am glad that I am this far in now and things are starting to make sense. THIS is the AACR website and THIS is wikipedias description on what AACR cataloging it.

The new adventure set before me is MARC. After learning MARC I should be able to successfully catalog my own personal library and resources at my house, which, of course, will later be applied when I enter the rest of the library-cataloging-society. I also cannot wait to learn how to use MARC Magician!

I have been lucky to be in a class where everyone is in the same boat as me. When I started ISBD and AACR I thought, “Man! Maybe library science is out of my league!” I had NO idea how much science went into everything, but once other classmates started expressing their concern and problems through the chat room I felt a little better. I felt even better when KeB (our instructor) was speedy to answer our concerns and even had a group chat to help us out. I wasn’t sure if I could handle all of this online after seeing how confusing this science can be, but with the right professors I feel I will be able to become a fantastic librarian!

278 words

E-readers

Ok all. Last week my Graduation/Christmas gift finally arrived. It was the brand-new Nook by Barnes and Noble. I had been waiting impatiently since it was released! I had been wanting a kindle, but when the Nook was released with the color touch screen, extra memory, and replaceable battery; well I decided to go with that one instead.
Anyway, as I opened the box (which I must say, should have been my first warning that the nook was not what it could've been), my excitement started growing. Thinking of all the possibilities just made me giddy; all my textbooks, all my fun books, any magazine or newspaper, all on this tiny device!
The first day I was too busy with school to be able to really use it. When I finally sat down to use it, I was sad. It was SO slow. I mean, push the button-go do something else slow. I tried to get over it, but what is the use of "reading" on this when I can't really "read"? So, I looked into articles online. Business Week showed the differences. This one compared each, where each won, but in my opinion the Kindle actually still killed. And CNET reported it's review as well, and confirmed my suspicions. The best thing the Nook had going for it was the right to "lend" (but I do no know anyone else who has a nook) and the touchscreen (which is entirely too complicated). On top of all that, there is a small chance the Nook might be better than the Kindle in the long run, just after several software updates (which could take who knows how long?). So I decided since I only had 14 days to return, that I was returning it. It wasn't worth it to wait EVEN longer for it to only MAYBE finally work. B & N must have known people would be disappointed because they made you pay 10% to re-stock it and no refund on the books you bought, great. So I got the Kindle that day. It was in my hands 2 days later! Thanks Amazon for giving me 30 days to decide if I want to keep it with no charge to re-stock it. So far, I LOVE the kindle much more than the Nook. I can even use the WHOLE internet! Woo!

So my question is this..Is a librarian supposed to be a fan of the e-readers? I mean, Nashville Public Library lends out some books through e-books, which is awesome! But, could the e-reader ever really replace books? I love books and children's books. My only problem is traveling and reading in bed with them. I often get uncomfortable, so that was a big reason in wanting the e-reader. Anyway, I am for the e-readers and still do not feel books will be replaced, just maybe not as many. No way could children's books be replaced though because there is no color for pictures on the tiny screen!

That's how I see it,
Lizzy

First few weeks into grad school

Well, I am heading into Week 3 of grad school. Woo-Wee! I think I am still somewhat in shock of all the information thrown my way and am starting to confuse my classes a bit. My initial view of being a librarian was that it was someone who knew how to put things in a specific order, and was very knowledgeable of works and how to put things together for a theme in a classroom. Well, never in my wildest dreams did I realize that so much goes into cataloging! So many different types of catalogs, bib records, and systems! It's enough to make your head spin. Since I am still new to this, I have absolutely no confidence in my ability to do things the right way. I pray that this will change drastically as the semester goes on. I think I am behind because I am still unsure of some things like ISBD. I guess I have not got that far? I finished Module 3 and am heading into Module 4.

The first part of the class is to get me acquainted with the history of cataloging. The one name/term in cataloging/libraries I was somewhat familiar with was the Dewey Decimal System. Although I was familiar with it, I did not realize that he was not the first to create a system of cataloging. I was surprised to learn that even back in the days of egypt they were cataloging!

Another term I have come across and learned to add to my memory and vocabulary is the Library of Congress. This is such a HUGE part of cataloging. Almost everything I read seems to be somehow related to it, so I decided I wanted to visit it, but instead just looked up a video and found this.

That's all for now!

-Miss Lizzy 305 words

Dreary Day

Todays weather made me want to crawl in bed and go to sleep. I had the hardest time trying to stay awake during class this morning. This made me think of what I could do for children on gloomy days to get them to stay awake and focussed. Here are some websites that feature rainy day activities:
Disney Family Fun
List of Ideas
More Fun