After graduating at Pitt and having some extra free time (so much extra free time--it's almost alien), I decided to find a unique way to volunteer in libraries. With that, I went to Volunteer Match to find virtual opportunities. Surprisingly, it was not too hard to connect with someone and begin. I ended up finding a great gig with the San Mateo County Library system in California. SMCL asked that I write 2-3 blog posts a month, focusing on my hobbies. They have organized their blogs into three categories: adults, teens, and parents/kids. I had the freedom to write about anything I wanted, as long as I could relate it to the library's services, programs, or resources. Because they had a shortage of teen posts, I try to focus in that area. I have created blog posts on video games vs. board games, the zombie fad, ESRB ratings in games, and for adults, I've written about knitting and arm knitting. My goal has been to try to branch out in what I write, but to also be entertaining and intriguing to my audience. I have volunteered for a few months, and my first post was recently published. I discussed NaNoWriMo--National Novel Writing Month, a movement encouraging writers to compose a 50,000 word novel throughout November. The blog post was fun to write, and I enjoyed perusing the NaNoWriMo site to see how they support potential writers. Although I have not been able to write my own novel this month, I hope my blog post encouraged others to at least begin writing. See the post here. While sometimes I get discouraged or don't feel like writing, I think this volunteer opportunity has been a mutually beneficial experience. I can volunteer at my own pace, challenge myself to analyze what I do and think about how that can be conveyed to audiences, and I get to put my Bachelor's degree to use. Also, I keep up on the other blog posts and am always seeking advice or help about what people would like to read. Finally, the encouragement from the SMCL staff is great. They set me up with their policies and procedures through virtual training, have stayed in contact with me despite busy schedules, and are responsive to whatever I write. I am not sure others would be so helpful to a volunteer thousands of miles away. I have been able to build small networks in a new library, get my thoughts and words out there, and keep volunteering for a cause I love. I can only hope more posts will be posted and people will be interested in my writing! This has been a delightful virtual volunteer opportunity.
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Last week, I had an old neighbor contact me out of the blue (the wonders of Facebook). The neighbor, a mother of two teenagers, returned to college to get her degree in nursing. After getting a new assignment to evaluate a short story in her Composition course, she was struggling and needed some guidance. While I was a little stressed because working two jobs has had me strapped for time lately, I was excited at the prospect of helping her. I remember the frustrations I faced during my first year of college—from finishing an assignment I barely understood to juggling multiple tasks and projects along with my personal life. So, within a few days, we had a study room reserved at our local library and an hour set aside for me to help her. And, it was wonderful. After forty minutes, she had a few pages worth of notes, an understanding of how to formulate her essay, and an eased mind. I was able to catch up with someone I haven’t chatted with in a few years, and I put my paper writing skills to use. Although I was not on the clock, I was able to use everything I had worked hard for in college in a positive way and help someone in the process. I’m often searching for formal means of volunteering and working, and I was surprised to find that some of the most rewarding work was done spontaneously with an old friend. I am sure she will have future assignments that may plague her, so I recommended she contact me with any other questions. These are the small moments that allow us to build relationships, brush up on our skills, and share what knowledge we have learned with another. Although it is not something I will add to my resume or do during work at the library, it was just as gratifying. My recommendation for readers is to always have some spare time open to help out someone else on the spot, to keep an open mind and door, and be ready to potentially learn more from those informal meetings than the grand, well-planned events. I look forward to the next time I can help someone just as much as they can help me. Last month I decided to take a MOOC through UNC-Chapel Hill and Courser about Metadata. Initially, I was really excited. I wanted something that blended review of what I knew with some helpful information that I hadn't yet learned, especially in the realm of HTML and XML.
In my final semester at U. Pittsburgh, I took a really helpful course on Metadata and learned so much about the subject. My learning there coincided with what I learned in the MOOC so much so that everything felt like review--4 weeks of it. I didn't want to do any of the homework questions, because they seemed too simple (multiple choice does when you're talking about XML). I realize these questions are necessary when 32,000 people are in a class, but I wanted some intense work in XML. To be fair, I was warned: Jeff mentioned that he'd expected course-goers to have no history in metadata and library science. So, the fault was nearly all mine. So why didn't I just keep trying and finish the course? It's only 8 weeks, right? Well, when you're a job hunter who graduated two months ago, time is of the essence. It's a blend of keeping updated, applying for jobs, regaining that sense of identity you lost during the program, and relaxing. I recently got a new job (YES) as a Circulation Clerk at our local public library, and I love it for the most part (next blog, much?). This means I am back to two jobs, and spending the time each week on a course I can't even get in has been more than difficult. It's made me really consider what things are more important to me right now. I want to take a MOOC to keep my brain fresh and keep updated in libraryland and, of course, be more appealing to employers, but I don't want to push through something I'm not gaining things from. It's only made me more focused on what things should matter to me and my professional development. So, if you have any insights, recommendations for where to follow through, or thoughts, send them my way! In other words, I graduated! This time last year, I was scurrying around town gathering boxes and tape to move to Pittsburgh. I had turned down a library assistant job and an online MLS program to attend U.Pitt, begin an internship in ILL-land, and to live in a new city. Now, I have faithfully returned in hopes of procuring another career opportunity in one of the many amazing libraries in central Ohio. Although I pledged not to limit myself geographically, I cannot help but want to stay here--near my family and in an area that supports libraries so fully. In the event that nothing happens for me in the near future, I'll expand my horizons, but we'll see for now. So, graduation... The ceremony lasted 30 minutes for a program of 111 graduates, and I have no clue how they accomplished that. Everyone was happier for it, though. And despite feeling sad and somber about saying goodbye to some really genuine people with creative minds whom I am sure will have great influence over the library profession in the future, it is safe to say that we were all ready to say goodbye. A one-year program is intense, and having final assignments due as well as wrapping up internships and jobs the day before our ceremony was the end point. Although my thoughts on graduation are tied up with frustration with a lack of a career, I am excited to put what I have learned to use. I am finishing my MOOC (love it!), catching up on webinars, downloading articles before my access ends at Pitt, and catching up on the listserv emails I stored this past semester. Lots to do, and lots of time to do it. I'm also doing non-library activities as well, to keep sane and remind myself about what is out there. I have bought a new video game (Sid Meyer's Civilization V), am spending time with my grandmother, and will begin working out again tomorrow (I know--that's what they always say). All in all, I am happy to be finished, excited at the prospects that lie ahead, and cautious that everything won't work out exactly as I had planned. I hope this blog will help me use that English degree and stay engaged with the issues and discussions in the profession both now and in the future. As I'm nearly finished with my library science education, I try to focus my extracurricular reading--LinkedIn discussions, INALJ articles, listserv emails, and other publications-- on best practice guidelines for professionals. Last month's NMRT discussion focused on Professional Branding and creating a brand for networking. It's difficult as a student with no professional (paid, non-student) position to feel that I have a grasp on how I'll do in the library world or even my personal brand (or identity). However, difficulty rarely stops a good librarian, so I do my best. Things I've realized that are a part of my Librarian identity: the focus on the user--libraries and service professions/institutions are nonexistent without a user base to support--as well as encouraging the adaptation of libraries to a changing society. I want to be aware of what's out there, be able to effectively evaluate the changes and potential technologies, and make the decisions that will most positively impact my library users. And, I'm doing this by guiding my research, attending various sessions at ALA, searching for continuing education opportunities, and exploring the literature. But what about my identity? Holy cannoli, that's a big question. I've spent so much time on preparing to be a librarian and learning the tricks of the trade that I've had little time for me. Sure, I relax once in awhile with a good read, learning a new board game, volunteering, or playing a video game. I also take walks and read the news when I can. Yet, I regret to inform you that I have not explore any amazing unique hobbies or challenges since August when I started the program. No Zumba classes, no gardening (that's probably a good idea--I'm horrid although I love it), and no creative writing (until now). What else makes me "me?" I suppose my librarian brand or identity feeds into everything else that makes me who I am. And, I don't think I can complain about that. I look forward to ALA Annual, graduation, and the procuring of a career to help me figure out the library stuff so I can work on the rest. In the mean time, I welcome recommendations :) |
Stephanie FreasRecent MLIS graduate & lover of writing. This is a narrative of my first look into the librarian profession. Archives
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