So, I was thinking today while doing homework (a frightening thought, I know).
Specifically I was taking a homework break and continuing to try to catch up on my vlogbrothers video watching (http://www.youtube.com/user/vlogbrothers) and then catching up on my email subscriptions, a.k.a. the my ALA emails (which, I am proud to report, that I am now completely up-to-date on!) and emails from EcoGeek (www.EcoGeek.org).
I went back to my reading and while I was reading an article about the library as a search engine, I had a brain wave; so while I'm still riding said wave, I am going to attempt to record my thoughts.
The article was talking about Google books and how they are attempting to digitize all of the books ever written, and how libraries could work to reduce the number of print books they purchase by utilizing union catalogs in order to reduce the number of multiple copies of a single item held by multiple members of the catalog, and instead have one copy and use the funding saved to purchase additional resources, such as online journal subscriptions, ect. ect.
And this got me to thinking about books and the environment.
Now, I will admit that I love books. And it has reached an intensity in which in the past week alone I visited 2 bookstores in the same day (and came away disappointed, but that's another story entirely).
What I started thinking about was the amount of paper used to print all of the books I currently owned and wish that I currently owned. That's a lot of trees! And if you think about it, how many times am I going to read these books? Realistically I would like to say that I will read each one at least once, but there are many books currently residing on my shelves that I have had for years, that I have yet to read. I tell myself it is because I am still in school and I am working on building my life's library. I'd like to say that there are many books that I have purchased because I know that I would like to read them more than once, but still, there are many books that I own that I may read once, and then it will sit on my shelf collecting dust.
But then I started thinking about e-readers. And my specific thought was, which is more environmentally friendly, buying printed versions of books, or buying an e-reader and electronic books? In previous posts I have said that my personal jury is still out on the e-reader. I love the idea of the kindle or nook (or whatever reader you prefer) for travel, because it is so much easier to carry that one small device, rather than the 4 or 5 (or 6 or 7 or 8...) books that I would like to read while on vacation, but I love the feel of the actual book in my hands. I love the weight and the smell and texture of the paper. I love being able to jot down notes in the margins and highlight things, and heaven-forbid, dog-ear a page for later info retrieval. But which one is better for the environment?
Books are printed on paper, which require trees, a renewable resource. E-readers require power to work, which in most cases the said power used to charge the reader comes from coal-based energy. So which way is better for the environment in the long run?
I personally have no idea, but I would like to find out. I'll have to do some research and get back to you.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a small glimpse of what it is like to be inside my head while I'm attempting to study. Only usually there's usually 2 or 3 ideas/trains of thought all trying to use the same track at the same time.
UPDATE:
Thanks to an awesome NerdFighter, I have some further info. According to this person, the first link here is a "back of the envelope" calculation of the energy used.
And for those who are extremely interested, there's a 252 page study that was done at U of M here.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Wagons
I had a professor during my undergraduate who was a member of the education department, but I took a children's literature class that she taught. I love her to death, and one of the many many reasons why I love her, other than because of our shared love of children's literature, was her childlike spirit. My professor, when teaching the children's literature course, would bring all of her materials for the day's lecture to class in a wagon. We went through so many book titles in one session that she needed it in order to be able to get everything to our room in one trip. If you went to visit her in her office you would immediately see her two wagons parked inside the door; a radio flyer for the warm months, and a john deer wagon with tractor-like tires for the winter, or for extra heavy loads.
I have decided, now that I am taking my Library Materials for Children course, that all graduate MLIS students who are pursuing a career in children's librarianship, should immediately be bestowed a wagon upon entrance into the program. I know the college my sister is currently considering attending for her undergraduate gives first year students a bicycle, since they cannot have cars on campus, a Schwinn that is built with their specifications, that they get to keep even after they graduate. So why shouldn't children's librarians get wagons?
I had so many books to carry to class today that were needed for a presentation and class discussion that I had a full backpack and a second bag that was bursting. I looked like a turtle with my huge backpack full of children's storybooks, which also made me look like a little kid in elementary school with a backpack that is too big for them.
A wagon would have come in really handy... that's all I'm saying...
I have decided, now that I am taking my Library Materials for Children course, that all graduate MLIS students who are pursuing a career in children's librarianship, should immediately be bestowed a wagon upon entrance into the program. I know the college my sister is currently considering attending for her undergraduate gives first year students a bicycle, since they cannot have cars on campus, a Schwinn that is built with their specifications, that they get to keep even after they graduate. So why shouldn't children's librarians get wagons?
I had so many books to carry to class today that were needed for a presentation and class discussion that I had a full backpack and a second bag that was bursting. I looked like a turtle with my huge backpack full of children's storybooks, which also made me look like a little kid in elementary school with a backpack that is too big for them.
A wagon would have come in really handy... that's all I'm saying...
Friday, January 7, 2011
One Semester Down... How Many More to Go?
2011 is here! It's coming has signaled the end of several things, and the beginning of many more things to come.
I successfully completed my first semester of graduate school. I was really nervous and overwhelmed a lot of the time, but I did it. I wrote my first graduate papers, including an imaginary research study proposal and methodology, gave my first presentations on the graduate level, and successfully participated in, and completed 3 graduate-level courses, with excellent grades to boot!
I'm hoping my next semester will be a little less stressful, as I will not be taking 3 core curriculum courses in tandem, and I'll be taking several courses that I find really interesting, including Library Materials for Children and Web Publishing. I feel as a librarian it is very important to be up to date on all of the current technology, and I am sorely lacking in my knowledge when it comes to technology. I think being able to create and update my own website, other than a basic blog, will be a very useful skill to have. I also need to take the time to learn about RSS feed (a dinosaur in the grand scheme of technology and its current history), podcasts, and other technology-related things that I know little to nothing about.
I keep receiving emails about available library positions, several of which are in Alaska, Montana, and California. It makes my mind and heart race to think about the job I will have one day. Who knows where librarianship might take me?
I successfully completed my first semester of graduate school. I was really nervous and overwhelmed a lot of the time, but I did it. I wrote my first graduate papers, including an imaginary research study proposal and methodology, gave my first presentations on the graduate level, and successfully participated in, and completed 3 graduate-level courses, with excellent grades to boot!
I'm hoping my next semester will be a little less stressful, as I will not be taking 3 core curriculum courses in tandem, and I'll be taking several courses that I find really interesting, including Library Materials for Children and Web Publishing. I feel as a librarian it is very important to be up to date on all of the current technology, and I am sorely lacking in my knowledge when it comes to technology. I think being able to create and update my own website, other than a basic blog, will be a very useful skill to have. I also need to take the time to learn about RSS feed (a dinosaur in the grand scheme of technology and its current history), podcasts, and other technology-related things that I know little to nothing about.
I keep receiving emails about available library positions, several of which are in Alaska, Montana, and California. It makes my mind and heart race to think about the job I will have one day. Who knows where librarianship might take me?
Saturday, August 21, 2010
"The time has come," the Walrus said...
"...to talk of many things..." - Lewis Carroll
The time has come for many things in the last few months.
- The time to finish my undergraduate senior thesis
- The time to graduate
- The time to no longer at the library where I have been for the past six years
- The time to move into an apartment away from my family
- The time to start graduate school
- The time for friends to get married and start families
It all has come and gone so quickly. I don't feel ready to start graduate school. I feel like a little kid on her first day of 1st grade all over again. I don't feel like an adult. I certainly don't think I act like an adult. I try, but I feel as though I am just playing a role, and I'm not mature enough to be at the age I am & doing the things I am supposed to be doing.
This last summer at my library job was a lot of work, but was also very rewarding. I built closer relationships with the children and teen librarians and was made to have more confidence in myself and my library abilities. I will be forever grateful to the children's librarian that I have had the pleasure of working with for the past two summers, because she has pushed me to do things that were outside of my comfort zone. I didn't think I was ready to be hosting programs on my own, and she made sure I did it anyway, to show me that I was indeed able to do it. She has helped me to gain the knowledge that I do know what I am doing and I can do it well.
I was given more freedom in program planning. I hosted 2 craft nights and assisted with story time, where the children fell in love with a dance I taught them and insisted that we do it every week. We made modifications so that it fit better with some of our themes, including adaptations for our pirate story time. Our summer reading program has gained in popularity in the last two years, so much so that this summer we had to make several additions to our program schedule to accommodate them all. We added a third (!) story time, a second magic show, a second Zakland show, as well as multiple other additions. All in all, for how small our library community is, we had over 800 participants. This is amazing. I'm sad that I will be missing out on all of the excitement next year.
I'll miss seeing the children every day, miss their excitement for programs, the way their eyes light up when I know what their names are and ask them lots of questions. I'll even miss doing that goofy dance every week, because the kids had so much fun.
On my last day at work, I couldn't help myself. I cried. I am going to miss my work community because we were so much like a family. I am afraid that I won't be able to find another library with such a tight-knit group of people. Many of the ladies I worked with treated me as though I was one of their own children, which was wonderful, but also mildly frustrating at times. I'll miss them.
I've moved out of my family's house and I'm on my own. All the bills now have my name on them and I am responsible for paying them. What a frightening thought! My fear currently is "where is all the money going to come from?!?" I need to find a job! I have a semi "nanny" position set up for the fall. I'll be watching a little girl after school 3 days a week. The mom has good connections, so I'm hoping she'll be able to help me in finding a job.
School starts in 2 weeks. I'm a bit afraid. I'm not quite sure what to expect. I guess all I can do is wait and see what the future has in store for me. It's sure to be an adventure!
The time has come for many things in the last few months.
- The time to finish my undergraduate senior thesis
- The time to graduate
- The time to no longer at the library where I have been for the past six years
- The time to move into an apartment away from my family
- The time to start graduate school
- The time for friends to get married and start families
It all has come and gone so quickly. I don't feel ready to start graduate school. I feel like a little kid on her first day of 1st grade all over again. I don't feel like an adult. I certainly don't think I act like an adult. I try, but I feel as though I am just playing a role, and I'm not mature enough to be at the age I am & doing the things I am supposed to be doing.
This last summer at my library job was a lot of work, but was also very rewarding. I built closer relationships with the children and teen librarians and was made to have more confidence in myself and my library abilities. I will be forever grateful to the children's librarian that I have had the pleasure of working with for the past two summers, because she has pushed me to do things that were outside of my comfort zone. I didn't think I was ready to be hosting programs on my own, and she made sure I did it anyway, to show me that I was indeed able to do it. She has helped me to gain the knowledge that I do know what I am doing and I can do it well.
I was given more freedom in program planning. I hosted 2 craft nights and assisted with story time, where the children fell in love with a dance I taught them and insisted that we do it every week. We made modifications so that it fit better with some of our themes, including adaptations for our pirate story time. Our summer reading program has gained in popularity in the last two years, so much so that this summer we had to make several additions to our program schedule to accommodate them all. We added a third (!) story time, a second magic show, a second Zakland show, as well as multiple other additions. All in all, for how small our library community is, we had over 800 participants. This is amazing. I'm sad that I will be missing out on all of the excitement next year.
I'll miss seeing the children every day, miss their excitement for programs, the way their eyes light up when I know what their names are and ask them lots of questions. I'll even miss doing that goofy dance every week, because the kids had so much fun.
On my last day at work, I couldn't help myself. I cried. I am going to miss my work community because we were so much like a family. I am afraid that I won't be able to find another library with such a tight-knit group of people. Many of the ladies I worked with treated me as though I was one of their own children, which was wonderful, but also mildly frustrating at times. I'll miss them.
I've moved out of my family's house and I'm on my own. All the bills now have my name on them and I am responsible for paying them. What a frightening thought! My fear currently is "where is all the money going to come from?!?" I need to find a job! I have a semi "nanny" position set up for the fall. I'll be watching a little girl after school 3 days a week. The mom has good connections, so I'm hoping she'll be able to help me in finding a job.
School starts in 2 weeks. I'm a bit afraid. I'm not quite sure what to expect. I guess all I can do is wait and see what the future has in store for me. It's sure to be an adventure!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Yay Steve!
Stephen King recently wrote an article for Entertainment Weekly about Amazon.com's Kindle.
In it he said,
"The real problem with e-readers, and what may save the embattled publishing industry, is simple consumer resistance. There are lots of advantages to the electronic devices - portability, instant buyer gratification, nice big type for aging eyes like mine - but there's a troubling lightness to the content as well. A not-thereness. Even formidable works like Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver feel somehow not quite real when read on a screen. I bought a Kindle for everyone in my immediate family, but I'm not only one who uses it regularly. Oh, and something else: If you happen to drop a book into the toilet, you can dry it out. Drop your Kindle into the toilet and maybe it'll still work...The Kindle certainly has its charms, but e-readers can never fully replace books."
I think he's hit the nail on the head. Books will always hold a special place in my heart. The smell of paper and ink and the sound of a brand new book opened for the first time will always be two of my favorite things.
In it he said,
"The real problem with e-readers, and what may save the embattled publishing industry, is simple consumer resistance. There are lots of advantages to the electronic devices - portability, instant buyer gratification, nice big type for aging eyes like mine - but there's a troubling lightness to the content as well. A not-thereness. Even formidable works like Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver feel somehow not quite real when read on a screen. I bought a Kindle for everyone in my immediate family, but I'm not only one who uses it regularly. Oh, and something else: If you happen to drop a book into the toilet, you can dry it out. Drop your Kindle into the toilet and maybe it'll still work...The Kindle certainly has its charms, but e-readers can never fully replace books."
I think he's hit the nail on the head. Books will always hold a special place in my heart. The smell of paper and ink and the sound of a brand new book opened for the first time will always be two of my favorite things.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
It's been so long ladies and gentlemen... if there are any ladies and gentlemen who actually read this.
So, what has been going on in the life of this librarian since the last time I wrote (oh, so long ago)?
Well, I successfully researched, wrote, and presented my senior thesis for the English department. 28 glorious pages about Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Phew. I'm exhausted just thinking about it. It was a long trip, but I'm glad I did it, and very glad that it's over.
After all of that was finished I frantically applied to graduate school and waited with bated breath for a response. I am overjoyed to tell you that I was accepted as a "Graduate student in the Library & Information Science MLIS program for the Fall 2010 term" and am pending an official transcript with degree posting. Woo-hoo! I'm in!
Now the apartment/job search must begin. Bring it on!
So, what has been going on in the life of this librarian since the last time I wrote (oh, so long ago)?
Well, I successfully researched, wrote, and presented my senior thesis for the English department. 28 glorious pages about Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Phew. I'm exhausted just thinking about it. It was a long trip, but I'm glad I did it, and very glad that it's over.
After all of that was finished I frantically applied to graduate school and waited with bated breath for a response. I am overjoyed to tell you that I was accepted as a "Graduate student in the Library & Information Science MLIS program for the Fall 2010 term" and am pending an official transcript with degree posting. Woo-hoo! I'm in!
Now the apartment/job search must begin. Bring it on!
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