I finally finished writing everything

Sorry for the lack of content over the past few days. We LEEPers had a group process paper and a final to write! The group process paper was about how we worked in groups during the class, and the final had three questions.

I am still very tired, and have run out of words. Hopefully, over the next week or two, the words will come back to me.

To all of the LEEPers, thank you for making this such a great experience!

I am done

My head hurts. I need sleep.

I'll blog about CocoMero tomorrow.

It Might Be Dangerous To Post This

On the "social forum" of the class Moodle, I identified myself as a Hufflepuff, saying that I like to work hard and stay loyal to my friends and my beliefs.

On the other hand, I procrastinate. I can face it, I usually fail to motivate myself to proactively write papers . It took so much effort to get my Mill essay before this program started! For those of you reading and are in a position to evaluate my work- do not worry, I am slowly working on my tracking paper. It's not like I left everything for tomorrow (I did not, for once). I just need that slight pressure tomorrow will bring to get it done, and maybe a good night's sleep.

GOOD NIGHT!

Just Shelf It

Censorship is a big topic, a very very big topic. I think all of us coming into class today were afraid that someone would say something, I am not sure what, but just something that would make another person tick. At least we all just acted like adults.


We were first given this book. Inside are a lot of nude drawings....a lot. As librarians, though, no matter what we think, we have to "just shelf it," as we could be providing information to kids who don't have access to it. I have to admit, when I thought about how some parents might react to it, might not like it. In the end though, this book could be a great introduction to "THE TALK," something I'm sure many parents find awkward to do.


This anatomy atlas is probably one of the best ever made. The illustrations are colored, detailed, and meticulously done. The author was a proud Nazi, but still, who would have qualms about this book? Well, it seems that the cadavers used in making this book were Holocaust victims. When the book was passed to me I shuddered to know this fact, but in the end this also needs to be just shelved.

****

Freedom of Information is such a big issue to tackle, and those taking the LEEP course with me have been Moodling about it. A good questions recently brought up is whether we really do want all of the information out there to be free. We were assigned to write a paper- is someone going to post it to the class Moodle for everyone else to use it? How about authors and musicians and their right to royalties, is that really such a bad thing? These are questions that I believe have not been answered. I wonder how librarians out of the ideological frame of grad school have dealt with this.

Gives a whole new meaning to "Freedom is not Free."

Ok, so no pictures

Things keep piling up by the minute. I frankly don't know why I am writing here, when I should probably be writing for my tracking paper. Whoever said I was completely rational?

Also- no pictures. I tried to take some cool pictures of campus, but all of the thoughts in my head did not allow me to just stand still and take pictures. When I had a break form 10:30-11:30, I wandered aimlessly around the GSLIS building and the edges of campus. I never noticed how many churches were in the area, something I realized when all I heard were religious services being sung as I strolled in the street.

We started talking about professionalism today. Of course, some people might ask- are librarians really professionals? I got a whole powerpoint arguing that yes, they are. So maybe we are not doctors and lawyers, but we do have a bill of rights, a journal, and a bunch of schools that offer the MLS degree. We also talked about the "effects of professionalism on clients," which I basically think of as becoming a snob. Be professional, but don't be a snob!

We then had a long break, aka a time when I should have been more productive. That is always the case >.<

Discussion was fun. We are all getting quite comfortable with one another, and conversing is much easier. I wonder how tomorrow will be, when the topic is censorship? I hope it gets really really really interesting :D

Good Morning Sunshine

I just realized that my camera was not in my suitcase as I thought it was, but rather in my bookbag which I have been carrying around since Thursday. I'm taking a tour :D

Libraries, Museums, and Archives, oh my!

Our second lecture of the day was about the similarities between libraries, museums, and archives. It seems that they all have problems with ownership >.<

We had a discussion about critical thinking today that really made me think critically (ha). Should libraries be preoccupied with engaging their patrons to critically think? I say yes. Why have all of these choices around them, if they do not think they have to pick it up? I started a thread about this in our forum for the class, and I do agree with everyone that we should broaden the idea of critically thinking. I still believe that even public libraries should inspire people to reflect on their lives, beliefs, etc because sometimes, public libraries are all a person has in terms of a way of improving themselves. I don't mean to become the devil's advocate for every user that walks through the door, but rather indirectly.

A lot more is put on the board, and I might write about it later, but frankly my brain hurts. Talk about an information overload! I think I got the meaning of the The Faerie Queen article....I think. At least we have a big chunk of time tomorrow to our own devices, one I hope to use to write my tracking paper. For now, I will go to sleep before my eyes cross x.x

The hole just keep getting bigger

I cannot write for too long, as I have thing to do! This program is keeping me very very busy. Fortunately, the content just keeps getting more and more interesting. It is hard to try to stay focused with so many things going on, but I treat it as a test. It is time for me to start learning how to manage my personal time.

Finally, I could wake up at 7:50 am! I got ready, made myself some lunch, and headed over to GSLIS for another day of fun. Our first lecture at 10:30 dived into the historical forces that drove LIS to what it is now. Now no one before this class would ever think that the post office would have anything to do with it, but it did! It created the infrastructure to allow such freedom with information to be transported from one sde of the country to another. Of course, it did some "censoring" of it's own by deciding which mediums to tax more than others. The modern university also plays a role in LIS. Before the modern university, small colleges would give each of its 100 students the same curriculum. Now, college students can get higher education in possibly every discipline imaginable- even librarianship ; )

Other key thoughts from lecture included: the nature of information, the public good, the effects of free press, federal research, the 1895 Printing Act, information commodification, and Daniel Bell. A surprise discussion came out of the explination of Extension Agencies, and how they can sometimes conflict with libraries in rural America. I didn't even know that such things existed, and it makes me want to go into super research mode about it. Alas, I have so many other things to do, I cannot at the moment. However, I will say this: the UIUC Extension agency provides a lot of youth services, and many in Spanish. They are not just about agriculture.

Then, in a mad rush, we all picked our groups. I got the social networking one. We did meet as a group, but briefly. More research has to be done before we start thinking about the presentation....and we also have the tracking paper....

....which the I rushed over the the tracking paper meeting, realizing that I have to do a lot more research on my topic (outsourcing). Oh boy >.<

By 1:30, I was tired as hell, but there was a discussion to go to! Rina (facilitator), Kym (group presenter), David (Moodle writer), and I (timekeeper) had a great discussion, and we all did our jobs very well. When we were given 5 extra minutes, it was at the perfect time because we just started on the last question. A topic we all discussed together, which I am sure will pop up later, is how exactly where Mill's theory does not work in practice. A great example David gave was the early 20th century blackface films. Do we just dump them, or do we keep them? and if we do keep them, who will be able to see them? We had a lot of good discussion in that group, we really did.

Well, I gotta read. I keep saying that my post will be short, but they don't get too much shorter. I am debating whether to go to the tracking paper workshop, as all of the info is online. Too many decisions to make!

The first lecture

I should have written this earlier instead of saving it for now, when I really just want to go to sleep. That means that this will not be as long as I wanted it to be, but please bear with me. And anyway, I still have a whole week to make up for it.

The first lecture was not what I expected it to be. Every person I've met here is just so nice! Everyone involved with preparing and executing this class really thought about our wants and needs, and created the syllabus accordingly. Sitting in lecture today (well I guess yesterday by my clock) just made all the puzzle pieces fit. They understand we have a lot on our brains, and do not want us to totally freak out about this course. Thank you, whoever I have to thank, that these people know what we wanted to hear in that first class. There are few such intuitive people out there. Maybe I can say, that librarians just become good at knowing what information to give out to their students so they act the way they need to act?

The Sociological point of view of most of our reading assignments make sense now. I get it that being a librarian is more than just gathering and preserving information. In the end we are symbols of what Mill wanted, freedom of thought and opinions. Now it makes perfect sense to start this process of getting the MLS with such articles- it instills in us the morals that librarians must have in order to call themselves librarians.

Overall I was blown away by the first class. I have tried to explain why, but I am not sure I made too much sense. At this moment, I can say that I am really happy I got into this program.

One last thought before I go to bed and hopefully wake up in time to find a good seat in class. I have been thinking about this for a while, not sure whether there is an answer. If we are supposed to be proponents of the freedom of information, why do we have tuition? I feel that tuition is basically us paying for the right to get information....

Whiteboards and Jungles

Today has been as informative as yesterday, and I am not even done. All of us got a walkthrough of Moodle and Elluminate, the two ways of communicating in the LEEP program. We also got a tour of the Undregrad and Graduate Libraries. Putting these two tours back to back makes you appreciate the changing field of LIS.

I first had the Moogle walkthrough, so I now officially know everything I could have ever wanted to know about Moodle. It is amazing how much technology goes into the LEEP program. The "classical" way of live chatting is sophisticated, but WOW! Elluminate is even better! It was really cool how a professor could show powerpoints, share applications, and even tour a website with one powerful program. Who would've known that JAVA could do all of that? If I did, I would've paid more attention in JAVA class.

I think we can all agree that the best part of Elluminate was the Whiteboard. This was a place that you could draw, type, just about do anything you could do in a simple paint program, and show it to the rest of the class. I wish I had a picture of the ....interesting.... whiteboard we had.

To me, the only thing lacking in Elluminate is the "whisper" option. Technically, students can chat in separate rooms similar to the "classical" way of live chatting, but in the end the private conversations are archived and can be monitored by a professor. I know that LIS is all about freedom of information, but I think they should allow students to privately "whisper."

The computer tour was fun, but more visually stimulating was the walkthrough of the libraries. The Undergraduate Library is underground, something I have not seen before for a college campus. Legend has it that the reason why the library was built underground so that the Morrow Plots, or the oldest plot of experimental corn in the western hemisphere, would not be shaded. Wikipedia cites another reason, but I find it funnier that a plot of corn would dictate the location of a building.

The Graduate Library was just exquisite. It has grand hallways and tiny doorways, a combination that could only work in a library. I really wanted to quickly check the Slavic and Eastern European Library to see what they had, but had to refrain as the tour quickly covered the main sections of the library. Comfy places to sit and study were also part oft he tour C:

The coolest part of the tour was through the main stacks. The main stacks are guarded by desks and librarians ready to check your graduate/faculty status. Once you are through, maps of each floor (including half floors) show how and where the movable book shelves can move. Half of the stacks are in a new addition of the building, air conditioned to perfection. The other half are still in the old part of the building, which felt like a book jungle. I was always sad to leave the air conditioned part of the building.

The third floor seemed empty when I looked around, and no wonder the former LIS library used to reside just across the History, Philosophy, and Newspapers library on that floor! In the library's stead, a plaque of Katherine Sharp, the founder of what is now GSLIS and a protege of Melvil Dewey, hangs on a wall.

Hopefully, within these few days that I am here, I will be able to take small tours of the other libraries on campus. On top of my list are: the Slavic Library, the History, Philosophy, and Newspapers Library, the Rare Books collection, and the Astronomy Library, now located in the large Engineering Library. Of course, I would also have to visit the first home of the library on campus, Altgeld Hall.

I have a little less than one hour to get ready for my frst class. Why didn't I take nap?

GSLIS is pronounced....Gislis?

First, I know of at least two other people who are also chronicling their LEEP adventures, with very witty blog names: LeepFrogs and The LEEP Years. I feel like I'm in a mini blogging club. I say we all should get one. I find a lot of librarians have them, why not us?

I was thinking about going to Murphy's but in the end I decided that I would save a bar night for a day that I did not have to be at GSLIS at 8am. Unlike most of the people here, I have to walk a mile to get there. It does not take too long, but I am not one to rush my morning. If I have to get ready in a hurry, it means that something will be left behind.

Tomorrow is the first day of learning I will ever have in the summer. It's only been two months since I graduated, and I'm back in school....

I Do Have a Twitter

I'll put that on the side bar to annoy everyone who does not like Twitter. I don't care for it, but I have one just in case it will ever be really useful to me.

Anyone sitting in that room with me can probably agree- we've just had a lot of information thrown at us. It's daunting! I feel like I only have about two years to figure out what I'm doing with this degree. I guess that's a good thing though, as I have a LAS (Lost And Searching) degree.

Can't wait for the pizza :D

ONLINI

So, does this mean that when we start the illini chant at bars on campus (perhaps even worldwide), we can say O-N-L, and we'll get a I-N-I afterward?

I just sat through my first session at LEEP. I'm happy to say that I'm not the only one with no career or children. It makes me feel less awkward. Unfortunately, I can't remember anything specific at all about anyone, except that most people were English majors. Which is more employable, English or History? (or Theology?) All in all, we seem to be a funny group. At least the students will be cool to work with.

I am not 100% sure of the classes I want to take, but I do know that in about 20-30 years, I want to work in an academic library, preferably with some good nature around me. Maybe I can just tell the adviser that, and she can push me in the right direction.

The Night Before I start Grad School

I'm sitting here watching Wayne's World on the TV. What to expect, what should I do? I don't know. I have to wake up early tomorrow, so I should probably sleep.

Good start on the library blog, I know.

What I Posted On My Moogle

I am not sure whether this blog is for assignments, or for just randomly typing ideas. For now, I will just type.

Hello! This is K D, and I am slowly realizing the long journey I am starting into the world of libraries. I must confess, I have no experience working at a library. I read in many blogs that this will be my biggest problem in trying to find a job in my post MLS life. Frankly, I can't find too many jobs not requiring an MLS at libraries. I guess it must be the economy. I'll stick to my church job for now.

I am also realizing that I might be the youngest person signed up for the LEEP orientation that starts this Thursday. Everyone else seems to have either a career or a kid, both which I do not have. It makes me think- should I have waited a few years before going to grad school? Some people told me to wait, some told me to jump right in....I am following the latter's advice. I want to complete school now, when I am still in "school mode." I have taken 400 courses, many of which I was the lone undergrad in the class. It takes a lot of brain power, but I believe I can do it!

So there it is, a small blog/rant/whatever you want to call it. If it must be erased, let me know. I probably will start one on Blogger anyway C;