Reference desk: job list
Despite — and partially because of — the pandemic related turmoil of the last year and a half, there are a lot of library jobs out there right now. While … Continue reading
Mergers, acquisitions, and my tinfoil hat
[nb: this is by your long-lost second blogger, who relocated to a large state university two years ago, rather than by the usual fellow who’s been keeping this boat afloat … Continue reading
All our grievances do, in fact, remain connected
[hi, long-lost other writer here, apologies for the long absence] Two things got libraryland heated last week, and at first glance they have little to do with each other. First … Continue reading
How to Prepare for This (totally normal) Fall Semester
The start of a new academic year is a thrilling and exhilarating moment! Professors and students come together to explore new topics, investigate complex issues, and continue down the path … Continue reading
What teaching online taught me
“In the race between education and catastrophe, which Mr. H.G. Wells pointed out long ago, we can already see the finish line. And at the moment, catastrophe is in the … Continue reading
You can do this (really) – advice for new graduate students
Between the end of summer and the onset of fall, a brief season known as “back to school” occurs. For many people this is a resumption of what they were … Continue reading
How to Reserve a Seat in a Library
Not unlike New Year’s Day, the start of the academic year is a time during which many people try to establish the routines and behaviors that they hope to stick … Continue reading
How to make the most of your trip to the archive
Archival research is something of a rite of passage for many individuals in many disparate fields. Admittedly, it can be something of a daunting task. What follows is carefully curated … Continue reading
How to gut a book
Here is a problem: there are too many books to read and not enough time in which to read them all. What is one to do? Obviously, this is the … Continue reading
Guest post: #LIULockout
Pirates, here’s a guest post from our comrade Emily Drabinski, a librarian & faculty member at LIU Brooklyn here in NYC. The LIU Brooklyn faculty, who are unionized, have been … Continue reading
Back to school…with much to learn…
Regardless of the particular month, it is always the right time to learn. Nevertheless, as it marks the beginning of the school year, the end of August/start of September stands … Continue reading
Things I wish I had known before I applied to PhD programs
Only those in possession of a bizarre sort of personality genuinely enjoy the process of filling out applications. While, I confess, I may not have serious statistical data to back … Continue reading
How to Grade Assignments in a Library
At this very moment, legions of students are busily writing papers and studying for their final exams. Indeed, for the end of the semester is upon us! These students will … Continue reading
Things I Learned During My First Semester of Teaching Undergraduates
Despite having spent a lot of time in classrooms (a heck of a lot of time in classrooms), the fall semester of 2015 may well have been the semester in … Continue reading
Back to School…
School has an odd effect upon the seasons. While summer may not truly end until the autumnal equinox, in late September, the start of the school year often seems like … Continue reading
University of Oregon Needs a Records Management Intervention
Hey, University of Oregon, is there something going on that we need to talk about? I’ve been seeing your name in the news a lot. Are you ok? First there … Continue reading
Pat Skarda, Professor Emerita & Spinster Aunt to Thousands
I don’t always read my undergraduate college’s alumnae [do stop checking my Latin, though I’ve never studied it, I promise all the feminine declensions are correct] magazine, but I do … Continue reading
To-do: grants, awards, etc.
It’s that time of year: when the masters deign to grant a paltry few with some scraps and pennies in pursuit of all the vast realms of knowledge, which rightly … Continue reading
Emma, Utah, You, and Me
Pirates! One of your faithful librarian got laid off last Thursday, so you will probably be hearing more from me, as I try to fill the hours and days of … Continue reading
To-Do: Western Mass, NYC, Chicago
A pal brings this event, in Amherst, MA, to our attention: The publication of Hampshire College librarian Alana Kumbier’s book Ephemeral Material: Queering the Archive will be celebrated on Oct. … Continue reading
Back to School…With Much to Learn
Even if the first day of autumn is still several weeks away, the passing of Labor Day always seems to signify that summer has come to a close. And with … Continue reading
Whose Vision of the Future is This?
Lurking in the background of most inquiries into the technologically wrought future is an oft-unasked question regarding who exactly gets to determine the shape this future shall take. From a … Continue reading
Make Your Library the Protest
It is an exciting time to be a librarian. No, really. Whether it is a result of potentially positive changes or due to worrisome occurrences (budget cuts) libraries (and by … Continue reading
Grants, calls for things, etc.
The Barnard Library at Columbia is offering two grants of $2,500 each to researchers using its archives, zine library, or the Barnard Center for Research on Women. It may be … Continue reading
Fake it until you make it: academia’s dirty secret
I often say, despite reading all the books, having had a fairly rigorous secondary education, and attending a college that makes its alumnae say that grad school was easier (I … Continue reading
ALA COA Wants Comments
The Committee on Accreditation of the American Library Association is soliciting comments as it prepares to revise the standards by which it evaluates library schools. According to ALA’s press release, … Continue reading
What I Wish I’d Learned in Library School: Don’t
1. Don’t go if you have to pay for it. Actually, I feel this way about grad school in general. For those in academic programs, especially PhD students, and double … Continue reading
So, you’re going to library school…
With summer reaching its conclusion many are eyeing their backpacks in anticipation of the soon to start school year. It is a time of excitement mixed with trepidation for those … Continue reading
Cooper Union Update
Ahoy! Sixty-five days after they occupied president Jamshed Bharucha’s office in response to Cooper Union planning to start charging tuition, the Cooper Union occupiers have departed. From the Students for … Continue reading
Free Cooper Union
Students at Cooper Union here in NYC have been occupying their president’s office for the past two days, in response to their school’s announcement a couple weeks ago that incoming … Continue reading
LibrarianShipwreck 