How to Pick a Book for the Beach
“Reading is going toward something that is about to be, and no one yet knows what it will be.” – Italo Calvino At risk of being presumptuous, you seem … Continue reading
How to keep from getting distracted when you are trying to read
There is far too much going on these days. Truly, the world is being very inconsiderate. How can someone like yourself be expected to get any reading done when there … 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
How to Move Your Books in the Middle of a Pandemic
When the world is gripped by a pandemic, there are many activities that need to be approached with a new level of caution. Masks, gloves, social distancing, especially thorough handwashing, … Continue reading
How not to get sick at the library
There is nothing to be gained from obfuscation, so let us be clear, there is a growing level of concern about the coronavirus COVID-19. There is absolutely no reason to … Continue reading
What to do if you Encounter Paranormal Forces at the Library
Have you ever found yourself pleasantly working in the library when suddenly the lights flicker and the hairs on the back of your neck stand to attention? Have you ever … 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 stay cool in a library
According to numerous scientific studies, as well as ample anecdotal evidence, it is hot in the summer. Furthermore, as recent headlines from around the world attest, this particular summer is … Continue reading
How to prepare for qualifying exams (or, how to read too many books in seven months)
Few aspects of pursuing a PhD are simultaneously as mundane and as Herculean as preparing for qualifying exams. What makes this task rather unexceptional is that it generally consists of … Continue reading
How Many Books Does a Person Need?
“The acquisition of books is by no means a matter of money or expert knowledge alone. Not even both factors together suffice for the establishment of a real library, which … 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
Technological Resolutions for 2018
The early weeks of January represent a precious liminal period in which many people seek to establish new patterns that they hope to follow for the new year. The New … Continue reading
A Pessimistic Resolution
Every new year brings with it the promise of a fresh start, the promise that this year, unlike last year, we can finally get things right. Thus, the resolution-industrial complex … 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
How to move a large quantity of books
“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.” – Groucho Marx Regardless of what you may have heard to … 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
En Garde! How to Defend Yourself With a Book
“Hungry man, reach for the book: it is a weapon.” – Bertolt Brecht 1. Popular parlance is filled with catchy phrases about the ways in which books can be harnessed … Continue reading
What to Do When the Internet Stops Working in Your Library
There may come a day when you find yourself happily sitting in a library only to have your pleasant feelings disrupted by the recognition that the Internet has stopped working. … Continue reading
How to Keep What You Are Reading Secret
Is there anything more annoying than being interrupted with the question “hey, what are you reading?” while you are engrossed in a book? Is there anything more frustrating than feeling … 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
How to Avoid Being Bothered While Working in a Library
There are instances wherein an individual seeks to flee from convivial communication, instead craving that variety of isolation fruitful for concentration and introspection. At such times a person may find … Continue reading
How to Organize Your Library
“The acquisition of books is by no means a matter of money or expert knowledge alone. Not even both factors together suffice for the establishment of a real library, which … Continue reading
How to Sleep in a Library
It is always too loud to sleep. There are always sounds coming from the other rooms, noise leeching in from the streets, the faucet is always dripping, pets are always … Continue reading
How to Read a Large Book on Crowded Public Transit
At some point in your life you may find yourself waiting for some mode of public transit to arrive. When the aforementioned public conveyance finally comes you may feel a … Continue reading
How to Avoid Ruining a Book
“The club had a lending library. I was delighted by a poster that described in detailed words and in pretty colored pictures how many ways there were to avoid ruining … 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
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