| THIS IS A READ-ONLY ARCHIVE FROM THE SORABJI.COM MESSAGE BOARDS (1995-2016). |
|---|
There is not enough love in fear, and too much power in power. It makes me think. Hey, y'all. |
|
I'm here in Boston, going to library school. Next semester is my last, and I am (hang onto your hat) concentrating in cataloging. My dream job is to catalog rare books. Which sounds so sad right now, but it's really true. Rare books + cataloging = bliss. (But not Bliss, okay? OOOHHH, horrible cataloging joke. I'm so ashamed.) I started off in an archives concentration, but after my internship at the archives of the Archdiocese of Boston, I realized that all I cared about was organizing the unprocessed material into a hierarchical system. I couldn't care less about the reference work (and certainly not about the legal issues) involved in working as an archivist. So last spring I took the intro cataloging class, and this fall I'm taking Subject Analysis and Classification (and loving it, as sick as that is). Next semester is Descriptive Cataloging, Subject Indexing, and a required Technology course. I'm also thinking of auditing a course on Rare Books and Special Collections. We spent a month on Dewey in my Subject Analysis class, and it...it excited me. I love DDC. YEAH, I SAID IT. I also feel that next to the technology, um, stuff (sorry, it's 1:30 am), cataloging is the most rigorous type of librarianship, so if I specialize in it now, I'll be able to work in almost any kind of capacity once I graduate. (Am I making sense? I mean to say that other types of jobs I could probably learn to do on the job, but cataloging is so arcane that you need to have formal training to do it well.) I'm also taking Reference this semester, and my final project (due next Friday and I haven't done a thing except think about it) is really cool -- we get to pick any topic in the world that interests us, choose a handful of good sources of info, and write a very casual (can be in the style of a letter to a friend) paper just explaining why we chose the topic and why these sources are so interesting/good. I'm writing on the Bloody Sunday massacre in Northern Ireland, because I've been interested in that for years and have amassed a sizeable collection of sources on my own, and now I'll finally get to put that knowledge to use. I'm excited to write this paper, and that's a very unusual feeling for me. The Reference class has actually been really cool, and I think I would totally love the field if I didn't have to work with the public. :) Because basically, I just want to know everything there is to know, but I don't want to deal with irritating people. (Hey, I worked for 3.5 years in customer service, and if I never do that again in any capacity I will die happy.) Let's see, what else. I'm going to Italy for two weeks over winter break to visit my relatives with my father and brother. (My brother wants to go to Prague while we're there, but the train ride from Venice will be 12 hours, and I don't think I can handle that.) My best friend since high school had a baby last year (which really freaked me out) and I'll finally get to see her and the baby in January when I return home. I'm living with my mom as she recovers from cancer (she's doing very well), and I have no idea where I'm going after I graduate but I hope to live west of the Mississippi. Ummm. I'm reading Stanislaw Lem's "A Perfect Vacuum" right now, because I remembered Dave talking about him. (I'm really enjoying it.) Before that, I picked up Jamie O'Neill's "At Swim, Two Boys," but I haven't finished it because I just know it will end in tears, and I don't want to deal with that. (It's a fantastic book, btw.) I haven't been to the movie theatre since this summer, but I'm hoping to see "No Country for Old Men" this weekend (if I can spare the time away from another paper I'm writing). Ummm. I hope the WGA strike ends soon because I'm going to pine away if I don't get a fresh supply of "Pushing Daisies" every week. *deep breath* That's about it for me. What are you up to? :) Tell me all about your job! Do you work in reference? |
I miss my old archive job where I could go and smell the old books and original drafts of Satanic Verses at my leisure. Sem and I may go see No Country for Old Men this weekend as well. Last week we saw Beowulf which was exciting and entertaining. I think you need to work in Emory's Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Library (MARBL) and enjoy all the papers from all the Irish poets we have there. |
|
Is Salman Rushdie still at Emory, Kazu? Have you gotten a chance to attend any of his lectures or what-have-you? I saw him on a re-run of the Colbert Report, and if I hadn't already known him to be, uh, an It-Getter, that would have sealed the deal. |
did get to attend a lecture (I actually was an usher). Afterwards I was pulling out of the lot where I parked and I noticed Rushdie and his people in the security cart waiting to be taken to his car. I looked at him, he looked at me, I waved, and then he gave me a big smile and waved back. My friend Simon took a four week seminar with him and said he's very easy to approach and talk to. Now I am living in Ohio with Sem. There are wedding and dog pictures on my flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/saucyintellectualtart |
Yeah, what Kazu said, plus there's honeymoon shots on my flickr page as well (you can get there by clicking on me in Kazu's contact list). Er, what else? I just finished Jonathan Safran Foer's "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" which is a really heartbreaking piece of literature. Although I would like to see Foer's next work have characters that aren't survivors of major traumatic events... Anyway, if you enjoyed "Everything is Illuminated" then read this book. It's fantastic. Next on my list is Michael Chabon's "The Final Solution." |
And PUPPY! *sigh* I want a pug. They always look worried. Do you call him Henry? Sem, are your honeymoon pictures in your "Travel" section? I need a point in the right direction. :) (Did I tell you that one of my roommates in Montana had family in the UP and -- my memory is failing me right now -- may have either known or been related to a Sewell or two? I should email her for clarification.) Has Sarah had her baby? I guess I should explore more of the board... |
historical society, but is also a functioning farm. There were animals down the road (including a llama) and we got pictures of the big tractor that came through. Henry is the baby, yes. He's very needy and currently sleeping in a ball on my lap under my bathrobe. |
It's so exciting to have Spider back. |
|
|
Yeah, I'm doing reference work at a busy public library. My job is pretty much exactly like this...http://refgrunt.blogspot.com/ I love my job, though. It's the best job I've ever had. Welcome back, we missed you. Don't disappear for so long again like that, or I'll be forced to beat your ass. PS- Greg, Ada is getting cuter by the minute. Seriously. More pictures! |
Agatha, from your personality here it seems like you'd be a perfect reference librarian -- very friendly and approachable and down-to-earth. I love my reference class and think reference librarians have to be among the smartest, coolest people on the planet. You get to learn about everything! But, man, I could never do that job at a public library...you have my respect. School is my life right now. I'll try to be more interesting. :) |
|
I want to order something off a site, but they'll only ship to the USA. Fuckers. |
|
|
|
|
|
thanks for getting us caught up on your life. you sound really happy. yes, i had my baby too. Charlotte Johanna. she's awesome. |
hi spider. |
|
Hi Droopy. :) I finally got myself an iPod yesterday. Music...everywhere! |
Tiggster----EXCELLANT work---you done yourself proud!!!! Welcome mini-Sorabjites!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
|
mark thomas, please i beg you, can you make my post above on Saturday, December 15, 2007 - 06:38 pm please please please go away. or at least the link. |
I have been troubled by some of the posts in f'bk, people I didn't necessarily want to know so much about, nor me them. Somehow I feel much safer here. |
I have two of my children, remembering taking care of them when they were baby back then.. If I have to set up flickr account, I will probably show what they looks like back then....:-) On the weekend I hope. |