I'm Putting This on a Card and Handing It Out To People

I was at work searching for a few things when I came across this little gem - Revenge of the Introvert by Laurie Helgoe.  When I was in grad school, we all took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and I scored highly as an introvert (my type was ISFJ.  I was borderline on the last two, if I remember right.  I could have gone either way).  It was kind of a nice moment for me - I finally had someone tell me that it's okay to hate going to social functions and being around obnoxiously huge groups of obnoxious people.  I'm not weird for preferring to spend Friday night at home with a book than schmooze with a bunch of goobers that got thrown together from the local singles' wards (that last one highly applies to the Wasatch Front area.  Good night in heaven, do those people realize how completely ridiculous they can be?)

Then, I got looking into the subject - found articles and books to explain the whole thing to me.  I'm not going to go into a lot of detail about it, but I did like this list that came from the above article (it's on page 4, if you're interested.  The whole article is well-worth your time, especially if you have a friend that you keep giving grief for being "weird" and "anti-social."  Read the article and then tell your friend you're sorry.  They will be even more appreciative of your friendship, I promise).

What Not to Say to an Introvert


Introverts, those quiet creatures that walk among you, are not as mild-mannered as made out to be. They seethe and even will lash out at those who encroach upon or malign their personal comfort zones. Here are a few emotional buttons to avoid with your introverted companions:
- "'Why don't you like parties? Don't you like people?' is a common remark introverts hear," says Marti Laney, a psychologist and the author of The Introvert Advantage. "Usually we like people fine," she insists. "We just like them in small doses." Cocktail parties can be deadly. "We're social but it's a different type of socializing."

- "Surprise, we've decided to bring the family and stay with you for the weekend." Anyone anywhere on the -vert spectrum could find such a declaration objectionable, but it's more likely to bring an introvert to a boil, according to Nancy Ancowitz. Introverts count on their downtime to rejuvenate their resources; an extended presence in their homes robs them of that respite.

- Don't demand immediate feedback from an introvert. "Extraverts think we have answers but just aren't giving them," Laney says. "They don't understand we need time to formulate them" and often won't talk until a thought is suitably polished.

- Don't ask introverts why they're not contributing in meetings. If you're holding a brainstorming session, let the introvert prepare, or encourage him to follow up with his contributions afterward.

- Don't interrupt if an introvert does get to talking. Listen closely. "Being overlooked is a really big issue for introverts," Laney says. Introverts are unlikely to repeat themselves; they will not risk making the same mistake twice.

- Above all, "we hate people telling us how we can be more extraverted, as if that's the desired state," says Beth Buelow, a life and leadership coach for introverts. Many introverts are happy with the way they are. And if you're not, that's your problem.

Graduation, Commencement and Paradise

I graduated today! HOORAY! This calls for a blog post and some super-cool Piano Guys tunes!



So, usually you think of graduation ceremonies as being these really pompous and boring ordeals, right? Well, if you just have a small close-knit cohort of Library Science students and you put together your own program instead of relying on alumni donors and crap like that, you can actually have something fun and celebratory to share with your friends.

And that's what my little group of cohorts did.  Heck, my dad enjoyed it (and he's not really into the whole pomp and circumstance sort of thing).  I guess it helps that the people I was graduating are people I actually know and like instead of this huge conglomerate of complete strangers that just happen to attend the same university as I do.

We ended up having five speakers, though two were student speakers that did a tag-team Story Time-style for their speech (not gonna lie - that was pretty hardcore for librarians ^_^)  The faculty speaker actually spoke about how he had to work at in fast food and other crappy jobs even after he got his PhD until he could land a teaching job at a university.  I've been to three graduations before this and I have never heard anyone talk about how most of us are going to have a hard time finding a job even with a degree but stick with it and good things will happen eventually.  Honestly, now that I've been on the job hunt for so long, it's refreshing to hear a heavy dose of reality sprinkled in with the "Hey, Yeah - You Made It You Special, Special Person, You!" stuff.  Not too much that it's depressing and discouraging, but enough that I can look at this professor and think "Yeah, I may have some rough patches, but I can get through them."  So, I appreciated that.

Pictures will be coming (as soon as I can find my camera in all my stuff - I'm sure it's somewhere close by).

For now - I'm a Master of Library Science! Go me!! :)

I'd Like to Thank The Academy...

Today, I presented my Capstone portfolio for Master of Library Science program.  After two years of blood, sweat and tears (oh, heaven help me, there were tears), I am a professional librarian (as soon as the final grades get put in, of course).

It's a really weird feeling.  I don't have homework anymore, I don't have to go to classes and I don't have to do group projects or stress out about presentations.  But something about this final weekend with my classmates has made me a little sentimental (read: weepy).  Ten minutes of a Capstone presentation wasn't enough time to really thank everyone and reflect properly on what this entire program has meant to me and I'm not that good of a public speaker to really say it.  And I feel more sincere when I'm in an informal setting.  Since blogging is what I do best, I am putting my thanks and appreciation here for everyone to read and refer to often.  I'll just use first names and initials, since I know I'm picky about my own privacy and I figure others are too.

First of all, I have to give a HUGE thank you to Adriane, our wonderful and indispensable advisor.  Even when I thought there was some giant catastrophe with financial aid or registration, she was always calm and collected and ready to reassure me that it wasn't that big of a deal (even though my brain kept telling my otherwise).  I often wonder if she even sleeps at all because she does so much and is so wonderful at it.  One of the first things I tell people asking about the Emporia State program in Salt Lake City is that Adriane is a total and complete sweetheart and is the one of the best things about the program.  Even when I first met her for my application interview, she was so warm and welcoming to me.  Even before I met her and we were just communicating via email - her demeanor made me want to be in this program.

While we're talking mentors and such - another HUGE thank you to Susan, LuCinda, Donnae, Mindy, Bret and Eddie at the West Jordan Library where I did my practicum.  I don't know how the managers and librarians are at other libraries in the Salt Lake County system (with me only being a substitute clerk and not a librarian), but these guys and gals were the best group of mentors a girl could ask for.  Susan especially, being my official practicum supervisor, welcomed all my questions about children's and teen services, collection development, reference questions and even cheering my quest to find that "perfect job."  When I'm in the neighborhood, I try to stop by West Jordan Library and say hi to this amazing group of people that I wouldn't mind actually working with for realsies (hint,hint, HR).  All of them helped me in ways that I can't really express here, but I am grateful beyond words.

I had some stellar professors, but the one that really stood out in my mind was Cheryl from two summers ago.  Cheryl taught our reference services class during our second semester, which was a time that I was still getting my feet under me.  She is also the associate director of the Utah State Library, which means she's a pretty important person in the Grand Scheme of Things.  We had a group presentation assignment in that class and my group did a PowerPoint about technology in libraries.  I was in charge of putting the presentation together and I also made a video for it.  After our presentation, Cheryl asked me if she could use the video I made for the trainings she did for librarians all over the state!  Also, when I saw Cheryl at the ULA conference in May, she remembered who I was and even bragged to some of the other people there that I did a rather clever presentation in for her class.  For a hayseed farm girl from the sticks, that's a pretty big deal.

On to my cohorts.  All of them have contributed something to my education and influenced my experiences, but some stand out from the group.

Next, I have to thank Heather N.  For one thing, putting me up for the week of the ULA Conference.  For another, being my "other mom" during the Serbia study abroad trip (more on that in a minute).  And for all her confidence and expertise (which she'll deny to the end of time, but she is one of the most capable people I've known at any level of academics I've been in) never, not once, did she make me or anyone else feel inferior.  On the contrary, she always had a desire for all of us to be our best and succeed.  As far as she was concerned, one person's victory was a victory for everyone.

Speaking of Serbia, I could not have survived that trip without Ginger and Brienne as well.  I've mentioned how I had never traveled outside the country before, but Ginger and Brienne had and were more than willing to take this "international greenie" under their wings (Ginger was my other "other mom" on this trip).  I loved being with the entire group, including the ladies from the other Emporia cohorts - Kristy, Amy, Ericka and Mary - but my classmates hold a special place in my heart.  The entire Serbia trip was a wonderful thing for me to do, even though a part of me wished the entire time I could go home.  It was in Serbia that I realized that I had enough knowledge and confidence to stand my ground even with the most experienced librarians - that I have just as much to contribute to the conversation as someone who's been at it for twenty years.

Angie.  Angie, without whom I would not have had the guts to even apply for Serbia.  For the implications of that, see the previous paragraph.  Angie - thanks.

Back in Utah, I have to acknowledge Brenda, who was my seatmate for most of our classes together.  Somehow, we managed to sit next to each other for nearly every class and we had a blast when the lectures got a little dry (sorry folks, it happens sometimes).  We found things to talk about, both in and out of library-related topics, and I consider her a good friend.

I also have to mention Lisa G. - one of the most dynamic and excited-to-be-here children's librarians I've ever met.  I can only hope to reflect a fraction of her enthusiasm for the profession.  I keep thinking I ought to go watch her do a story time at her library because it would be one of the most gratifying things I could see.  She is someone I also look up to and I have to thank her for her example.  Along those lines, Jessica gets a special mention for her equal excitement about teen librarianship.

Other people that I found joy working with - Katie, Jon, Dale, Josh, Kellie, Emily (who was also one of the best lunch buddies I've had), Amy C. and the other Amy C., Trisha, Heather B. (who helped me find a place for the books I weeded out of West Desert High School's library) and Catherine - all of you made the entire Emporia experience for me.

I would remiss if I didn't mention the people outside of the Emporia program who supported me.  Mom and Dad - for the money, verbal support and a place to live while I did my work.  Kathryn for letting me stay with her during class weekends (and who continues to give me friendship and emotional support).  Ed for giving me a job at West Desert, letting me have time off for class and the ULA conference, allowing me run of the West Desert Library.  Also, my students last year who were willing to be my guinea pigs for some of my class projects (I showed off some of your excellent work in Serbia, you guys!)  Not to mention the West Desert Community for letting me show them off for my Strategic Plan Project in LI 805 (another video - you all have no idea how much fun I have putting videos together).

This has been something I will always treasure.  It sounds trite and a little cliche, but this was one of the best things I've ever done for myself.  I have learned and grown so much from it and I wouldn't exchange it for anything else I could have done with these last two years (in spite of all the times I got on here and pissed and moaned about this professor doing that or that classmate doing this.  Don't worry guys, I never used names).  I'm not quite sure what to do with myself until I get a job (please Job Fairy, find me something good!), but I am glad to have known everybody and I hope I have done something good for the rest of you as well.

There's not much else to say - except *hug*



I love you all.

The End Is Near!

My MLS Capstone is tomorrow.  Two years of the hard slog in grad school comes down to this - putting together a 10 minute presentation showcasing what I learned in those two years and praying that I learned the right things (as far as my professors are concerned, at least).  So, in honor of the occasion, I have a couple of theme tunes floating around in my head.  The joy of having a blog is that I get to annoy share them with you all.

1. Theme from "Rocky"

2. "My Way" by Frank Sinatra



Dear Sweet Gallifrey, this whole thing is making me loopy.

Show Me Something Real

I'm in a posting mood today.  This probably won't have anything substantial to it and I reserve my right as a blogger to have posts where I just ramble.

First off - this is funny.  Even for people like myself that know almost nothing about Star Trek (Captain Kirk, Captain Picard, Spock, Data, the Enterprise, The Final Frontier... yup, that's about all of it) will enjoy the joke.



Today I ended up working with one of my classmates and I am very grateful I did.  I am having the hardest time with this capstone thing for my end-of-master's-program wrap-up.  The professor keeps harping about applying theory to what we've learned in this program.  Only problem is that we talked about theory in the first semester and then it was never heard from again.  And with good reason - in the real world, there's no such thing as "theory." Either something works or it doesn't and no amount of academic bull-s****ing will make it work (just ask the Soviet Union. Oh wait...).  In my entire academic career, I have treated theory as something nice to look at and something that makes you feel important when someone else says it but when I say it, I sound like a pretentious little snot-nosed student that no one will ever take seriously.  So, instead of spouting off a bunch of researchers' BS, I just call it like I see it (using my own terms and my own experiences) and it works out just fine.  People know I'm being honest and real with them and they know that I have internalized what I was supposed to learn rather than who supposedly thought of it first.

So back to work tonight - my classmate said that he really didn't understand the whole thing about "theory" because we never covered it (which is good to hear because I was freaking out when I heard we were all of a sudden expected to know what it was) and besides, this is just a one-credit class and once it's over, we've passed everything and we can go get awesome librarian jobs and do something real in the world.

(hey, I like that term - "do something real."  Sound much more proactive that just sitting around "doing good." Because "real" and "good" are not mutually exclusive.  Hmm... I'm going to hang on to that one for a while).

Anyway, theory be damned - I know I learned something significant (and real) in this program.  Whether or not I can spout off a bunch of pretentious, pipe-smoking professors who wrote papers about the concepts is another story (and, really, I'm never going to have a five-year-old ask me who came up with the theory of library usage.  More likely they'll be asking for an Elephant and Piggie book).

I'm Back!

What I would have given for those red shoes 48 hours ago.

I made it home, folks.  After three countries, six flights, two weeks, one delayed flight (but no luggage lost - thank goodness), my trip to Serbia is complete.  And was it ever an Earn Your Happy Ending.

The library programming itself was great.  We did a lot of work with kids and teens, which I expected.  What I did NOT expect was how discombobulated everything was on the administrative front.  I heard the phrase "Be flexible" so many times during this trip that "Flexible" is the new dirty F-word (and you shall not see it written out for the duration of this post).  There was just zero communication between us, our professors, officials at the embassy and the folks in charge of the conference.

Don't get me wrong - once we got into our discussions and library tours and programming with the kids, everything was fantastic.  Especially when none of my professors were around - I could "cut loose" and be myself with the kids and my classmates and have fun while also achieving my objective.  But when either of my professors were there, they made me nervous.  It didn't help that during a presentation to some high school students, one of the professors - rather obnoxiously, I thought - kept yelling from the back of the room for me to speak up.  That threw me off so bad and I wound up shouting my whole presentation and it was not very good.  Please note - the time to give constructive criticism to someone is NOT in the middle of their actual presentation.  Do it before or after. Don't embarrass them in front of their audience.  Whatever failings you've perceived in the speaker are automatically doubled and it ruins the entire thing (and the problem might not have been that big of a deal to begin with - but now you've totally flushed it down the crapper).  I count my blessings that I had other people presenting with me and they could back me up when I lost my thread.

But Serbian teens are a lot of fun.  One memorable thing happened when we actually visited a high school in Belgrade.  We had a wonderful discussion about libraries and studying when one of the boys asked us all what book mad us angry.  I said "Twilight" - prefacing my answer with the concern that I would make some enemies.  On the contrary - I got a rousing applause from the group.  Not just the boys, either - some of the girls joined in the clapping.  From there we had a short discussion of why they didn't like "Twilight" either and their answers were mine as well - it's poorly written and it's a bad portrayal of what a romantic relationship should be.  It did my heart good to see that, even half a world away, there were people who got it.

We did a lot of work with American Corners, which is an organization that US embassies throughout the world sponsor as an outreach and education center where people can come and learn English by reading books and watching movies in English.  They also get Americans to come visit and do presentations about American culture and talk to the people.  It's a fantastic program and I wish I'd known more about it before I got to Serbia.

One workshop we did with American Corners was a discussion with some children and teen librarians from a public library.  At first, my classmates wanted to be all deferential and insist we be the students and the professionals teach us - but the professionals were there to learn.  It was that point I realized something (well, I'd thought about it before, but this was the first time I really got it) - a country like Serbia is still trying to figure out a lot of things.  Good grief - it was only relatively recently they figured out that communism is a really bad joke.  They have to look to other countries as examples of how to do this whole democracy-republic-free market-capitalism-thing when much of their population is still looking for their free chunk of stale bread (trust me - that bread done been ate a looooong time ago. [poor grammar intended]).  So, where are they looking?  The European Union is one place they look to, which makes sense since they are on the same continent.  But they also look US - and that's just what we do.  When we have the resources and the know-how, we help people help themselves.  Whether that's in education or humanitarian aid or throwing off an asshole dictator.  Even countries that were once our enemies, once we're done fighting, we help rebuild.

I know a fair few will read that and scream at me for it (because it's sooo vogue to criticize America, even when it does something good).  To you who scream and harp, I say that you weren't there and you didn't talk to these people and you didn't see how much they admire us for the things we do have.  Good grief - when the American Corner said they would be getting ten Kindles for people to check out, the Serbian people in the audience were so happy to hear they would have access to something like that.  One girl said it best when she said "We have TV - we see your culture."  Serbia is by no means the poorest country in the world, but they don't have all the technology and the things that we do.  But they know of those things and they want them for themselves.  And this is not a bad thing.  One presentation at the conference at the University of Belgrade suggested that they wanted to be listed among the top colleges in the world for technology along with the likes of MIT and UC-Berkeley.  These people have goals - and they are asking for our help in achieving them.  The fact that I spent the last ten days in their country proves that.  Believe me - Serbia was never on my list of places to see before I die.

Back to our workshop at American Corners: Basically, these librarians wanted us to teach them.

So, I started off by sharing a few things I'd done with my students.  Nothing flashy - just a few examples and ideas to get the conversation rolling.  And boy, did it ever roll.  My classmates and I had gone in thinking we were the ones doing the studying, but we were really the teachers.  Don't get me wrong - I wasn't all "Hey, we're Americans and we're going to change your lives if you listen to us and only us."  But the whole idea behind this meeting (at least, what these librarians were told) was for us to share what we were doing.  They wanted to learn from us - they were there by choice and they were eager to listen to us.  And I was extremely honored and humbled by that.

Second Bottom Line: Despite administrative bungles and total miscommunications between parties, this was an eye-opening and rather fun experience.  I have more stories, but I will save them for another time (because I am still fighting jet lag and a head cold).  Suffice it to say that I feel truly blessed to live in the United States and I am glad that there are people in other countries working to find new ways to improve their way of life and I am glad I could contribute something.

And I am glad to be home.

Programming Note: I did get to watch "The Wedding of River Song" while I was in Belgrade (long story how that happened).  I have not written down my thoughts, but I will soon.  Look for that in the near future.

Updates and Stuff

Felt like updating today.  It's my blog and I do what I want with it.

- I think I mentioned this before, but I'm too lazy to go back and see for sure.  In a couple of weeks, I'm on my way to Serbia for study-abroad!  It's only for ten days, so it's not like I'm leaving forever.  But I'm still a bit nervous because this is the first time I've traveled outside of the U.S.  I am lucky in that there are people going with me that have been to Europe before and know the ins and outs of travel and I'm sure once I get there I will get settled-in nicely and everything will be great.  It's just the anticipation and preparation for a trip like this that's stressful - you know, making sure you have everything you'll need (most of that is just guessing what to take with me because we haven't got many details about the itinerary or schedule, so I'm sure that I'll get there and wish I had brought along X, Y or Z.  But that's neither here nor there).

- I haven't mentioned much about school this semester, but I am in this really neat Children's Library Services class!  Most of the class requirements entails reading children's books (picture books and novels) and giving short reviews of each one.  I had read some of them before this class, but some I had not.  But I will be posting my short reviews on cj's bookshelf later (I've posted at least one review of a novel from this class there already).  The rest of the class involves coming up with a puppet show and doing a read-aloud as though we were reading to kids.  This is going to be goooooood. :)

- Which reminds me that I never posted pictures of my Fancy Nancy adventure this summer.  During my practicum, I helped out with the "France with Fancy Nancy" program at the West Jordan Library.  And it was a BLAST!

If you don't know, Fancy Nancy is a girl from a series of picture books by Jane O'Connor.  Nancy LOVES anything that's fancy - words, clothes, food, parties, you name it.  So, this party was all about the fancy!

I read "Fancy Nancy's Favorite Fancy Words" to the group and that was fun.  But the REAL fun started when...

I let the kids dress me up as Fancy Nancy!  We just had some cute accessories in the library closet and we set them out and I acted like a giant doll for them to dress up.  Now, I would not do this in any other setting, but because it was part of the library program, I was okay with it.  And the kids had fun with it (I even had a few of them ask for a picture with me, which was a heart-warming moment).  That is the secret of being a children's librarian - you leave you dignity at the door.

- These days, when I'm not at work or doing school things, I am just enjoying my little niece.  In the two months since she was born, she's grown a lot.  But she's even more cute for it.

My sister texted me this picture the day of the first University of Utah football game and it made my freaking day (it was kind of a crappy day anyway).  Some background info - I made the blanket for her and I gave her the Ute onesie, so it was the best thing I could have seen.  I haven't been able to see her in person very much because of work and what-have-you, so I just enjoy the pictures my sister sends me or posts on Facebook.  And I just love this kid!  It's a weird thing, being an aunt, but I love every minute of it.

In Need of a Pick-Me-Up

I'm going to be "bleah" for a minute here, so if you'd like to skip ahead to the video, feel free.

Had a really weird day.  First of all, last weekend, our neighbors' son drowned at Flaming Gorge Reservoir and that's been tough on all involved.  Today, I found out when and where the funeral's going to be.  I fully plan on attending because that's the best way for me to deal with the grief.  But I'm always apprehensive at funerals.  This one's going to be especially rough because I went to high school with this kid and he graduated with my sister and his parents live down the road from my parents.  I mean, I'm solid in the knowledge of where he is right now (and I know his family is too) and that's a comfort.  I'm sure that he's having a great time meeting up with his grandparents and other assorted relatives and it's just us who are still here being weepy and teary-eyed about it.  It's natural to grieve, of course, and I would be the last to diminish anyone's feelings of loss.  But I don't deny that I know he's in a place that's a million times better than this life.

So - there's that I'm dealing with.  Plus, just the regular crap that gets piled on in the course of normal life.  The study abroad office decided to be punks and bug us all about getting our paperwork in.  This is the same paperwork we had to wait for three months to get just because some director or ombudsman or some other made-up academic pencil-pusher couldn't be bothered to send to us until three or four days ago.  But now that we have it, they can ride our butts and carp that we don't have our stuff in (which requires two academic references, two passport-sized photograph, a notarized signature and a fecal sample from our firstborn.  Okay - maybe not that last one).  Well, I'm sorry, but you're just going to have to wait.  My life wasn't going to wait for you to get on the ball.

Add to the fact that one of the supervisors at the library I subbed at today was a total pain-in-the-neck.  She kept giving me the stink-eye when I would help a patron at her workstation and check in books where she thought I wasn't supposed to be.  I think she was worried I was after her job or something.  Truth is, I'm not after a full-time library clerk position.  I want a post as an actual librarian - at the information desk.  With a Master's degree and potential to become a manager.  Worry not my sweet little part-time retiree - your pension is safe and secure *pat, pat*

Oy - if you read all that whining, good for you.  This calls for something that is complete light and fluffy and just a bundle of feel-good-ness. And since I had Owl City's "Galaxies" stuck in my head all day - and because Doctor Who just automatically puts me in a good mood - I decided to search for a DW video with that song. And this one is one of the best. Makes me wish I was better at vidding - alas, I'm too cheap to spring for the really good video-making software. So, I will just enjoy some of the stuff other people come up with.

Enough yakking - watch the video!

I Guess Academia Really is Just a Bunch of BS

Maybe I'm the only one who will find this amusing.


This morning, I received an email from the professor from my Library Management class announcing that our research papers from last week had been graded and we could all look at the feedback he'd left us.  The email (which was generic mass email to everyone) expressed some disappointment in how a majority just summarized the paper in our abstracts and that, on the whole, our papers really weren't structured well and we all need to revisit proper APA style, etc., etc.


Now, I really have a low opinion of academic writing.  I don't enjoy doing it, I'd rather just tell you what I know, maybe reference a few quotes from other people but largely ignoring stylistic convention.  I certainly tell you where I got my information, but not in a formalized "Put the comma in the right place in your citation or you DIE!!" style that so many academic fields insist upon using.  I suffered through MLA formatting in my undergrad, but that was a cakewalk compared to the nit-picky, overbearing crap I have to put up with in APA style.  This paper was made even worse by the fact that it was for my Management class, which I have no interest in whatsoever and I wouldn't even be taking this class if it wasn't required for graduation.  But you do what you have to do and try to make the best of it.


Let me be clear *holds up index finger to show I'm making a point* - I have zero intention of ever doing research or publishing any academic article after my graduate work is over.  My efforts in my library career will be focused doing the best job within whatever library I work in, helping kids and teenagers (and maybe a few adults) with whatever information needs they have.  Whether it's a kid looking for material for a school report or looking for the latest Star Wars tie-in novel, I'm there.  I'm not getting in this career to impress a bunch of stuffy academic types in tweed jackets and turtlenecks (now, if it's a guy with a tweed jacket and a bow-tie - I may have to reconsider.  But show me the blue box, first).


I had a point... oh yes - so, when I wrote my paper I was writing it just to get it out of the way.  At this point in my academic career, I've pretty much abandoned the formal, high-brow style of writing and have opted for a much more relaxed style reminiscent of the way I blog.  As an example, this was my abstract:

"My paper is on marketing.  I’m going to talk about how it’s important to do proper marketing and advertising so people will actually see what the library is doing and decide to come.  I will be addressing different techniques and tools used in marketing as described in several scholarly articles by librarians from around who have used these tools.  I chose this topic because it’s a management topic that requires thought about patrons and potential patrons rather than focusing on things that are away from primary library functions."

(This was actually better than my first version of my abstract which was this: "I chose to write my paper on marketing the library and different ways to do it. I chose it because all the other management topics were boring and I hate business-type buzzwords because it all sounds like a bunch of ass-kissing to me." It's really a shame I had to edit that out).

So when my professor mentioned in his email that he was disappointed in our abstracts, I figured I had lost some points for my cavalier attempt and I probably didn't get a very good score on it (so, I'm saying that things I tell my own students actually apply to me???  Really? /sarcasm).  Imagine my surprise when I read the feedback he left me (emphasis added):


"You discuss the importance of marketing strategies for libraries. I was pleased to see good evidence of your analytical skills in looking at previous work, as your arguments were clearly built upon the work of previous researchers and theorists. Your abstract got things off on the right foot, being precise and clear and very indicative of what you would be discussing in your paper. Your paper is structured in such a way that it progresses logically with relevant and recent citations. I really like your strong introductory and concluding sections, providing a great counterbalance at the beginning and end of your paper, allowing the reader to easily absorb the information. I very much enjoyed reading your paper—great work!"


The amazing thing?  I got the full 20 out of 20 points for it.


So... it's really okay to be that brutally honest in your abstract?  Evidently so.  But what amazes me even more is that I totally BS'd my way through this whole thing.  Sure, I found some good articles to cite, but I only cited each one once (more or less), just so I could get back to blathering on about what I wanted to say.  I figured that would have showed up (okay, maybe I wasn't that terrible, but read some academic journal articles - I don't understand how people manage to read through all that smarmy, stilted crap).


Maybe I ought to rethink my whole outlook on academic writing.  If snark and irreverence is actually looked upon kindly in academic circles...  (pfft... yeah right)


Eh - whatever.  It's full points - I'll take it!

Mom: "Why are you always in such liberal programs?" (and NFL Picks)

(NFL picks below the pointless blather).

I'm in my library classes this weekend and I am reminded of a comment my mother made to me some time ago.  I honestly have no idea why I am drawn to liberal professions while I remain ever-so-conservative in opinion.  Maybe it says something about my convictions that I can study literature, writing and library science in academia (which, I enjoy all three immensely) and still be a card-carrying member of the "Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy" (she says tongue-in-cheek... more or less... ^_^)  I dunno... some people question my senses, but I manage to sleep at night.

Anyway - on to something COMPLETELY different - it's Saturday, which means that I have football picks to make!  Shoot, making predictions off the wrong schedule (as happened momentarily last week) do not impede me from making my picks - why should a little thing like a class weekend do the same?

As things stand, my season record is.. well, look for yourself: I was 8-6 last week, which brings my season-to-date record to 38-24.  And for the record - Max Hall did NOT lead the Cardinals to the win.  Drew Brees just sucked last week.  Arizona's defense ate the Saints' lunch.  I would even venture to say that Arizona won IN SPITE of Max Hall's "stumblin', bumblin', fumblin'" (Imma lookin' at you, Deseret News!  Zoobie-lovin'-Cocktail-Party-wussies...  I can't stand the Tribune either - bunch of pinko commies - so I just don't read either one unless something big happens that I really want to know about.  But then, that's what Google is for :3)

This week -

Seattle at Chicago - Ugh... Seattle (the Bears' season so far is just one big "C'Mon Man!"  Them and the Cowboys.  I find it quite hilarious ^_^)

Miami at Green Bay - I like Green Bay.  Not in a bandwagon-jumper kind of way (even though the Packers have been on my list of "Yes, I'll Cheer for You" teams since forever), but I like Green Bay to win.

San Diego at St. Louis - San Diego

Baltimore at New England - My upset pick for the week is Baltimore to defeat the Patriots (heck, it's not like there are never any upsets ever, right?)

New Orleans at Tampa Bay - The Saints are playing pissed (after getting beat by the Tempe Toilet Bowl? Hoooo-yeah...).  New Orleans will wipe the floor with the Bucs.

Detroit at NY Giants - Giants (all my Detroit jokes are getting old, even if they did win last week).

Atlanta at Philadelphia - The "Days of Our Lives" game of the week - Michael Vick's new team against Michael Vick's old team (and who knows if Vick is even going to be playing).  Coin toss - tails - Philly

Cleveland at Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh

Kansas City at Houston - Oh gosh... this should be a barn-burner (now that I've said that... it'll be a blowout).  In all honesty, I have high hopes for Kansas City so I will pick them.

Oakland at San Francisco - The Black Hole Crazies head across the bay to Wine-and-Dine Yuppie Town (among other things that SF is associated with - but I'm not getting into that one 'cause I actually like the Niners, even though they stink)... I guess I'll go with Oakland since they're probably high off their win against San Diego (which doesn't make sense, since San Diego is probably playing pissed and they'll eat St. Louis' lunch - so why would Oakland win if they won last week... but the Raiders are playing San Francisco - now I'm just talking in circles... but my pick is Oakland - that's all you need to know)

NY Jets at Denver - I guess I'll go with the home team - Denver

Dallas at Minnesota - Battle of the teams-that-should-have-been-good-but-actually-suck (at least, this season).  If I have a choice, I don't pick Dallas as a rule.  Minnesota.

Indianapolis at Washington - Redskins... you're playing the Colts... By the grace of God go you.  I'm going with Indy.

Tennessee at Jacksonville - Ever since going to ESPN, Monday Night Football had gotten some pretty crap games (though the Eagles-Niners game on NBC last Sunday wasn't exactly Must-See-TV).  Sooo... gosh... I think I'll go with the Titans.

Good - I got that done.  I've got a Halloween party tonight, which I am totally stoked for.  Pictures will be posted soon afterward ^_^

To Stroke My Ego (plus video-spam)

Quick post, just to show that I have not forgotten this blog.  Life has been busy of late - had a crazy 4th of July where your humble correspondent was obligated to come out from behind the computer screen and socialize with family members and friends.  But I must say, the food was good - not to mention the fireworks.

School keeps me busy, as always.  I have a paper due tomorrow that I am feverishly sprinting to complete.  But I have decided that since I've kept all these articles from my past classes, I might as well use them.  I often am required to quote from other articles, which I just think is a pain because why do I want to write a paper using other people's ideas instead of relying on my own?  I mean, sure it's good to know what's out there and what others have written does help you formulate your own thoughts, but I'd much rather share my own ideas.  I usually just quote a line from each article I find and then just prattle on about my own thoughts in a convoluted-academic-smart-people-sounding way (academic writing is really wordy, which also bugs me).  Which is why I ended up creating this "Reference Librarianship in Star Wars" video - it's creative and information and really entertaining (if I do say so myself).



I actually forgot to mention this here, but I used that video in my last class weekend for a presentation and my instructor liked it so much that she asked if she could use it in future trainings.  By the way, my instructor is the assistant director for the Utah State Library - not the USU library, but the library for the State of Utah.  Oh yeah - who's awesome?

I also managed to finish the 2009 "Doctor Who" specials, which were an emotional roller coaster on steroids (It's official - I am a Tenth Doctor fangirl, but Eleven is making a convincing case).  If I can get so involved in a story after just one month, then that's something.  This is what I was talking about when I was lamenting the lack of books that kept me reading into the wee hours of the morning - but who knew I'd find that kind of mileage in a TV show of all things?  I'm almost happy that "24" was canceled (almost) because then I wouldn't have had the desire to find something new to squee over.

And thanks to "Doctor Who," I have also become a David Tennant fangirl - I'm now on a quest to find other shows and movies he's been in.  Before "Doctor Who," I knew him from his role as Barty Crouch in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but that was it.  But since then, I've found other (smallish) things he's done and it's simply marvelous ^_^  My next plan of attack is to find the version of "Hamlet" he was in (it should be no secret that I love, love, LOVE "Hamlet" *points to blog subtitle*).  I've seen a few clips on YouTube.  When I actually stop to think about it, I feel a little odd drooling over David's delivery of the "To be or not to be" soliloquy because it's basically Hamlet contemplating suicide, but the giddy fangirl in me just can't help it.  Seriously - if you have any interest in Shakespeare at all, you owe it to yourself to hit the big play button.



Bottom Line - Shakespeare = Win.  Hamlet = Win.  David Tennant = Win.  David Tennant as Shakespeare's Hamlet = So Much Win that the Universe Explodes (good thing we have the Doctor in the house ^_^)

Also in the realm of stories that keep me up at night - Shannon Hale.  Ahem - Shannon Hale!  Is amazing.  I've finished all the "Books of Bayern" and I have to say that I have a writer's crush on her (meaning that I am in love with her style of writing).  The last one, "Forest Born" was simply brilliant.  After three books of having part of the focus being on romance (which, you'll never hear me complain too much about that) it was nice to have Rin come to grips with her people- and tree-speaking abilities.  Rin is an absolute delight.  The others were good too (if "The Goose Girl" hadn't have been so good, I wouldn't have read the rest) and I have gone on to "Book of a Thousand Days," which is lovely.

So, that's what I've been up to lately - school, reading, fangirling, being generally awesome, you know the usual.

Textbook Shopping - VICTORY DANCE!

Ooh, ooh! Guess what! One of my professors for summer semester sent out the syllabus, which listed the required textbook (as in, just one, not plural). AND the happy thing is that the syllabus says that it's okay to have the older second edition. So, I go onto Amazon to check out prices and stuff and I bought the second edition used for $6! (after shipping)

THAT is a huge weight off my back because my student loan for summer semester isn't going to quite cover my tuition and fees, so I have to come up with the balance of that money, PLUS buying textbooks is always a pain in the bank account. So, I'm happy I could get at least one class covered without too much agony.

My one other professor hasn't listed the required texts for her class yet, so there may still be more blood to be drawn, but for now - WE DANCE!

Random Thoughts - 3/29/10

I Believe the Term You're Looking for is *headdesk* - Just came back from yearbook. And found out that the school owns a copy of Adobe PageMaker! And we've been needlessly using PowerPoint this whole time!! The best line was the principal going "Oh - well, we used PowerPoint last year and it was a nice yearbook."

(Note - Last year's yearbook was the publishing world's version of cow manure. Even the kids said so. If you saw it, you'd think so even if you had the tact to not say it out loud. Which I didn't until this year's staff said it first. Then I felt okay about it.)

Is There Something You're Trying to Tell Me? - Upon my return home, I got the mail and saw that this month's church magazines had come. And one of the cover stories on the Ensign was "Confidence to Marry" and then listed four - count 'em, FOUR - page numbers on which related articles could be found. If that wasn't enough, the entire New Era is dedicated to the topic of "Dating for Beginners."

I'm almost afraid to look in the Friend...

Ending on a Upbeat Note and a Question - I also got a notice of my student loan awards and all I have to do is go online and accept the ones I want for the 2010-2011 school year (yay!!!) But I also have a question that maybe someone out there in internet land can answer - I've been awarded subsidized and unsubsidized loans and a Perkins loan. I accepted the subsidized loans because those don't start accruing interest until I graduate (unsubsidized accrue interest the minute they're issued). But, the Perkins loan - I'm not sure when it starts collecting interest. And I need a little extra because the subsidized loans didn't quite cover all my tuition and fees and I need money for books and such.

So, my question is does anyone know if a Perkins loan starts accruing interest when I get it or if it waits until I graduate? I tried looking for the answer online, but nobody has a satisfactory plain-English-non-legalese answer and the financial aid office in Kansas is closed (color me an idiot).

Weekend Thoughts on Winter, School and Sports

It's Saturday out at the ranch. And I have a few scattered thoughts on some things that, by themselves would not make a good LJ post. But together, I can make up a list. Hearkening back to my days as editor-in-chief of The Snowdrift, I resurrect "Liner Notes."

I Can See Polar Bears From My House: Arctic wind has taken over much of the continental United States. This has created a condition that most of us call "January." Florida and much of the deep South is seeing record low temperatures. A little closer to home, the stockyard is basically a giant ice block. Snow that fell off the roof and onto the front porch in December is now a pile of ice that defies any attempt at dumping salt or Ice Melt on it. The polar ice caps' distant cousin has taken up residence in my front yard and will probably be there until April.

So, I ask global warming nuts - those who can only brave the arctic cold in mid-July when the Earth's axis tilt has those cute polar bears staring down the sun. Those that videotape these cuddly creatures floating on their summer ice boats and say the bears pitifully floating out to oblivion (when in reality the polar bears are just out fishing and can't figure out if what the bearded hippie is pointing at it is a camera or a gun). Those that demand that the rest of us sacrifice our lifestyle by turning off lights and using flashlights (oh wait, the batteries are bad for the environment - and we certainly can't light any fires, either). I ask all you who have not bathed since Woodstock - if this Arctic wind has settled over the northern hemisphere, does this mean that this global warming (that is melting the ice caps and drowning polar bears) is officially over? This cold kinda puts a damper on all your big plans for taking down capitalism (India and China are saying "Can we get back to business now?)

I Am Proud of Who I Am... I Am - a Librarian!! I got my syllabus for two of my classes this semester! And wait until you hear what one of my assignments will be. The professor has given us all a list of movies to watch and write a paper on one, answering questions that she will provide. And guess what two of the movies are - The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. I have them both on DVD and seen both many times. (In an odd twist of fate, "The Mummy Returns" was on Starz last night). I have gone from having to read obscure literary fiction that only pasty college professors read in their dark holes to doing homework that embraces popular culture. It's a breath of fresh air!

Playoffs? Playoffs??? Don't Talk About Playoffs!! It wouldn't be Wild Card Weekend if I didn't have something to say about football. I refuse to cheer for the New York Jets. Not that I have any big beef with them and not that I have any great love for the Cincinnati Bengals. Just that they would not be in the playoffs at all if the Colts and the Bengals hadn't sat their starters the last two weeks of the season. By rights, they shouldn't even be here.

And the Bengals just lost. That's what happens when you take your foot off the gas when you have everything wrapped up. Let this be a lesson to you ding-dongs.

Actually, maybe I should be cheering for the J! E! T! S! Jets! Jets! Jets! to go all the way. Maybe that would finally illustrate the stupidity of throwing games at the end of the season when you have the top seed/home-field advantage/division title wrapped up. But the dumb thing is that nobody of prominence would point that little detail out. ...sigh...

Prediction of Doom: Speaking of the playoffs, it seems like all the teams I've been pulling for this year folded the last few weeks of the season (with the possible exception of the Vikings, but it was the Giants, so meh...) I've always hated the Dallas Cowboys and I've only recently gained a dislike of the Jets. But they're both suddenly hot and it would be my rotten luck that we would have a Jets-Cowboys Super Bowl. And the Cowboys would win. What can I say? I'm being a pessimist this year.

I'M LEGAL!!!!

I AM OFFICIALLY ACCEPTED INTO GRADUATE SCHOOL!!!! I must shout it from the rooftops, my happiness!!! I start January 22!!! Let's hear it for the smart peoples!!!! (and the fact that I'm so happy that I've forgotten all about proper grammar)

YAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!

(oh yeah, this is awesome ^_^)

Update - It's Cold. And it Only Gets Colder

It seems that I only update when I watch football and not so much updating on regular-life things. So, this is the quick version from my weekend.

Friday - Drove to Salt Lake for my Emporia interview (for the people that I don't tell things to - which amounts to pretty much everyone - I'm applying to Emporia State University's Masters of Library Science program. They have a distance program that comes to Utah every two years and it's pretty sweet). Interview went great - don't want to jinx myself by saying anything else.

The interview was at 8:00 pm and the genius in me had planned to drive to Delta from Salt Lake that night. It really wasn't that bad. By the time I got to Delta, I was ready to put my feet up and watch a movie or something - if it wasn't midnight already.

Saturday - General Conference weekend - yay!!! Temples announced - double yay!!! (wish one was in Jacksonville - be a nice excuse to go visit... oh well...)

Mom had a Lia Sophia jewelry party. Not much to report there.

Sunday - more General Conference - and TiVo'd football (thanks Dad!) Indianapolis ate Seattle's lunch (why does Seattle have a football team, anyway?) - Mom's hatred of BYU is extending into the NFL. She says I can't cheer for the Colts because Austin Collie plays for them (I'm pretty sure she's being facetious, but sometimes it's hard to tell). As for me, I don't care. Sure, I have painful flashbacks to 2007 when he scored and beat the Utes in the last seconds every time I see him on screen (why-oh-why does he have to wear number 17?) - but as long as he doesn't screw anything up for the Colts, I can get over it. Bear in mind, the first touchdown pass he drops, he's dog food.

Sadly - the internet was down at home, which stunk.

Anyway, I came home after Conference (by the way - Elder Holland is wonderful. On my mission, I wished more than once that I could just play his talks for people as I tracted because he dominates the socks off everyone). It took me four and a half hours in the rain to drive back to Logan. I can't wait until I don't have to drive insanely long distances at the end of a weekend (feh - yeah right). On the other hand, I got a lot of good thinking done and worked out a few plot points for you book fan-types (all two of you).

Okay, dinner's ready and I have to go - yay for homemade chicken soup!!

It's Some Smart-People Thing

It's been a few days - between getting the rest of my grad school application mailed out and taking the GRE, I'm pooped. Mercifully, I have recovered (I hear a collective sigh of relief throughout the flist). Here's a run-down of my week, just in case you care to know.

Tuesday, I spent the day compiling all my letters of recommendation and finishing up my statement of objectives and tweaking a cover letter ("tweaking" here meaning "a process that I copy-edit a table of contents and try to make it sound professional all under 200 words") Yes, it took all afternoon. I meant to catch up on "Heroes" - luckily I have managed to remain unspoiled thus far. Happy day.

I spent Wednesday at work, getting a second job, doing my one and only written assignment for my guitar class (what are the odds that my only written assignment for an actual college class this semester would be due the same morning I take the GRE?) and studying for the GRE before the home teachers showed up (nice kids, really).

Thursday: guitar class, turn in assignment (it was all about transposing sheet music and a few other cool things that I probably would have appreciated more if I wasn't on a hard deadline here - well, maybe I can try it again in my spare time). GRE at 11:00 - now, if you know anything about the GRE, there are three sections: Analytical Writing, Verbal and Quantitative. Analytical Writing and Verbal - not a problem for me. Quantitative is a fancy word for math (I find it fascinating that math people have to give their section a word that starts with Q and has three T's in odd places). Now, I didn't know this about the actual GRE (probably should have), but after you have taken the Verbal and the... my fingers are having a hard time spelling Quantitative, so I'm just going to call it Math... section, you are given the chance to re-take the section you had the most trouble with. I didn't find this out until later, so I just thought it was someone's sick idea of a joke to give me an extra section of the Math test to do.

Another thing: in the first section of the math, the procedures and such weren't too bad - but the arithmetic was horrible (like, I knew to multiply 85 by 76.9 or something to that effect, but actually doing it without a calculator was a little tricky (if not impossible). But - in the second Math section the computer gave me, I was allowed an on-screen calculator. But by that time, the computer had me allll figured out and it only gave me problems like "Solve x+y+capybara." So, the calculator was pretty pointless.

Anti-Math Rant: I am an English major. Letters and number do not mix without serious consequences. Putting letters into math problems is like breeding a cat with a gecko. It does not occur in nature and when you force it in the lab tests, some pretty bizarre things happen that just are sick and wrong. Beyond the Sierra Club and Greenpeace on your butt - denizens of the cat and gecko populations would laugh at the poor thing and then it would want to go kill itself. Letters should never be added to numbers - it's just not pretty.

Anywho - GRE. Finished it. Lost some brain activity for a few hours, but it returned from Mordor eventually.

Friday (being today): Got an email from the Master's program I'm applying for - they want me in for an interview as part of the application process. Don't entirely know what that means, but it's got to be good. I have an interview next Friday. I'm pretty excited ^_^

That's my smart-person update for the week.

KAMIKAZE BLUEBIRD!!!!

That got your attention, didn't it?

After doing a bit of digging (and taking the advice of a somewhat experienced friend) I figured out how I COULD get into the Emporia State graduate cohort that comes to Salt Lake in January. It's going to be a narrow opening, but I think I can manage hitting the October 1 deadline. That just means that my formerly calm and easy semester in Logan has suddenly become significantly less-so.

I feel like I've gone from zero to 120 in 0.0000001 seconds. My brain is feeling somewhere between fired up and frazzled (but I bring that on myself). I can't be just calm and mellow - I have to be either completely lethargic (which gets boring after a while) or completely bouncing off the walls (which starts to hurt after a while). I am extreme - there is very little middle ground with me. Which could be good or bad, depending on what it's referring to.

(don't you all just enjoy my self-psycho-analysis?)