Book Donations

I'm being a bit of a bibliographic guru / book searcher today.

Kayo, over at the Douglass Library has me going through lots of lists of books a lady would like to donate.
I'm impressed with the titles Douglass Library along with other Libraries at Rutgers has. The collections are amazing.

I didn't think we'd have half of these.

I also feel like I'm 'somebody'. Kayo is welcoming my little notes about the titles and interested in my opinion.
Love this woman!

Dewey

In July, Bitch Magazine had a not-at all surprising look at Mr. Dewey and his treatment of women.

http://bitchmagazine.org/post/from-the-bitch-library-why-are-some-many-librarians-women

Neatest Of Patrons Was Right.

I finished Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game. It’s a wonderful book – despite the several mentions of females being inferior. I just couldn’t put it down once I started. Orson Scott Card is a wonderful story teller.

Thank you so much for one of my new favorite stories NeatPatron. I can tell you’re going to be one of my favorite library stories many, many years to come.

The Neatest of Patrons

Story Time-

I’m working the Reference Desk at Douglass today and a guy comes in asking where he can find the books. He means the stacks (they are one floor down). I ask if there’s a particular book he needs and he pulls a small slip from his pocket with the author, title, and ‘Doug’ (I assume for ‘Douglass Library’; Rutgers has many). I look up the title, write down the call number for him and ask if he’s been to the library before. He said “no” and I offer to tag along and show him. He agrees to this and down the stairs we go.

I ask about the assignment to see if I can offer any research suggestions or help finding further information. Sounds like he has the research thing down as we track down his book (it was in the shelving stacks, glad I went with him). 

Once the book is located and we head back up to the main floor he asks me about working in the library, then he asks, “What’s your favorite book?”

I ask, “fiction? Like a novel?”

“Yeah” he replies.

I tell him it’s The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, give him a synopsis and warn him about its large number of pages, then in turn, ask him his favorite book. He responds with Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. He in turn gives me a run down and tells me it’s not a large (or long) book and I should check it out.

I thank him for the recommendation and we part ways, him to Circulation and I head back to Reference. A minute later he comes back to Reference, book in hand and hands me his paperback copy of Ender's Game and asks me to read it. Dumbfounded I stumble over a few words, thank him, but go to try and give it back (I don’t want to just take the kid’s book). He refuses, tells me again to read it, and runs out the door!

How sweet of him. Now I have a book to read, just need to find the time!

Wow, wow, WOW!

Check out this email I just received:

Dear Jaqueline,

Congratulations, and welcome to The New York Public Library!  We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected for the Intern position in AskNYPL department, effective Monday, September 13, 2010.  Please report to the Office of Staff Services at 19 East 34th Street (between Madison and Fifth Avenues) at 10:00am to attend an orientation session.


Super excited about the whole thing.
When I moved the New York I thought it would be so neat to be able to work there. Less than a month after moving I have an internship.

Nothing can ruin my mood.

Interview at Ask NYPL

I am very excited about the interview I had today at Ask NYPL.

I have no idea if I will get it. I mean, the interview went great. Samantha, the manager there, was very sweet and even gave me a mini tour around the library and the place they are planning to move.

Did you know NYPL has a copy of the Gutenberg Bible?
I have only been to the building once before, and it must have been hidden, because I did not see it previously.

I guess I am most concerned of the whole interview process because I arrived 2.5 hours LATE!
She interviewed me anyways - which I'm not entirely sure if it's because she liked my resume, intrigued that I came running in out of breath, or if she felt sorry for me.

I hoping it's because she liked my resume.

Since I've just recently moved to New York City I got incredibly lost on my route. I had made the practice run just like you're suppose to do, went perfect, gave myself and extra hour of time coming from Rutgers (also had Reference Training at Rutgers today) and yes. Still 2.5 hours late.

I missed my ferry since there was traffic in New Brunswick, then once I got to my subway it took way longer to show up than in the practice run, THEN there was some difficulty with it we waited for a long time under ground. Eventually I had to get off and try and find the place and not from the stop I had practiced from. I ended up getting very turned around... showed up 2.5 hours LATE.

Oi.


The training at Rutgers went well. I'm really excited to start there. I met a lot of interesting people. Library students are so cool!
We mostly went over the library web site and how to navigate some of the more peculiar things about it. Learned where most of the students get hung up in their research and how to handle reference questions and basic rules of the library.

It's going to be a fun year at Rutgers!

Going to start this blogging thing

I'm very much excited to share my world as a Library Student with everyone. Today's the first day.

We have a meet and greet type thing tonight and reference class tomorrow. Too exciting!
I also have training for the Douglas Reference Desk and an interview for the New York Public Library in the Ask department.

It's going to be a busy day!