I, along with my classmates, are in the throes of final projects and exams for this semester. Dear readers, you'll have to give me some grace for the next week or so.
Excuse me while I crawl back into my finals headspace...
-Shannan
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
Guide To My Blog
This little blog-o-mine started as a way for me to comment on things that I like in the world of libraries. However, I have found that it is also a way to do two other things that I love: provide social commentary on any and everything and talk about makeup, fashion and style on a budget. So, for those of you lovely enough to come on this site, here is a guide:
- The main blog posts are about libraries, books, librarianship and related topics. These could include book reviews, tech things as they affect the library world and interviews with people I want to know more about.
- There will also occasionally be a post on social commentary, which could range from a new band I heard on NPR to why won't Kim Kardashian get some maternity clothes.
- LIBRARIAN BARBIE is my Tumblr page, and has things about librarian style (YES, THERE IS SUCH A THING), pics I like and things pertaining to librarianship.
- My Twitter feed is also a tab, and Lord knows what types of fooleywang may show up there.
- What I'm Reading is a link to my Goodreads account. I keep that pretty accurate, so you'll know what I'm reading, have read and want to read. I get a lot of questions about that and I am very interested in Reader's Advisory, so that is a passion I intend to grow.
Let's Talk About Rankings
Not sure if many of you caught this, but U.S. News and World Reports recently released their rankings on library schools. As a skeptic, and one who knows that these rankings are: 1)subjective, 2) relative and 3) cause unnecessary stress, I wanted to talk about what these rankings might mean to us as library school students.
The rankings are here:
http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-library-information-science-programs/library-information-science-rankings
As you can see, my school (LSU) is ranked at #24. Does this matter to me? Not one bit. Would it have mattered to me when I was applying? Not one bit.
I attended (proudly, I might add), a Top 20 law school (Tulane). That was great, made me feel really smart and justified the ridiculous student loans I had to take out at the time. However, did it mean anything when I went into practice? No. Did it make my life as a lawyer any better? Probably not. Do I still have those student loans? You betcha!
You see, most of us, when we thought about pursuing our graduate degree in library and information science, fell into 3 categories:
1. I just graduated with a liberal arts degree. What kind of job am I going to get without a masters?
2. I've been working in a library and I can't move up professionally without an MLIS. What is the most convenient way to get this degree since I work full time and maybe I have a family?
3. My job sucks and I've always wanted to work with books and libraries. Where's the nearest grad school where I can obtain this degree?
I fell into category 3. My extensive research brought me to the conclusion that to work in a library in any professional function, I was going to have to get a graduate degree in the field, and it only mattered that the school be ALA-accredited. Since I have not yet married for money, I needed to go to a nearby school where I could get the degree without going broke and to a school that had a good reputation. For me that was #24 ranked LSU.
You see, these rankings are relative, because most MLIS students need convenience, and are likely going to stay in the community where they get the degree. University of Illinois is a great school, but for me, it was not an option.
The most important things in a graduate education, in my humble opinion, are convenience, cost, course availability, job prospects and easy access to faculty. LSU has all of these for me. For someone living in Seattle, those things will likely not be found at LSU.
What I'm trying to say is, rankings are only as important as they are relevant to you and your situation.
Having said that, and with a little plug to my school,
GEAUX TIGERS!!!!
The rankings are here:
http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-library-information-science-programs/library-information-science-rankings
As you can see, my school (LSU) is ranked at #24. Does this matter to me? Not one bit. Would it have mattered to me when I was applying? Not one bit.
I attended (proudly, I might add), a Top 20 law school (Tulane). That was great, made me feel really smart and justified the ridiculous student loans I had to take out at the time. However, did it mean anything when I went into practice? No. Did it make my life as a lawyer any better? Probably not. Do I still have those student loans? You betcha!
You see, most of us, when we thought about pursuing our graduate degree in library and information science, fell into 3 categories:
1. I just graduated with a liberal arts degree. What kind of job am I going to get without a masters?
2. I've been working in a library and I can't move up professionally without an MLIS. What is the most convenient way to get this degree since I work full time and maybe I have a family?
3. My job sucks and I've always wanted to work with books and libraries. Where's the nearest grad school where I can obtain this degree?
I fell into category 3. My extensive research brought me to the conclusion that to work in a library in any professional function, I was going to have to get a graduate degree in the field, and it only mattered that the school be ALA-accredited. Since I have not yet married for money, I needed to go to a nearby school where I could get the degree without going broke and to a school that had a good reputation. For me that was #24 ranked LSU.
You see, these rankings are relative, because most MLIS students need convenience, and are likely going to stay in the community where they get the degree. University of Illinois is a great school, but for me, it was not an option.
The most important things in a graduate education, in my humble opinion, are convenience, cost, course availability, job prospects and easy access to faculty. LSU has all of these for me. For someone living in Seattle, those things will likely not be found at LSU.
What I'm trying to say is, rankings are only as important as they are relevant to you and your situation.
Having said that, and with a little plug to my school,
GEAUX TIGERS!!!!
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