How to Become an Essential Librarian

I'm reading a piece right now by Breanne Kirsch, from the University of South Carolina Upstate.  It was recently published in Endnote: The Journal of the ALA New Members Round Table, and it's titled How to Become an Essential Librarian.

It's informally written for a scholarly article, which makes it very easy to read.  And it's chock full of good advice on how to make the most of a new career when you're just starting out after graduation.  She walks through six essential steps toward becoming a valued and indispensable member of whatever institution you end up library-ing for.

Here's a copy of the PDF - I highly recommend reading it when you have some free time.

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday break!
-Shanna

SCARLA in the news!

The New Jersey Library Association Fall 2011 newsletter has a write-up about our very own SCARLA (the academic libraries student organization).

Here's a link to the PDF copy of the newsletter - scroll to page 8 for the article about SCARLA.

Congratulations, guys!  Good to see some name recognition out there, and I'm excited to see what SCARLA has in store for us.
-Shanna

RASL meeting tonight!

The next RASL meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 15th (that's tonight!) from 5:50-6:20 pm in the 3rd Floor SC&I Faculty Lounge.  For those of you who need to attend online, just click the following link a few minutes before meeting time:

http://rutgersdceo.adobeconnect.com/rasl

This will be a short meeting, but a great opportunity to meet April Bunn, the NJ Association of School Librarians conference chair.  NJASL is still looking for volunteers for their upcoming conference (in December, I believe), so please consider signing up.  This opportunity will look great on your resume and allow you to network with people in the school library field.

Hope to see you there!

-Shanna

"I'm Going to Library World!" AASL 2011

When I was chosen to set up the Rutgers booth exhibit at the American Association of School Librarian Conference in Minneapolis, I felt like a kid anticipating a theme park adventure. AASL did not disappoint. I walked into the exhibit hall visually bombarded by books and displays. The enormous size of the hall matched the wealth of useful knowledge, and next time I will be sure to leave room in my suitcase for the brochures, tote bags, gadgets, and books. Surprises were everywhere, from favorite authors signing books to Captain America ready to pose with you for a souvenir photograph. Yet, the best part of the conference was the learning opportunities from keynote speakers, the Exploratorium poster sessions, and the concurrent sessions. From the sessions I was able to attend, I brought home practical strategies to help students and partner with teachers in a school library program. As a student, I sometimes wonder how this all works in real life, but by attending the conference, I was able to see progress in action. The best part of the trip was the tools and knowledge I gained to impact learning. To all MLIS students, school library track and other specialties, I recommend getting involved in your professional organization and attending a conference. The gains both professionally and personally will be beyond anything you imagined. As you talk with other librarians, you will realize that we all face the same obstacles, but we all have different approaches for success. And, like any big destination adventure, you can start planning ahead. Many of the librarians I met, not all though, paid their own way to the conference. For all the future school librarians out there, the next AASL conference will be in Hartford, Connecticut, November 14-16, 2013. In the meantime, if you are in New Jersey, you can attend the NJASL conference December 2-3 in Long Branch, NJ. Look for me, I will be there!

-Guest Blogger and MLIS student, Jean Stock

"Libraries are not a quiet place anymore."

Of course, we all knew that.  But here is a link to a great interview with Carl Harvey, president of the American Association of School Librarians:

How Will We Read: In Schools? from the Huffington Post

Harvey talks mostly about the SKILLS Act and the impact that 21st century technologies are having on the school library system.  It's great short read.
Enjoy!
-Shanna

How I Register for Classes

Registration time is heeeeeeeeeeere!  The process can be a little complicated - but no worries!  We are here to help.

There is going to be a LIVE CHAT this afternoon, from 1pm to 2pm EST where you can talk with live MLIS advisors and get your registration questions answered.  Simply click on this link at the right time: http://rutgersdceo.na6.acrobat.com/scigradstudentadvising and login as a Guest.  This is definitely an excellent resource.

For those of you who just want to read about it, here is how I register for classes:

• First, I open two tabs or windows.  The first has WebReg open in it.  The second tab is for the official Schedule of Classes.
• Then login to WebReg (use your NetID and password).  Also, search the schedule of classes - we are school 17 - School of Communication and Information, on the New Brunswick campus.  On the second screen of the search, we are subject area 610: LIBRARY SERVICE.
• Find the class you want to take and look for the colored area under the Crs/Index number - this colored block will have a five-digit number in it.  You will need this number.  Also note that if the block is colored green, you're good to go - but if it's red, the class is full.
• Pick the correct semester in WebReg.  Then, copy that five-digit number you found and paste it into the first box on the WebReg screen.  Repeat this with the rest of your classes.  Click "Add Courses" and (IMPORTANT) make sure the courses that it says you registered for are really the ones you want!  If there's an error, double-check your five-digit code.

And that's it!  As always, feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions about registration or you need any help.  And if you're still wondering what courses you should take next semester, then get on that!  You can still e-mail your advisor if you need to.

May you take all the classes you wish and they never be too full,

-Shanna