Archives for category: About Me

Ok. So, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything. The fact is, I’ve been learning the ropes at the Ottawa Public Library – in between training and meetings, I get to do some actual work. What work? Well, as an Integrated Library Systems Librarian, I get to bang literal and metaphorical wrenches against the largely metaphorical pipes that keep information flowing around the library.

I’ve latched onto the metaphor of being something like a Victorian steam engineer, working away in a gritty bunker trying to keep this big ol’information mill spinning. Without all the Steampunkish insinuations, it is a cool enough idea. Never mind that I cross through a children’s library to get to the office where my desk is…

Anyways, I’ve been remiss in following up on some posts I’ve half-started. So, in the interest of clearing my slate, here’s a run-down.

1.  The New Surrey BC Main Library looks like a space base. Cool.

2. A paper released by the Public Lending Right Commission gives the  state of affairs vis-a-vis eBooks in Canada. It’s a bit watery, but the point is things have to change for eBooks to remain viable for public libraries (duh…).

3.  A cool graffiti taxonomy archive.

4. Author Lev Grossman declares himself to be crochety about eBooks via the New York Times. Nice art with the article, though.

 

Walk the Moon: dancy dancin'

Today is my last day at NRC-CISTI. Neat. On Monday, I’ll be starting at the Ottawa Public Library as their newest Integrated Library Systems Librarian (It’s important because it has library in it twice!). In between, I’m going to hocking my shirts etc. at the Wolfe Island Music Festival. I’m sitting in a triangle of sweet times.

Here are my pics from this week’s library soundtrack.

Walk the Moon (I’m a sucker for schmaltzy indie-pop. No apologies)

Belle & Sebastian

The Vaccines

See you all soon from a new cube! Have a great weekend!

DIYD... the second D is for Doomsday!

Homebrew science took a little bit of a hit today.

From the Toronto Star:

A Swedish man who was arrested after trying to split atoms in his kitchen said Wednesday he was only doing it as a hobby.

Richard Handl told the Associated Press that he had the radioactive elements radium, americium and uranium in his apartment in southern Sweden when police showed up and arrested him on charges of unauthorized possession of nuclear material.

The 31-year-old Handl said he had tried for months to set up a nuclear reactor at home and kept a blog about his experiments, describing how he created a small meltdown on his stove.

Only later did he realize it might not be legal and sent a question to Sweden’s Radiation Authority, which answered by sending the police.

“I have always been interested in physics and chemistry,” Handl said, adding he just wanted to “see if it’s possible to split atoms at home.”

The police raid took place in late July, but police have refused to comment. If convicted, Handl could face fines or up to two years in prison.

Although he says police didn’t detect dangerous levels of radiation in his apartment, he now acknowledges the project wasn’t such a good idea.

“From now on, I will stick to the theory,” he said.[source]

Well… yeah.

Anyways, no library themed post this week. I’m wrapping up stuff at my old job… because… I’m starting a new job next week. Hooray! More to come on this, I suppose.

They are some frankly pretty cook kids, indeed.

This Friday, where I am, means another long weekend! I’m using the free time to make shirts for a wicked music festival next weekend. But, before the weekend comes is the work week and the work week’s musical accompaniment. Here are some highlights.

The Cool Kids

Gold Panda

Ohbijou NEW NEW NEW Yessss!

For people in a different sort of listening mood, I highly recommend Dan Carlin’s Fall of the Roman Republic – a pretty engaging 10 hour free audiobook about, obviously, the fall of the Roman Republic.

Have a great weekend, long or otherwise!

Lousie Burns is of the forest.

Friday’s here! My workday soundtrack has been filled with a couple epic moments. For instance, my geeky prog-punk-metal heart as obliged me to attempt Coheed and Cambria’s space epic, which I didn’t not get all the way through (… it’s like 5 albums! And really cheesy…). Here are a few of my less serialized (maybe less epic) pics form this week.

EMA

Louise Burns(a great new find via the Polaris Long List.)

The Wooden Sky

Have a great weekend, everyone!

The Globe and Mail had an article yesterday about the Canadian Federal Government upgrading the “Working in Canada” website to “let Canadians know what jobs will be required in the long term so students who are planning their education can look ahead and plan their careers.”

The good database-friendly librarian that I am, I went to take it for a test spin using an obvious keyword. Here is the result for “librarian“:

Librarians (NOC 5111-A)

Librarians select, develop, organize and maintain library collections and provide advisory services for users. They are employed in libraries or in a department within a library.
Included job titles: bibliographer, cataloguer – library, cybrarian, librarian, library consultant, library
supervisor.

There is related result for library managers, too. It is possible to think that this description is a little lacking. To be fair the description of essential skills is not too bad, but it’s a little sterile in my opinion. As a Data-fixer, the closest (non-librarian) job description is Database Analysts and Data Administrators. Right now, I’d say I’m somewhere between librarian and that.

This has me thinking about how I describe what I do to people I meet and potential employees.

What librarians do is important and relevant, but there is a sense that the name is still left in the dusty book shelves of old preconceptions. And, the job description the Feds are using  doesn’t look like it’ll help break down those stereotypes. Moreover, for people looking to sell themselves to employers or for employers looking to find people that can do what LIS people do, it’s really not that helpful.

There is something to the “Librarian” brand that we can and do capitalize on. I’ve watched the on-going  dialogue about the librarian term and new terms that are creeping into our job titles. I am totally fine with this.

If you think about it, I could just as well be a “Database Analyst”, but I prefer “Librarian.” This is perhaps because it signifies something greater, perhaps a commitment to values or a connection to a tradition of practice. Other job titles just don’t seem to carry the same weight.

Again! A week done! Personally, I have my fingers crossed for some sun and some ribs! But right now, it means Library Sound Track day. This week, I have for you a couple new Canadian finds and a slightly older, more New Jerseyier fav.

Little Scream

Doug Paisley

Titus Andronicus

Have a great weekend!

I’m sure that we can all agree that writing cover letters is the worst. Any MLIS grad can probably relate to how frustrating it can be. Like when you’re excited about a job that is just a little off of where you usually plant your applications, and you just can’t get the mix in your letter right.

Recently, I found a posting that looked like it was written for me (except for a few things I’d have to pick up on the fly, but hey that’s what comes with new jobs). I sat down to write the cover letter, and bim bam boom a few hours later I was still staring at only a few sentences.

Now, there is a lot of pretty straight forward cover letter advice out there. The problem is that the questions involved are far from formulaic and almost demand existential guesses: Why do I want this job? Why will you want me for that job? And so on. With that starting point, boiling my work and school life down to a tasty demi-glace of a letter leaves my mind annoyingly blank. Read the rest of this entry »

Russian Futurists off to the races.

It’s been a pretty solid week, and it has left me feeling very librarian-y. So, in honour of that and of Friday here are some of my workday soundtrack highlights.

Stars (remixed by Final Fantasy).

Some vintage Broken Social Scene.

Newish Russian Futurists.

Have a great weekend!

Grouplove offers some advice.

I shouldn’t complain because my week was shortened by a 4-day weekend, jet-setish vacation, but what days I have worked have been a tough slog. I came back to deadlines, change-ups, and newly vague projects. At least the library sound track plays on, even if I don’t have much time for regular blogging. Here’s some music that helped.

Grouplove!

New Bon Iver!

Chad Vangaalen!

Have a great weekend!