I cannot believe that this semester is over, and my internship at the library. This semester has been a immensely rewarding experience for me. From the wonderful librarians I had the opportunity to work with to the different aspects of librarianship I was able to discover, I am so grateful for the opportunity. This experience has made me 100% sure that I want to become a librarian and I cannot wait to get started. I'm filling out graduate school applications over winter break. Fingers crossed to see which programs I get into.
On another note, we had the finals study break this week, in order to give students a break from the heftiness of studying and finals. Chelsea organized so that we had 21 dozen cookies for the students to decorate, and they were all gone within an hour and a half. Plus we had 178 people come, which is really exciting. I think the event was a huge success personally. We also had craft supplies for a book cart decorating competition, which one group did decide to do, and lots of fruit and veggies, and even board games. All of the food was gone by the end of the two hours, and there were students playing the board games too. It seemed like it was just what students needed to manage finals week. It certainly helped me take a break from studying and focus on my own finals after.
I also finished my Research 101 study guide too. The name might be changed though, since it is really more about how to use the library's resources than the research process itself. But I'm really excited about how it came out and I hope that students find it useful. I tried to think about what would be most useful and the best way to phrase each subject to make it understandable, but it's hard to tell until students use it whether or not it is in fact helpful. Anyway, fingers crossed they use it.
To end my last blog post I would just like to say again how much this semester has meant to me. Having this opportunity has meant all the difference to my future and will help me get into and understand grad school more than I would have otherwise. It also allowed me to think about the ways that I learn and what I really want out of a program. I am going to miss being on the reference desk a lot, but I do have a job in the library next semester working on the more technical side of the library. Which is great because that means I still get to be here, and that I am again learning an exciting new aspect of being a librarian. I am so fortunate this year has worked out so well. I hope you have enjoyed my blog posts. Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful holiday season!
Friday, December 14, 2012
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Health & Wellness Page
Where is health on your priority list? Good health is crucial for all people, but especially for musicians (or athletes) who need their bodies in top performance shape. Musicians in the conservatory need to be aware of how to stay healthy. The purposes of the Health and Wellness Page are to promote good health, and to create awareness of reliable resources on healthy lifestyle choices as musicians.
This on-going project has been a learning experience on technology. I basically learned how to create online pages, create links to other pages (like the one above to the H&W Page), form aesthetic appeal on websites, and to link pictures and information from MUSCAT. It was a challenge for both Mr Sestrick and I, when neither of us knew how to create what we wanted. Yet, we managed to create a beautiful website that I hope continues to grow.
There are a few parts to the Health and Wellness Page. The first we worked on was links to other websites. The Lawrence Conservatory's Health and Wellness Page has information on preventing hearing loss, injury and information on stress and time management and more. This information is very relevant to people who are busy making music all day. Also, we linked a list of helpful books at the library. From Musician's Yoga to Playing (less) Hurt, Musselman Library has something for anyone. My favorite part of the page is the advice section. Mr. Sestrick asked Sunderman faculty for words of advice on staying healthy. So far we only have three, but in time there will be more takers. Next to the advice we added their faculty photo for a nice touch. Across from the facutly section, there is the student advice. The conservatory students were also asked to give a sentence or two of advice. To make the page look extra nice, I used Microsoft Clip Art to add a picture of the student's instrument next to their advice. Personally, I think it is a really charming idea. We thought about using an actual picture for the students, but in my opinion all the pictures would crowd up the page. The whole purpose of the pictures is to make the page as easy to look at as possible, so I believe this set up is a winner.
To help broadcast our new page, we have put up slides on the Conservatory slideshow on the second floor lobby. The slides happen to be the faculty advice. Quiescence? I think not. Now everyone, everyday can be reminded to stay healthy!
This on-going project has been a learning experience on technology. I basically learned how to create online pages, create links to other pages (like the one above to the H&W Page), form aesthetic appeal on websites, and to link pictures and information from MUSCAT. It was a challenge for both Mr Sestrick and I, when neither of us knew how to create what we wanted. Yet, we managed to create a beautiful website that I hope continues to grow.
There are a few parts to the Health and Wellness Page. The first we worked on was links to other websites. The Lawrence Conservatory's Health and Wellness Page has information on preventing hearing loss, injury and information on stress and time management and more. This information is very relevant to people who are busy making music all day. Also, we linked a list of helpful books at the library. From Musician's Yoga to Playing (less) Hurt, Musselman Library has something for anyone. My favorite part of the page is the advice section. Mr. Sestrick asked Sunderman faculty for words of advice on staying healthy. So far we only have three, but in time there will be more takers. Next to the advice we added their faculty photo for a nice touch. Across from the facutly section, there is the student advice. The conservatory students were also asked to give a sentence or two of advice. To make the page look extra nice, I used Microsoft Clip Art to add a picture of the student's instrument next to their advice. Personally, I think it is a really charming idea. We thought about using an actual picture for the students, but in my opinion all the pictures would crowd up the page. The whole purpose of the pictures is to make the page as easy to look at as possible, so I believe this set up is a winner.
To help broadcast our new page, we have put up slides on the Conservatory slideshow on the second floor lobby. The slides happen to be the faculty advice. Quiescence? I think not. Now everyone, everyday can be reminded to stay healthy!
Opera CD Project
The library has a significant amount of materials on-site. For pleasure or for simply completing assigned work, our library has the resources to help students and staff. The library continually has to keep updating its equipment and technical materials like CDs and IPADS. Otherwise, the technology would be outdated and less useful, if useful at all.
The library still has many vinyl records held at an off-site location, available to those people interested. There are around 300 vinyls on operas. One of my favorite projects was to find replacement CDs. Many of these operas were unknown to me. How do I know which recording is better? Sometimes I could find an exact recording of the vinyl. The other times, I had to use my judgement on which CD is more appropriate for Musselman Library's collection. I used the following steps to choose the most desirable CD. Step one: Look at the performers. Many times I knew of the singers. If I had to choose between Pavarotti or a less known singer, I would choose Pavarotti. If the performers were less known to me, I got to research them a bit to see if any of them were popular. Step two: read recommendations and reviews. The internet houses many cites for reviews. Mr. Sestrick gave me reliable websites to read reviews from. This was always helpful to me. I learned which CD had better audio quality, which director had the most convincing recording, and I found out who played the roles best. Step three: cost. After research sometimes I find that the recordings are pretty equal in quality. In this case, it is always prudent to make the most economical choice.
I was very excited to do this project because opera CDs were my first introduction to non school-related material at Mussleman Library. My freshman year, I would take out an opera CD each week to learn more about the field I wish to join. By the end of the year, the options were slimmer than I would have liked. That is one of the reasons why I applied to be a Fortenbaugh Intern in Music. I want to help expand our music collection. This project was very fulfilling it this respect.
The library still has many vinyl records held at an off-site location, available to those people interested. There are around 300 vinyls on operas. One of my favorite projects was to find replacement CDs. Many of these operas were unknown to me. How do I know which recording is better? Sometimes I could find an exact recording of the vinyl. The other times, I had to use my judgement on which CD is more appropriate for Musselman Library's collection. I used the following steps to choose the most desirable CD. Step one: Look at the performers. Many times I knew of the singers. If I had to choose between Pavarotti or a less known singer, I would choose Pavarotti. If the performers were less known to me, I got to research them a bit to see if any of them were popular. Step two: read recommendations and reviews. The internet houses many cites for reviews. Mr. Sestrick gave me reliable websites to read reviews from. This was always helpful to me. I learned which CD had better audio quality, which director had the most convincing recording, and I found out who played the roles best. Step three: cost. After research sometimes I find that the recordings are pretty equal in quality. In this case, it is always prudent to make the most economical choice.
I was very excited to do this project because opera CDs were my first introduction to non school-related material at Mussleman Library. My freshman year, I would take out an opera CD each week to learn more about the field I wish to join. By the end of the year, the options were slimmer than I would have liked. That is one of the reasons why I applied to be a Fortenbaugh Intern in Music. I want to help expand our music collection. This project was very fulfilling it this respect.
Assisting Vocal Studio
In the conservatory, each instrument has its own studio class where students have a chance to perform in front of their peers. Tim Sestrick was asked to familiarize the vocal studio students with useful resources dedicated to singers in specific. It was around that time that he showed me a valuable resource for singers like myself. Apparently, Professor Crowne asked him last year to buy Nico Castel Opera Libretti. These books are way cool! Not only do they have the original text and a great word-for-word translation, but they also have IPA ( International Phonetic Alphebet).
Nico Castel books are personally helpful if the aria you're learning is in one. For example, "Deh vieni, non tardar O gioja bella" from Mozarts Il Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), a song I'm working on, can be found in his book. From his book I can record down the IPA and translation into my own music. Also, because the full vocal score is inside, I discover more about the opera as a whole rather than just a song. IPA is a helpful tool for a singer who knows the language. At the conservatory, there are 2 courses for singers on the matter.
Mozart - Nico Castel
Soon it was time for me to show what I had learned. Mr. Sestrick asked me to speak about the Castel books in Vocal Studio class. He presented information on how to use MUSCAT, WORLDCAT, Naxos and sources from the Oberlin opera program. Students were able to learn how to access books and videos and other helpful tools. The Oberlin opera website gave links to opera history facts and other really cool related information that singers could benefit from. Renaissance acting and Greek mythology is surprising present in operas. In the opera Giulio Cesare, Cleopatra sits on the goddess of Virtues throne with the Muses while seducing Cesar. A singer might want to look up what the goddess looks like or the relationship between the Muses and Arete, the goddess of Virtue.
Overall, this was a good experience because I learned many new places to gain information as a vocal performance major, and I also had the chance to teach a crowd of peers.
Nico Castel books are personally helpful if the aria you're learning is in one. For example, "Deh vieni, non tardar O gioja bella" from Mozarts Il Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), a song I'm working on, can be found in his book. From his book I can record down the IPA and translation into my own music. Also, because the full vocal score is inside, I discover more about the opera as a whole rather than just a song. IPA is a helpful tool for a singer who knows the language. At the conservatory, there are 2 courses for singers on the matter.
Mozart - Nico Castel
Soon it was time for me to show what I had learned. Mr. Sestrick asked me to speak about the Castel books in Vocal Studio class. He presented information on how to use MUSCAT, WORLDCAT, Naxos and sources from the Oberlin opera program. Students were able to learn how to access books and videos and other helpful tools. The Oberlin opera website gave links to opera history facts and other really cool related information that singers could benefit from. Renaissance acting and Greek mythology is surprising present in operas. In the opera Giulio Cesare, Cleopatra sits on the goddess of Virtues throne with the Muses while seducing Cesar. A singer might want to look up what the goddess looks like or the relationship between the Muses and Arete, the goddess of Virtue.
Overall, this was a good experience because I learned many new places to gain information as a vocal performance major, and I also had the chance to teach a crowd of peers.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Browsing Room, Research 101 and Finals Study Break
Hello! Sorry it has been such a long time since my last post. This semester is going by so fast. Halloween and then Thanksgiving and next thing I know it's almost finals. It is a little hard to keep up. But I also could not have asked for a more rewarding semester. I have certainly learned a lot and had a lot of fun, and I think this year will be a good end to my college career. Ok, time to play catch up. We didn't end up doing the Halloween parade because of Hurricane Sandy. Something about it not being a good idea to have a parade in torrential rain and storm force winds. So I haven't actually had the chance to wear my zombie shirt and my Abraham Lincoln attire. But we are hoping to perform for the students even though the parade was cancelled, so maybe I'll still get my chance. Fingers crossed.
Also, more exciting things have happened! I've completed more of the Research 101 guide, and I'm pretty close to finishing it. I have to say it has been a lot of fun to look at what information is the most useful when doing research, and the best way to phrase the ideas so that it is helpful for students. I think casual but informative is working pretty well. Also, images are a great bonus. Too much text and the reader gets bogged down and it is hard to focus on the options let alone absorb the material. My intern supervisor Clint and I have been working on cleaning up the page and using more images to make it more useful. Personally, I think it looks great. I learned how to use image catching tools too- the programs that let you take an image of your computer screen and add arrows and stuff to it. Definitely a very cool program to know how to use. I should finish the guide fairly soon and then the revised version will be a subject guide option on the Gettysburg library page. I'm really excited to finish it. The guide will be a physical representation of all the work I have been doing, and it makes me feel official to have something people will be able to look at.
I have also been working on selecting books for the Browsing Room. The Browsing Room is a section of the library that has popular reading sources for the campus and public to use. Some of them are rented from other places and then there are some that the library owns and have in our collection. I didn't realize how many recent and New York Times Bestsellers the library actually had. If you ever find free time and want a good book to read, you should definitely come look. Anyway, as part of my internship Kerry, another wonderful Reference Librarian, gave me the list of possible books that are coming out in December and January which Musselman Library could obtain for the collection. I was able to look at and determine which books I would choose for the collection and see how that compares to what Kerry decides to select. Basically the packet of books has the basic information about the author and publisher and then a description so the reader gets some idea of if the book will suit what they're looking for. Let me just say this was one of the many exciting parts of the semester for me. Not only did I get to see what books were coming out soon, but I also got a sense of what authors are writing about, and had to think about what the public would like. There has to be a balance of science and history books with the romance novels and murder mysteries that a lot of people like. It was hard to do that. For instance, the books I might think people would want to read may not actually be what they like, or I may think a book sounds ridiculous because it is not something I would read, but other people might love it. So I had to find a balance between the two. The library can only get a certain number of books too so I had to limit which ones I thought were best. Also hard to do. I'll be interested to see which books the library ends up getting and how popular they are.
Last but not least, I am working with another intern to plan a Finals Study Break for campus on the Monday of finals week. Basically we're going to bake cookies and have sprinkles and icing and other decorations for students to use and enjoy. There will also be games and other fun festivities, possibly hot chocolate, so it should be fun for everyone who comes. Plus, students will probably want to take a break from all the studying and writing papers they are doing and everybody enjoys cookies and Christmas. Overall, I think it should be enjoyable.. It'll be a nice end to the semester for me as well.
I'll probably have one more blog post before my internship is over, so look for that if you enjoy reading them. Hopefully you do. Have a good last week of classes!
Also, more exciting things have happened! I've completed more of the Research 101 guide, and I'm pretty close to finishing it. I have to say it has been a lot of fun to look at what information is the most useful when doing research, and the best way to phrase the ideas so that it is helpful for students. I think casual but informative is working pretty well. Also, images are a great bonus. Too much text and the reader gets bogged down and it is hard to focus on the options let alone absorb the material. My intern supervisor Clint and I have been working on cleaning up the page and using more images to make it more useful. Personally, I think it looks great. I learned how to use image catching tools too- the programs that let you take an image of your computer screen and add arrows and stuff to it. Definitely a very cool program to know how to use. I should finish the guide fairly soon and then the revised version will be a subject guide option on the Gettysburg library page. I'm really excited to finish it. The guide will be a physical representation of all the work I have been doing, and it makes me feel official to have something people will be able to look at.
I have also been working on selecting books for the Browsing Room. The Browsing Room is a section of the library that has popular reading sources for the campus and public to use. Some of them are rented from other places and then there are some that the library owns and have in our collection. I didn't realize how many recent and New York Times Bestsellers the library actually had. If you ever find free time and want a good book to read, you should definitely come look. Anyway, as part of my internship Kerry, another wonderful Reference Librarian, gave me the list of possible books that are coming out in December and January which Musselman Library could obtain for the collection. I was able to look at and determine which books I would choose for the collection and see how that compares to what Kerry decides to select. Basically the packet of books has the basic information about the author and publisher and then a description so the reader gets some idea of if the book will suit what they're looking for. Let me just say this was one of the many exciting parts of the semester for me. Not only did I get to see what books were coming out soon, but I also got a sense of what authors are writing about, and had to think about what the public would like. There has to be a balance of science and history books with the romance novels and murder mysteries that a lot of people like. It was hard to do that. For instance, the books I might think people would want to read may not actually be what they like, or I may think a book sounds ridiculous because it is not something I would read, but other people might love it. So I had to find a balance between the two. The library can only get a certain number of books too so I had to limit which ones I thought were best. Also hard to do. I'll be interested to see which books the library ends up getting and how popular they are.
Last but not least, I am working with another intern to plan a Finals Study Break for campus on the Monday of finals week. Basically we're going to bake cookies and have sprinkles and icing and other decorations for students to use and enjoy. There will also be games and other fun festivities, possibly hot chocolate, so it should be fun for everyone who comes. Plus, students will probably want to take a break from all the studying and writing papers they are doing and everybody enjoys cookies and Christmas. Overall, I think it should be enjoyable.. It'll be a nice end to the semester for me as well.
I'll probably have one more blog post before my internship is over, so look for that if you enjoy reading them. Hopefully you do. Have a good last week of classes!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
First Blog Ever
I may be new at this whole blogging thing, but I am willing to give it a shot. My name is Ilana Mesnard and I am this semesters Fortenbaugh Intern in Music. When I applied, I knew I wanted to help out in the library and expand its music collection. Since I started my intern work in September, I've accomplished all that and more. In this time, I have learned learned many of the jobs of a music librarian. I've been asked to make programs for the Notes at Noon concerts, research obscure music, teach students library tools and more. I'll be sure to share all the cool things I've been doing this semester so keep reading!
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Classroom Observation
Besides lots of practice for the Book Cart Drill Team (we zombified shirts yesterday, get excited to see) the past few weeks have been mostly working at the Reference Desk and observing classroom sessions lead by other reference librarians. The desk has become more interesting as the semester goes on, and a lot harder. Students and faculty are asking me questions that I do not quite have the answer to yet, which is very challenging but I also like. I learn something myself trying to answer their questions, and it makes me feel smart when I do find information for them. They are usually really grateful too, which makes working at the desk even more fun. Also being a student while doing this internship is interesting as well. Sometimes my friends come to ask for help at the desk which is kind of odd but enjoyable. In terms of my own work, this internship is helping me a great deal. I have a better understanding of where to look for material for my courses, and all of my research assignments are a little more manageable than they used to be.
Speaking of learning, sitting in on classroom sessions has been enlightening as well. I now have a greater understanding of RefWorks, Inter Library Loan, and a lot of English resources I did not know exsisted. Which is sad since I'm an English major, and graduating this year. Another plus about this internship! Observing this aspect of the library is also interesting to me since I entered Gettysburg thinking I wanted to become an English teacher and get a degree in secondary education. That is until it came time to sign up for the first education class and plan out the rest of my college career. I'll admit it, I chickened out. I worried that I would get bored with teaching after a short period of time and then wouldn't know what else to do so I never tried it. The fact that librarians also are responsible for teaching information sessions brings everything full circle for me, but allows me to experience an aspect of academics I was unwilling to attempt before. Teaching is scary, but observing these librarians it also seems fun, and more importantly it provides us with the skills to communicate about what the library can offer and the best ways to research materials. Which is especially important since I want to work at an academic library. This is something I need to learn to do.
It is also interesting to note that the librarians I have observed have differences in teaching style as well, similar to any other teacher. What they highlight seems based on what they seem most important and the basic skills needed before beginning the research process. It makes me wonder what I would highlight in a lesson plan and also how I approach research, for other people and for myself.
Next up catalouging! And I am working on a research guide for the library, Research 101! I'll update you soon!
Oh! Here's a link to the current Research 101 guide on the library website. Comments, suggestions? What do you think is helpful, and what is confusing? What would you like to see changed? Thanks!
Speaking of learning, sitting in on classroom sessions has been enlightening as well. I now have a greater understanding of RefWorks, Inter Library Loan, and a lot of English resources I did not know exsisted. Which is sad since I'm an English major, and graduating this year. Another plus about this internship! Observing this aspect of the library is also interesting to me since I entered Gettysburg thinking I wanted to become an English teacher and get a degree in secondary education. That is until it came time to sign up for the first education class and plan out the rest of my college career. I'll admit it, I chickened out. I worried that I would get bored with teaching after a short period of time and then wouldn't know what else to do so I never tried it. The fact that librarians also are responsible for teaching information sessions brings everything full circle for me, but allows me to experience an aspect of academics I was unwilling to attempt before. Teaching is scary, but observing these librarians it also seems fun, and more importantly it provides us with the skills to communicate about what the library can offer and the best ways to research materials. Which is especially important since I want to work at an academic library. This is something I need to learn to do.
It is also interesting to note that the librarians I have observed have differences in teaching style as well, similar to any other teacher. What they highlight seems based on what they seem most important and the basic skills needed before beginning the research process. It makes me wonder what I would highlight in a lesson plan and also how I approach research, for other people and for myself.
Next up catalouging! And I am working on a research guide for the library, Research 101! I'll update you soon!
Oh! Here's a link to the current Research 101 guide on the library website. Comments, suggestions? What do you think is helpful, and what is confusing? What would you like to see changed? Thanks!
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