My independent study on authority control has begun. I will be in the cataloging department every Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. While there I will be under the supervision of Mary Jane Conger who is the head cataloger. I will be working on authority control for UNCG's Jackson Library. I prepared for this independent study by reading articles on authority control. Some of the articles I read include"Authority Control to the People!" by M.E. Bates which appeared in EContent and "Series Authority Control at Oregon State University after the Library of Congress's Series Policy Change" by R.E. Saphon-White which appeared in Library Resources and Technical Services. Both articles were published in April 2009. I have also checked out some books from the library on authority control so that I may better understand it.
August 26, 2009
After meeting with Mary Jane briefly in her office, I was taken around the department and introduced to everyone. I then took the OCLC tutorial on Authority Record Searching. After completing that Mary Jane and I worked on replacing subject heading in the catalog that had been changed by the Library of Congress. The subject heading we worked on today was Adventure Films has been changed to Action and Adventure Films. There were 12 records in the catalog that needed to be changed.
At 11:00 a.m. I began working with Anne Marie Taber on new book cataloging. Anne Marie walked me through the process. she then watched me do one on my own before leaving me with a cart of books to work on by myself. I worked on those until time for me to leave at 1:00 p.m. Anne Marie will be on vacation next week, so we thought it best that I return tomorrow to go over the new books I had cataloged. Hopefully I did not make any mistakes.
August 27, 2009
Seven out of the 12 books I cataloged were perfect. The 5 that had problems were very minor. On one in the 300 field the word maps was supposed to be map. Most of the mistakes were similar in nature, so overall I was pleased with how well I did, and Anne Marie was as well.
Showing posts with label UNCG. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UNCG. Show all posts
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Reference Questions 5/30/09
Finally, I have returned to the Jackson Library Reference Desk. :) I am scheduled to be here from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. It is a Saturday, and we are in the midst of Summer Session I, but I foresee a slow day. Let's see what the judges have to say about that shall we...
1. (10:43 a.m.) A patron wanted to know where the reading room was.
2. (11:08 a.m.) A patron needed a guest log in.
3. (11:08 a.m.) A patron needed a guest log in.
4. (11:18 a.m.) Patron from question 3 had a printing question.
5. (11:51 a.m.) Patron wanted to know where we keep the back issues of Golf Digest.
6. (12:11 p.m.) A student was looking for a book, Understanding Movies by Louis Gianneti.
7. (12:32 p.m.) A student was looking for books on ancient pottery.
A very slow shift as predicted, and not a single chat or phone call. Oh well, more fun will be had next time. :)
1. (10:43 a.m.) A patron wanted to know where the reading room was.
2. (11:08 a.m.) A patron needed a guest log in.
3. (11:08 a.m.) A patron needed a guest log in.
4. (11:18 a.m.) Patron from question 3 had a printing question.
5. (11:51 a.m.) Patron wanted to know where we keep the back issues of Golf Digest.
6. (12:11 p.m.) A student was looking for a book, Understanding Movies by Louis Gianneti.
7. (12:32 p.m.) A student was looking for books on ancient pottery.
A very slow shift as predicted, and not a single chat or phone call. Oh well, more fun will be had next time. :)
Monday, May 4, 2009
Reference Questions 5/4/09
This is my last evening on the reference desk for the semester. I will return to work some weekends this summer. Today is also the last day of classes. There are not many people in the reference department right now, could be a slow night.
1. A student was working on a annotated bibliography on music and memory/the mind. He needed 10 additional sources. I was able to find some really good books and articles for him.
2. A patron needed to know where the restroom was.
3. We have Yogurt Cream Hershey Kisses sitting on the desk and a student walked by and asked if she could have one. :)
4. A student wanted to know if getting an "I" in a class would effect his GPA.
5. A student needed a paper clip.
6. (Chat) A student wanted to know if they could still look at a reserve book if they didn't have their ID. I told them they needed to call the circulation desk, because I wasn't sure what their policy was on that.
7. A student wanted to leave his books on the reference desk while he went to smoke.
8. A student needed criticisms on the book The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin by Vladimir Voinovich.
9. A patron needed a guest log in for a computer.
10. A student wanted a Hershey Kiss. :)
11. A student needed books on dream symbolism.
12. (Chat) A student wanted to know when the library was offering free coffee. They do during exam week every semester. This semester it is on Wednesday, May 6 and Thursday May 7 starting at 9:30 p.m. The student then wanted to have an emoticon war, and accused me of flirting. Oh, well Irma can't even be friendly with having accusations thrown at her.
13. A student had a suggestion. He suggested that we put Purell dispensers in the reference department to cut down on germs from the computers. Actual, not a bad idea.
14. A student needed to borrow one of the golf pencils.
15. A student needed books on dream symbolism for a paper he was writing.
16. A student needed books and articles on drugs and African-American women.
17. The student from #11 was looking for the book The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.
18. (Chat) A student had a question about how to access an e-book.
There were lots of questions tonight, but most of them were short and very easy. I only got 3 questions the first hour I was here. It began to pick up some after that.
I shall return this summer. :)
1. A student was working on a annotated bibliography on music and memory/the mind. He needed 10 additional sources. I was able to find some really good books and articles for him.
2. A patron needed to know where the restroom was.
3. We have Yogurt Cream Hershey Kisses sitting on the desk and a student walked by and asked if she could have one. :)
4. A student wanted to know if getting an "I" in a class would effect his GPA.
5. A student needed a paper clip.
6. (Chat) A student wanted to know if they could still look at a reserve book if they didn't have their ID. I told them they needed to call the circulation desk, because I wasn't sure what their policy was on that.
7. A student wanted to leave his books on the reference desk while he went to smoke.
8. A student needed criticisms on the book The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin by Vladimir Voinovich.
9. A patron needed a guest log in for a computer.
10. A student wanted a Hershey Kiss. :)
11. A student needed books on dream symbolism.
12. (Chat) A student wanted to know when the library was offering free coffee. They do during exam week every semester. This semester it is on Wednesday, May 6 and Thursday May 7 starting at 9:30 p.m. The student then wanted to have an emoticon war, and accused me of flirting. Oh, well Irma can't even be friendly with having accusations thrown at her.
13. A student had a suggestion. He suggested that we put Purell dispensers in the reference department to cut down on germs from the computers. Actual, not a bad idea.
14. A student needed to borrow one of the golf pencils.
15. A student needed books on dream symbolism for a paper he was writing.
16. A student needed books and articles on drugs and African-American women.
17. The student from #11 was looking for the book The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.
18. (Chat) A student had a question about how to access an e-book.
There were lots of questions tonight, but most of them were short and very easy. I only got 3 questions the first hour I was here. It began to pick up some after that.
I shall return this summer. :)
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Reference Questions 5/2/09
The first posting of May and my last Saturday shift of the Spring semester. Holly says it has been slow, so I think I'll work on some book slips while I am on the desk. You're jealous, I know. My husband tagged along with me so that he could go to the Rec Center and workout. I'm sure he'll be in here later to bother me.
1. My husband wanted to know the name of ACRL's journal. It is called College and Research Libraries.
2. My husband wanted to know how to get to the basement.
3. (Chat) A student was looking for articles on women's liberation
4. A student wanted to know where the magazines were.
5. (Phone) Someone wanted to know the release date for the song Poison Ivy by The Coasters. He mumbled terribly so it took me a good 3 minutes or so to just discern that information from him. He even sang the chorus of the song a few times. I found the date that it first appeared on the Billboard charts, but that was not good enough. He needed the day it was released. He then wanted my name, I of course gave him a false one, and he said he would be calling back. Great.
6. A student wanted to know what time the library closed.
7. A student needed a music dictionary or encyclopedia.
8. A student was having trouble locating an article in the journal Discourse & Society.
9. (Phone) The patron from #5 called back and wanted to know if I had found anything else out about the release date of the song. I told him I had not. He continued to mumble on about the song (at least he didn't sing it again) and then wished me a nice evening and said goodbye.
10. A student (the one from #7) wanted to know what time the library closed. Then he wanted to confirm that he could make copies over in front of the circulation desk.
11. #7 was back again and wanted to know when the library closed on Sunday.
12. A student wanted to know if he could use the stapler on the reference desk.
13. A student wanted to confirm that the library closed at 10:00 p.m.
14. (Chat) A student wanted find information on the use of the song "Amazing Grace" during the Civil Rights Movement. I was on this chat for nearly 30 minutes and could not find an answer. All I could find were articles on its connection to abolition. I referred her to the subject specialist for Music.
15. (Phone) A student wanted to know what time the library closed.
16. A student was looking for articles from the New York Times from 1998.
17. The student from #16, was having problems with her Novell password.
I got zero questions the for the first hour I was on the desk. What could have been a slow afternoon turned into a fairly steady afternoon. Monday is my last night on the reference desk for the Spring 2009 semester. :) I will be working the desk some weekends, so I won't be too rusty come Fall semester.
1. My husband wanted to know the name of ACRL's journal. It is called College and Research Libraries.
2. My husband wanted to know how to get to the basement.
3. (Chat) A student was looking for articles on women's liberation
4. A student wanted to know where the magazines were.
5. (Phone) Someone wanted to know the release date for the song Poison Ivy by The Coasters. He mumbled terribly so it took me a good 3 minutes or so to just discern that information from him. He even sang the chorus of the song a few times. I found the date that it first appeared on the Billboard charts, but that was not good enough. He needed the day it was released. He then wanted my name, I of course gave him a false one, and he said he would be calling back. Great.
6. A student wanted to know what time the library closed.
7. A student needed a music dictionary or encyclopedia.
8. A student was having trouble locating an article in the journal Discourse & Society.
9. (Phone) The patron from #5 called back and wanted to know if I had found anything else out about the release date of the song. I told him I had not. He continued to mumble on about the song (at least he didn't sing it again) and then wished me a nice evening and said goodbye.
10. A student (the one from #7) wanted to know what time the library closed. Then he wanted to confirm that he could make copies over in front of the circulation desk.
11. #7 was back again and wanted to know when the library closed on Sunday.
12. A student wanted to know if he could use the stapler on the reference desk.
13. A student wanted to confirm that the library closed at 10:00 p.m.
14. (Chat) A student wanted find information on the use of the song "Amazing Grace" during the Civil Rights Movement. I was on this chat for nearly 30 minutes and could not find an answer. All I could find were articles on its connection to abolition. I referred her to the subject specialist for Music.
15. (Phone) A student wanted to know what time the library closed.
16. A student was looking for articles from the New York Times from 1998.
17. The student from #16, was having problems with her Novell password.
I got zero questions the for the first hour I was on the desk. What could have been a slow afternoon turned into a fairly steady afternoon. Monday is my last night on the reference desk for the Spring 2009 semester. :) I will be working the desk some weekends, so I won't be too rusty come Fall semester.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Reference Questions 4/26/09
It is crunch time. Next week is the last full week of classes. Hopefully the reference desk won't be too busy tonight on my last late night shift of the semester. I'm sure that is too much to ask for. I am here till midnight after all.
1. A student was looking for the Oxford Companion to African American authors.
2.A student wanted to know if Office 2007 was on the 15 minute express computers. It is not.
3. A student wanted to know how late the library is open. It is open all night, but the reference department closes at 11:45. p.m.
4. A GTCC student asked me if she could work in the reference department. I guess she thought someone was going to kick her out if she came in here.
5. (Chat) A student wanted to know if I knew how to edit an Adobe file. I asked what they meant. They just wanted to be able to fill out a form on Adobe. I told them that the form should automatically allow them to do it if it was that type of form. Then they wanted to know if I knew of any open source software that would let them do that. I'm a librarian not a programmer!
6. A student needed a pen.
7. A student had a question about in text citation for APA style for an electronic dictionary. I could not find it in the APA Style Manual.
8. A student had a question about the English Renaissance Theatre. She wanted to know if the Queen had to pay when she went to the theatre. I found a book that discussed Shakespeare's playhouses. I hope that has the answer she' s looking for.
9. (Chat) Another APA citation question. This one was about how to cite a journal with no author.
10. A student was looking for journal articles on the history of community based art education programs. We found a few things but nothing she was satisfied with. (those education students...) I had to refer her to Mary.
11. A student wanted to know if the Towers were open all night tonight. Yes they are.
12. (Chat) A student had a question about quoting a dissertation that they had previously written. Quoting yourself...hmm...interesting and maybe a little arrogant.
13. (Chat) A student needed to find how many penguin breeds there are. For some reason we no longer have Encyclopedia Britannica online, so I had to use the Oxford Reference database.
14. While I was in the middle of that chat someone from the circulation desk sent a student over to me after they told her that a book by Toni Morrison would be in my section. So I had to stop the chat I was in and look up her book and then direct her where she needed to be.
15. They made the announcement that the front half of the library would be closing at midnight and a student needed to know where she could go to stay. I told her to go to the Towers. Of course she didn't know what I was talking about.
Not as busy as it could have been. I'm sure tomorrow will be horrible. :(
1. A student was looking for the Oxford Companion to African American authors.
2.A student wanted to know if Office 2007 was on the 15 minute express computers. It is not.
3. A student wanted to know how late the library is open. It is open all night, but the reference department closes at 11:45. p.m.
4. A GTCC student asked me if she could work in the reference department. I guess she thought someone was going to kick her out if she came in here.
5. (Chat) A student wanted to know if I knew how to edit an Adobe file. I asked what they meant. They just wanted to be able to fill out a form on Adobe. I told them that the form should automatically allow them to do it if it was that type of form. Then they wanted to know if I knew of any open source software that would let them do that. I'm a librarian not a programmer!
6. A student needed a pen.
7. A student had a question about in text citation for APA style for an electronic dictionary. I could not find it in the APA Style Manual.
8. A student had a question about the English Renaissance Theatre. She wanted to know if the Queen had to pay when she went to the theatre. I found a book that discussed Shakespeare's playhouses. I hope that has the answer she' s looking for.
9. (Chat) Another APA citation question. This one was about how to cite a journal with no author.
10. A student was looking for journal articles on the history of community based art education programs. We found a few things but nothing she was satisfied with. (those education students...) I had to refer her to Mary.
11. A student wanted to know if the Towers were open all night tonight. Yes they are.
12. (Chat) A student had a question about quoting a dissertation that they had previously written. Quoting yourself...hmm...interesting and maybe a little arrogant.
13. (Chat) A student needed to find how many penguin breeds there are. For some reason we no longer have Encyclopedia Britannica online, so I had to use the Oxford Reference database.
14. While I was in the middle of that chat someone from the circulation desk sent a student over to me after they told her that a book by Toni Morrison would be in my section. So I had to stop the chat I was in and look up her book and then direct her where she needed to be.
15. They made the announcement that the front half of the library would be closing at midnight and a student needed to know where she could go to stay. I told her to go to the Towers. Of course she didn't know what I was talking about.
Not as busy as it could have been. I'm sure tomorrow will be horrible. :(
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Reference Questions 4/23/09
We're down to the wire now. Next week is the last week of classes. Will in reflect in tonight's reference questions? Find out next on this episode of Irma Knows Best. :)
1. A high school student needed help finding sources for a research paper for a Western Civics class she is taking at GTCC. Her topic was Livia (who was married to the Emperor Augustus) the Roman empress. She had never written research paper before and I worked with her for 40 minutes or so. She needed books, reference sources, journal articles, etc.
2. A student was looking for sources on the migration of the Hmong people in Southeast Asia. She also needed information about their music and rituals. Most of the books on the Hmong people were checked out. Must be a popular topic.
3. (Chat) A student asked how to look for books. They then said it was a joke. Why they thought that was funny I have no idea.
4. The Western Civics student returned with more questions about journal articles.
5. (Phone) A student had a question about a collaboratory she had reserved. She wanted to know if it had a DVD player. It didn't but it had a computer.
6. (Chat) A student was having trouble opening a MS Works file. She then came up to the reference desk and I went over there and the file magically opened. While I was over there I helped another student with an Excel question. This one counts for at least 3 questions. :)
7. A student needed a book on obesity for a Power Point presentation.
8. The GTCC student returned looking for primary sources. We found something Plutarch had written that she could use.
9. A fellow library student had a question about the Library of Congress Classification vs. the Dewey Decimal Classification. :) That I can help with.
10. (Chat) Student was looking for books on the Wilmington Ten. We only had 1 and it was checked out. I was only able to find 1 article about the subject that we had access to. There were only 2 others.
11. (Chat) Student had a question about genealogies. This chat popped up the same time the other did. I wasn't able to help the one with the genealogy. I guess he left before I could get back with him. The multi-chat window screwed up and I believe it cut him off.
12. A graduate student was looking for some books we did not have in the library. I introduced him to the wonderful service that is ILL.
13. A patron needed a guest log in.
14. A student wanted to know if he could check out journals. Well, most of them are available online. Confused much?
15. A student wanted to know how to reserve collaboratories.
It's not reflected in the numbers, but we were slammed. I was with some of these people for at least 20 minutes or more. The end of the semester crunch is upon us. However, it's sad, no one asked a Shakespeare question today on his day of birth. :( There's a good possibility that I could have answered it too.
1. A high school student needed help finding sources for a research paper for a Western Civics class she is taking at GTCC. Her topic was Livia (who was married to the Emperor Augustus) the Roman empress. She had never written research paper before and I worked with her for 40 minutes or so. She needed books, reference sources, journal articles, etc.
2. A student was looking for sources on the migration of the Hmong people in Southeast Asia. She also needed information about their music and rituals. Most of the books on the Hmong people were checked out. Must be a popular topic.
3. (Chat) A student asked how to look for books. They then said it was a joke. Why they thought that was funny I have no idea.
4. The Western Civics student returned with more questions about journal articles.
5. (Phone) A student had a question about a collaboratory she had reserved. She wanted to know if it had a DVD player. It didn't but it had a computer.
6. (Chat) A student was having trouble opening a MS Works file. She then came up to the reference desk and I went over there and the file magically opened. While I was over there I helped another student with an Excel question. This one counts for at least 3 questions. :)
7. A student needed a book on obesity for a Power Point presentation.
8. The GTCC student returned looking for primary sources. We found something Plutarch had written that she could use.
9. A fellow library student had a question about the Library of Congress Classification vs. the Dewey Decimal Classification. :) That I can help with.
10. (Chat) Student was looking for books on the Wilmington Ten. We only had 1 and it was checked out. I was only able to find 1 article about the subject that we had access to. There were only 2 others.
11. (Chat) Student had a question about genealogies. This chat popped up the same time the other did. I wasn't able to help the one with the genealogy. I guess he left before I could get back with him. The multi-chat window screwed up and I believe it cut him off.
12. A graduate student was looking for some books we did not have in the library. I introduced him to the wonderful service that is ILL.
13. A patron needed a guest log in.
14. A student wanted to know if he could check out journals. Well, most of them are available online. Confused much?
15. A student wanted to know how to reserve collaboratories.
It's not reflected in the numbers, but we were slammed. I was with some of these people for at least 20 minutes or more. The end of the semester crunch is upon us. However, it's sad, no one asked a Shakespeare question today on his day of birth. :( There's a good possibility that I could have answered it too.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Reference Questions 4/20/09
Here are the reference questions for Monday, April 20, 2009.
1. A student had found a flash drive someone had left behind.
2. A student needed help with how to find some scholarly journal articles on crack and African-Americans. She had never used the databases before and needed help with where to go and how to search them.
3. A student needed 2 sheets of plain paper.
4. (Chat) A student needed to know where to find some literary criticism for "The way to the rainy mountain."
5. A student was looking for Gerald.
6. A student was looking for the lost and found.
7. A student needed help finding a book in the reference room.
8. (Chat) Student wanted the number to the circulation desk.
9. (Phone) A student needed help finding an unpublished dissertation.
10. A student needed a government document. The document was concerning economic development on Indian Reservations.
11. A student was looking for an article in the journal Cancer.
12. A patron needed a guest log-in.
13. A student paid for 35 copies they had gotten off of a microfilm machine. How nice of them. :)
14. A student needed help with a microfilm machine.
15. A patron needed a guest log-in.
16. A student wanted to know if you could drink water in the reference room.
All in all a steady night.
1. A student had found a flash drive someone had left behind.
2. A student needed help with how to find some scholarly journal articles on crack and African-Americans. She had never used the databases before and needed help with where to go and how to search them.
3. A student needed 2 sheets of plain paper.
4. (Chat) A student needed to know where to find some literary criticism for "The way to the rainy mountain."
5. A student was looking for Gerald.
6. A student was looking for the lost and found.
7. A student needed help finding a book in the reference room.
8. (Chat) Student wanted the number to the circulation desk.
9. (Phone) A student needed help finding an unpublished dissertation.
10. A student needed a government document. The document was concerning economic development on Indian Reservations.
11. A student was looking for an article in the journal Cancer.
12. A patron needed a guest log-in.
13. A student paid for 35 copies they had gotten off of a microfilm machine. How nice of them. :)
14. A student needed help with a microfilm machine.
15. A patron needed a guest log-in.
16. A student wanted to know if you could drink water in the reference room.
All in all a steady night.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Reference Questions 4/16/09
And now for the Thursday edition of Irma knows best...
1. Student was looking for a reference book that listed all the books in the Bodley Head Quarto series. Nancy F. was still here so I referred the student to her. Come to find out there is a reference book perfect for this. Titles in Series.
2. A student was looking for Gerald, luckily he was still here.
3. A student was looking for scholarly journal articles and books on the portrayal of Christians in the media.
4. A student was looking for issues of Ladies Home Journal from 1925 and 1952.
5. A student was looking for books on fire and mythology.
6. (Chat) A student needed to access an article and wasn't familiar with how to use Journal Finder.
7. A student was looking for issues of Better Homes and Gardens from 1925 and 1952.
8. A patron needed to get access to checkout materials in order to study for the Praxis.
We had someone in here tonight that might have wandered off from a group home or something. You couldn't understand what he was saying and no one could make sense of what he wanted. He wasn't bothering any students just the security and staff. The police had to be called. I guess they took care of it.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Reference Questions 4/13/09
It is Irma Minerva time once again. :)
1. Student wanted to know if she could talk while in the reference room. It amuses me how some people think you cannot talk in the library. Then there are the people who walk in here yelling. :) 2. Student needed help printing.
3. Student wanted suggestions on how to search for books and articles on child molestation.
4. More helping with printing.
5. Student was looking for the volume of Plutarch's Lives that talks about Pompey.
6. A student was looking for bound copies of magazines such as Good Housekeeping and Ladies Home Journal. She needed issues that predate World War I and that follow.
7. Student was looking for the book I Love Dollars and Other Stories from China.
8. (Chat) A student had a questions about parenthetical citations in APA.
9. A patron needed some British magazines that were on microfilm and microfiche.
10. A patron needed a guest log-in.
11. A patron needed a guest log-in.
12. Student had a question about MLA citations.
13. A patron needed a guest log-in.
14. A student was looking for the book The Mis-education of the Negro. It was checked out. :( He said he was just going to go buy it an Amazon.
15. Student accidentally stuck their debit card into the First Card reader and it got stuck. We eventually got it out.
16. I just had my first rude patron. She was a graduate student in the School of Ed and she knew everything, got mad when I tried to perform the reference interview, was really having a bad day. She was having trouble accessing an article. Anyway the library does not have access to that journal for the dates she needs it for. She was saying how terrible the library is and how horrible ILL is. She was also complaining about always having to go to the public library to get what she needed. She said they were the only ones that would help her. Poor thing also had no idea that the library has databases that are tailored to education students and their needs. She went away mad. Oh well, this is why I want to work in technical services.
Truthfully, though I've been working on that Reference Desk since January 22, 2009, and tonight was the first time I had to interact with a rude student. I guess I can't complain too much.
1. Student wanted to know if she could talk while in the reference room. It amuses me how some people think you cannot talk in the library. Then there are the people who walk in here yelling. :) 2. Student needed help printing.
3. Student wanted suggestions on how to search for books and articles on child molestation.
4. More helping with printing.
5. Student was looking for the volume of Plutarch's Lives that talks about Pompey.
6. A student was looking for bound copies of magazines such as Good Housekeeping and Ladies Home Journal. She needed issues that predate World War I and that follow.
7. Student was looking for the book I Love Dollars and Other Stories from China.
8. (Chat) A student had a questions about parenthetical citations in APA.
9. A patron needed some British magazines that were on microfilm and microfiche.
10. A patron needed a guest log-in.
11. A patron needed a guest log-in.
12. Student had a question about MLA citations.
13. A patron needed a guest log-in.
14. A student was looking for the book The Mis-education of the Negro. It was checked out. :( He said he was just going to go buy it an Amazon.
15. Student accidentally stuck their debit card into the First Card reader and it got stuck. We eventually got it out.
16. I just had my first rude patron. She was a graduate student in the School of Ed and she knew everything, got mad when I tried to perform the reference interview, was really having a bad day. She was having trouble accessing an article. Anyway the library does not have access to that journal for the dates she needs it for. She was saying how terrible the library is and how horrible ILL is. She was also complaining about always having to go to the public library to get what she needed. She said they were the only ones that would help her. Poor thing also had no idea that the library has databases that are tailored to education students and their needs. She went away mad. Oh well, this is why I want to work in technical services.
Truthfully, though I've been working on that Reference Desk since January 22, 2009, and tonight was the first time I had to interact with a rude student. I guess I can't complain too much.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Reference Questions 4/6/09
It's Irma Minerva time. It's Monday on the Reference Desk. :) I ate nothing out of the ordinary today so hopefully I will have a boring calm evening on the desk.
1. Patron wanted to know if it was free to park on College Ave. after 5. (Don't know)
2. Student wanted to know where the art books are. (It amazes me how everyone thinks this is the Barnes & Nobles where each subject has a section. Let's do it the hard way.)
3. Student needed primary and secondary sources on US and Venezuela relations.
4. (Chat) Student needed articles on swing dancing. (On this chat for over 30 minutes. It is so hard to explain things over chat sometimes.)
5. Student wanted to know where the elevator was.
6. Student needed monologue books. (Those are popular.)
7. Monologue girl needed to find the monologue she wanted.
8. Student (who beyond reeked of cigarette smoke) needed to find the microfilm for a journal that he swears we have. I could not find it.
9. A patron needed a guest log in.
10. Student needed help with Excel.
11. (Chat) Patron needed help finding info on the prison system, judicial system and deviance in Russia. I asked if they were looking for books or articles and they never answered back.
12. Student had reserved some microfilm and was there to view it.
13. Patron was looking for Communication and persuasion : central and peripheral routes to attitude change by Richard E. Petty. (Funny, I know.)
14. Patron needed a guest log in.
15. Student wanted to know where they could get notebook paper.
16. Student wanted to know where to go to look up books.
17. Student was looking for 5 sources on the infrastructure of Sao Paulo, Brazil and Shanghai, China.
18. Student needed to know where to find a book.
19. Student was looking for some very old magazines, and wanted to browse the Stacks. (That sounds like a new form of torture.)
We had a fairly busy night. There were several people who came up while I was helping others and they had to be referred to Gerald or Mark. Fun times as always.
1. Patron wanted to know if it was free to park on College Ave. after 5. (Don't know)
2. Student wanted to know where the art books are. (It amazes me how everyone thinks this is the Barnes & Nobles where each subject has a section. Let's do it the hard way.)
3. Student needed primary and secondary sources on US and Venezuela relations.
4. (Chat) Student needed articles on swing dancing. (On this chat for over 30 minutes. It is so hard to explain things over chat sometimes.)
5. Student wanted to know where the elevator was.
6. Student needed monologue books. (Those are popular.)
7. Monologue girl needed to find the monologue she wanted.
8. Student (who beyond reeked of cigarette smoke) needed to find the microfilm for a journal that he swears we have. I could not find it.
9. A patron needed a guest log in.
10. Student needed help with Excel.
11. (Chat) Patron needed help finding info on the prison system, judicial system and deviance in Russia. I asked if they were looking for books or articles and they never answered back.
12. Student had reserved some microfilm and was there to view it.
13. Patron was looking for Communication and persuasion : central and peripheral routes to attitude change by Richard E. Petty. (Funny, I know.)
14. Patron needed a guest log in.
15. Student wanted to know where they could get notebook paper.
16. Student wanted to know where to go to look up books.
17. Student was looking for 5 sources on the infrastructure of Sao Paulo, Brazil and Shanghai, China.
18. Student needed to know where to find a book.
19. Student was looking for some very old magazines, and wanted to browse the Stacks. (That sounds like a new form of torture.)
We had a fairly busy night. There were several people who came up while I was helping others and they had to be referred to Gerald or Mark. Fun times as always.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Reference Desk 4/2/09
This should be a fun night. I tried a new restaurant just off campus before coming to the library today and guess what...it made me sick. :( I will NEVER eat at Jack's again! Anyway on to more important things...Irma Minerva to the rescue. On this episode of Reference Desk...
1. Student was searching (alloparenting of primates) the Web of Science and needed to know how to access the actual articles. All Web of Science lists are abstracts. Journal Finder to the rescue.
2. Students were looking for books by Eric Jerome Dickey. They were all checked out. He's either popular, or some class is studying his novels.
Jenny just came on the desk with me...if anything I'm feeling worse. She's going to go eat her dinner then when she comes back I'm going to go home. :(
3. Student was looking for books on global and American fashion for a debate. A strange topic for a debate indeed.
4. Student (same one from #1) needed help with Word 2007. Doesn't everybody?
5. Student looking for books on reserve. They always come here first. The reserves are at the Circulation desk though.
6. Patron wanted to know if you could print on the express computers...no you cannot.
Ok, I'm going home now. Hopefully I'll feel better soon. :(
1. Student was searching (alloparenting of primates) the Web of Science and needed to know how to access the actual articles. All Web of Science lists are abstracts. Journal Finder to the rescue.
2. Students were looking for books by Eric Jerome Dickey. They were all checked out. He's either popular, or some class is studying his novels.
Jenny just came on the desk with me...if anything I'm feeling worse. She's going to go eat her dinner then when she comes back I'm going to go home. :(
3. Student was looking for books on global and American fashion for a debate. A strange topic for a debate indeed.
4. Student (same one from #1) needed help with Word 2007. Doesn't everybody?
5. Student looking for books on reserve. They always come here first. The reserves are at the Circulation desk though.
6. Patron wanted to know if you could print on the express computers...no you cannot.
Ok, I'm going home now. Hopefully I'll feel better soon. :(
Monday, March 30, 2009
Reference Questions 3/30/09
These questions were asked between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Monday, March 30, 2009. Here we go again.
1. Where do I return recalled books.
2. Patron needed to borrow some scissors.
3. (Chat) Patron wanted to know what kind of information was in the reference department, and if it could be looked at online. I asked what kind of info they were looking for and they closed the chat.
4. Patron needed articles on HIV/AIDS and prevention.
5. (Chat) Patron wanted to know who to contact about transferring to another school. (I was with a patron who was looking for info on partnerships between non-profits and the government when this chat popped up, so I had to hand them of to Mary.)
6. Patron needed help with the printer. They had forgotten their FirstCard at home so I let them use the print card we have at the desk. While over there another student got their FirstCard stuck in the card reader machine and yet another had forgot to take their card after printing.
7. A student wanted to know what floor the plays were on. Yeah...students always want to do things the hard way.
8. I am now proctoring a test for a high school student who is going to the University of Nebraska in the Fall. I believe it is an early admission thing. Mark was supposed to do it, but he called in sick. The kid was rude so he should fit in well with the Cornhuskers. :)
9. Patron was looking for books on poetry and poetics, and he smelled like he had just come from Old Town.
10. Student was looking for the APA citation sheets.
11. Patron had forgotten the name of a librarian she needed to contact, but remembered that she had a baby over the Christmas break. I knew who she was talking about, and told her the librarian's name. :)
12. Student was looking for the book Not so free to choose : the political economy of Milton Friedman and Ronald Reagan.
13. Two students had questions about reserving the collaboratories in the library.
14. Patron wanted to know if this was the Jackson Library. OK...
15. The computer that a student was using locked up because they left it idle for too long, they needed help unlocking it.
16. Student wanted to know where Tower 2 and the reading room were.
Three more questions compared to the previous night on the desk. This is interesting. I believe I will continue to keep track of this...
1. Where do I return recalled books.
2. Patron needed to borrow some scissors.
3. (Chat) Patron wanted to know what kind of information was in the reference department, and if it could be looked at online. I asked what kind of info they were looking for and they closed the chat.
4. Patron needed articles on HIV/AIDS and prevention.
5. (Chat) Patron wanted to know who to contact about transferring to another school. (I was with a patron who was looking for info on partnerships between non-profits and the government when this chat popped up, so I had to hand them of to Mary.)
6. Patron needed help with the printer. They had forgotten their FirstCard at home so I let them use the print card we have at the desk. While over there another student got their FirstCard stuck in the card reader machine and yet another had forgot to take their card after printing.
7. A student wanted to know what floor the plays were on. Yeah...students always want to do things the hard way.
8. I am now proctoring a test for a high school student who is going to the University of Nebraska in the Fall. I believe it is an early admission thing. Mark was supposed to do it, but he called in sick. The kid was rude so he should fit in well with the Cornhuskers. :)
9. Patron was looking for books on poetry and poetics, and he smelled like he had just come from Old Town.
10. Student was looking for the APA citation sheets.
11. Patron had forgotten the name of a librarian she needed to contact, but remembered that she had a baby over the Christmas break. I knew who she was talking about, and told her the librarian's name. :)
12. Student was looking for the book Not so free to choose : the political economy of Milton Friedman and Ronald Reagan.
13. Two students had questions about reserving the collaboratories in the library.
14. Patron wanted to know if this was the Jackson Library. OK...
15. The computer that a student was using locked up because they left it idle for too long, they needed help unlocking it.
16. Student wanted to know where Tower 2 and the reading room were.
Three more questions compared to the previous night on the desk. This is interesting. I believe I will continue to keep track of this...
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Reference Questions 3/26/2009
Ok, here we go, questions straight from the Reference Desk at the Walter Clinton Jackson Library on the campus of UNCG.
1. Patron needs books on sex, politics and power. I actually did a search for sex and Obama.
2. Patron approached the desk and asked, "Where's the Reference Desk?"
3. Patron was looking for books and/or articles on Knowledge Assessment Tests for caregivers with patients who had suffered from traumatic brain injuries.
4. Patron wants to know where is the Basement?
5. Patron needed the entry in Something About the Author for Marc Brown.
6. (Chat) Patron could not log on to NC Live. They were trying to go directly to the NC Live website instead of going through the library page. A very quick exchange, less than 5 minutes.
7. Patron needed help finding mathematical journals in Journal Finder. We did not carry the journals he was looking for and he did not have time to ILL them. :(
8. Patron wanted to pull up a project he had saved on one of the reference computers. I had to explain to him that once you restart one of those computers any file that was saved to the hard drive is deleted. Students have R drives on the network, but they cannot save to the desktop, which is what he did. Talk about devastation.
9. (Chat) A nursing question! : Well I was on chat for over 40 minutes with this one. This patron needed articles about research being done by nurses about maternity. The article had to be written by a nurse. This was a very frustrating one, but I came through in the end finding the perfect article according to the student.
10. (Chat) This chat came during the previous chat. Fun times. This patron was looking for articles on children with parents in prison. I was only on that chat for about 12 minutes. I found an entire journal devoted to the topic.
11. (Chat) Again this one came during the previous chat. Three chats at once, now we're cooking. This patron was having trouble with NC Live. I believe it was the same patron as the one in #6. Anyway she said it was asking for her password. Her session had timed out. I told her to just log in again. It worked.
12. This patron was looking for a Government Document. It was an electronic resource, but the entry told her to come to the reference desk so she came to the reference desk. I guess it said that because all government documents say that in the catalog. Anyway I told her all she needed to do was go back to the entry and click on the link and it would take her to it.
13. Patron was looking for Stephen King's The Stand. (Of course that was #13.)
Well, that was a night in the life of Irma Minerva. Fascinating I know.
1. Patron needs books on sex, politics and power. I actually did a search for sex and Obama.
2. Patron approached the desk and asked, "Where's the Reference Desk?"
3. Patron was looking for books and/or articles on Knowledge Assessment Tests for caregivers with patients who had suffered from traumatic brain injuries.
4. Patron wants to know where is the Basement?
5. Patron needed the entry in Something About the Author for Marc Brown.
6. (Chat) Patron could not log on to NC Live. They were trying to go directly to the NC Live website instead of going through the library page. A very quick exchange, less than 5 minutes.
7. Patron needed help finding mathematical journals in Journal Finder. We did not carry the journals he was looking for and he did not have time to ILL them. :(
8. Patron wanted to pull up a project he had saved on one of the reference computers. I had to explain to him that once you restart one of those computers any file that was saved to the hard drive is deleted. Students have R drives on the network, but they cannot save to the desktop, which is what he did. Talk about devastation.
9. (Chat) A nursing question! : Well I was on chat for over 40 minutes with this one. This patron needed articles about research being done by nurses about maternity. The article had to be written by a nurse. This was a very frustrating one, but I came through in the end finding the perfect article according to the student.
10. (Chat) This chat came during the previous chat. Fun times. This patron was looking for articles on children with parents in prison. I was only on that chat for about 12 minutes. I found an entire journal devoted to the topic.
11. (Chat) Again this one came during the previous chat. Three chats at once, now we're cooking. This patron was having trouble with NC Live. I believe it was the same patron as the one in #6. Anyway she said it was asking for her password. Her session had timed out. I told her to just log in again. It worked.
12. This patron was looking for a Government Document. It was an electronic resource, but the entry told her to come to the reference desk so she came to the reference desk. I guess it said that because all government documents say that in the catalog. Anyway I told her all she needed to do was go back to the entry and click on the link and it would take her to it.
13. Patron was looking for Stephen King's The Stand. (Of course that was #13.)
Well, that was a night in the life of Irma Minerva. Fascinating I know.
Friday, March 20, 2009
How rude of me...
Well, I guess I need to let all of you inquiring minds out there know a little about me.
I am in the second semester of the Library and Information Studies Graduate Program at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. I have two more semesters to go. I am a graduate assistant to a gem of a professor in the department, and I am also a reference intern at the Walter Clinton Jackson Library on the campus of UNCG. This is only my first semester as a reference intern. My husband (who is also a graduate of this storied program) convinced me to apply for this position even though I despise working with the public. (This is why I want to be a cataloger, they rarely work with the public.) However, I must admit the internship has not been as bad as I foresaw. I am actually enjoying it a lot more than I ever imagined. I've meet some good people in the department and in the library. I couldn't imagine a better place to get my Masters in Library and Information Studies.
Last semester I took Foundations (LIS 600), Collection Management (LIS 615) and Reference (LIS 620). In the Reference class last semester I assembled a 45 page bibliography on Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple and Jonestown. It was a great learning experience and one of the darker topics of all the pathfinders that came out of that class. Everyone was fascinated and at the same time horrified by my topic. I know this sounds strange, but I really enjoyed compiling it. This semester I am taking Cataloging (LIS 640) and Business Reference (LIS 613). In the Business Reference class I am compiling a massive portfolio of business information on Tasty Baking Co. who manufactures snack foods under the Tastykake name. My husband and I love to travel to PA and we are both huge Tastykake fans.
I plan to graduate in May 2010. After graduation I plan to move out of the overrated state of North Carolina to wherever will appreciate my cataloging prowess. Frankly, I am willing to move anywhere in the United States or maybe even beyond the US, however my librarian husband is another story. I'm not sure how crazy he is about the idea of moving across the Mississippi River. I guess we'll see in about 10 months when it comes time to apply for jobs.
I am in the second semester of the Library and Information Studies Graduate Program at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. I have two more semesters to go. I am a graduate assistant to a gem of a professor in the department, and I am also a reference intern at the Walter Clinton Jackson Library on the campus of UNCG. This is only my first semester as a reference intern. My husband (who is also a graduate of this storied program) convinced me to apply for this position even though I despise working with the public. (This is why I want to be a cataloger, they rarely work with the public.) However, I must admit the internship has not been as bad as I foresaw. I am actually enjoying it a lot more than I ever imagined. I've meet some good people in the department and in the library. I couldn't imagine a better place to get my Masters in Library and Information Studies.
Last semester I took Foundations (LIS 600), Collection Management (LIS 615) and Reference (LIS 620). In the Reference class last semester I assembled a 45 page bibliography on Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple and Jonestown. It was a great learning experience and one of the darker topics of all the pathfinders that came out of that class. Everyone was fascinated and at the same time horrified by my topic. I know this sounds strange, but I really enjoyed compiling it. This semester I am taking Cataloging (LIS 640) and Business Reference (LIS 613). In the Business Reference class I am compiling a massive portfolio of business information on Tasty Baking Co. who manufactures snack foods under the Tastykake name. My husband and I love to travel to PA and we are both huge Tastykake fans.
I plan to graduate in May 2010. After graduation I plan to move out of the overrated state of North Carolina to wherever will appreciate my cataloging prowess. Frankly, I am willing to move anywhere in the United States or maybe even beyond the US, however my librarian husband is another story. I'm not sure how crazy he is about the idea of moving across the Mississippi River. I guess we'll see in about 10 months when it comes time to apply for jobs.
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