Some library humor

If you have seen the funny commercials of the Old Spice of the guy saying the most random impressive things, and the one of him on a horse?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE

My boyfriend found this parody video of the Old Spice Commercial, but it has to deal with studying in a library.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ArIj236UHs&feature=player_embedded

talk about a great thing to promote libraries. It's little things like this that attract younger generations!

CSS is the bomb! :-p

After finishing my portfolio and website for LIS 2600, I understand html coding a little bit better than I did before. All the practice and research creating the assignments and webpages really pulled off, and now I can write almost correctly the proper coding. Not like from before where I had no clue!

Even with CSS, I have heard about bit briefly before, but from this class I understand why it's used for design elements in html. CSS makes your life so much easier!! I need to keep that in mind if I ever need to create a web page again. All it is is simple coding with the design elements in the body (font, size, background color, text color) on a separate document that is uploaded along with the html page on a sftp site (Fetch is amazing! I may have to buy it). This saves you from rewriting the coding for the design elements over and over again.

So folks, if you need to create a html webpage, use CSS!

Down to the final weeks!

It's crunch time! This week I am finishing all my assignments and web page for LIS 2600. I am almost done with the web page, and it's not as bad as I thought it would be. I must say I have learned more valuable information from this technology class than I thought I would. Not only I can understand how technologies can play a role in the library systems, but all these lectures about coding and multiple web services, I can apply this information to my photography business. I am almost done with my own personal website (Thanks to my wonderful friend Nancy also) and I just switched over to wordpress for my photo blog. The coding for applying links and even CSS coding I have applied it to my blog to fix some minor design elements.



Ok, now I must get back to work on my grad homework.

Rare Book School Experience

This past week I attended Rare Book School at UVA in Charlottesville, VA. I took a course called The Identification of the Photo Print Processes. I really wanted to take this course last summer, but my family planned vacation the same week it was offered, so I was thrilled I had another chance to take the class. It is a week long intensive course, 30 hours in class. My course was taught by James Reilly from the Image Permanence Institute (IPI), of Rochester Institute of Technology, and Ryan Boatright, a photographer that worked with Jim for numerous year at IPI. James also wrote a book over 20 years ago about the identification and structure of 19th century photographs.

So in the class we spent a week, learning about each process' time period it was used, the process to make the photograph, the chemicals and type of paper that was used, and certain characteristics to look for to identify the process of a photograph. I loved that they had so many examples of each type of process, so I got hands on experience with real photographs and see the details for my self. In the beginning I could barely remember the type of processes used. Now I am still unsure, but I know more about each process and can identify more photographs that I could ever before. It was amazing. We also got to create our own Gelatin Printed-Out paper (POP) photographs from old printing frames. Being away from the darkroom for a few years, really made me miss what begun my passion of photography, darkroom B&W printing.

My class had so many different professionals from around the nation. From conservators, rare book catalogers, Art History Professors, and even Rare Book Antiques Store Owners. They were all wonderful people and can't wait hopefully visit their libraries and museums that they work for.


If you have an opportunity to attend RBS I would highly recommend it. I am already am planning on taking another course summer.

Hi everyone!

I have not been home in a week! I can't wait to sleep in my own bed again, but it's all for great reasons. I call this "vacation" my educational road trip. I have fast track weekend this past weekend at Pitt. It was great to finally meet my classmates in person, and putting voices to the names I have been reading responses on Bb from. I definitely took the time while I was there to see sight of Pittsburgh. I visited the Andy Warhol Museum, ate a sandwich at Primanti's, and went to the Duquesne Incline. My 2 friends from college came up with me so I didn't drive alone, and went sigh seeing during the day while I was in class. I was glad I got to spend time with them as well :-). Once I get photos uploaded to my computer, I can put a few up here, or put a link to my photo blog where they may end up.

Then I had to leave super early Sunday from Pitt back to MD to drop off my friends, drive home to Falls Church, change suitcases, took a 20 minute nap, then hopped back in the car to drive to Charlottesville, VA, where I am now. I am here for the week attending Rare Book School at the University of Virginia. I opted to staying in an air conditioned dorm room, and I must say it's a little weird. Brings back memories from undergrad, but the dorms at UVA are old... and I mean old. My room has a fireplace which I find awesome, the windows are the old windows you see in colonial houses, and the front door to the building is decaying and reads "Peters 1879-1904" well it's still standing past 1904 unless this was rebuilt at some point. Charlottesville is beautiful and charming. I am going a little crazy though for eating at the same places (because it's super cheap and I need to save money).

I'll write in another post about the class I am taking and the experience after friday. I need to get some sleep since my brain is totally fried from so much information!

Goodnight!

So a little story for you all.

On my first interview for my position that I have now at the Folger, I remember there were a bunch of cop cars outside the library. I was thinking to myself... "what am I getting myself into?!" Well turns out a man was arrested for theft of a first folio that he tried to get appraised at the Folger. Now 2 years later, of course the folio was returned to Durham, England, but the trials are going on and the man was just convicted. Here is the article in today's post about the outcome of the trial and the back story of how it all went down. Think of this as an awesome library mystery solved.

Shakespeare First Folio's saga ends as man is convicted of handling stolen goods

As Dory the fish in Finding Nemo says, "Just keep swimming... Just keep swimming.....Just keep swimming..."

Anyone else super stressed juggling all the work with grad school plus a full time job?

I am super excited for Fast Track weekend this weekend at Pitt! Excited to meet everyone and see Pittsburgh!

I was looking at this funny t-shirt website and I came across this shirt. I thought it was funny and fit perfectly with some of the discussions about e-books in my other class, LIS 2000 Understanding Information

"I am not a book!"

Zotero Presentation

I accidentally posted this post on my photo blog, so I had to move it over to this one! Too bad it took me a month to figure that out...

Here is the link to my presentation on how to add on the firefox plugin for zotero.

I know in my screen capture I may have misspelled zotero, but I was nervous :-p

Hope you enjoy and learn from my video!

My Other World

If any one is curious about what else I do besides grad work, here is the link to my photo blog.

This week's lecture about cloud computing, RSS feed, server space, etc. has been very helpful. Not only does it help me understand what libraries use with their digital libraries and such (and will change to use in the next 5 years) relaying out information, but I can apply all this info towards my business. I am in the process switching my blog to wordpress and having my website run through it as well. Server space is very expensive, and for someone who just started her business almost a year ago this can help start things off.

Here is my other blog (that many times I have accidentally posted grad posts to :-p). Enjoy!

Gonna See the World Through My Eyes {Erica Abbey Photography}

New exhibit at the Folger!

Out of all the exhibits I have seen at the Folger Shakespeare Library, this is definitely one of my favorites! It's called Lost at Sea: The Ocean in the English Imagination, 1500-1750

All the items on displayed are beautiful. Your imagination runs away while you can picture yourself on a voyage in the 1500s. There is a replica of The Sovereign of the Seas ship model. My co-worker had a ton of fun photographing that ship. We didn't want to give it up :-p There is even a sail hanging from the ceiling! It's so gorgeous.

If you ever want to come visit, leave a comment here with your email and I can show you around! It's definitely one of D.C. neatest place to visit, especially if you are a history buff like me :-)

I apologize for all the complaining I have been doing. I am just very overwhelmed at the moment with all the work to do, plus working a full time job... it takes a toll of me. I will post al lthe assignements that I forgot to post on my blog this weekend, so stay tuned!! :-)

Half way done with the first semester! I really need to get my timing better though with assignments. I just realized that I have due dates on each assignment! Oh geeze... this is not like me at all, I am always in the know with my work and on top of all my assignments. I guess not being in school for 2 years made me rusty? Who knows.

The First Quiz

I don't think I have studied so hard these last few days for a quiz before. I really wanted to make sure I really remembered just the basics of computers and how it operates, and all the other components we have learned so far in this course. Well I took the full hour for the quiz, and I still didn't finish. I was really taking my time, trying to remember all the information. Some took me longer to recall than others, but in the end I didn't have time to answer one of the questions. I am a horrible test taker... always have been and always will. I also guess being used to always having extended time on tests from my learning disability, my time management was off. (This is probably more info than you need to know, but oh well.) We shall see how I do, I hope it's well!

Now to give my brain a rest I will watch the rest of the Tony Awards :-)

Approaching the first quiz

This saturday I have my first quiz for my LIS 2600 Info technology class. I am a little nervous, but I am trying to prepare for it as much as I can. I had a paper due this week for my other class, so of course that took up all my free time. Now that I can play catch up and study, I believe I will do well on the first quiz. :-)

Now to catch up on sleep!

FIrst Lab Assignment

I completed my first lab assignment this week for my LIS 2600 class. We had to make a database form, and upload it to a site that can turn them into a wonderful, organized spreadsheet. We use dabbledb.com. Everyone who loves to have information organized as much as I do, I would recommend to use the free 30 day trial for this website. I had to create a spreadsheet of almost 10 bibliographic entries. SO I went to my book shelf and grab whatever books I could grab. My list was so eclectic of books! From Harry Potter, to a Kosher cookbook, to many photography technical books; my list had it all! I did enjoy this assignment very much.

Now back to do more work!

I am trying to not to complain in this blog so much, but I am still working on grad work so I have nothing to say about them yet. There is a lot of work! I am hoping to start the Linux Project this week though.

It is super hard for me to juggle working full time, all the readings and assignments with grad school, plus building up my photography business. It's taking me a lot longer to get used to balancing my time.

Whoo Hoo!

I just saw for my LIS 2000 class, on my first paper I got a 5 out of 5!!! I was worried that I didn't analyze the book correctly for the assignment, but guess not. The funny part though is that my teacher said my paper was very patriotic. To explain, my Microsoft Word program every time I added a footnote it would change the font to red or blue. I tried everything I could to get it to stop changing, but it wouldn't let me. So I kept it red and blue.

Work was pretty busy this week, so I haven't started my grad work yet. Thankfully I have a 3 day weekend! So today to start off my wonderful 3 day weekend, I am going to spend today watching both my lectures and do the discussion questions. Then the rest of the weekend will focus on all the readings for both classes. I love 3 day weekends :-)

I know I may be complaining more on this blog than I should, but I need to let out my frustrations out somehow.

I am not a writer. I hate writing papers. If I really learned on how to write a paper (structure and citations) in high school like I should have, then it would be so much easier for me. Gahhhhh! If this was a spoken presentation I would so rock this topic, it's just putting it into writing is what stumps me every time.

If you are in the military, your family can visit 600 museums around the country for free all summer long!

Great idea to bring more people to our museums and to have more promote the arts.

600 museums offer military families free admission - The Associated Press

I must say it is difficult keeping up with all these assignments and reading for my 2 classes this semester, while working a full time job. It is challenging my time management skills, but I am conquering it so far. I have to write a paper for my LIS 2000 thats due wednesday, which should be fun since I have not written a paper in maybe 4 years. :-p

So far with the LIS 2600 class, we have been learning about computers (input and output) and application programs. I find this all very informative because you think you know all about computers when you use one 7 days a week, but so far I have learned something new for subjects that I thought I knew all about. I have learned about all the hardware that is needed for a computer to run successfully and how the flow of the system works. I definitely have a new respect to everyone that works with computers (especially everyone in the I.T. jobs). Computers are so complicated and hard to remember what works with what. If someone can be proficient in that field, more power to them!

:-0!!

For every artist or historian, or special collections worker (or anyone I would hope!) out there must have dropped their jaw from complete shock when they found out about this horrible theft (like myself)! Let's just pray that these painting do not end up on the black market, although it would be difficult since the economy is not well.

Yahoo! News- 5 Masterpieces stolen in $123M Paris Museum Heist

What do you all think about this tragic?

The First Week

My name is Erica and I am a first semester grad student at the University of Pittsburgh, studying to receive my Masters in Library Information Sciences. This is a blog to document my first semester as a graduate student, for my LIS2600 class. Our syllabus states:

"The blog will serve as a diary of your educational experiences for Summer 2010. You are expected to post to it at least two times each week during the course of the term, beginning on May 19 and ending on August 2. Postings may include personal observations, including questions, complaints, emotional ventilation, etc., as well as references to relevant materials not included in the course syllabi."

I don't think besides my classmates would find this blog interesting, but that's quite alright :-)

This week has been overwhelming for me. All the readings and assignments I have had to do in my first week of class is more than probably all 4 years of reading assignments I had in undergrad. I am also facing another difficulty this week; I got a cold the day before classes started. Reading while honking your nose every two minutes and all the medicine is slowing me down for the week, but I have managed to pull through and still will be able to stay on top of all my assignments.

Now back to reading...