Welcome to the July 2011 SLIS Descriptor!

Dear fellow students,

In this issue of the Descriptor, we bring you an opportunity to get to know your 2011-12 ALASC officers. Check out what we’re reading this summer and learn more about us and what’s on our bookshelves:

• Elizabeth Borghi, Chair

• Lisa Dibbern, Co-Chair and Web Coordinator

• Elaine Hall, Program Coordinator

• Rosemary Kiladitis, Secretary/Archivist

• Stacey Nordlund, Newsletter Editor

• Maryanne Rodriguez, Treasurer

• Have you ever wondered what success actually smells like? Alison Leonard shares her experience touring the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising’s Library where she was given a chance to sniff out their unique perfume vial collection.

• Considering an internship? Pat Oey discusses her internship experience at Atherton Library in San Mateo County. Learn why LIBR 294 is such a valuable class and how it can benefit you as you work towards your MLIS.

Lastly, please remember to visit the SLIS Networks page to find connections in your geographic area.  If there is no group in your region, start your own and email the editor to have it included.

As always, we welcome your feedback and submissions and wish you well in your studies as summer semester comes to a close and fall semester rapidly approaches.

Sincerely,

Stacey Nordlund

2011-2012 Editor

SJSU ALASC SLIS Descriptor

Meet ALASC Chair: Elizabeth Borghi

Here are some books I’ve enjoyed this summer:

The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau

Chris Guillebeau’s Art of Non-Conformity email newsletter began several years ago, but his book by the same name was published in 2010. His intention is to teach readers how to “set your own rules, live the life you want, and change the world.” Guillebeau walks readers through clear exercises and the nuts and bolts of developing goals, dealing with fear, building relationships, managing finances and more – meanwhile citing clear examples from his own life and others. This is a good read for anyone desiring a life overhaul, and is especially relevant to students and new professionals. A brief chapter on grad school advises, “relate your education to what you actually want to do when you finish” and “consider some form of alternative learning to increase your knowledge.” AONC’s concepts and success stories provide an inspirational guide to navigating uncharted territory, thus making it a great guide for those invested in the success of libraries in a time of unprecedented change.

Meet ALASC Co-Chair and Web Coordinator: Lisa Dibbern

Here are a few of the books I'm reading this summer:

An Intellectual History of Cannibalism by Catalin Avramescu and Alistair Ian Blyth: I've been waiting to read this for about a year and finally just went out and bought it.  It's not so much about the history of Cannibalism as it is about intellectual history of ideas about cannibalism and the way the cannibalism has been used throughout history transforming political thought and violence.

Tough Island by Crash Barry: This is the second self-published book by Barry, a Maine Native, who writes about real life adventures based here in Maine.  This book should be just the right amount of gritty, with a little mischief and sea foam on the side.

The Man in the Rockefeller Suit: The Astonishing Rise and Spectacular Fall of a Serial Imposter by Mark Seal: Whoa! Just read a synopsis and some reviews for this book. Looks spectacular and very suspenseful; I mean, if you don't know the story, like I didn't!

Meet ALASC Program Coordinator: Elaine Hall

One summer read I recommend is The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain

A definite read for defining the complexity of close friendships, and even more the complex relationship between mothers and daughters. I only gave it 4 stars because throughout the book it was hard to follow the characters. Each chapter is from a different character's perspective. I had thought it would've been helpful for Chamberlain to outline the characters in the beginning but it becomes clear at the end of the book why she didn't. 



As you read the story, you get a sense of predictability but there is no predicting the ending of this book. The plot thickens and by the time you reach the middle of the book, you can't put it down. There is love found, love betrayed, and love lost. There is mourning and there is hope. There is hope for the birth of a child and the fear of losing a child. There is a midwife so complex, so giving and loving, and yet so mysterious with secrets so dark she could not reveal them to her husband, her sister, nor her best friend. 



I would highly recommend this book for any book club. Upon completing the novel, the reader finds a wonderful list of inquiries about the reader's own journey and understanding of the book. These inquiries would make for wonderful, deep conversations about the characters, our reactions, and how the plots would be handled in real life. If one had the time to completely dissect a book - Chamberlain provides the framework and the invitation to do so with "The Midwife's Confession"!

Meet ALASC Secretary/Archivist: Rosemary Kiladitis

Hello to all! I hope you're all having a great (and air-conditioned) summer! Since I registered for Materials for Tweens this fall, my summer reading list has become quite a bit younger in scope as I give myself a head start on the books I’ll need to be reading for the semester. And while I enjoy tween books as much as any aspiring children’s librarian and mom, I also made sure to build in some grown-up time, too.

Doctor Who: Resurrection Casket by Justin Richards

I am a dedicated Doctor Who fan, and the novels are fun to read. They’re like little episodes with covers. In this one, the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) and his companion, Rose encounter pirates!

The Boy at the End of the World by Greg Van Eekhout

A middle-grade post-apocalyptic story, Boy follows a boy named Fisher, living in a post-apocalypse society where he is the only survivor after a bunker he and other humans were living in was destroyed. He meets a robot named Click who protects him as they try to find more humans in another survival bunker. Think Cormac McCarthy’s The Road but less depressing.

Meet ALASC Newsletter Editor: Stacey Nordlund

Summertime is a time to relax, enjoy the outdoors, bask in the sunshine, take a vacation, and all that fun stuff, right? Well, for me, summer is a time of learning to catalog, starting my peer mentor experience (welcome, new LIBR 203 students!), working at my public library, and parenting. Not much time for leisure reading, so my books are on the shorter side this summer. Here are some titles from my bedside table:

Just finished: The Walking Dead Volume 14: No Way Out by Robert Kirkman

Every time a new volume of this graphic novel series is published, I read it in a single sitting. The epic story moves relentlessly through the days and nights of a group of survivors battling an increasingly bleak war against zombies. Every volume in the series has managed to both shock and surprise me, and No Way Out is no exception.

For fans of: World War Z by Max Brooks, George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (movie)

Currently reading: In the Town, All Year ‘Round by Rotraut Susanne Berner

My two-year-old daughter, Hana, and I can spend probably half an hour every single day poring over the illustrations in this book (that’s practically HOURS in toddler-time, for those of you who aren’t parents!). Originally published in German, the book is divided into four sections, each one representing a season. The book is practically wordless, yet countless stories are told through Berner’s keen attention to detail and colorful illustrations of people, places, and community events that take place over the span of a year. I can’t say enough about this book!

For fans of: Where’s Waldo? by Martin Handford, Richard Scarry’s Busytown

Meet ALASC Treasurer: Maryanne Rodriguez

Here are a couple of my summer book recommendations:

Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A. by Luis J. Rodriguez

This book was recommended to me by a friend who said this book is notorious for being one of the most frequently stolen library books!  I haven't been able to confirm, but I can certainly recommend this book for those looking for a rare, eloquent narrative of a chicano gang member turned poet and activist.  From his own words, the reader follows the life of "Chin" from a childhood in some of the rougher parts of L.A. to his teen years toting guns, experimenting with drugs and being chased by police.  The book is more than a biography about La Vida Loca: Rodriguez's command of the first person narrative and his timeline hopscotch never loses the reader or its genius.  A highly recommended page-turner.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

Why would a young college graduate with money, brains and a humanitarian spirit ditch his family, his assets and his identity in the Alaskan wilderness? This book addresses that imminent, haunting question and many others of Christopher "Alexander Supertramp" McCandless' acquaintances and family.  McCandless' body was found only weeks after he starved to death in the Alaskan wilderness---his death drawing strong reactions nationwide, and drawing the borderline obsession of Krakauer who tells his tale step by step.  Reading the words of Chris' journal and of those who loved him, Krakauer tries to bring us as close as possible to the young man in an impossible attempt to satiate our questions.  Though it is an emotional read, Krakauer's graceful adventure writing style produces an unforgettable reading experience as he follows the final trail of our generation’s Thoreau.

SJSU M.L.I.S. Students Tour the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising

by Alison Leonard

 

In April, LISSTEN President Cynthia Orozco, organized a tour of the library at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM). There are four FIDM campuses.They are in located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, and San Diego. We toured the L.A. campus which is located in the heart of the new entertainment district and is surrounded by the Fashion, Financial, and Jewelry Districts.

FIDM is a specialized, private college dedicated to educating students for the Fashion, Graphics, Interior Design, and Entertainment industries. There are over 20 majors including: Business Management, Fashion Design, Film & Costume Design, Footwear Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Jewelry Design, and Entertainment Set Design & Decoration.  The FIDM library supports all of  these fields of study and more, and it is the largest specialized fashion library in the western United States.

Our tour was led by Robin Dodge, Special Collections Librarian at FIDM. Robin was a great host; she gave us a very comprehensive tour of the library that includes the Media Room, where students can check out movies by genre—remember, students major in film and costume design; the Conference Room, where they teach information literacy on coursework varying from English Composition to Trend Forecasting; and the Textile Workroom, where they, among other things, conduct burn test on sample fabrics. Fabrics in the Textile Workroom are donated from manufacturers. The Reading Room contains the stacks.  The librarians decided to put circulating material together with reference material as students tend to browse the stacks more than use the catalog. There is also a Media Lounge where students can watch movies or check them out and take them home. The films were probably most inspirational to set and costume designers.

My Youth Services Internship at Atherton Library

by Pat Oey

From the time I began my SLIS coursework, I eagerly looked forward to taking LIBR 294, Professional Experience:  Internships.  As someone who is not already employed in a library setting, the appeal of the course is clear—getting hands-on experience that would not only inform future career decisions, but would also make those career possibilities open up because I would actually be able to list the experience on my resume!

So, from the moment I completed my prerequisites (200, 202, 203, 204, and three elective courses), I would peruse the Internship Sites page and dream and plan.  As luck would have it, on Thanksgiving Day 2010 I discovered a listing from Atherton Library in California for a youth services intern—the description seemed a perfect fit for me.  I applied, interviewed, and was granted the opportunity to serve as Atherton’s youth services intern for Spring 2011!       

My first encounter of Atherton Library (a branch of the San Mateo County Library) was incredibly pleasant.  It is a one-room library which was added onto a house that used to belong to the police chief of Atherton, so the staff work rooms are quaint, and there are two bathtubs in the bathrooms (one of which the children’s librarians use for storing crafts materials).  Atherton itself is a very small, rural community, so the pace at the library was far from stressful.  There was a healthy flow of patrons, but the atmosphere never got crazy, and the friendliness that can characterize a smaller community prevailed.