Freezing cold

I turned in all my assignments last week and signed with relief. Now, I am waiting for the grades. And actually Dr. T got his out: I received A-, for which I am really, really grateful, since I barely had time to do any research for the papers and mostly got them done night before the second(!)due date. I thought I'll get plenty of time with my mom visiting in September/October, but we just keep on doing things in the evenings and on the weekends, which was great, except the quality of homework which suffered badly:( Now, I am waiting for Sue's grading and so far I have 70 out of 100, with two more assignments graded. My grant proposal was checked as "completed", no grade, was it so bad??:( Well, I have to sit and wait. And it's freezing over here at work, brrrr and all of us are sneezing and coughing...I am looking forward to Friday..

TechSoup

While I was finishing my grant proposal for LIS 2700 I found an interesting site This site discusses a lot of topics we cover in our classes: digital divide, open source software, content management.

Thanksgiving

We had the worst Thanksgiving ever! Grandma died from a massive heart attack a day before and though we thought that something like that may happen, no one thought it was going to be so soon. She was 89 and a super-nice person.
Our family also got a stomach flu: my mother-in-law first, then my husband and now it's my daughter. I am coming with it too and I still have to write a paper on economics of scholarly publishing and HIV/AIDS key articles, authors and publications.

Information Literacy Librarian

I loved this blog. Check it out! Or this too: it's a hilarious search engine!

Councilor bloggers

Through NMRT I received email with blog sites for the Councilor bloggers, which I am adding to my blog: Michael, Rochelle, Rory, another Michael and Heidi

DogPile

One of my wonderful colleagues showed me this site and I loved it. She compared it to Dialog, where you can search several databases at once.

ERIL

I can't believe that it is almost the middle of November; time flies! Here is a site I found to be interesting because it deals with electronic resources: Electronic Resources & Libraries

Internet Public Library

I found that this site: Internet Public Librry is quite interesting. You can get links to all kind of subjects from early childhood education to clam-chowder recipes.

Love Libraries from UK

I saw a campaign Love Libraries on Amy's and Justin's blogs and thought is'a good idea to post it on mine.

Why do we need librarians

One of my class-mates (BF) posted this on the DB, I thought it was interesting.

Delta sucks

Not so long ago I saw a web page dedicated to bad customer service from Delta Airlines and what do you know, last Friday everything described on that site happened to my mom. Her flight was delayed for 4 hours, then she and other passengers were placed in a Ramada Inn Hotel in New York. Not only Delta Airlines staff didn't help anyone with carrying luggage to the bus, but they also issued fake food vouchers, which hotel did not accept. So, my mom and bunch of other moms from Ukraine were pretty much starving through the night.

Follow up on GWLA response

One of my colleages passed this along: Momentum for Open Access Reseacrh

Back to School

I can't believe that summer is done and I am back to school this week. My new job is fun, a lot of details. Something new I learned: CONSER. and also FRBR

GWLA

I thought THIS was interesting. Also, was wandering why our University didn't sign it, since we are members?
Today I got a call from my Ukrainian Embassy for more documentation to change my last name. The good news my passport is ready, but I have to fly to San Francisco to pick it up:( This means I have to take a vacation day, which I try to save, because my mom comes to visit in September, plus I hate flying.

More on blogging

I really like this blogging thing: at first I was posting my threads just because of the requirements of LIS 2600, but now I am sucked in:) Wish there was a job which required you to read other people blogs, I'd apply in a second. Also I wished I read the blogs earlier: there are so many good ones out there. New info for me this week: Michele, who posts all kind of interesting info(recent death and biography of OCLC founder) or Amy, who was talking about a book by Douglas Preston, which I checked out at our library and read with great pleasure.

Last breath

I am on my lst breath: we supposed to discuss our last book review and I can't think of anything. There are 4 people from my group who posted reviews and I saw Andrew wandering if the rest of the group is boycotting the discussion. I don't, I am just so out of any intelligent thoughts. Sorry!!!

Sunday post

I can't get into Student Services, so I am taking a break and posting here. It's a nice relief to know that on Monday I do not have any more homework until end of August!!! So, I can concentrate on other things: like getting all my papers for the Ukrainian embassy to change my name. You won't believe how much paperwork they require to submit just to change your last name on the passport. Changing name on driving license and green card was easy and a breeze. Now, you get to the Ukrainian Embassy site and freeze in horror: all the paperwork have to be translated into Ukrainian and then certified.

Cathedral of Learning

I meant to post a thread regarding Cathedral of Learning in Pittsburgh. When I first saw that magnificent building I knew it reminded me of something: The Moscow University Building , the first tallest educational building and one of the places of higher education where it is almost impossible to get in. You have to have really good connections to be accepted. I printed the information and sent it to my mom: she is going to get a kick out of it!
Today is the second day as my daughter is gone to the ocean and I miss her badly! My in-laws called yesterday and told us that she collapsed and was sleeping soundly after everything she had done. Too bad she doesn't talk much, she is 20 months old, and can't tell us how was her trip.

Catching up

I am looking forward to this weekend: this is the first time my little daughter is going to go away with my in-laws. They are going to spend a weekend by the ocean, so that should be fun. Me and my husband are going to have some time together:))) and then he is off on a fishing trip and I can catch up with my girlfriend on the latest mall/shopping trip. I also have more free time and was able to finally read other people blogs and leave comments. I read Robyn's blog and she said that she is posting while ar work. Well...if my boss is reading.. Gabe, I am doing this on my lunch time as a part of work - related research project!

Tuesday post

I think the heat wave is going down here in Los Angeles and our air conditioner at work seems to finally work(keep my fingers crossed for tomorrow). Writing discussion thread was tough tonight: I couldn't get excited about economic values of the libraries, found tons of information about public and school libraries, but when it came to academic - nothing!

Another post

I didn't realize I posted only few sentences in the previous posting:(( After coming back from Pittsburgh it's really hard to concentrate on home work assignments, especially last book review. I had to write mine on Sunday night and it was an effort trying to connect all four books to library environment: my heart wasn't in it. May be it was also all the work which was waiting for me at USC and all the emails I had to read. Unbearable heat didn't help either: at work our air conditioning doesn't work or barely works this week and at home we blast it every day, so I am not looking forward to getting a bill at the end of the month:((I also missed Pittsburgh and now looking forward to going back in October. With tons of work due in July visit I was able to sneak ride on the incline and visit Carnegie Library and Museum.

Back from Pittsburgh

I just came back from Pittsburgh and I had a great time there! All the greenery around the city is fantastic and so are the super-friendly people. Oh, and the pace of life is not as hectic as here in LA. I am looking forward to the next visit in October.

Is it end of semester yet??

I haven't posted anything last week, so I have to redeem myself by catching up next week. My third book review came back and it lifted my spirits: it was generously graded by Sue who said that I did a "fine job". After my second book review, by a different reviewer, I thought I was going to be kicked out of the program:((
LIS 2600 quiz was done on Wednesday and I decided to do it after work and after everyone in the family went to bed. Bad, bad decision. By the time we had dinner my daughter was somehow very much awake and it took me and my husband some time to put her to bed. So, when I finally got to do the test I was falling asleep and I think I missed couple questions. I can only keep my fingers crossed....

First Web page

I took a complete day off from my computer, because I needed a break and because I needed to let my best friend know that I am live and sane. AS a result we spent almost two hours on the phone, which was great. End of August and end of classes is not near enough. I learned few lessons for the next semester: do my reading early and try to write down something for the future book reviews; if I'll have extra time I am planning to work ahead on future assignments.

Trying to catch up

This week have been crazy! I finally finished my 1500 words book review number three and posted a discussion on OSS and finished creating two tag clouds. Whew!! Of, course by July 2nd I have to create a web page and judging by the amount of technical questions on the discussion board it's not going to be easy. I copied and pasted "helpful hints" in MS office, so I can read on the train and hopefully avoid the mistakes made. Once again, thank God for discussion board!

Can't get into My Portal

I have to post a discussion thread by tomorrow and I can't log in into My Portal. This is so frustrating: I am used to logging in at night and doing my homework, with my daughter gone to bed and my husband watching TV or working on his boat. It's very convenient to jump between discussion board and an actual assignment to see what kind of obstacles are there and how to troubleshoot.

Wiki

I am relieved that I work in the library and can apply some of the suggestions at school right away. On ILLiad(Interlibrary Loan management till) list serve we received an email from Katie from University of Illinois, at Urbana-Champaign with a web site for ILL borrowing wiki (see links) That's a terrific idea: you can post all the training documents for the office, instead of keeping them in paper or in somebody's folder. This is just one of the examples how new technologies work. We were also discussing RSS feed and I do not believe our library has it?? I checked UCLA and their home page lists RSS feeds and podcats in nice and bright orange.
Since I am done with delico and Scout Portal I was able to catch up on my reading. "Content is not the King" article is really discouraging especially if you compare it with "Leonard's Laptop", which inspire you to invest in learning.

Plugging away

I feel like computer gradually becomes my best friend: when I come home from work I get on it and post tags or post discussion topics or listen to podcasts or catch up on announcements. Somebody on discussion board suggested to take a day off for relaxation. Great idea! I read a paperback murder/romance novel and felt my mind clearing up. I am all up and ready for the 1500 words review of three books. Two of them I really liked: Social life of information and Leonardo's Laptop. The laws of the web seemed to be to full of mathematical formulas and not so easy to read for me.

Overwhelmed

I am finally done with delicio and half way connotea. The good news again is that Scout Portal is due this Friday. Of course I also had to post a discussion topic on the group page and write a book review due on Monday. This is insane, there is so much information to digest, but this is also very exciting: to be able to learn all the new trends: RSS, blogs etc. This entry again is going to be short since I have to rush and work on SP.

Back from vacation

I just came back from vacation and have to catch up on my home work. Apparently the due dates for delicio and connotea have been changed, so I still have some time to get my tags in, so this entry is going to be short. My Kuhn's book review was back and to my surprise I got 8 out of 10 points :))))))
Oh, and vacation was terrible: it was snowing and it was freezing cold and we had a bear raiding our cooler and drinking my baby's milk.

Vacation

I have finally turned in my second book review and am done with postings for this and next week. Again, how do people with children do graduate school? We were having an online chat last Wednesday and I told my family that for about 40 minutes I am not available. Yeh, right! Just as the discussion began, right on cue my 18 months daughter jumped on my lap and tried to play with a mouse, my husband, ignoring my daughter got on he phone discussing last minute changes in our multi families get together in Robinson Creek and my husbands grandma came for a visit to see the baby. So, when Sue asked if anyone had questions and I had a lot, I tried to type them and sent out, but there were SO many misspelled words. I felt like crawling under the rock, this was so embarrassing!!
I am looking forward to this trip: roast some mashmallows, feed the deer, drink some beer, take our daughter on the bass boat for the first time and hang out with friends. Yes!! Of course I also packed my required reading for the two classes.

Trying to get assignments in

Like I mentioned before, I am going on vacation this Friday and I am frantically trying to get all the discussions and a book review in. This is not going well: I got distracted surfing through other people blogs and lost valuable time. The last discussion I posted was for LIS 2600 about digital divide and the libraries. I wander what do you do with people who do not want to use computers? We have a patron who makes others fill out online forms and if we need to get in contact, somebody have to send a fax or call, and there is nothing we can do about it!

Stressed out big time

I and my family are going on vacation next week, so I have to turn in one book review, two discussion reviews and two replays to those discussion reviews by this Friday! This is SO crazy. I do not feel that I am on vacation right now: between trying to get to the computer and type something half-intelligent and trying not to ignore my 1,5 year old daughter and play with her outside in the mud and in the pool my days evaporate so fast!!! Oh, and I still have to pack our bags. How do people with children do school?? I am hoping that my mom will come and visit in September, so I can catch my breath!
I read in Wikipedia that emerging Semantic Web can,for example, find and book an appointment for you with the manicurists. When, when can it be done?? I can't wait!! After starting school I do not book any more: I don't know when I'll have time and when I do have time I just walk in, no appointments.

Adding links

After numerous tries I was able to add couple of links and I am so proud of it!

TGIF!!!

I am so happy it is Friday!! This week was very "exciting": one of my now former co-workers was arrested for urinating in public, running from University security and pulling a gun on them! After being released on bail he came back to work and got arrested for trespassing, causing campus libraries to shut down and campus security planted everywhere... and who said that libraries were boring, ha-ha! It must be all that heat here in CA.

Done with Kuhn

I just finished my Kuhn's review and dropped it in the digital drop box. That's it!!! I am done!!! This "revolutionary" book sucked all my brain cells and left me with nothing; I couldn't come up at the tonight online chat with any answers for the questions CT was asking us as a preview for the quiz. I badly need to re-charge my batteries, but I also have to catch p on so many articles :(((

Library Humor

I decided to take a break from the classes, so I surfed the web and came upon the library humor page, my favorite one is: "Students always require a 400 word article for a 500 word essay":))) I am thinking about Kuhn's book review!
Speaking about humor, I watched the suggested two videos on YouTube: That way and Women's suffrage. The first one was so hilarious I played it several times, but the second one is just sad, sad, sad!! What are those girls thinking and are they thinking at all??

The two classes I am enrolled in: LIS 2000 and 2600 are intense, there is so much reading and writing and corresponding. Once again, thank God, for the Discussion Boards and virtual chats and Skype! The idea to combine Skype and virtual chat was terrific: all the questions were pretty much answered within 30 minutes and everyone took their turn to ask them. I am really looking forward to the quiz review tonight.

This is my second week of class and I feel more in control. In fact, I loved creating tags on connotea and del.icio.us, what a great idea it is. My only problem was that I linked the articles from some of the sources which required password to log in, so I deleted those and started all over again. I also got a chance to look at other people tags and found a lot of interesting links.
Our weekly discussion is due on Wednesday, the first one is about the new technology in libraries and how it affected me. I wrote it, but need to edit some of the sentences.

This is my second blog: the first one was created in a hurry at night and when I tried to log in it in the morning I couldn't remember my username and password. I am usually very organized person, but I got everything wrong this first week of class.
I was very excited about Skype, I heard about it from my co-woker, but I couldn't get in and when I finally did, I managed to forget about the time difference between CA and PA, and missed the Wednesday session! Then it took me long time to join virtual chat, I needed to download Java Bridge, hopefully, next week will be easier!