2010 in review

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is on fire!.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 2,200 times in 2010. That’s about 5 full 747s.

 

In 2010, there were 13 new posts, not bad for the first year! There were 32 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 44mb. That’s about 3 pictures per month.

The busiest day of the year was March 11th with 84 views. The most popular post that day was So Says the Call Number.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were facebook.com, twitter.com, notes.alli.wnyric.org and mystufie.co.cc

Some visitors came searching, mostly for architecture blueprints, apprentice of the stacks, mary brown channel, stacks of blueprints, and first licensed architect women in virginia mary ramsay brown.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

So Says the Call Number March 2010
2 comments

2

The Apprentice February 2010
3 comments

3

The Library Whirlwind February 2010
4 comments

4

Let’s Roll February 2010
7 comments

5

Reflections on Reference March 2010
6 comments

4/16 Items

More items from the 4/16 collection, beautiful.

Archives Area

The temporary archives area I work while the library coffee shop is completed. The large VT sign is an item from the 4/16 collection.

Detectives of Detail

There is a point in every new learning experience when observational shadowing is no longer the most appropriate method through which to learn.  For a total of fourteen days I have shadowed reference specialists assisting them to the best of my abilities.  On occasion this only meant reaching for a stapler or looking up a phone number;  I’d like to state to for the record though, I perform these two tasks with great flare and style.

Nevertheless, things are beginning to change at the reference desk.  There is more doing and less watching.  I  feel the eyes of the real reference specialists fall on me more as I sit each day.  They are expecting me to take the wheel and steer the ship, they want me to learn whether they verbalize it or not and because of this I am learning.  If you go to the library home page you will see a link towards the top that says, “Ask a Librarian,” it will then take you to another link labeled “chat.”  Should you find yourself at a computer between the hours of 2 and 5 p.m. on Monday or Tuesday click the chat option, I could be the one who answers you.  Together we can solve the problems of the world, at least for a few fleeting minutes if I am doing my work correctly.

Yesterday I sat at the desk alone for fifteen minutes tapping my toes in anticipation waiting for the chat alert sound to ring.  Not long into my toe tapping storm the alert came and the question was a legitimate one, not a “how late are you open this evening?” kind of question or a, “where is the library located?” question.  This patron needed an article for a marketing class and as it turns out they did not have the correct title of the article to begin with.  After a few failed search attempts I recalled something I read early on about information science and characteristics that define the best specialists; they pay careful attention to detail and they do so deliberately.  When an important piece of information like an article title is missing, you look to the other clues in front of you.   Details like publication dates, issue numbers, subject material, etc. are the knots in the rope which will help you reach the answer you need.  I looked to those clues yesterday and experienced success.  I found the article the student needed because of one issue date and a single page number from one magazine.  Everyone is capable of doing reference work but what distinguishes the specialist is the ability to find information swiftly.  It took me less than five minutes to find the information yesterday, a true accomplishment to me, however small.

In reference work details become your friend and that is a hard pill to swallow if you consider yourself a ‘big picture’ thinker as I have for so long.  Apparently I am more of detail person than I give myself credit for.  I can wear any hat I choose on any day of the week and yesterday I was the detail detective.

Best,

your apprentice of the stacks

Spotlight: Mary Ramsay Brown Channel (II)

…more of Mary’s beautiful work.  Every time I come across one of her residential designs my mouth waters a bit.  I dream of constructing a home  based off of her drawings one day.

my future home?

church interior

aging tracing paper, extremely delicate material

Spotlight: Mary Ramsay Brown Channel (I)

blueprints

The following are photographs from the International Archive of Women in Architecture (IAWA) collection I’ve been helping with.  The pictures posted all document the work of Mary Ramsay Brown Channel, one of the first registered female architects in the state of Virginia.

St. John's Church, Mary Ramsay Brown Channel

Monumental Stairs, Mary Ramsay Brown Channel

beautiful church design by Mary Brown Channel/Mary Ramsay Brown

So Says the Call Number

fruits of my labor

For a moment I’d like to encourage you, the reader, to take a break and walk down memory lane, I’ll set the scene:

You are in elementary school; you are much shorter, much lighter on your feet and on this day, headed to the library. Walking down the hallway you always notice how high the ceilings are and the older kids in the grades above you sitting in class as you pass by.  You are holding a big book in your small hands and soon you will return it checking out a new one in its place.  Up ahead you see the library doors and your palms begin to sweat from anticipation, you can’t wait to run around inside.  You also remember, or don’t remember, to use your inside voice so you won’t get in trouble.

Once inside, the librarian tells you they will not  place your book back on the shelf today; you will.  You are learning about Mr. Dewey this morning and all his decimal glory.

The scene I described above is not one I actually recall experiencing, but I am relatively positive somewhere along the way it must have happened.  Here’s a little confession I’m a bit embarrassed to make; when I got on this information science kick, I quickly realized I did not understand the classification systems of libraries anymore.  To my credit, it has been a long time since the days of hanging out with Mr. Dewey at story time and in college the majority  of library resources I used  were available electronically.

I’m not one to sit around for too long when I don’t understand something I care about.  I started reading up on the major organizational systems used by libraries in the U.S. and elsewhere.  In case you didn’t already know, most U.S. libraries use Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) and Library of Congress Classification (LC); academic libraries often utilize the latter.

Today I learned where I could find books on yoga and of course library and information science.  To prove it I will now post call number evidence (please also see photographic evidence):

-RA773-788 for yoga related books

-ZA for information science subjects

I am now a worthy disciple of the LC system, I heed the careful instructions of the call number gods and successfully navigate, “The Great Stack Forests of the Fourth Floor.”  The scents of non-electronic resources never smelled so good as they did today.

Best,

your apprentice of the stacks

Visual Wonderings

endless stacks

more stacks

view from stairwell, floor two window

Reflections on Reference

Snowy view from the 6th floor lounge

Reference desk day two began pleasantly.  The tempestuous pace which defined yesterdays experience proved significantly milder today and as someone constantly striving to cultivate a sense of calm in my life, I appreciated that.  A down tempo reference desk made for ample conversation time between myself and the two specialists I sat duty with, Carolyn and Connie.  Our discussions centered on how to navigate the abundance of electronic databases Virginia Tech has access to.  Listening to these two intelligent women discuss the topic I recounted my earlier years as an undergraduate and the first time I was exposed to the research process at the library.

In my brain and unbeknownst to my desk companions, I was slapping myself on the wrist for not utilizing the library more in college.  This is a common regret I hear often from friends and acquaintances.  Perhaps, if we had only consulted our neighborhood friendly reference specialists more, innumerable hours could have been saved tracking down journal articles and books for research papers.  I am a firm advocate of the “do it yourself” mentality, however, blind devotion to any adage can prove costly, especially during the research process.

Over the last two days at the desk I have uncovered what I believe to be the overlapping mission of many reference and instructional specialists.  The charge is to reach out to students quickly upon their entrance to college, teach them about the marvelous and free research tools at their disposal and finally, convince them of your approachability and willingness to help.

I am young and full of vibrant energy at this point in life according to a number of my seniors and yes, they are correct.  It’s clear to me there is an open position at all libraries for someone with those characteristics.  The job description calls for an energetic messenger, someone who can communicate clearly with diverse student populations and cunningly lure those students through library doors.  I come complete with a wink and a smile and just might be the woman for the job.  Don’t forget though, tomorrow I journey into the depths of Newman, the intriguing underworld of archives awaits and I very well may be the woman for that job too.

Best,

your apprentice of the stacks

Reference Specialists

Carolyn and Brenda