The Book Charmer

Man, I'm just not that good at blogging anymore. I have so many thoughts but rarely do I get a chance to consider any of them longer than the length of a shower. I have plenty of spare time, don't get me wrong, but I always feel compelled to catch up on my reading: blogs, articles, tweets - and then, oh hey, it's 10pm? I absolutely cannot wait until I only have two classes next term!

But...I have exciting news! I've recently been accepted for two virtual internships with Indiana University East Library and the San Francisco Chinatown YMCA. In my job search, I've found the most interesting and applicable opportunities to be outside of Eugene, unfortunately. Volunteering at Edison has been amazing, but it's only one environment that I'd like to explore. I'm doing social media/outreach work for IUE (not the Hoosiers) and will get to learn about databases, academic libraries, and subject guides. Most interestingly, I'll get to experiment. Obviously, some social media basics apply everywhere, but how can I apply my skills to this unique environment (commuter college, first-generation students)?

As for the YMCA, I just had my phone interview earlier today, and it went swimmingly! It was half interview, half project lowdown, and now it's time to figure out the logistics. I haven't publicly announced the news, but we are moving forward, so I think it's safe to say I'm excited :) I'm going to be the Oral History Collections Development Intern, which sounds very library-technical haha. Two volunteers - a recent San Jose State MLIS graduate and Federal Reserve Bank archivist - have been interviewing Chinatown community members for the YMCA's centennial this year. Now that 2011 is almost over, they want to make the project more sustainable and extend beyond a branding initiative. So they need someone to help edit, transcribe, and import interviews into a database, making the stories easily accessible to the community. Since I'm not in the city, I can't help interview, but I'm going to learn about the methodology and protocol. I'm most excited to learn about databases since I can't get that sort of experience here, and even if I don't go into archiving or cataloging, databases are an essential part of library work. The last part is building awareness about the project, where my marketing will again come in handy.

As I get started with both internships, I hope to blog more on what I'm learning about the profession and how I will fit into it - and not just about books since this is definitely not a site about book reviews.

Here we go!