LIS 181 Journal Entry #8: Yearender (Part 2)

So here is the 2nd part. It really only talks about the my last day in OJT in the year 2012:

I think I now have a grasp of what it is like to be a reference librarian. I am able to answer some of the queries of the clients which is most asking for the password of EBSCO database for remote access. If there are some queries I didn't know  how to answer, I just referred them to the other staff members. I think what I like the most about the reference service is when they say "thank you" after supplying their information needs.

And would you believe it! For the 2nd time in my OJT at the Rizal Library, I bled again. Last time, I got paper cut at the ALIWW library. This time I got folder cut! I really should be more careful.

Lastly, around 3 pm, I was being called to Mam Karryl's office. I was really scared because I have no idea why I'm being called. Did I do something wrong? Did I screw up? When I entered the office, I saw Mam Karryl smile so I was relieved. Actually, I was sent there because she has a Christmas gift for me. I am glad. Sometimes, what makes a gift so special is when you are not expecting to be given one. Hhaha.

So there, to sum up my OJT so far in a sentence: It was fun and I'm looking forward next year.

Just 91 hours left.

LIS 181 Journal Entry #7: Yearender (Part 1)

Christmas break is here and I have just completed 59 hours of OJT. Hooray! So here goes the first part of my final LIS 181 journal entry of the year 2012:

As I have mentioned before, I will now be working in the reference section. I was really nervous but fortunately Ma'am Iyra, our LIS 181 teacher, encouraged me. She told me that it is a privilege to work in the reference section as most institutions only give technical work to OJTs. On my first day as a reference librarian, I arrived very early to the library. I first met Ma'am Bernadette. She is the head of the reference section. The first thing she instructed me to do was to read the manual of the reference section in the Rizal Library so I spent an hour doing that. Despite doing my best understanding the manual, I still have no idea what to do. Fortunately, Ma'am Bernadette gave me an orientation on the various services they offer. She also introduced me to the other staff  in the reference section. I was able to meet Ms. Shielski, she graduated BLIS at UP SLIS and also a member of UP LISSA, and Ms. Kareen, who is already 5 years in the Rizal Library but recently just got transferred to the reference section from cataloging. She mentioned that her 4 years in cataloging really helped her in reference work today.

In the morning, all I really did was count the number of people in the reference area. They do this every hour. This is what I was only able to do at the start. I also observed the other staff on what they do. I think this is how I really learned the most. In the afternoon, around 1 PM, I was able to serve my first client! She is a cute first year student asking for remote access to the EBSCO database. I was glad when she said thank you. Reference work doesn't seem bad at all. It looks kinda fun. I also like the fact that part of being a reference means pretty girls would talk to you. Hahaha.

Other notes:
- I decided to divide this post in to two parts because making it too long might bore the reader

- I was actually sick while doing OJT and it was difficult for me. The aircon is very strong, I think I should bring a jacket next time.

- I'm really disappointed that my plan of being closer to the girl because I was doing OJT at her school didn't work as I have expected. Maybe it really is time to let go and move on.

Shai

Someone special I got to know.

Happy-to-be with, this is so.

Amazing teacher she truly is.

I even learned from her writing this!

Reliable friend she has been.

Awesome person I have seen.

Sorry kung medyo korni, it's the thought that counts naman di ba? Hahaha.

Happy 21st Birthday Shaira!

LIS 181 Journal Entry #6: A New Challenge

So I have completed 43 hours so far, I plan to end the year with 59 hours completed. At this pace, I will be able to finish 150 hours by the first week of March.

And with that, my time in the ALIWW lib has come to an end. I enjoyed my time there. The people there are really nice. I learned a lot (not only from experience but also by reading the collection as well). I would not mind staying there for the whole 150 hours but I think it is for the best that I should be able to try the other areas of the Rizal library.

So starting next week, I will work at the REFERENCE SECTION!!! NOOOOOOO!!!!
I'm really shy and I'm not that comfortable with reference service. I'm worried but Ms. Sagun said that I will be guided anyway.  Actually, I have never inquired a reference librarian before so I am not sure what I really need to do. I guess I will drop by the reference section to observe. Lastly, Ms. Sagun mentioned that plenty of users at the Rizal library use the reference section. Nawwwww. Wish me luck.

LIS 158 Journal Entry#3: Confused with the terms

What is marketing?
What is public relations?
What is outreach?

Are they all the same? Which is under which? What is the difference?

I'm so confused with the terms.

LIS 181 Journal Entry #5: First Realizations

I've just completed 32 hours of OJT. That is a little more than 1/5 of the required time to serve. Hooray! So now I will just share some things that I've realized:

1. It is an interesting way to learn about a person by reading his or her personal collection. It's like an old school way of reading someone's facebook and email account.

2. Related to #1, with the internet, I think it is very rare that people still use snail mail to communicate. Well, I guess people still give birthday and greeting cards. This means that most of the correspondences of people are now digitized. I think there will an issue in the preservation of this stuff. I am glad though that I was still able to enjoy the era of sending letters written on paper.

3. My job is also dangerous! I once got a papercut. I need to be more careful.

4. I finally saw Jerico. He was in the cataloging section. His job looks so intense!

5. While Jerico is cataloging, I am doing finding aids. I think it is much easier as it is less technical because they have thier own standard and do not follow ISAD-G

6. Lastly, I think I chose the Rizal Library for the wrong reason. I have not met her much because she is really busy. She is just on the next building but she does not have time to spend with me. So close yet so far. Oh well, at least the people there are nice and the library is beautiful.

That's all for now.

LIS 181 Journal Entry #4: A Promising Day

It was my third day in my OJT where I finally finished sorting the personal collection of JD Constantino. She has so much stuff I thought my job would never end. I also learned that Ms. Karryl Sagun was really the one in-charge of me. She said I would work 50 hours in the ALIWW library before transferring me to another place. I actually don't mind if I finished 150 hours in the ALIWW library. The staff is nice and I like what I'm doing there. However, I think it would be best for now if I get to experience the different kinds of library work. Anyway, I have just logged 20 hours (I can only do 4 hours on Saturday because the library is only open half day. Reg say I might do finding aids next time I work there. I'm looking forward to it. Glad I took up LIS 171 and that my teacher there was an excellent one. Hihihi!  130 hours to go!

______________________

So why is the title of this post "A Promising Day"? Well, we met again, and again it was just for a short while because she is really busy. But, something GREAT happened. She told me she wanted to watch the lantern parade. She asked me if I would go with her. Boom! Can't wait for December 14!

LIS 158 Journal Entry#2: An Observation and a Thought

First, the observation:

I am doing my OJT at the Rizal Library in Ateneo. The first marketing gimmick I observed being done there was a free movie screening every Friday.

Then, the thought:

I was in the SLIS library doing my thesis proposal. After 3 grueling hours of reading, thinking and writing, my head started to hurt so I called it a day. This is when I thought of my first marketing idea for a library:: "anything that would make minds relax after intense studying or whatever the person is doing in the library". Could be free head massage or something. Hahaha.

LIS 181 Journal Entry #3: Day One: The First 8 Hours

Ma'am Iyra told us during our first meeting in LIS 181 that UP students doing OJT has garnered a bad reputation of being late. I want to change that so I woke up 5:15 AM. My OJT starts at 8 AM. It was a Monday and I am not sure what the traffic situation is. I really don't want to be late, especially on the first day! I left at 5:45 AM and arrived at Ateneo by 6:45 AM. Hahaha! I came so early. While waiting for the library to open, I brought my Pol Sci 14 textbook and studied the required readings. It was 7:30 AM. I went to the director's office. In there, I met Ma'am Flor, the library director's secretary. She first guided me to the reference service area of the library. I was very nervous at that time. I'm not sure I could do reference work because I'm shy. Fortunately, she then sent me to the Ateneo Library of Women's Writing (ALIWW).

Based on the Rizal Library's website:

The Ateneo Library of Women's Writings (ALIWW) is an archival facility, constituting a special collection, within the Rizal Library of the Ateneo de Manila University. The principal mission of ALIWW is the collection of writings by and about Filipino women in all areas, for the purpose of promoting their circulation among contemporary readers, as well as preserving these for posterity.

I am glad I am able to work in an archival facility because I am really interested in Archives and Record Management. I someday wish to become an archivist. In the ALIWW, I met Ms. Montejo. She is the head librarian there and my supervisor. I was then oriented. I also met Reg. She is a staff in ALIWW. She is the one who guided me on my first day as OJT. She graduated LIS in UST and recently just passed the board exam this year. She is kind and pretty. So what task did they assign me to do at ALIWW? I was instructed to sort the personal collection of JD Constantino or Sister Teresa of Jesus. She is a columnist turned nun who donated her collection, which consists of correspondences, journals, notebooks, newspaper clippings  greeting cards and others, to ALIWW. Reg told me she was to arrange them but I should sort them first so she could do her job faster. My job was somewhat simple however, the huge amount of items in the collection made it a challenge. A funny thing that happened while doing my job was that I was able to find 600 pesos in one of the greeting cards in the collection. I really didn't know what to do with it so I just surrendered it to Reg. I didn't know what then they did with the money I found. Another job I did aside from sorting  was to return some of the archival materials used from an exhibit to their respective storage. An important lesson I learned on my first day of OJT was that it really, really, really is more fun to be a student than to work. I did enjoy my OJT though. 142 hours left!

_______________

So here is the love story part:
We were able to meet that day. It was during my first break in the morning. We had snack together at the canteen and talked a bit. The break should have been just 15 minutes but I returned after 30 minutes. I wasn't scolded though. Hahaha. Unfortunately, she was busy and not available during my lunch break and afternoon break. Nabitin ako sa kwentuhan namin. I'm not worried though, there are still plenty of opportunities to talk.

LIS 158 Journal Entry#1: My Last LIS Elective

I am admitting now that I did not plan to have LIS 158 as my last LIS elective. Before the start of this sem, I have taken up LIS 171, 172, 173 (archives track), LIS 163 and 164 (IT track). I originally wanted to enroll in LIS 166  to complete the IT track but it was not yet offered. Can you believe that right after I have assessed my form 5, LIS 166 was suddenly offered! @#$%! Anyway, I'm too lazy to change mat and the time slot is bad because the class will start late in the afternoon and end in the evening. So in the end, I stuck with LIS 158 being my sixth and final LIS elective, besides, I don't think LIS 158 would be bad anyway. "Yung teacher pa lang, panalo na! Hahaha." I also believe marketing is an important skill to acquire as an information professional.

"We are in the business of information" -Ma'am Rhea

Before having Ma'am Rhea as a teacher in SLIS, I didn't view libraries this way. Before, I thought libraries were more of in the business of books. But so much has change in libraries, more particularly the information technologies that greatly affected how our library services work today. I view marketing as a solution to the problem of potential-users stereotyping our libraries in such that they can't fully utilize what the library could offer. Lastly, I'm now so glad I enrolled in this class because my thesis topic would be about marketing. :))

LIS 181 Journal Entry #2: Day Zero, The Application

Today was a tiring day even if I haven't started doing my field assignment. All I actually did today regarding LIS 181 was submit my recommendation letter to the director of the Rizal Library so I could do my OJT there. But before doing that, I swam because I have a PE this semester which is Fin Swimming. I know how to swim but I have not swam for so long I easily get tired. Despite it being exhausting, I enjoyed it. The swimming pool in UP is actually nice. Anyway, after my PE class, I went to the UP SLIS (which is on the third floor of the main library, whew!) to get the recommendation letter. After acquiring the letter, I rode a jeep to get to Ateneo (I also had to cross a footbridge to get there, give me a break!).

I was already inside Ateneo when I encountered my first problem. I saw two Rizal Libraries!  I first didn't know which Rizal Library was the right place to go. One Rizal Library is in a simple building looks like a typical academic library while the other one is in a more beautiful building and looks more like of a Learning Commons. I eventually decided to go to the more beautiful one and luckily, it was the right one. Unfortunately, Mrs. David, the director of the library, was not available because she was in a meeting. However, I was able to meet Ma'am Flor, her secretary, to submit my letter. I gave them my preferred schedule to work there which is Mondays and Saturdays 8 am to 5 pm. It was also then I was informed of the dress code. On Mondays, I have to wear a business attire but on Saturdays, I could dress casually. Sadly, I only have very few pieces clothes in my closet which are considered business attires. I have to do some shopping. Fortunately, there are sales in malls at the present. Lastly, I would like to talk about the library itself. It was so beautiful, more beautiful than the UP College of Engineering Library 2 (which I consider the most beautiful library in UP). I have yet to see the collection though.

So here begins my OJT. 150 hours to go. I plan to start on Novermber 19.

____________________________

As for the girl I was talking about before, we didn't meet today. She went to a field trip. Not to worry though, surely we will have plenty of time to spend with each other in the future.

LIS 181 Journal Entry #1: The Reason I Chose Rizal Library

Before I start my field assignment, I first have to choose an organization to be a trainee. I am glad that we are given the freedom to choose any organization as long it is a library. It could be a school library, an academic library, a public library or even a special library. We were also given the option to work in two or more institutions. There were so many to choose from but in the end, I chose Rizal Library in the Ateneo de Manila University.

Why?

Jerico, one of my very good friends in UP SLIS, suggested it to me when I first asked him where he would do his OJT. It is also then I discovered that her aunt was the director of the library! I am really amazed to meet people from legendary clans of librarians such as the Tenmatays and the Buenrostros. Anyway, I asked him if I could also do my OJT there and he said it is fine. Aside from Jerico, there were other reasons as well such as Ateneo is not a bad location, it is just one jeepney ride from UP. The Rizal Library is also open on Mondays and Saturdays (These are the only vacant time I have for OJT). I also have plenty of friends studying there. Most of them were my classmates in elementary and in high school. But, there is this one particular friend...

When I was in fourth year high school, I met this girl. That year, it is our first time being classmates. She is pretty but not sexy. She is thin. We became groupmates in our Science and Technology Research (STR) class. We often stayed in the school library for our research. It is in there where we learn more about each other. The library is indeed a place of learning! However, I am a "torpe" and eventually I was friendzoned. It has now been almost 4 years since I was friendzoned. I still can't move on. Both of us are nearing graduation. Perhaps, this is my last shot.

So why did I chose Rizal Library?
It was because of her.


_________________


By the way, when I told her that I was going to do OJT at her school, she was glad. She told me she missed me. :)


 

Pilot Post

Hi! My name is RB. I am a fourth year student at the University of the Philippines. I am currently taking up Library and Information Sciences and if all goes well, I will be graduating in October 2013. The primary reason why I am starting a blog is because I am required to make an online journal in not one, but two subjects! Those subjects are LIS 181 (Field Assignment or more commonly known as OJT) and LIS 152 (Marketing Library & Information Services). My entries about LIS 181 will mostly be my experiences in the field. I am really anxious because it will be my first time. On the other hand, my entries on LIS 152 will be mostly reflections on the topics being discussed in class and some creative marketing ideas I might discover. This does not mean my blog posts will only be about these matters. If I have time, I might share things not related about LIS 152 and LIS 181 but more about my life. It could be my thoughts on some issues, an adventurous story or an interesting experience I would like to share. I would also use this opportunity to improve my writing skills as I have also started doing my thesis this semester. I would really appreciate it if you readers would leave comments whether it is about you agreeing, disagreeing, correcting my grammatical errors or anything actually. Lastly, I hope you would enjoy reading my posts and may it be worth your time. Thank you.

___________________

For Ma'am Iyra and Ma'am Rhea, my beautiful professors,

On the right side of my blog is a list of pages. The LIS 181 page contains the list of my blog entries for LIS 181. Same goes for LIS 152. This is for easier navigation when both of you will be checking my blog. Both of you are free by the way to read my other entries anyway if you are curious.