School is kicking my... er... behind.

Graduate school, that is. Yes, I have voluntarily gone back to school. I am pursuing my Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree. This means that I have no time to read and review books for all of you. Or for me. Booooo. You think you have homework? In the course of any given week, I have to read multiple chapters from two graduate-level text books, watch three lectures, participate in discussion boards on line, work on two group projects, and write a three page paper. And I usually can't start any of this until after 9:00pm. That's right. Nine o'clock at night. I work until I fall asleep, usually after midnight or 1:00, then the alarm goes off between 5:30 and 6:00, depending on how dedicated I'm feeling.

Go ahead. Whine at me about homework. I have more whine than you do, and I'm happy to share.

Summer is almost upon us!

Now that you've all frittered away another school year, it's time to start thinking about that summer reading you have to do! Middle School classes have to read from the South Carolina Book Award Nominees list, High School Honors English classes have to read a wide variety of the classics, and ALL High School students have to read twenty-five books before the end of May 2011. You have twelve months to read twenty-five books. That is just a little over two books per month. Use the summer to get a jump start since you'll have other homework to do once school is back in session.

What constitutes a book?
Because the average book (novel) length is approximately 200 pages, in addition to novels, reading may include short stories, editorials, opinion pieces, newspaper or magazine feature articles, and technical manuals; 200 pages of this type reading = 1 book. However, 100 pages of densely printed material (ex. Professional journals, scientific and technical articles) = 1 book.

You should be receiving a log from the school, but in the event you don't get one or you lose the one you had, just come to the library. We will be able to print one for you.

Now, with all that reading you have to do, you might as well get something for it, right? Come to the Pelion Branch Library (or any other branch of the Lexington County Public Library System, for that matter) to register for the Summer Reading Program. Upon registering, you will receive a reading log to track the time you spend reading. After reading for four hours, bring the log back to the library to receive an incentive (prize). If you complete all four levels of the Summer Reading Program, you will have read for sixteen hours and will be entered into our Grand Prize Drawing. Have fun!

Back to the School Grind

How was it? Were the first two days of school fabulous? I hope you were able to find your old friends with ease. I hope you don't discount the advantages of making new ones! I made many new friends this summer, and I hope you don't forget about me, languishing here in the library...

Languishing, HA! More like planning, reading, planning, reading, undecorating, reading, planning, organizing, planning, reading, ad nauseum. That means "to the point of nausea." Not that I'm sick of my job! I LOVE MY JOB! I think I have the best one ever. I get to spend my days with books and people, my two favorite things in the universe.

I am considering going back to school myself. Yes, yes. Voluntarially. I am thinking about Library School. Yes, there is such a thing. I have my Bachelor's degree (in Theater, of all things), and it would be nice to get a Master's degree. A Master's of Library and Information Sciences, to be precise. In short, an MLIS.

My heart would really be with a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, but the library degree would be fun, too. Not to mention more practical.

I hope your school year is off to a good start. Let me know if you need any help with projects. I have access to resources I would love to share with you!