Keep Trying

Okay I guess I will continue to try. I am doing very well in LIS 2600 so hopefully I will keep a B average and not get kicked of the program. If I have to take LIS 2000 again then that is what I will do. I am hoping that the professors will either curve the final grade or give me an option to redo the essay that I received a zero on. I decided that this is what I want to do and I deserve to try to get the degree in anyway I can. I will keep trying until I have no choice but to give up and move on.

I don't know...

I am not as angry as I was yesterday. I am still considering quiting the program. I applied tot he program because I was looking for a career that is like the museum director and my used book store that makes me happy and pays the bills. From the classes I am finding that paper media are going to be replaced by electronic media. I hate computers, and always have. I love paper media. The fact that libraries are going more and more towards electronic media makes me depressed. The fact that I am hearing that libraries are loosing funding left in right in my classes means that I might not be able to earn enough to survive in the field. The fact that all the librarians on the panel on Fast Track weekend said that you need experience to get a job does not bode well for me. I have experience in a museum, a used bookstore and software support but not in a traditional library setting. I need to pay bills and I don't think I will be able to find a library job that will pay enough to quit my current job. I am currently on disability leave from my current job so I don't even know if I will be able to enter the workforce at all for awhile. I am having difficulty with my medical issues, and I don't know if I should bother with a program that is causing me this much anger and may never lead to a career that can pay the bills. Especially when the this degree is costing me a ton of money. I don't know...

Angry

So my grades are in for the essay and the exam for LIS 200. The grading was unreasonable. I know others have had the same the teaching assistants grading. I think I may drop out of the program. I am working my butt off. I have been off work since May because I have been experiencing random left side paralysis. I am doing the best I can. I was getting 100% on everything up until these last two grades. These last two grades are so ridiculous that if the other classes are going to be graded like this I will drop out. There is no point in busting my butt trying to get a good grade just to get a zero on a project that I worked 2 weeks on. The other day when I went out to look for used books I couldn't find any enjoyment. This was one of my favorite things. Not anymore. These classes have sucked the enjoyment I had out of books. All I can say is these courses have made me miserable and I don't need that in my life.

The Beach

So I am at the beach and so far everything is going well. I took the quiz without any problems. So far so good. I checked my group discussion which I am leading this week and no one has responded. I hope I get some comments before Wednesday otherwise the paper I have to write for the discussion will be hard. Oh well. I am going to lay on the beach and think about it.

Beach

So tomorrow I am leaving for the beach. I have purchased a Verizon broadband card to ensure I can do my quiz for 2600 and keep up with my online discussion. I am really hoping all works well. I am really looking forward to this vacation and I hope nothing bad happens with school to ruin it. Wish me luck!

I am nervous about the Fast Track weekend. I have spent the morning mapping out the locations of the buildings on campus and trying to figure out where I am going to park. I live about 1/2 hour from Oakland but I have only driven to it twice and that was only to go to UPMC Presbyterian. I realized I don't have any pencils so I have to go out and get some. I have no cash for parking and lunch. I don't know where to eat lunch. I don't know a lot of things. I shouldn't be worried about this. I have a test to study for, a paper to write, a project to work on, and my group leader discussion to prepare. I think I am beginning to become stressed. I am trying to keep myself calm. This will be over soon enough.

Why Are All The Idiots in Power

Reading about copyright laws makes me angry, sad and gives me a strong desire to get into politics or law. Of course if I went into politics or law I would have to deal with nit-wits. However I deal with those people on a daily basis and could potentially deal with them longer. I would I admit be quite angry on a daily basis, and the dream of making a difference may never become a reality. It is sad but I think I prefer a life of quiet among stacks of books to fighting for rights most of the public doesn't know they should have. I wonder if this is why all the idiots are in power.

Deep Breaths

I am spending my fourth of July weekend doing homework. This is kind of depressing but working full time and trying to get a Masters degree is hard. I feel like I flip flop between feeling like there is no way I can handle this and I should drop out of the program, and feeling like I am absolutely capable of doing this.

I just finished the Koha assignment after spending a couple days trying to get in. After finally breaking down and emailing Dr. Tomer I found out I had the wrong password the whole time. That would have been nice to know days ago. Now I am on to studying and reading and trying balance my life with school. I just keep reminding myself that it is only 2 years and it will all be worth it when I have a job I enjoy. Deep breaths.

Open Source Libraries

I believe that a global user database for libraries would be a wonderful idea. Making the information housed in the private libraries open to all the public, and not just the members of the institution, would allow all libraries to compete with the Internet. I know that when I was doing research for my undergraduate thesis I was unable to obtain the information I needed in a timely manner because it was housed in a private institute. I ended up finding the books on a online used books store and received the books in 2 days. I had to spend about $20 but it was worth it for the amount of time I saved. Also I now own the resource and can refer to it whenever I want to. If libraries are going to compete with the instant gratification the Internet provides they need to be more open and accessible to the common man. Libraries should become more open source and less proprietary