Russia Days 3 and 4

I hope you will forgive me for putting 2 days into one post. Actually, I don't care if you forgive me. I'm doing it anyway. So on Wednesday we went to visit the library school at St. Petersburg State University of Cultural arts, which I shall call the library school, and on Thursday we went to the Hermitage museum and library. Both were great experiences.

Day 3

First, the library school visit. I'd like to start by saying the school is an a palace. So cool. The classrooms were so fancy! 

My class prepared a presentation about trends in U.S. libraries to give to the Russian students. My part was on the use of social media and I was fabulous. Well...maybe not fabulous. Maybe I was just really good. Anyway, after our presentations they showed us a video on their department and we asked questions about their program, job prospects, and librarianship in Russia. Then we took a tour and saw more pretty classrooms and spoke to people in different departments. 

Just another classroom at the library school.

What we learned will probably only be interesting to a librarian, so I'll just make a list  of some fun facts. 

-In soviet times, after graduating people were placed in libraries. They could not refuse

-Today, students tend to flock to certain types of libraries, so placement may go back into effect. They will have the right to refuse.

-Specialization does not require a second degree

-Twilight is one of the most popular books among young girls

Russia Day 2: Mayakovsky Library and Bus Tour

What a day! We went to the Mayakovsky Public Library and took a bus tour of the city. It was lovely.

Reading Room in the foreign language
department of the public library.

There were quite a few similarities between the Russian and U.S. library systems. I was very interested to learn about what types of services and programs the library does for their patrons.  Many of the programs are similar to those a library in the United States might do, including classes in information literacy, author visits, movie viewings, and cultural programs. 
There were also programs unique to each department, so for example the foreign department had language clubs and viewings of foreign films. An interesting fact I learned is that most foreign films in Russia are dubbed, and the library is one of the few places one can watch a movie in its original language with subtitles. 

Russia Day 1: Arrival, Dinner and A Walk

Yeah, so I'm in Saint Petersburg.

For those of you who don't know, I am taking a study abroad class in Saint Petersburg that will last 2 weeks. In that time, we will go to libraries and museums around the city, give presentations on trends in US libraries to students in a Russian library school, and have plenty of time to explore the city on our own. Should be a fabulous time!

After a long day of travel, I arrived in Saint Petersburg around 12:00, which is around 5am in NY. We did not do much today since everyone was exhausted from traveling. I was so tired, and after getting to the hotel I passed out... but as is typical I woke up in time for dinner without need for an alarm. I'm so gifted. We took the metro do the restaurant we had reservations at, and after eating everyone was so stuffed we decided it would be a good idea to walk it off, so we went back to the hotel on foot. This allowed for some fun exploration.

For A Good Cause

I mentioned in a previous post that I will be running the NYC marathon in November. I have decided that I will be one of those cool people who tries to raise tons of money for charity, so I chose to support the New York Public Library Correctional Services program. 

What the program does is send librarians to set up libraries for the prisoners at Riker's Island. The program goes beyond books, though. The librarians also have set up a Daddy and Me program, where prisoners are recorded reading a book, and the recording is sent to their kids, and also a booklet on how and where inmates can find employment once they are released. However, the department is quite small, and has a small budget.

The money raised will go to publishing this booklet, which has been requested by people around the country. If you would like to donate, I have put up a nifty little widget on the right side of the blog. Just click and go!

To learn more about the NYPL correctional services program, click here. Also, if you would like to donate, but want your money to go to buying books, they have an Amazon Wish List you can check out. 

Thanks!!!

Disappointing.

The other day I was thinking abut something I have always known, but for some reason it really hit me this time and made me sad.

I will never be able to read all of the books I want to read. My "to read" list is so long, and it keeps growing. There is no way, even if all I did was sit around and read 24/7/365, that I could finish all of the books on it.

So It's Been a While...

Random Note: I will be running the 2012 New York City Marathon!!! :D

My last post was over a month ago. I have been so busy with school and internships and such. Now, I am still busy, but procrastinating, so of course a blog post is in order.

I have still  been a reading fiend, but I can't say I have enjoyed all of what I've been reading. Waiting, by Ha Jin, for example, was quite a downer. I followed Lin and Manna over their 18 year love affair while Lin attempted to divorce his wife. Their relationship developed, feelings changed and evolved, and eventually, after waiting 18 years, the divorce was obtained.
Manna and Jin marry and have twin sons, but alas married life is not all they had hoped. Manna falls ill and does not seem to have long to live, and Lin realizes, oh hey, I loved my first wife all along. Lucky for him Manna is going to die soon, so he can re-marry wife #1. Until the last sentence, which is Jin's observation that Manna seems to be doing much better and speaks with a voice that is full of life. Waiting was a very appropriate title for this novel.
Oh, and it won some sort of literary award, as many depressing books do.

After remembering the book and writing that sloppy summary, I am suddenly unmotivated, so I'll just list other things I have been reading:

-Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson (Started, didn't finish yet)
-The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen (for a Christian Lit assignment)
-The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (for a multicultural assignment)

Where To Look

http://www.jackflannel.org/ra.html

This web site lists a variety of community based reader-advisory web-sites, book stores, best-seller lists, lists of award winning books, and a few more cool resources.

Enjoy!