#for the library science degree it's only 2 years

[rifle-yes]

Library mutuals, library friends of a friend, and library cryptids who are more than six degrees of separation from me:

Hey y'all.

My introductory earth science/geology class recently submitted a podcast project that required them to use at least one of 42 books as a source. Students were informed that these books were freely available in our university library in quantities sufficient to support every single group.

However, while grading their podcasts, I started to notice a pattern that prompted me to stop and re-listen to all the podcasts so that I could start an Excel sheet to track The Patten.

Y'all. 72% of my students declined to go to the library to get their free book.

58% opted to purchase their book (& I need to stress, these are not "fun read" books for most of the population)

13% simply didn't use a book because of reasons from the "I didn't want to/I don't know how/I'll just take the point deduction" family

1% told me they found a pdf online.

After speaking with my classes, it genuinely seems like they are intimidated by the library and/or unsure of how to navigate it. A lot of them hadn't been inside a library since their elementary school years. (The only really positive news that came out of the talk was that one student referred to the DDC as the "Dew Drop Numbers" and I don't know why but I love that.)

Anywho, I have a lot of freedom with my labs, and so I want to organize a library field trip class that includes an in-library lab. (& please don't stress, once I have an idea I plan to reach out & get the approval of my Library Bestie)

I was thinking if I put this lab at the start of the class, they could actually use this lab to gather and check out their sources for their podcasts, but I'm really struggling to come up with something that wouldn't be just "look for your sources!" because I can already see students blindly grabbing 3 books at random and calling it a day.

I've never done anything like this before, and neither has my Library Bestie, so I'm wondering if anyone here has ideas or experience with activities that could keep 20-40 undergraduates engaged and exploring the library for 1-2 hours.

I'm open to and appreciate any suggestions!

[spoiled-oatmeal]

Modern! Mhin Headcanons Pt.2

Hello! I’ve had more time than I thought to keep writing. I needed to figure out what everyone else was doing before I could write the next fic in this series-like AU. Hopefully, I can keep up with writing, and I’m hoping that I am improving with my writing. Enjoy and feel free to let me know any ideas or suggestions!

previous <2.5> next

~~

Leander

The president of the most well-known frat house around campus.

When he first got to college, the frat house was close to closing down due to dwindling membership and policy violations.

He decided to join in the hopes of building the house into something memorable.

He is currently in his senior year of his bachelor's degree.

He studies Political Science and is very well known around campus.

Leander loves meeting people and loves to flirt with people even more.

Throws large parties at the frat house every weekend and seemingly through every break.

He always invites Vere, Kuras, and Ais, he’s tried to invite Mhin but they’ve rarely ever accepted.

Kuras always says he was busy, and Vere only goes when Ais does.

He has always tried to butter up Vere in the attempts to gain their affection but Vere only uses him for free drinks.

Kuras

He’s a clinical doctor and he started a free clinic in a lower-income part of town.

He often goes on walks through parks and carries a small bag of seeds and fish food pellets to feed any that he sees.

Loves going to libraries and museums in his free time.

He is often found reading in cafes when he's not in the clinic.

He’s a horrible cook and is banned from every kitchen he enters.

Often orders food but does have subscriptions to pre-made foods from things like Factor or Blue Apron.

He’s met Vere a few times and cannot stand them, won't tell anyone why.

Whenever there is a fight or anything at one of Leander’s parties, he is normally the first one called.

The first time Kuras met Mhin was when they stumbled on the steps of his clinic with bad wounds when Mhin was still in high school.

Kuras has known Mhin and Leander since they were in high school and has been looking after both of them since.

Ais

Ais earned his CNA certification to help Kuras in his clinic.

He’s not officially employed by Kuras, but stops in from time to time.

He’s friends with Leander and occasionally attends his parties, but has gotten into fights with him on occasion.

He got close to Kuras by listening to his talk about medicine. He tried to talk to Mhin about it too but got annoyed with their attitude and stopped trying.

He owns a lot of animals, most of them being dogs.

He started fostering dogs, but occasionally gets too attached and decides to adopt them.

Growing up, he kept a lot of unusual pets, like frogs he collected outside to bearded dragons and hermit crabs.

Despises seafood and normally tells people he has a shellfish allergy to stop them from asking more questions.

Keeps to himself mostly but has occasionally gotten in trouble with the law for fighting.

Rumors go around that he used to be a gang leader, but no one's brave enough to ask him.

Vere

Vere got popular on social media for beauty reviews, fashion tips, and gossip.

He also has a side account that posts his art, which is also very popular.

In his free time, when he's not painting, drinking, or doing his extensive self-care regimen, he is hanging out with Ais.

Most people assume they're a couple, but Vere sees it as a friends-with-benefits situation.

Vere’s not a college student; his account got popular in high school, and he never saw a need to get a degree.

He first met Mhin at one of Leander’s parties, and they both immediately despised each other. Vere takes any chance available to mock or insult them.

Anytime Kuras is called to the parties, Vere quickly makes himself scarce.

He refuses to associate with him and prefers to tend to his injuries.

Ais occasionally uses his knowledge of medicine and whatever he picks up working with Kuras to tend to Vere whenever he gets injured.

Avoids most caffeine and sugars to stay in shape and keep his skin clear, but does treat himself to the occasional boba tea.

Mhin

Mhin is a night owl; they prefer to do their studying and homework late at night.

Getting a class only available in the morning disrupts their entire semester.

They met Kuras when they were in high school, and he helped them realize their interest in medicine.

Mhin doesn’t have great bedside manners when working with patients, so they decided to go down the research path instead.

They’re not much older than Leander, but Mhin finished their bachelor’s degree a year faster; They are currently in their first year of their master’s program.

Mhin rarely goes to parties; they hate being around large groups of people, but whenever they do go, they are the type of person to sit in a corner and play with the host's pet the entire time.

The week before finals week, Mhin was stressed with studying and decided to accept one of Leander's invites to his party, and they ended up hooking up with Leander and regretted it the next morning. They’ve never done it again.

They met Ais and Vere at one of Leander’s parties, and they met Leander through a gen ed class, and they were assigned to a group together.

Leander was the person who gave them odd jobs to help Mhin pay for their undergraduate degree when they were struggling financially. Mhin was never happier than when they were able to stop taking jobs from him when they found a more stable job.

Growing up, Mhin used to go fishing with their father; they don’t do it much anymore, but they still enjoy eating fish.

[nightmareb1tch]

My idea for how Season 4 Episode 1 Umbrella intros could have gone. *Headcanons*

I think the Sparrow Academy should've been reset along with the Umbrella Academy, and that the first two episodes should've just been building up the characters and the tension. I also personally would like it better if season 4 was just about how they eventually find each other and cope with their childhood trauma and this new world they're living in.... Kind of like a filler season.

Like imagine we cut to 6 years later, and Luther goes to the library, then meets a chick that reminds him a lot of Sloane, she's in the non-fiction section. Which area? None other than the books about space!

He finds out that this is- in fact, Sloane. She has been working at the library for a while now, her favorite section is the Space books in non-fiction, as it reminds her a lot about him. When she walked away, she was alone, in another part of town. She missed him very much and has been trying to find out as much as she could about where he was so she could see him. So far, she is working minimum wage as a librarian and has been working on a Degree in science and engineering.

She walks Luther over to her house, in which he immediately notices Fei. She has been living in Sloane's house, and most strangely, she actually has eyes. She is staring up at the ceiling and seems to be almost spaced out.

Cut to Viktor working in a bar, when he suddently hears a familiar sound, almost like Christopher, but there was no floating cube in sight, how was this possible. He was just about to go back when the guy right next to him spoke, yet again, in the weird language. He turns to see a guy conversating with the ladies, and occasionally slipping some of his unusual dialect in the conversation. Viktor says causiously: "Christopher?" The guy turns around and says, in distorted english: "Long time, no see, huh Viktor?"

It then goes to Diego and Lila, trying to manage 2 kids playing as they set up the things for one of the kids birthdays. Lila is chasing a kid with a knife in their hand. (one they got from Diego's stash) She eventually catches up to the kid and grabs the knife out of their hand, throwing it towards Diego. It just barely misses him as he chuckles and puts down the kid he was holding on the floor. Lila tells the kids to go play while they set up the decorations for the kid's birthday. Diego and Lila move in for a kiss as the two kids hurry to get out of there and into the ball pit, not wanting to see their parents being so lovey dovey.

Then Diego gets a phone call from Klaus, and the camera cuts to Klaus in a pawn shop, completely sober. He has been working there for some time and even says that he may be promoted to store manager pretty soon, which he says is not a big deal, but enough to make sure he gets ahead. He tells Diego that he may be able to take some time off to come to his kid's birthday party after all and that he is so stoked to be there, as he does, a familiar face walks in, Ben, not the Sparrow Ben either, but number 6 Ben as Klaus is probably the only one who actually noticed the difference. He wonders how this is possible, as he drops the phone and leaves Diego to question if he's still there.

Then it goes to Allison, who is spending time with her child and walks by a gym, where she sees someone almost like Marcus there. She shrugs it off and goes to cross the street. She walks into a building where it seems like they are setting up for something. She goes to the people on set and tells them that she doesn't think that these lines are very good. The director tells her that she doesn't get to choose as she is a commercial actress and therefore, not a real actress. She snaps at the director, getting her fired from what is revieled to be the 5th acting job this week.

Claire just sighs as she walks out of the set, leaving Allison to follow her. They have a bit of an altercation, and just as Claire turns to yell at Allison, she bumps into a slightly deformed guy who tells her to be careful, as he turns around, Allison recognizes him as none other than Alphonso.

The camera then cuts to a kind of alleyway, where Five is hand to hand with some big ass guy who says "You're pretty strong, for a kid." They go all out, blood and broken bones. Five wins the match by knocking out the other dude and goes to collect his money and walk out when he suddenly hears a female voice behind him challenging him to a fight. He turns and sees Jayme, before he can even respond, her phone rings, causing all the others to groan, some muttering about why she would even take a phone to a streetfight.

It turns out to be S!Ben on the other line and that he's in jail. She looks at Five, then turns to the phone and says that she's kind of busy and asks him why he couldn't find someone else. He tells her that since she is also doing things that risk her being in jail, she was the best option. Jayme then sighs and yells at Five that this is not over as she runs in the other direction.

Five lets out a short, humorous "sure" as he collects his money and runs in the other direction as the others are distracted. He eventually gets into an apartment complex, and pays some guy rent as he walks into his own room, slamming the door behind him as the guy lectures him about his less than legal ways of getting money. He walks over, takes a sip of vodka out of a bottle, and says in a bored voice "That was the strangest thing I've ever seen"

Honestly, I think the Sparrows are pretty interesting characters and should be more than just one-off characters and that the Umbrella academy was done really shitty in this season. Like, they could've done more with their characters than just "The world is ending and it's their fault! It would be better if they never existed!"

I know this sucks, but i'm trying...

[agentnatesewell]

oh, are we asking random questions?

what was suri like as a teenager

was her style and interests the same or different?

what would she be if she wasn't a detective?

did she go to college or anything beyond that? if so, what were her focuses?

one detail [whether personality or style or interest] that you headcanon about suri that is different from canon -- not added on but different, e.g., suri rides a bike instead of uses the hatchback as often, suri has known tina and bobby since middle school instead of meeting them as adults, suri has more than one outfit, etc.

Hello, Grape beloved! I am taking Suri questions! Thank you for the questions! A lot of these I hadn’t formed too well, and I have had a fun time developing these answers

1) What was Suri like as a teenager? Suri was … restless, as a teenager (large, empty house, absent parents, removed reminders of her father). She took her schoolwork seriously (another motivator being Rebecca, who had a high level position wherever she worked - Surina aspired to that), but that only occupied so much of her time. On the weekends, she would do odd jobs around Wayhaven, mainly biking across the town with flower deliveries from the local florist (as she got older, the florist owners taught her how to arrange bouquets). Also, though trying to keep from spiraling, she was somewhat rebellious. Mainly getting in trouble for pushing the school dress code limits, and being caught kissing/making out with various admirers in her peer group (or visiting students) under the school bleachers and the quiet stacks of the library. Her nannies were called a lot, and sometimes even Rebecca

2) Was her style and interests the same or different? Her style is more refined, now that she’s had experiences outside of Wayhaven - Paris street fashion has been a big influence. Her style is more high end now, and maybe a few years behind current trends though tries to be more timeless (and being in Wayhaven, the trends and styles are always a few years behind). At the beginning of book one, she attempted to be a little more subtle and professional with her new detective position, but now being an agent, her style is more on the side of fashionable (I need to put together her outfit collage). Interests, she still enjoys relationships and making out with people, lol, but really enjoys yoga. And doing various educational activities with the citizens of town.

3) What would she be doing if she wasn’t a detective? Had Suri continued her original plan, she would have continued her with work with UNESCO, working on designating/maintaining world heritage sites and travel/tourist sites (why she went back to Wayhaven in the first place). So, she’d continue to travel and work across the world, maybe return to the headquarters in France

4) Did she go to college or anything beyond that? If so, what were her focuses? Yes! Suri has a bachelor’s degree (environmental sciences) and a master’s degree (communications). These are subject to change but around the same realm

5) One headcanon that is different from canon? That Surina and Bobby still met in college, but that he is only one year above her. I also like to headcanon that they went to high school together. Also, Surina had a very nice detective office (like the one described for Tina, Suri didn’t have a bare thread office with an easily breakable desk)

Thank you for asking!

[the-audio-archive]

⠀ »(EPISODE 2)«

╭──────────╮

𝚂𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚊𝚙𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎?

╰──────────╯

└——————— - [ 📼 ]. +〘𝚈𝚎𝚜〙 or 𝚗𝚘

⠀⠀✧ 1:20 ─〇───── 15:00

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⇄   ◃◃   ⅠⅠ   ▹▹   ↻

Okay, listeners! The radio is fixed! My friend received the parts, and we both have the next couple hours free, so let’s see if I can connect with Blu again! It’s about the same time we talked to them last time, anyways! Okay… zeki, would you introduce yourself while I set the radio station?

You hear some fidgeting with the radio while a new voice pipes up, deeper than the previous two that have previously been heard. It sounds a little bit husky underneath the drowsiness.

Hi, I’m Ezekiel. Novah calls me zeki. I work in IT for a big company, and have a passion for technology. Especially radios, as I’m sure you’ve heard. Um… I guess that’s intro enough, they look done.

Wonderful intro, zeki, couldn’t have introduced you better myself! There’s a slight pause before Novah continues speaking. Is Blu there?

Yes she is! I recognize that voice! What happened last time?

Novah immediately responded, sounding thrilled.

Blu! I’m guessing your pronouns are she/her then? Good to know! My radio is super old, and parts are… apparently uncommon. It gave out on me unexpectedly, so I had my friend fix it! Zeki is here now, actually! He’s making sure this time runs smoothly.

Hi, Blu!

Hihi! Good to hear from you again, Novah! And nice to meet you, Zeki! My pronouns are she/he/they actually! Gosh, your radio really gave out on you? That must’ve been so stressful!! How hard was it to fix, since the parts are uncommon?

Oh! Okay! Thank you for sharing your pronouns! Zeki should answer the mechanical stuff. I don’t really know much when it comes to that.

Well, I won’t bore you with the semantics. You just have to know where to look, and be okay with using parts that will work, just aren’t necessarily built for that specific radio or whatever you’re repairing. It’s… kind of like building a new computer in a way- you don’t have to buy all the parts from one manufacturer. You can mix and match as long as the computer can run okay and do what you want it to do in the end because the parts are compatible. The most tedious part was the shopping, the rest was fun since i like working with my hands.

Oh! Okay! It’s so cool that you know how to work with electronics like that! If we ever speak again, I’d love to hear more about electronic repair! How do you even know so much about this kind of stuff?

Blu sounded like he genuinely intended to ask about the topic at a later date, and must think electronics were interesting, much like Zeki.

Picked it up as a hobby, and I have a career in IT. Wasn’t too bad college wise, only took four years to get my computer science degree!

Novah piped up next, sounding ready to move topics.

Blu, last time we spoke, you said you had a lot of extra curricular activities for school? What ones do you have?

You could hear the extra excitement in Blu’s already unusually animated voice as she spoke about her activities. She sounds like she truly cares and is into what she is gushing about!

Yes! Gosh, I have so many things! I’m in a science club; I’m one of the club leaders, so I help find conventions and events for us to attend, plan what happens each meeting, lead the club meetings and discussions, things like that! I’ve also joined a ham radio club, I’m there right now! I’m just one of the attendees though! I definitely don’t know enough about ham radio to run the club! That’s just school activities though, I also volunteer at the library near where I live, and I work on drag looks and post them online, I want to be a content creator for drag specifically some day!

You hear some delighted chuckles from both Novah and Zeki before Zeki pipes up again.

Wow, sounds like you’re incredibly busy! Do you have any time for relaxation, kiddo?

No, well, sort of! I get some here and there, mostly on weekends, but I like my schedule pretty full! I like to always be doing something, I feel happier and more like myself when I’m out doing things and interacting with others! So, I guess I don’t really need downtime!

You hear what you assume is Zeki cluck his tongue, but was just ambiguous enough to be Zeki or Novah, realistically.

Be careful to not burn yourself out or keep a too busy schedule, kiddo! I know we just met, but I truly do want to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.

There was a short pause, and it sounded like Novah started to say something before Blu nervously piped up.

Thanks zeki! Don’t worry, I’m definitely taking care of myself! I’ll keep my schedule in mind, though. Speaking of which, I gotta head home and work on homework. Maybe I’ll catch you both another time!

The radio started to play static, and you hear it get turned off. you hear Novah start to give Zeki an earful.

Did you have to lecture Blu about his schedule, Zeki? I know they’re just a kid, but I’m sure they have themselves figured out!

The recording clicked off.

╭──────────╮

𝙴𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗

╰──────────╯

╭──────────╮

𝙵𝚕𝚒𝚙 𝚝𝚊𝚙𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝙱?

╰──────────╯

└——————— - [ 📼 ]. + 𝚈𝚎𝚜 or 〘𝚗𝚘〙

[white-guy-energy-swag]

GREEN NERD SHOWDOWN ROUND 1 BATTLE 2

JONATHAN SIMS FROM THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES VS DONATELLO FROM TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

PROPAGANDA

JONATHAN

He’s just a nerd generally. He also started off the series as really posh and “doesn’t believe in the supernatural” (it’s a coping mechanism). Then as the series goes on, becomes a know-it-all. Supernaturally. He gets the powers to know (almost) everything. He doesn’t really have a canon appearance, (podcast) but TMA as a whole is associated with green because of the pictures used for it.

The Magnus Archives cover is green, and per the unofficial rules of eye-themed podcasts, the fanart tends to lean towards a green color pallette. Jon Sims art frequently has him wearing green. And he's so nerdy. He researches and archives supernatural encounters. His preferred ice cream flavor is rum raisin. He went to Oxford and faked his accent. His social skills are abysmal. When someone asked if he'd seen a dog he responded with "…In general?"

Green eye powers plus he works at an archiving job not only that but the head archivist and has a degree in library science+not many friends and a loner

That man saw someone being kind to him and decided they were going to murder him

HE SEES ALL (also he needs a break. That man has so many scars and so much trauma get a that guy a fuckin nap and a raise)

DONATELLO

Green skin, dedicated nerd/tech guy of the group for like 40 years now. I'll get Vei in here to tell you more.

literally green (turtle), big ass nerd (science, chem, botany, engineering, compsci), canonical autism icon

Bro is a massive nerd and proud of it. He actively attempts to make his 3 other brothers just as nerdy as him by scientifically altering them. He has lots of tech and admits to being able to do dewey decimal mathematics (Dewey decimal being a library categorisation system). He outright rejects things that aren't scientific 90% of the time and actively argues sciences superiority. Also he's a massive fanboy of a comic book character within the series called Jupiter Jim (his fav is atomic Lass). So yeah, green purple turtle is a massive nerd.

Literally green. Also a nerd.

[ravelqueen]

Super fascinating to me that several sources (Elias, some of the monsters, the archive Lady in China) have commented that Jon is not even just Good at being the archivist - but that he's paticularly talented at it, that even after only 2 years he's better at it than Gertrude - that Elias really managed to strike gold finding him.

Like no spoilers (im about halfway through) but i wonder if they ever go more into why Jon is particularly receptive towards the Eye's power/ why Gertrude wasn't

(Also I fucking love contrasting all those creepy/ shady people telling Jon about his destiny with Georgie going "lol you don't even have a degree in library science, no wonder magic destiny has to be involved you' def didn't get that job on merit.")

[alianoralacanta]

hello! i remembered you took a course in library sciences if i recall correctly, and i've always loved reading your essays. i was wondering who to ask for tips on academic research and i felt you were the perfect person to ask!

strangely my instructor is encouraging us to use scholar GPT, saying that if we didn't use AI for searching for literature, writing, etc then we would fall behind. let me just say, i did, convincing myself i'd only use it that one time on a time crunch. i then got lazy, and i felt extremely unproductive.

i would love any advice or anything really that you could give! i'm in STEM, i don't think that is particularly relevant but just in case it is. although it doesn't have to be exclusive to that, only supplementary. thank you

Warning! Long entry alert!

Thank you for the ask! You remember correctly, I studied library sciences, which included some research training. I'm also in the early part of degree #2 (IT with - long story - a history component).

Firstly, I should ask: is this for searching for literature, or a literature search? To a non-student, those will sound identical. However, there's a big difference at university/college level. Searching for literature is simply getting sources to understand a topic. Most university/college coursework requires this to some extent. A literature search seeks to obtain every significiant item of knowledge about a very narrow question. It is typically not needed until the third year of undergraduate level.

Most of my advice is focused on the first question. However,

Some of the departments have given different ideas for how to research (which makes sense - library science is a social science, IT is a pure science and history is an art). However, most of it is applicable across disciplines.

AI is not ready to do literature searching of either type. It has too many hallucinations and mistakes to be useful. However, I can see why an instructor might ask people to use it anyway:

Part 1 – Providing Alternative Viewpoints

University and college are partly there to provide contrary opinions and challenge received wisdom. Academia in general is aware that AI is a hot topic and most universities and colleges have strong anti-AI-in-academia opinions. Thus, any of several pro-AI positions might be posited by other academics to ensure that students think about their use of AI instead of reflexively taking a position and never reconsidering it.

You may be being asked to consider multiple takes on the subject, as this is good training for the official course material in upper levels of degree courses. If you have no insight into your instructor's motives, this is the safest reason to assume, because it doesn't assume anything about their actual opinion (for example, it's possible to be anti-AI, still advocate thinking about AI through multiple lenses and thus be willing to take an opinion one does not actually believe for the benefit of students' developing a thoughtful approach to AI).

The proper answer to this is to make a sensible decision about AI and be prepared to revise it. You've used the tools currently on offer and found them inadequate, so different techniques are appropriate. You have, therefore, done your honest best as a student to thoughtfully consider the matter.

The sensible move in 2025 is to avoid using AI for literature search. However, colleges and universities want students to think about this and not simply assume the position they had entering university is or will continue to be the case. That applies to AI and almost every other topic the university/college teaches.

[elysiuminfra]

theres a community college near me with shockingly affordable tuition and they offer so many 2 year degrees that are extremely enticing. they have an animation and video game dev program, video and experimental media, library sciences and trades...... it's achievable. i could go one day, once i have a better paying job and the time on my hands. it's a straight shot from my bus stop so transportation wouldnt even be an issue. the only problem is, once i can afford to go, choosing which program i want to sink two years of my life into. i don't know what i want to do with my life yet! the most obvious choice money-wise is HVAC, which i am interested in and would enjoy doing, but jesus christ. an animation program....... they even have a storyboarding class and a robust art community..... you bastards i need a career that'll make me financially secure and you're dangling that beautiful 2 year animation degree over my head.

[starry-eve]

Progress?

Today I have been thinking about all the work I have done thus far on my library and my reading hobby.

Has it been worth it?

Is it a life well spent?

I guess I don’t need a personal library. I could have just enjoyed reading whatever books crossed my path. Maybe I would have ended up reading more if I’d done it that way. Maybe I would have enjoyed the process more.

Maybe it would have been less of a methodical journey and more of a fun, leisurely one.

Was it/is it really necessary for me to experience every single genre known to readers?

Just because I was once, a very very long time ago, an English major who dreamed of getting an advanced degree and teaching at a college level, doesn’t mean that I must now own every single classic in the Western Canon, or read massive ancient epic poems when I would rather read a thriller or a even a modern literary novel.

Why am I holding onto history books that I don’t have any interest in reading?

I sometimes wonder if I had less books, I might have more time to read and actually get to enjoy them.

Here’s the best question of all:

Why did I spend an entire beautiful Saturday decluttering my bookshelves and I still don’t feel like I’ve even remotely put a dent in this issue?

***

I know that people reading my posts must think I have a really bad case of first world problems.

But, this is really bothering me.

Here’s what I did do the past two weekends:

1. I cleaned and dusted all the bookshelves in my bedroom.

2. I moved science fiction (except for Ursula K. LeGuin) out of my bedroom and now the only two genres in there are somefantasy and gothic/horror.

3. I went through all my poetry and classics and completely organized them, inventoried them, and recorded them.

4. I still don’t know how I feel about reading fantasy…but I spent a lot of time learning about the fantasy genre and the main books and series out there. And I own them all.

5. I still don’t know how I feel about reading science fiction. But I own every major work of the genre.

6. I don’t especially like romance, but I have a collection of popular and pretty romance novels.

7. I don’t know how I feel about historical fiction because I’ve never read any. But I have every popular one you could imagine.

8. I think I like literary fiction. For a while i wasn’t sure, but I think I do. I have looooooots of it.

9. And then there’s mystery…I am also not sure about it. But I hit the jackpot thrifting and now have toooooooons of it.

***

In short:

I have a personal library of over 2000 books, in a variety of genres, but I read at a snail’s pace, and I have tried very little in the way of genre fiction (except thrillers, gothics, and horror).

Do you see the problem I have???

My dilemma is simple:

Do I have a museum worthy collection of every classic and the best of every genre? But only end up reading/wanting to read a tiny portion?

Or do I let go of my vast and “aesthetically beautiful collection” and just keep a smaller, more manageable library of books that I am more likely to read and enjoy?

I’m really really stuck!

My worst fear is that I will suddenly get really into classics, or suddenly get into one of the many genres I have…and I will miss this library.

Once it’s gone… I know that I don’t have the time or the strength or the patience to acquire it again.

It took several years…and a looooooot of hard work.

But…

At the same time, it would be so much easier to have a smaller library to manage and to feel like I’m actually making some sort of progress in this hobby.

Right now, I feel more like a librarian than a reader. 😞

I’m really confused.

I read so dang slow.

I’ve been reading since my divorce—since 2017. It’s been 8 years. And I’ve only read 194 books.

Grant it, there was a stupid pandemic. And I got really sick. And for at least one of those years I was still trying to get my mental health cleared up. And at least one of those years I was trying to find my first home. Then my second home.

But still.

People on BookTube read that much in 2 years. Typically.

I don’t deserve a library like this.

I will never be able to read through it.

[aedislumen]

26 for the ask game （╹◡╹）

26. Forgotten hero everyone should know about

This could have been a perfect occasion to talk about Claude-Antoine Prieur again, but given that I plan to devote him many future posts on my blog, I thought it would have been more appropriate to use this ask to share my knowledge about an important and unfortunately still rather unknown STEM personality, who truly inspired me when I was a young student. I'm referring to Sophie Germain.

Born in Paris in 1776, Sophie was one of the rare mathematiciennes of the 18th-19th century. She had her first approach with mathematics during the days of the storming of the Bastille, when it was too dangerous for a young 13 years old girl to go outside. To pass the time, she turned to her father's library and a book named "Histoire des mathématiques" by Jean-Étienne Montucla captured her interest. The story of Archimedes narrated in the book fascinated her deeply, eventually leading her to start studying mathematics on her own through the works by famous mathematicians like Euler, Newton, Cousin. Her interest and dedication to the discipline was so strong, that during winter, when her parents denied her warm clothes and a fire in her bedroom to prevent her from studying she kept doing it anyway despite the cold; at the time maths wasn't considered appropriate as a studying discipline for a woman.

When the Polytechnic school opened in 1794, women couldn't attend, but the policy of the school allowed to everyone, who asked for them, notes of the lectures. She requested them under the pseudonym of Antoine-Auguste Le Blanc, a former student who had dropped out. Given that, as a student of the Polytechnic school, one was expected to send written observations about the lectures - a sort of homework - Germain wrote and sent hers to Joseph-Louis Lagrange, one of the teachers and renowned mathematician. The latter was so positively impressed by her essays that requested a meeting with the brilliant student LeBlanc, who unexpectedly had improved so much. She was then forced to reveal her identity. Lagrange was pleasantly surprised to realize Monsieur Le Blanc was in reality a young and talented woman and decided to support her, becoming her mentor.

One of her most noteworthy contribution to mathematics was in number theory, where she proved a special case of the so-called Last Fermat's Theorem (1), which has remained one of the hardest mathematical theorems to prove for more than three centuries and whose final proof was actually found only in 1994 by Andrew Wiles. Other important works of hers include treatises on elastic surfaces, one of which, Recherches sur la théorie des surfaces élastiques, awarded her a prize from the Paris Academy of Science in 1816.

Although she often faced prejudice for being a woman, Germain was praised and also supported by various well-known mathematicians of the time. Some of them include the aforementioned Lagrange, Legendre, who thanks to her work on the Fermat's theorem, was able to prove it for another special case; Cousin himself, Fourier, who managed to grant her the permission to follow the sittings held at the Paris Academy of science and last, but obviously not least, the great Gauss, who after Germain's death advocated for giving her an honorary degree in mathematics.

Notes

(1) In short, the Last Fermat's Theorem asserts that for n > 2 there are no integer solutions to the following equation:

with a, b, c being positive integers. Sophie Germain proved the theorem for all numbers n equal to a prime p, so that 2p + 1 is also prime. The whole thing is much more complex that how I explained it, my aim was to write down a simple intoduction. If you want to read more about that I recommend you this link.

[manekapiyumawali]

Why Sabaragamuwa University is a Great Choice.

Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka (SUSL) is increasingly recognized for its technological advancement and innovation-driven environment, making it one of the leading universities in Sri Lanka in terms of technology. Here are the key reasons why SUSL stands out technologically.

Here’s why SUSL stands out as a technological powerhouse among Sri Lankan universities:

🔧1. Faculty of Technology

SUSL established a dedicated Faculty of Technology to meet the demand for tech-skilled graduates. It offers degree programs such as:

BTech in Information and Communication Technology

BTech in Engineering Technology

These programs combine practical experience in labs, workshops and real-world projects with a strong theoretical foundation.

🖥️2. Advanced IT Infrastructure

SUSL has modern computer labs, smart classrooms, and high-speed internet access across campus.

A robust Learning Management System (LMS) supports online learning and hybrid education models.

Students and lecturers use tools like Moodle, Zoom, and Google Classroom effectively.

🤖 3. Innovation & AI Research Support

SUSL promotes AI, Machine Learning, IoT, and Data Science in student research and final-year projects.

Competitions like Hackathons and Innovative Research Symposia encourage tech-driven solutions.

Students develop apps, smart systems, and automation tools (e.g., Ceylon Power Tracker project).

🌐 4. Industry Collaboration and Internships

SUSL connects students with the tech industry through:

Internships at leading tech firms

Workshops led by industry experts

Collaborative R&D projects with government and private sector entities

These connections help students gain hands-on experience in areas such as software engineering, networking, and data analytics that make them highly employable after graduation.

💡 5. Smart Campus Initiatives

SUSL is evolving into a Smart University, introducing systems that streamline academic life:

Digital student portals

Online registration and results systems

E-library and remote resource access

Campus Wi-Fi for academic use

These initiatives improve the student experience and create an efficient, technology-enabled environment.

🎓 6. Research in Emerging Technologies

The university is involved in pioneering research across emerging technological fields, including:

Agricultural tech (AgriTech)

Environmental monitoring using sensors

Renewable energy systems

Students and faculty publish research in international journals and participate in global tech events.

🏆 7. Recognition in National Competitions

SUSL students often reach fina rounds or win national competitions in coding, robotics, AI, and IoT innovation.

Faculty members are invited as tech advisors and conference speakers, reinforcing the university's expertise.

Sabaragamuwa University is actively shaping the future not only with technology, but by integrating technology into education, research and operations. This makes it a technological leader among Sri Lankan Universities. Visit the official university site here: Home | SUSL

[clonerightsagenda]

how hard was library science in college? i need to talk myself out of going back to college

Good news and bad news on that front!

The bad news, if we're trying to talk you out of it, is that library school is pretty easy. It's a professional degree, so most of your coursework is angled toward learning the history and values of the profession and concepts and skills that will serve you in the workforce. I did a mix of papers, projects, and presentations, and I valued what I learned, but I wouldn't call any of it challenging. I did it live, but a lot of people do library school entirely virtually while working a full time job, and the design of a lot of the programs anticipates that.

The good news - a common refrain is that you should try to only go to library school if someone will pay you for it. This is because while it's not a particularly expensive program (only 2 years, not lots of lab fees), it's still grad school, and librarians don't get paid a whole lot. Sometimes if you can get a job at a library or elsewhere, your employer will help cover your tuition. My brother works in a college library rn in a position that doesn't require an MLIS, and he's getting his tuition covered, even if he can only take a class or two per semester. Also, depending on your goal, you may not need an MLIS - some smaller rural libraries don't require them, at least for all positions, and many larger libraries may not require them for certain roles, like access services.

All that being said, it's really up to you. I enjoyed library school, I got it paid for through an assistantship, and I landed a decent paying* job a few months after graduation, so things worked out ok. (*It would not be decent paying if I had any dependents, but since it's just me I do ok.) An MLIS certainly opens up a different tier of library jobs and is a good grounding in the profession. What it doesn't always do is give you a lot of hands on experience. My assistantship was really valuable when applying for jobs. If you go for an MLIS and don't have a library job, consider looking for one or volunteering so you can apply what you learn and have something to stick in your resume.

If you do decide to pursue an MLIS, feel free to reach out again! I have #opinions on how to best make use of your time there, but it depends on your career ambitions.

[historia-vitae-magistras]

I'm sorry if this is a bit too personal, but I'm interested in becoming an archivist myself! I was wondering what classes you took and how exactly you became an archivist. Right now I'm majoring in art history for my undergrad, but I'm worried that I chose wrong 😭

This is only going to be relevant for North America, most archivists in the old world have PhD's and 6 titles, I'm just a lowly peon by EU standards especially but I finished my undergrad after I got my job. I read/majored in history with historic preservation as a secondary study/minor. Then I'm in the process of finishing a master's degree in library science with two certs in archives and manuscripts. Art history isn't a bad choice! You can have a lot of different undergraduate backgrounds. History, Art History, English language. I've met people with degrees in everything from childhood education to microbiology become librarians and archivists. The degrees you get are kind of only technicalities? You need a master's degree and it has to be accredited by the ALA. Everything else is whatever. No one gives a shit I went to a really good school. To be an archivist we do have archives tracks but its still mostly the same degree. Most of the reason we have degrees at all is because the field of library science skews heavily as a female dominated job so having a master's kind of lets us have some fancy pieces of paper that let other's in higher ed and administration i.e. men take us more seriously.

Your degrees and grades are important, but what you really want is experience. Get a library job, volunteer, job shadow, whatever you want, just get your butt in a library and ideally an archive. 9/10 of the people I know are struggling to find positions despite their degrees and good grades can't because they were so academically inclined they didn't think about actual hands on experience. We're technically a kind of academic, but we're one of few types in the humanities where our education is rather secondary to what we actually have experience doing.

If your institution has courses in curation and exhibition, public history, architectural history, cemeteries, anything that takes you out of a classroom and actually doing history, take them. Most archivists work in communities. Whether they be state or local libraries, universities, local history associations, museums, corporate archives etc, etc, we're memory keepers who need really good organization skills. Yes a good piece of our job is filing paperwork but we file the paper work that makes up the bulk of the hippocampus of any given society.

I've been an archival assistant for 6 years and a full archivist for 2 and a charge archivist for 6 months and I don't have my masters degree yet. I got a library job in high school because I had to work off some discipline issues with volunteer hours and a while down the line when I was working three job in undergrad, I got a student position at a circulation desk where I did my first archival work. I didn't really have any intention of being an archivist, I went through a half dozen majors before my body decided it was going to do its best to die and then with a lot of those very exerting possibilities off the table, I landed a third job in a library. And I had a little bit of experience in archives so I rolled to a stop at rock bottom and looked around me and went "oh hey wait, I'm actually really good at this? And it's fun? am I insane or is this a good fit?" and my supervisor agreed and two years later here I am with a well packed resume and more work experience than education and a archivist's title.

[wolf-girl]

the wolf pack members and their ages

With the story starting two years later everyone is two years older anyway. But the pack members specifically would be too young still, at least to me.

I always thought Sam was supposed to be at least three years older than Bella, when it’s really only one year of age difference between them. So, I just decided to age everyone up, because – let’s face it – Collin and Brady being only 12 and Seth just 14 is really insane.

Since that decision lead to most of them being done in school I also thought what they study or what they work as –

Sam – born in 1981, 5 years older

shifts into a wolf shortly before his 25th birthday. He has a degree in biology and archaeology and is a Federal Park Ranger of the Olympic National Park, which makes him a colleague of Charlie and Emmett.

Brandon - born in 1981, 12 years older

shifts for the first time a few days after Sam. He has a bachelor's degree in informatics and became a character rigger, working from home. In the beginning of the story he and Sam live together in Levi Uley's old house, a ten minute walk away from the town's edge of Olympic Bay.

Emily – born in 1984, around 3 to 6 years older

is a teacher of traditional arts at the Peninsula College in Olympic Bay and also bakes various desserts for her parent’s café. She will still be Sam’s imprintee, but she won’t act like a caretaker towards the pack.

Jared – born in 1986, 4 years older

is studying accounting at the Peninsula College in Olympic Bay, simply because he is good at maths. But he has no clue, what he wants to work as later. He is Brandon's younger brother.

Paul – born in 1986, 4 years older

is studying biology and geography at the Peninsula College in Olympic Bay and wants to become a Park Ranger as well.

Kim – born in 1986, 4 years older

is studying linguistics, literature and various languages (she has an easy time learning new languages) at the Peninsula College in Olympic Bay. She aims to become a book translator. She also works at Olympic Bay’s library and will be Ella’s colleague.

Embry – born in 1988, 2 years older

at the beginning of the story, he is in senior year of high school. But he will start an apprenticeship to become a mechanic. He helped Jacob with repairing Billy’s truck, before fixing up an old enduro motorcycle while Jacob worked on his own car.

Jacob – born in 1988, 2 years older

is also finishing senior year and will start an apprenticeship to become a mechanic, just like Embry. Both of them will work and learn in the shop where Rosalie works too.

Leah – born in 1983, 3 years older

is finishing a degree for pharmaceutical and medical sciences, to eventually become a pharmacist, at the University of Washington. She will keep studying during the story and be in Seattle most of the time.

Seth – born in 1989, 3 years older

is in high school junior year at the beginning of the story and will be in senior year when he shifts for the first time.

Quil – born in 1988, 2 years older

is in senior year of high school at the beginning of the story. But he will go to culinary school in Olympic Bay to become a cook when he shifts for the first time.

Collin - born in 1990, 3 years older

is in high school sophmore year at the beginning of the story, will just have finished his junior year and be the youngest member of the pack when he shifts for the first time.

Rachel - born in 1983, 3 years older

she will neither be a shifter, nor Paul's imprintee. But she will still be an important member of the pack, as their sage*.

*the sage of the pack is something new within my rewrite

[alj4890]

If you get this, answer with three random facts about yourself and send it to the last seven blogs in your notifs! Anon or not, doesn’t matter!

Oof, I got five of these requests now 😂 Does that mean fifteen facts? I'll try to do three for each ask. I'm nowhere near interesting enough for this 🤣 Thanks @jerzwriter @angelasscribbles @twinkleallnight @peonierose @aussiegurl1234 for the asks 🥰

1. I have never left the United States. There were multiple times where I'd planned a trip or planned on spending a semester of school out of the country, but something major would happen to keep me stuck here 🤣 I don't think I'll ever get out of here😂

2. I'm an only child who grew up outside of Memphis, TN on fifty acres of land. My only neighbors were family members. My cousins are fourteen, eleven, and nine years older than me, so it was up to my imagination to entertain myself 😂

3. I married an only child. My husband and I decided to have at least two children after his father became seriously ill with his heart and we saw how hard it was on my husband in having to make all the decisions concerning life support. That's how I ended up being the mother of two.

4. I've never had to study. If I read something once, I'm able to remember just about all of it. Not really a photographic memory but close to it. I'm the same with hearing something. I can usually walk out of a movie theater, quoting lines from certain scenes.

5. I never wanted a big wedding (even though I have a huge extended family) because I hate being the center of attention. I dreamed of eloping somewhere beautiful, on a spur of the moment decision. I kinda got my dream. My husband gave in to eloping in the Smoky Mountains during a very snowy January, but he wanted it planned with a tux and wedding dress and just our parents. I gave in and was happy I did after finding the perfect dress and in seeing how much it meant to our parents

6. When I was twenty-nine, I had to have a complete hysterectomy. Benign tumors had taken over my ovaries and were embedded in my uterus. The ones in my uterus had grown and stretched it to the point where it was the size it would have been if I was three months pregnant. Since I wasn't pregnant, it was some of the worst physical pain I've ever experienced with it pressing into various nerves in my back and pelvic region. I've never been more excited to have surgery than that day.

7. I'm not really a crier. I can watch sad movies, lose loved ones, be depressed, but the tears rarely fall. People have been shocked and thought I either didn't really love them or that I have no heart. Trust me, I do, I just don't really cry. The few times I have broken down and actually had tears, my loved ones and friends have panicked not knowing what to do since I'm supposed to be the stoic one of the bunch. It ends up being like that scene in Sense and Sensibility when Emma Thompson breaks down 🤣 Everyone freezes or tries to leave the room 😂

8. I love to laugh and joke around. I have both a silly and extremely sarcastic sense of humor. I use humor in everything and as often as I can. I'm the one you sit by during serious situations if you want to diffuse the tension with a giggle. I've even made people laugh at funerals during my eulogies (all respectful and usually just a funny, sweet anecdote about my loved one). Life is too precious to not find all the little bits of joy we can.

9. I did everything that my late aunt predicted I would in life. She said I would get a teaching degree, which I did. She said I would meet my husband before I graduated college, which I did. She then said I would teach a few years before having my first child, which I did. She then said I would probably get my masters degree between my first and second child, which I swore I was done with college when I graduated but I did do that very thing and got my M.A.Ed. focusing on library sciences between having my two. And to make it all the sweeter, I ended up being like her with having two sons who were exactly the same years and months apart in age as hers were. She was beyond thrilled that I was just like her in that aspect 😂

10. I always thought I would have girls (most of my family has nothing but girls or at least one) Me and my late aunt were the only two to have nothing but boys. It worked out great for me. I've never been into fashion, not really into anything really girly, can't fix hair at all 🤣, and always loved all the superheroes, video games, and Star Wars stuff that makes me the perfect mom for my two boys.

11. I love classic movies. The silent era, the thirties (especially Pre-Code) and the forties are my favorites. I'm amazed with the special effects, the stunning sets, stories, and amazing acting the stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood created. I will devour not only their films, but biographies on anyone working during that time, documentaries, and any tidbit I can find. I was born during the wrong era.

12. I truly believe I could survive happily on nothing but cheese dip, chips, and salsa. And peppers! Jalapeno and Pepperoncini are my favorites. Ghost pepper is becoming a favorite too. Last night, I made a bowl of peppers and ate them like popcorn while watching TV. I love to burn 🤣

13. Winter is my favorite season. Snow is beautiful and I wish I lived somewhere where it was guaranteed to fall for months on end. That's the dream. One day, I hope to move either to Wyoming or to Maine (I've visited both and fell in love with both of them) 😂

14. The hardest thing I've ever experienced in my life was when I suffered a miscarriage. It was my first pregnancy and it was one that wasn't planned. My husband and I had only been married for about six or seven months when I discovered I was pregnant. I was over the moon excited. I bought maternity clothes, started buying baby things like little outfits, bows, toys, etc. Then I started cramping near the end of the third month. Tests were done and it showed the baby stopped developing at eight weeks. No heartbeat. Nothing. I was devastated. I actually prayed I would die during the D and C. I hoped I would have an allergic reaction and die right there on the operating table. I thought it would be easier for my family to lose me that way. I felt like my body had betrayed me in the worst possible way. I hated it and I couldn't stand the depression that set in. This was one of the few times I cried, especially when I woke up after the procedure and saw I'd survived. I continued to pray for death for a few months after it. I knew I couldn't hurt my family by commiting suicide, nor could I talk to them about my feelings, so I begged God to make my heart stop, make my car run off the road and hit a tree, anything to stop the pain I felt. I then begged my husband for a divorce. I didn't want to be around anyone. I didn't want comfort, couldn't stand for anyone to touch me or hug me. I hated our home and the memories it now held for me. I wanted to simply disappear and feel nothing. I didn't want to talk to anyone, respond to what was going on around me, pretend that life was still going on. It was the darkest time in my life. I've written about the one night I broke down the hardest with my husband in a Thomas Hunt fic which was almost cathartic. Everything he and my OC say is the conversation my husband and I had that long and painful night. It still hurts after all these years later, though nowhere near that it once did, and every May I can't help but think I should be celebrating my first child's birthday.

15. That above fact shouldn't be one to end on, so let's end with something funny. With my oldest son, I had an ultrasound to find out if he was a boy or girl on April 1st. Our technician was known to joke around, so I was highly doubtful I was having a boy. I was convinced she was pulling an April Fool's prank on me 🤣 Until he popped out and the proof was in front of me, I thought he might end up really being a girl so I made sure to have a gender neutral outfit packed just in case it really was a joke 😂