Recap

Dear bloggers, readers, and once-in-a-blue-moon visitors,

I guess by now you have noticed that I haven't blogged for quite some time.  In fact, its been since August 2012 that I have written a real-time post.  I knew I would have little blogging time during September to December and decided to write enough posts to last me to the end of the year.  I had planned to create a new stash of reviews during the winter holidays that would be posted throughout the upcoming months while I diligently worked on my archival studies.  No such luck.

My winter holidays were fabulous.  I was super busy doing Christmasy things with E, family, and friends.  I did not, however, manage to write a review nor finish reading more than one book.  The book, Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan, was very Christmasy and thus I cannot even post a review of it as, well... no one is in the Christmas mood anymore.

So, after a few *polite* questions from others about my blog over the last two weeks, I have decided to broadcast my predicament.  I have no reviews for the time being.  I haven't read any books of late... besides some good archival works.  I will try to keep my blog more updated - after all  blogging is a great procrastination tool!

Speaking of which, my annotated bibliography on the management of archives and library calls me...

A Secret in an Envelope...

Click here to view on YouTube (TheCivilWars, 2012).

The Civil Wars: 20 Years

I first heard this band and song in England earlier this summer.  Perhaps I feel a bit nostalgic as summer is now mere hours from being officially over... but I swear I can feel myself being transported to Nottingham when I close my eyes and listen to the lyrics.

Hope you all enjoy the last official day of summer and have a lovely Labour Day!  

I'm back to uni tomorrow.   

First Year of Grad School Complete!

I finished the first year of my MLIS/MAS dual degree Easter Monday.

What did I do to celebrate?
Jumped on a plane to Las Vegas!
It was a great way to unwind, relax, and get prepared for a fun-filled summer spent away from graduate school.

However, I still have a HUGE stack of library books which need to be returned... 22 books to be exact. I already returned over 30 books which I packed into a suitcase. Yes, I traveled to university with an actual suitcase full of books to be returned (it felt super odd). I also kept all of the receipts from this semester's library books, mostly to keep track of what book came from what library. There is quite the collection... at least I feel that I'm putting the library to good use as an upcoming librarian myself!

Receipts for the 55 library books I rented this semester.
(Photo taken by Ms. C)

From 1 masters degree to 2

First off - yayy for awesome songs!

*LOVE* this song! Carly is one of my favourites - this CD came out on valentines day!

In other news... Grad school life hasn't been that exciting - I don't even have any crazy stories to report on over the last month. February flew by, partly because it was a mad-dash to get ready for March assignment due dates. First year is officially over in less than a month!! I have a huge stack of books (you know, the fun ones with awesome plots and reviewable material) that I cannot wait to dive into starting April 9th.

I'd like to say that I am halfway done my two-year MLIS degree... but things have changed since I last wrote. I decided to do a dual masters degree. Two years from now I will be the proud owner of two masters degrees - an MLIS and MAS. I am so excited and so happy that I have this opportunity! Some of you may have picked up along the way of reading my posts that I am a history fanatic. The thought of being the person who manages, preserves, and promotes our cultural record is amazing. Someone pinch me!

Speaking of which, my newest assignment is finding out how to spend $6000 on preservation materials for a rbsc library. I should really get back to discussions on mold, appropriate shelving, and pH testing.... sigh.

Librarian 101

You know you're becoming a librarian when:
your writing a paper and need to find a source on what 'privacy' means in the Canadian context.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know plenty of you are wondering how this all fits into becoming a librarian... let me explain.

This morning, when confronted with this very problem (and fueled by 8 cups of coffee), I began searching my university library's OPAC for academic journal articles. I've always looked to scholarly journal articles for citation needs - they were perfect in plunking a bit of needed credibility into my old undergrad term papers.

However, journal articles weren't cutting it for me today. I took a step back... I thought... and then I realized what I'm actually searching for -- definitions! One flashback to classes on reference sources and "that's a bingo!!" I found the perfect (reputable and Canadian) online dictionary for my needs.

Suddenly all of last semester's information on 'where to look for what' when answering reference interview questions is paying off for my own paper-writing needs.

Lovely.

Hello, Hello!

So sorry to leave this blog unattended for so long! I finished my first semester at Library School in early December. I was exhausted and the thought of blogging was way too much for my body or mind to fathom immediately after handing in my last assignment.

Flash-forward a week after gaining freedom from Library School's due dates... and E was here for the holidays. He *almost* missed the plane. He's asked me not to glorify his actions - but I can't resist. He was stuck in traffic in London and ended up running for the plane (he's got all the athletic skill in this relationship haha). There were a few minutes I believed he wouldn't make the flight... and when he finally told me he was seconds from take off I was ecstatic!

During the holiday season I acquired a Sony ereader. I know this blog proudly displays the sign "i pledge to read the printed word." And, don't get me wrong, I still do. However, I have fallen in love with the ereader... and I know it will come in handy next time I travel across the Atlantic (*hint - there's a future trip a'brewing!).

I'm now in Library School's second semester. I am so glad I finished my foundation classes - they were brutal. However, I now have major procrastination problems... I'd like to think that is not why I'm writing here... but you and me both know it probably has something to do with it ;)

I may not be able to read as frequently as I would wish, but I am still planning to keep Coffee Tales up. Future posts will provide accounts of caffeinated graduate school adventures of many shapes and forms... along with book entries and hopefully a recipe or two.

Hope all is well,
Ms. C

October Library School Update

You know when you have SO much to do that you're stressed out? Combine stress with a whole whack of other negative feelings and boom -- that's my life tonight. I can't concentrate despite the looming library school deadlines. I feel confused, upset, rushed, headache-y, and stuck in one spot. It rather sucks...

Having said that, I do really love what I am learning. All of the material is finally clicking - I begin to see things in my environment in a new light. I'm slowly internalizing all of this pedagogy. So, I guess I am doing wonderful in one regard.

I have just a little over a month until Christmas break rolls around... and then sleep! And lots and lots of blogging. And reading for fun!! Oh how I've missed it!


PS - a big, bigggg collective hug to all of you! *hug*

First Two Weeks of Library School

Ahhhh, I haven't written in here forever!

How's the program going?
It's intense. Confusing. Mind-boggling. And, thankfully, interesting.

On the off chance that I'm not thinking about school work and assignments and course readings, I'm thinking about how much I miss E. I'm sure I'll get my head into the right space soon enough.

Lately, we've been learning about just how much information is out there needing to be organized and managed. We've delved into cataloguing, reference work, and IT (the scariest of the scariest topics for me).

They're also supplying us with many, many videos on the crazily expanding amount of information. Here's a recent one:

Book Blogger Hop

This week the Book Blogger Hop asks:

"What are you most looking forward to this fall/autumn season - a particular book release? Halloween? The leaves changing colour? Cooler temperatures? A vacation?"

A:
Library school! I'm starting my master's program this fall (after eagerly waiting for *months*). Yesterday we had a general orientation to the campus and community. I am so very excited to get started on my classes next week! Stay tuned for future posts on my experiences in the program and path to becoming a fully fledged librarian and information scientist :)

Picture Me Wednesday - 2011 Week 21

E is a potter. Not so much an Englishman with the last name Potter (hehe), but more so a guy who knows his pottery.

A few months ago I saw a sturdy white cup in the pottery factory and fell in love. Little did I know that I would soon be receiving one, with a few added personal touches, as a present.

I just love this cup and had to share it online. It is the perfect study companion for a caffeine addicted gal. I know it will be used many, many times come September.

Heresy

Murder. Religion. Heresy.

Heresy, a historical thriller written by S.J. Parris, portrays a series of murders at Oxford University during the 1580s. Parris utilizes the character of an ex-Catholic monk, Giordano Bruno, to uncover suspicious and brutal deaths at Oxford. In doing so, Parris examines tensions between Catholicism, Protestantism, and intellectual modes of thought in Elizabethan England.

Picture Me Wednesday - 2011 Week 19

Photo taken @ York, England.

I'm the graduate this afternoon!
I've waited a long, long time... but finally *today* is the day.
Yayy!

Learning Curves

It would be a lie to say that I didn't seriously contemplate what book to bring on my trans-Atlantic flight. I needed a book that could entertain me for just over 9 hours. I even purchased a book specifically for this occasion. But, said book never made it on the journey. Instead, I began Gemma Townley's Learning Curves a few day's before leaving for England.

A few years ago, when I first purchased Townley's book, I had read the first few chapters and then given up. But, for some reason, the banana yellow spine of this work called out to me in early April. By the time I was packing my suitcase, I was more than halfway into the novel. Looks like I had no choice but to bring Learning Curves along for the journey.

March 2011 in Review

I haven't done a month-in-review post for a lonnnng time and I think March 2011 calls for one.

Why?

It was a great month for Coffee Tale Reviews... and me in general.

In March....

Good News!

I am ecstatic that today is International Women's Day. I woke up this morning feeling rather dull. After making a cup of tea I ventured onto facebook, blogs, and finally to my e-mail accounts. What did I find? An e-mail of 'unofficial' acceptance into the graduate school I've always wanted to attend!! I couldn't think of a better day for me, a self-proclaimed third wave feminist, to find out (even if it is tentative). I think within the next week I should be officially informed of my status.

But, I have a confession. I had no clue it was International Women's Day until a few short hours ago. I feel ashamed... slightly. For, while I think it is great to recognize women's issues, I also think it is important to recognize the problems that all genders encounter. Equality for all, right?

Catching Up

Wow, it feels like I haven't written on here in weeks! I've got news... and I'm not even sure where to start.

1. A few weeks ago I stopped in Victoria for a little getaway. I seriously love Vancouver Island and Victoria especially. It has this Englishness to it that I find undeniably attractive. While I was there this February with E, we stumbled across an antiques store with National Socialist artifacts. Being the hardcore 20th century European History major that I am, you can only imagine my excitement. We left the store with 1944 Reichsmarks, a 1938 postcard, and a 1943 stamp illustrated with Hitler's portrait.

2. E brought a wonderful book along with him in January. I finished reading it the night he flew back... and I'll be reviewing it shortly.

3. What ever happened to those 2011 reading challenges? In January I was so set on completing 15 historical fiction novels and 5 classical fiction works. I'm halfway through reading Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford and a little bit stuck. Is there such a thing as reader's block?

4. I have a feeling I'll be reviewing The Zookeeper's Wife before Cranford reaches Coffee Tale Reviews. I started The Zookeepers Wife a few hours ago. I'm only 100 pages in and it's addictive!

5. I recently received a letter from my university. The news? I now have a B.A. With Distinction :)

6. I'm going to Europe! I am so so so stoked to be visiting E in April.

Shout-Out

The other day K brought to my attention a new ad gracing the local city buses. The ad was very simple - a yellow background and white text. The ad was for survivors of sexual abuse.

But, here's the kicker that has led me to my keyboard --- the ad was for the BC Society For Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse.

When K told me of the ad I immediately searched for the website. I wanted to know more. It's not that I haven't heard of male sexual abuse - university courses on gender, family, and sexuality have amply exposed me to the issue. What was new, was that I was seeing and hearing about this issue out in the open... in our contemporary society... outside of the classroom.

So many people are silent (or snicker and raise eyebrows) when male sexual abuse is voiced as a concern. A raped man? I can't even recall a media story on this issue... or a novel, for that matter. A man with a black eye? "Oh, he surely got that in bar fight," we all assume. It is refreshing that these presumptions are beginning to be challenged in our society... and in large part due to third wave feminism.

Some of you may know that I am a self-declared feminist. Feminism, and particularly Jessica Valenti's work, brought me out of a bout of self-destructive behaviour a few years ago. Feminism addresses tough gender issues such as sexual reproduction rights, eating disorders, and male sexual abuse.

So, here's my Shout-Out:
Thank you, third wave feminism, for bringing awareness to male sexual abuse. And, thank you for empowering people to be themselves without excuse.

Book Blogger Hop

This week Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books asks: What book influenced or changed your life? How did it influence / change you?

A: The Diary of Anne Frank. I avidly read through this book as a young girl. It was one of my first experiences reading a work concerning the Holocaust, and I shortly became addicted to learning about the time period through both historical accounts and fiction. My attraction to Holocaust studies has lead to an university degree and volunteering at a Holocaust education centre. I'll shortly be reviewing a few works on the Holocaust, as well.

How did a book influence you?

Whoso List to Hunt

There's just something about poetry - it can say so much and yet so little at the same time. It is blatant, to the point, and metaphorical. It is a complex and yet beautifully simple form of art.

I adore poetry and yet it is not something that I frequently read. But with a snowstorm heading towards my town, the fireplace roaring, and coffee in hand (yes, at 10:30 PM), I've fallen into a poetry kind of mood.

Picture Me Wednesday - 2010 In Review

This week I searched my photo archive for a picture that summed up my experience of 2010. I couldn't find just one. Instead, I've created a top five list of photos that illustrate some of the finer (and memorable) points of the year.