Selected Journal Entries
This is a sampling of the journal entries I wrote while working at BHS.
Journal Entry #1 : September 7, 2019
Following orientation, today is my first day as an intern here at BHS. I really like how the day is structured. In the mornings I get to do some reshelving, planning, etc. It’s quiet and calm. The reference questions I have waiting for me in ZenDesk seem pretty straightforward, but I guess we'll see. Cecily has provided some advice on how to go about answering them. I noticed Adrienne is working on a reference request that requires research within the archives, which is something I hope for the opportunity to do in the future. So far I’ve been given inquiries both broad and specific.
I’m already wondering what I will be able to research on my own while I'm here. There’s so much I’m interested in. I guess I’d say I’m interested largely in contemporary history, cultures/subcultures, artifacts, people, and places I go to a lot. For instance, when I was reshelving I noticed a book on the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument at Fort Green Park, which I run by all the time. After all, research feels more interesting when there’s a personal connection to be made. So the prison ship is one idea. Other things that I’ve thought of: doing some kind of centennial-related project (what would the life of a Brooklyn-based Pratt library student in 1920 be like?), Chinese immigration to Brooklyn, and that little row of (likely historic) homes across the street from my apartment that have managed to avoid demolition amidst an unprecedented redevelopment project.
The only real in-person reference question I got was from a man who had come to see the Muslims in Brooklyn exhibit. He asked if our collection had material on Muslim Brooklynites or the Muslim faith. When Cecily and I looked that up in the catalog before the library opened to the public we saw there wasn’t really that much. She says they're working on purchasing some new books relating to it.
Following orientation, today is my first day as an intern here at BHS. I really like how the day is structured. In the mornings I get to do some reshelving, planning, etc. It’s quiet and calm. The reference questions I have waiting for me in ZenDesk seem pretty straightforward, but I guess we'll see. Cecily has provided some advice on how to go about answering them. I noticed Adrienne is working on a reference request that requires research within the archives, which is something I hope for the opportunity to do in the future. So far I’ve been given inquiries both broad and specific.
I’m already wondering what I will be able to research on my own while I'm here. There’s so much I’m interested in. I guess I’d say I’m interested largely in contemporary history, cultures/subcultures, artifacts, people, and places I go to a lot. For instance, when I was reshelving I noticed a book on the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument at Fort Green Park, which I run by all the time. After all, research feels more interesting when there’s a personal connection to be made. So the prison ship is one idea. Other things that I’ve thought of: doing some kind of centennial-related project (what would the life of a Brooklyn-based Pratt library student in 1920 be like?), Chinese immigration to Brooklyn, and that little row of (likely historic) homes across the street from my apartment that have managed to avoid demolition amidst an unprecedented redevelopment project.
The only real in-person reference question I got was from a man who had come to see the Muslims in Brooklyn exhibit. He asked if our collection had material on Muslim Brooklynites or the Muslim faith. When Cecily and I looked that up in the catalog before the library opened to the public we saw there wasn’t really that much. She says they're working on purchasing some new books relating to it.
Journal Entry #2 : September 14, 2019
Spoke with Cecily about my practicum project for a little bit today, since the morning was fairly quiet.
I'm still trying to get a sense of what it is that library users are most interested in. Cecily said that I could search ZenDesk for old inquiries. Hopefully I’ll have time to do that...the research questions I’ve received for today are much harder than last time. Very intense, all from professional researchers. I am not super confident I’ll get to finishing them all today.
Spoke with Cecily about my practicum project for a little bit today, since the morning was fairly quiet.
I'm still trying to get a sense of what it is that library users are most interested in. Cecily said that I could search ZenDesk for old inquiries. Hopefully I’ll have time to do that...the research questions I’ve received for today are much harder than last time. Very intense, all from professional researchers. I am not super confident I’ll get to finishing them all today.
Journal Entry #3 : September 21, 2019
Am so glad to be getting an early start on my work today. It’s 10:55am and I am already finished with reshelving. It also appears I only have two reference questions to actually answer. One of the three questions I received was just someone saying “thank you.” It’s nice to receive that. Being useful makes me feel good.
Am so glad to be getting an early start on my work today. It’s 10:55am and I am already finished with reshelving. It also appears I only have two reference questions to actually answer. One of the three questions I received was just someone saying “thank you.” It’s nice to receive that. Being useful makes me feel good.
Journal Entry #4: September 28, 2019
I imagine this job could be quite quaint during the week when there are researchers coming with an intended purpose. But sometimes Saturdays feel like a free-for-all. Lots of people come to tour the space for weddings. There’s this one group here to look at the space for a wedding. They're setting up some kind of light rig and generally taking up a lot of space. It feels disruptive and is clearly annoying the researchers here to work.
I imagine this job could be quite quaint during the week when there are researchers coming with an intended purpose. But sometimes Saturdays feel like a free-for-all. Lots of people come to tour the space for weddings. There’s this one group here to look at the space for a wedding. They're setting up some kind of light rig and generally taking up a lot of space. It feels disruptive and is clearly annoying the researchers here to work.
Journal Entry #6: October 19, 2019
Cecily isn’t here today, so no reference questions to work on. Which is a relief because I have a bunch of research appointments, and I want to work on my own research. Today I’m going to make a research appointment for myself so that I can come in on Wednesday and work. There will also be an event I plan on attending here that evening. It's on "The Stacked Deck: Race and America’s Unjust Criminal Justice System."
Today a library user asked if the library was related to the museum exhibits. I kind of explained how sometimes we purchase material relating to the exhibits, or find another way to highlight the resources (e.g. the collection relating to the exhibits that are housed in the little reading area in the corner). I’ve been thinking for a little while now about how this could be better accomplished, especially after attending that programming event. I guess it’s kind of tricky, since the books don’t circulate. I’m guessing that means they can’t even leave the room that is the library to be brought downstairs and displayed. (Instead, they seem to highlight relevant material within the bookshop). But wouldn’t that be cool? Or maybe they could present a slideshow highlighting specific resources within the library? Or have a handout? I understand that this is additional labor for the library workers (including interns) but I think it might help make the library and its resources feel more directly related to the work that BHS does with its outreach/programming.
Cecily isn’t here today, so no reference questions to work on. Which is a relief because I have a bunch of research appointments, and I want to work on my own research. Today I’m going to make a research appointment for myself so that I can come in on Wednesday and work. There will also be an event I plan on attending here that evening. It's on "The Stacked Deck: Race and America’s Unjust Criminal Justice System."
Today a library user asked if the library was related to the museum exhibits. I kind of explained how sometimes we purchase material relating to the exhibits, or find another way to highlight the resources (e.g. the collection relating to the exhibits that are housed in the little reading area in the corner). I’ve been thinking for a little while now about how this could be better accomplished, especially after attending that programming event. I guess it’s kind of tricky, since the books don’t circulate. I’m guessing that means they can’t even leave the room that is the library to be brought downstairs and displayed. (Instead, they seem to highlight relevant material within the bookshop). But wouldn’t that be cool? Or maybe they could present a slideshow highlighting specific resources within the library? Or have a handout? I understand that this is additional labor for the library workers (including interns) but I think it might help make the library and its resources feel more directly related to the work that BHS does with its outreach/programming.