Katie's Blog

If at first you don't succeed...

2010-04-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

This week I want to blog about something that we all have to face at different times in our lives. It's rejection. It can be quite disappointing whether it's from a school you applied to, a grant or scholarship you applied for, or that amazing internship you were sure you would land. When you've worked so hard for something for so long it can seem like the world is over after you nervously open that dreaded letter.

I had one major goal when I started last semester. I wanted to study abroad in Bosnia. I applied for two different opportunities. One was a 9 month program to teach English in Banja Luka and the other was a scholarship for a project that I designed which would have taken me all over the country. Honestly, I was sure that one of those opportunities would work out. I spent A LOT of time preparing my applications and creating my project proposal. Long story short, neither opportunity panned out. Then, days later, my flimsy back up plan fell through as well. And now, I graduate in two short weeks and I have no idea what's next. I'm fairly sure that this is something that a lot of you are experiencing given the economy and the droves of people returning to school.

I was momentarily devastated when it became clear that I wasn't going abroad this summer. But, as I talked to my professors and a few other people I consider successful, I learned that rejection really is just a part of life. And, the more things you apply for the more rejections you are going to endure. But also, the more you apply for the closer you are to finding your next great adventure. And sometimes, the things you think you want the most aren't what you expected.

I asked Catherine Minter (my librarian mentor who I've mentioned in previous posts) about her experiences with rejection and also success. Catherine is exceptionally active in academia and has applied for and received many opportunities to study abroad. But sometimes, Catherine says, success isn't all it's cracked up to be.

When Catherine was applying for college, she applied to five British universities, her favorite being Oxford. When she was accepted by Oxford, she was elated. However, years later, as she was looking back over her application materials she realized that for every other application she had chosen to study law and languages. But at Oxford, she had to pick only one. She chose languages but now wonders if that was really the best choice.

"You see, if I hadn't gotten in to Oxford, I would've gone to some other place where I would've studied law, which I think would definitely have been the best career choice for me. It's a good example of how something we perceive as great success at a certain point in our lives can turn out to have been not such a blessing after all, when seen as part of a whole," Catherine said.

Carrie Donovan, another librarian who manages the blog squad, explains how when she was rejected from law school she found an opportunity that was even better.

'When I was graduating from IU with my B.A. in Spanish, I thought it would be great to go to Law School and I knew I wanted to continue to live in Bloomington and attend IU. So, I pursued this (quite single-mindedly, I might add) by studying and taking the LSAT and applying only to IU’s Law School (in Bloomington). I was rejected. I was devastated. It was such a blow to my ego, my confidence, and to my sense of self. I felt really set adrift afterwards and I had no idea what to do with my life. Anyway, I had worked in the Wells Library (then called the Main Library) throughout my undergraduate career and I knew a lot of the librarians I’d worked with had gotten their master’s degrees at IU. I talked to a few of them about this and decided to apply to the MLS (Master of Library Science) program. I was accepted and I’ve been happily employed as a librarian since graduating with this degree 10 years ago. I’m so happy that it worked out this way! As I truly believe I was meant to work in libraries. To say that everything happens for a reason seems a bit trite, but I think sometimes, there can be a bit of truth to it," Carrie said.

Although nothing can really take the bitter taste of rejection from your mouth, rest assured that many others are experiencing the same thing. And remember, one more rejection means you are that much closer to success!

Do you have stories to share?! Please add them to the comments section!

Earn $1,000 for Doing Your Homework!

2010-02-28T19:10:00.000-08:00

I just learned about a really cool research award from the library that most people don't know about. All you need is a research paper, cover letter, and teacher recommendation to apply! I'm planning to use a research paper about Bosnia that I wrote last semester for a class. The name of the award might sound daunting but don't let that deter your from applying! Why not submit a paper you've already written for the chance at $1,000!?
The library is offering a $1,000 prize for the winner of Undergraduate Student Library Research Award. If you are currently an undergraduate student who has written (or will write) a research paper then you can apply!

The deadline for applying is March 12th!

For more details check out this web page:
http://www.libraries.iub.edu/index.php?pageId=3918

Good Luck!

Show Herman Some Love!

2010-02-28T18:58:00.000-08:00

The library staff asked YOU to wish Herman a happy Valentine's Day. They placed a large board covered with paper in the main lobby for students to write on. Some of the messages were funny and others were sweet. But regardless, Herman was commemorated on Valentine's Day! Check out some of the messages below!

An undiscovered resource at Herman B. Wells

2010-02-14T14:36:00.000-08:00

As the spring and summer seasons begin to approach, the pressure to find a job or internship shifts into high gear as many students, including myself, scramble to make these important decisions. At as big as IU it can be difficult to even just find these opportunities.
As a senior, I'm definitely feeling the heat. As technology is becoming more and more pervasive the traditional job market and hunt has become more complex and in some fields unstable, as industries struggle to evolve. Also, with the economy being in the state it's in the job market is that much more competitive.
Recently, I learned that the library actually has a "Career Resource Center" filled with latest books about the various job markets, Graduate school rankings as well as preparation for standardized tests like the GRE, LSAT, etc. Students can use the resource section to explore their post-grad or even internship options that he or she might not have even know existed. Students can even check out the books like any other so that you can study in the privacy of your own home.
Unfortunately, it seems that not many people know about this resource! The career resource center has helped me prepare for the GRE and to find opportunities for grants, scholarships, and professional internships. It's definitely worth checking out and I only hope that it helps you like it has helped me!
The Career Resource Center is located in the back of the West Tower on the main floor (past the reference desk). If you can't find it feel free to ask your friendly librarian and he or she will be happy to point you in the right direction!!!
And then, let me and others know what you think! Is this a helpful resource? Please share your experience!

Did you know..?

2010-01-23T15:11:00.000-08:00

Did you know that you can make posters at the Herman B. Wells Library?

Well, you can! All you need is an electronic file of the image you want and the friendly library staff can help you print posters to your heart's content. You can make posters of all sizes (even giant 3ft x 9ft ones!) for your dorm room, apartment, office or anywhere else you might want to see your favorite band or celeb! You can even create your own original poster!

Simply take your file to the Information Commons in the West tower (ground floor) and you can bill the charge to your bursar!

I'm adding photos so you can see a few other IU students taking advantage of the service!

If you have any questions you can add them in the comments or call UITS at 812-855-9857.

Research Paper Blues

2009-12-03T08:51:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again. The time when those semester-long projects that seemed so far away are finally due.

Although I'm a senior, and you might think I would have this down already, I struggle with research papers. It's not the writing part that's the challenge. It's the research component. The vast majority of the research papers I've written haven't been driven by research. Usually, I search Google and Wikipedia to get a general understanding of the topic, I come up with my argument and THEN I search for any peer-reviewed articles or occasionally books that support my thesis. The problem with this type of research is that I often end up piecing together somewhat random pieces of information from a plethora of articles that don't really address my topic. I also usually have to avoid books because their content isn't easily searchable. The other problem is that my arguments are often based off of information from non-academic sources (even if it is backed up by piece-meal peer-reviewed articles) and they aren't as strong or unique as they could be had I bothered to pick up a book.

But, I was OK with this method because it gets the grade.

At the beginning of this semester, I was assigned a research paper in one of my classes. I decided to take advantage of my meetings with Catherine and to finally learn how to productively research. Catherine listened to my method and my concerns and then gave me some really helpful suggestions.

My paper was over a city in Bosnia called Banja Luka. I wanted to write about the city before the civil war in the early '90's and compare it to the city today, over a decade after the war ended. I'm telling you all this because it turned out that this topic was very difficult to research. The vast majority of the sources I found weren't in English and there is almost no statistical data specific to the city and not the country as a whole.

I decided turn a new leaf and approach this paper differently than I had papers in semesters past. I was lucky to have Catherine's help. Through all this I learned some valuable lessons about how to productively research (including how to most effectively use the library's resources). And so, I want to share my findings with you. If any of this is confusing or spurs further questions please feel free to contact me! I am by no means a research guru, but I do have a bit of experience!

And if you have some other suggestions that would be awesome!

1) Don't be afraid to start with Wikipedia. Obviously, you should never rely on Wikipedia for specific or accurate information but it can at least provide you with a vague understanding of your topic and the issues surrounding it. The best part about Wikipedia isn't the article itself, but the "References" and "External Links" at the bottom of the page. You can often follow these links to find more credible sources, statistics, studies, etc. You should use these sources to give you a vague idea of your topic. But you should wait to fully develop it until after you have researched and READ about your topic in credible, academic sources.

2) Go to the Library's Web Site and click on the "Research Gateway". Here you have access to books, articles, encyclopedias, and more. Just type a keyword or two in the search bar and the site will return a listing by category (articles, journals, books and Web Pages) of all the relevant material the library has to offer (based off of your keyword).

3) Books are your friends! I have often avoided books because they take to long to read and partially because I didn't really know how to find relevant books at the library. One suggestion Catherine gave me was to search the IUCAT with a keyword and then to use those results to find other materials. So basically, after you do a search click on one of the relevant results, scroll down the page (look in the full record, not the brief) and look at the keywords next to the label "Subject headings." You can click on these keywords to do searches of related materials. For example:

The Republic of Srpska--tenth years of the Dayton Peace Agreement
Kuzmanovi*c, Rajko.

Title:	The Republic of Srpska--tenth years of the Dayton Peace Agreement / editorial bord [sic], Rajko Kuzmanovic ... [et al.] ; editor in chief Rajko Kuzmanovic ; editor Dragoljub Mirjani*c.
Published:	Banja Luka : Academy of sciences and arts of the Republika Srpska, 2005.
Description:	620 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 25 cm.
Other contributors:	Kuzmanovi*c, Rajko.
Other contributors:	Mirjani*c, Dragoljub.
Added title page:	Republika Srpska--deset godina Dejtonskog mirovnog sporazuma
Series:	Scientific conferences / Academy of sciences and arts of the Republika Srpska ; bk. no. 8. Social Sciences Department ; bk. no. 15
Notes:	Includes bibliographical references.
Subject headings:	Dayton Peace Accords (1995)
Subject headings:	Constitutional law--Bosnia and Hercegovina--Republika Srpska.
Subject headings:	Yugoslav War, 1991-1995--Peace.
Subject headings:	Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Hercegovina)--Politics and government.
ISBN:	999386319X
ISBN:	9789993863199

I highlighted in yellow the "Subject headings" that I mention above so that you can see what I mean about where to find the key words. Just follow those threads to other books.

4. Go to the library. Write down the call number of a couple of books and head to the library. If you aren't sure how or where to find them, ask a librarian! Chances are that once you find one book about your topic, you will find several others in the same section (or even shelf!) of the library. I found a couple of the books I used this way. If you are worried about using books because of the amount of material you have to sift through try checking out the table of contents or even chapter headings. These might give you clues about the content of the book. You could also do a search for summaries or reviews online.

5. Use the electronic resources! While you initial search under the research gateway will provide you with results, you can narrow down your search by taking advantage of the subscriptions the library has to numerous journals and articles. You can search journals by subject or you can use more generic ones like Jstor or Ebscohost.

6. Check the newspapers! Search for your topic on news sites or using search engines like google news. You never know what you will find and your results may provide you with insights your other sources miss.

7. Develop your topic, outline and write your paper! It's probably a good idea to take notes while you are researching. Even if they are really general, it will help you find the quotes, data you need when you finally get to writing.

So, there you have it. I hope that these suggestions help.

Good Luck!

Flippin' Out!

2009-11-03T14:53:00.000-08:00

This week's blog entry is a video. In the video, I show how to use the new flip cams available to students in the Media Reserve and Services in the basement of Herman B. Wells.

To learn more about the flip cam check out these web sites:

http://www.theflip.com/en-us/

http://www.ehow.com/how_4546191_use-flip-camera.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flip_Video

Happy Recording!

Herman B. Wells on a Saturday.

2009-10-18T10:49:00.001-07:00

Computers on main floor in the West Tower.

The view from the main floor in the West Tower.

Behind the library

The back steps...

The view from the back steps.

Just out back...

Cyber Cafe

The Cyber Cafe

Escalator from the main lobby to the Information Commons

The main lobby.

Searching for a book in the Stacks.

Students on the graduate side.

The study carrels in the Stacks

The Stacks: One of my favorite places to study.

Students catching up on their homework.

Hello World!

2009-10-12T12:22:00.000-07:00

Hi!

My name is Katie Koselke and I am a senior at the IU School of Journalism. I'm originally from a suburb on the West side of Indianapolis. After I graduate in May, I hope to move abroad to begin my career as a foreign correspondent. My second concentration is Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, so I'm obviously interested in the Middle East. But, there aren't too many places that I wouldn't like to see. I'm intensely interested in international relations and I love to learn about new places, peoples and cultures. But enough about about my biography...

It's been difficult for me to come up with what exactly to say in a blog, especially for the first entry. I don't know you. You don't know me. But somehow, I have to make you care about my blog. And as a self-respecting writer, I don't want to add to the sea of misinformation and unfounded diatribes that seem to abound in the blogosphere.

As part of the "Blog Squad" I will be writing about my semester, my experiences with the libraries, technology and my work with Catherine Minter, a librarian at the Herman B. Wells Library. Catherine and I were paired partly because of our shared interest in living abroad (she recently moved here from England!) I think that a lot of my writings will be related to preparing for my overseas adventure as well as planning the next chapter in my life as an IU graduate. I hope that you will find my posts both interesting and informative. I am constantly learning about "new" resources the libraries here on campus have to offer and I will definitely pass along that information to you. I would love to read your questions, comments and criticisms. I will definitely consider any and all feedback, even if in the end I disagree.

Thanks for reading!!!