I chose to discuss three toys that were popular in our given time period, but are also still popular today. They are also examples of toys I had as a child.
The first is the Noah's Ark toy. I found this toy to be very interesting. It seems that miniature objects were very popular in the 19th century, including dollhouses, zoos, animals, etc. The Noah's Ark was one of the most popular animal toys in the 19th and early 20th century. Originating in the Erzgebirge region of Germany, these toys were handmade. Entire families were involved in the creation of thousands of these models, from the carving to the painting. However, the income received was often barely enough to put food on the table. Georg Lang was a large producer of these types of toys.
The toys were popular with both boys and girls, probably due to fascination of exotic animals that many had never seen before. The Ark ranged from primitive huts on rafts to more sophisticated ships. A hinged roof was a must, so that Noah, his family and the animals could be stored inside. These toys were often referred to as "Sunday toys because they were suitable to play with on the Sabbath due to their Biblical theme (Dalrymple, 46). The animals were often carved from wood, but their was experimentation with other materials, which didn't work really well. Most of the time, the animals were painted, but it was not always the case(King, 256).
I didn't actually have a Noah's Ark menagerie, but I did have a huge collection of plastic miniature animals, which included exotics, like lions, bears, zebras and other zoo type animals.
The Jack in the Box
A Jack in the Box is a figure that jumps out of a box on a coiled spring when the lid is unlatched. The lid usually comes undone after a crank is turned. It is one of the oldest types of mechanical toys(Dalrymple, 76). The first known appearance of the Jack in the Box is in Europe in the 16th century. It has also been known as the Punchbox, because the figure in the box was usually modeled after the puppets Punch and his wife, Judy. The name Jack in the Box came around in the 17th century. By the mid 1800s, most of these toys were made in either Germany or America.
The boxes were usually made of wood, which was covered with a colorful paper or lithograph, depicting a colorful scene. The figure, maybe a clown, is usually made with molded plaster or papier mache, and painted bright colors. The clothes of the figure cover the coiled spring and were either made of colorful cloth or crepe paper.
The Jack in the Box is still popular today. I had one as a child and, at the time, had mixed feelings about it. The box was plastic, and very bright, and the figure inside was a very bright clown. It wasn't scary at all. When the crank was turned, the tune of "Pop Goes the Weasel" was played. I just always found the sudden "pop" of the figure out the box a little unsettling. It would kind of take my breath away with surprise. I guess this is part of the attraction of this toy, and the reason it's popularity has lasted several hundred years.
Building blocks
This toy was popular due to its educational and fun factor. The first blocks were alphabet blocks made of wood or bone and used in England in the 1600s(Dalrymple,108). S.L. Hill was the first person in America to manufacture blocks in a large quantity. He patented his "Spelling Blocks" which included letters, numbers and pictures. Most of the blocks used were engraved, but by the 1870s, manufactures began to use colorful lithographs to decorate their blocks (Dalrymple,110). They also began to have more than just the ABCs on them. Many blocks had pictures of various scenes from nursery rhymes or other children's stories. In 1880, the Anchor Building blocks were patented by F. Ad. Rickter Company. These were building blocks of cast cement and were construction toys. The blocks included pillars, arches and other shapes conducive to building. Other interlocking block sets or puzzle block sets were also popular, eventually leading to the popular Lincoln Logs and that style building block sets.
Colorful wooden blocks displaying the alphabet, numbers and pictures are still popular today. It is an excellent way to educate children. I remember my set of alphabet blocks and the many hours spent playing with them.
Dalrymple, Marya. Toys and Games. Time-Life Books,1991. 174 pages
King, Constance E. Antique Toys and Dolls. Rizzoli International Publications, Inc, 1979. 256pages
"Classic Toys: Jack-in-the-Box" (2009, August 4) retrieved from http://www.retroplanet.com/blog/retro-archives/classic-toys/jack-in-the-box/
"Erzgebirge History and History of Noah's Ark" (2011) retrieved from www.germanchristmasgifts.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=history
Story time
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Discussion Assignment for History of Children's Literature : The Horn Book
I was assigned the years 1935-1939.
Summarize an article from one issue:
In "Book Visits in England and Scotland," Helen Dean Fish met and interviewed several authors of children's books while visiting those countries. Her first visit was with Helen Bannerman, the author of "The Story of Little Black Sambo." After a sequel was written nearly 37 years later, titled "Sambo and the Twins," the public began to be interested in Mrs. Bannerman again and wanted to know more about her. Ms Fish visited the author at her home in Edinburgh, and was invited to tea. The article went into detail about the life of Mrs. Bannerman, of her birth in Edinburgh as the daughter of an army chaplain, and how her family lived all over the British Empire. During her marriage, she lived in India, due to her husband's military career. Her children were left in Scotland for health and education reasons. It was on a train to India that she first wrote the story of Sambo. She wrote it while on the train to India, after being separated from her children. This was just one of the many ways Mrs.. Bannerman corresponded with her children during this separation. Ms Fish also spoke to the daughter of Mrs.. Bannerman, who said that it was very sad without her mother around but the children "cherished the letters she wrote home."(p.356)
In Sussex, Ms Fish went to see Eleanor Farjeon, who had just finished her new book, "Martin Pippin in the Daisy Field." She was ready for a break and they embarked on a picnic lunch. During this lunch, they encountered a man trying to put out a wildfire along the road, so they stopped to help. Before leaving, Ms Fish was privileged to hear a story out of the new book.
The last place Ms Fish ventured to was Blewbury in Berkshire. This was the home of Kenneth Grahame, of "The Wind in the Willows" fame. She just had to include this in her pilgrimage, even though Mr.. Grahame was no longer alive and living there. The present owners did give her a tour of the house, including the study where he wrote and some of the views that were included in the book.
To me, the opportunity to visit these authors, who were popular at the time, and make a pilgrimage to one of your favorite author's homes, seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. What lover of books wouldn't jump at a chance like this? Ms Fish seemed to have a wonderful time during her journey, even if she did have to help put out a wildfire. It's always interesting to see or read about the stories behind the story and here is a person who got to experience it first hand.
Fish, Helen Dean "Book Visits in England and Scotland" The Horn Book v. 13 (November/December 1937) p. 355-358
Compare a regular column in two separate issues:
I chose to compare the editorial. In some issues, the editorial was an opinion peace by the editor. In some, it was just a poem. One editorial I chose describes a character from a book that was just coming out. The other editorial described a certain type of book.
The first editorial was about Mary Poppins and was written by Anne Carroll Moore. The book by P.L. Travers was getting ready to be released. Ms Moore describes the character of Mary Poppins as being sharp with "gifts of magic and cryptic speech."(p.6) According to Ms Moore, all children should read this book and all adults, too. She thought that this book would definitely have a place as one of the best of the 1930s. I wonder if she thought the book and character of Mary Poppins would still be loved as much almost 80 years later.
The second editorial was written by the editor of The Horn Book, Bertha E. Mahony. It is about quest books or adventure, and their popularity among children. In a quest book, there is always some sort of adventure, with one character that possesses magical powers or sees some kind of vision. Most if not all of the other characters do not share in the magic or visions. One book described is "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien, which had been released shortly before. According to the editor, quest books are read over and over again by children, who might not quite catch their meaning, but may realize it many years later.
The interesting thing about these two editorials is they are about books written many years ago, but are still just as popular today. In fact, The Hobbit is being made into a movie right now, to be released next year. And of course, there is a Disney movie version of Mary Poppins that is still enjoyed by children today. There were several other issues that I looked at that featured books I read as a child. It was interesting to read the articles written about them when they were first published, or even to see the descriptions in the advertisements or booklists.
Mahony, Bertha E. "Wayfarers All." The Horn Book v.11 (May/June 1938)p. 141
Moore, Anne Carroll "Mary Poppins" The Horn Book v.14 (January-February 1935) p.6-7
Summarize a review of a nonfiction book:
Jessie Campbell Evans reviewed "Man's Worldly Goods" by Leo Huberman. This book is the "story of man's work from the feudal age to the present."(109). Evans described it as a really good way to describe economic growth and social development to a child. The book is divided into two parts. The first parts discuss the feudal periods of Europe all the way through to capitalism in the 18th century. Huberman discusses the growth of trade, manufacturing and banking and how this led to the revolutions in Europe resulting in the feudal system breakup and capitalism being established. This also led to the discovery of America, because there needed to be more trade and manufacturing, so the different countries sent explorers. All economic development in the world seemed to lead straight into the next one, with no gaps or breaks in between. The second part of the book discusses the time between 19th and 20th century(up until 30s). Huberman's book focused a lot on the combination of industry, money and banking, and the rise of imperialism and the labor movements. One thing he stresses is the oppressive conditions of the Russian people, and how they eventually revolted and became a socialist government. According to Evans, the book is a simple read, with clearly expressed ideas. It is described as a children's book, but some of the ideas might be over a young child's head, but older ones should understand. There are a lack of photographs and maps, which Evans believes would have enhanced the book. Another thing that Evans talks about is the fact that Huberman is overly excited about Russian socialism. He thinks this book would be a great supplement in a European or American history class.
I wonder what people thought of this book a few years later when people were being blacklisted or accused of being Russian spies. It probably wasn't recommended reading in schools during the Cold War. This is another example of how interesting it is to go back so many years and read this reviews about these books. This book was hailed as a great history of economics in 1938, but might have even been banned 25 years later.
Evans, Jessie Campbell "Man's Worldly Goods" The Horn Book v. 14 (March/April 1938)p. 109-112
Summarize an article from one issue:
In "Book Visits in England and Scotland," Helen Dean Fish met and interviewed several authors of children's books while visiting those countries. Her first visit was with Helen Bannerman, the author of "The Story of Little Black Sambo." After a sequel was written nearly 37 years later, titled "Sambo and the Twins," the public began to be interested in Mrs. Bannerman again and wanted to know more about her. Ms Fish visited the author at her home in Edinburgh, and was invited to tea. The article went into detail about the life of Mrs. Bannerman, of her birth in Edinburgh as the daughter of an army chaplain, and how her family lived all over the British Empire. During her marriage, she lived in India, due to her husband's military career. Her children were left in Scotland for health and education reasons. It was on a train to India that she first wrote the story of Sambo. She wrote it while on the train to India, after being separated from her children. This was just one of the many ways Mrs.. Bannerman corresponded with her children during this separation. Ms Fish also spoke to the daughter of Mrs.. Bannerman, who said that it was very sad without her mother around but the children "cherished the letters she wrote home."(p.356)
In Sussex, Ms Fish went to see Eleanor Farjeon, who had just finished her new book, "Martin Pippin in the Daisy Field." She was ready for a break and they embarked on a picnic lunch. During this lunch, they encountered a man trying to put out a wildfire along the road, so they stopped to help. Before leaving, Ms Fish was privileged to hear a story out of the new book.
The last place Ms Fish ventured to was Blewbury in Berkshire. This was the home of Kenneth Grahame, of "The Wind in the Willows" fame. She just had to include this in her pilgrimage, even though Mr.. Grahame was no longer alive and living there. The present owners did give her a tour of the house, including the study where he wrote and some of the views that were included in the book.
To me, the opportunity to visit these authors, who were popular at the time, and make a pilgrimage to one of your favorite author's homes, seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. What lover of books wouldn't jump at a chance like this? Ms Fish seemed to have a wonderful time during her journey, even if she did have to help put out a wildfire. It's always interesting to see or read about the stories behind the story and here is a person who got to experience it first hand.
Fish, Helen Dean "Book Visits in England and Scotland" The Horn Book v. 13 (November/December 1937) p. 355-358
Compare a regular column in two separate issues:
I chose to compare the editorial. In some issues, the editorial was an opinion peace by the editor. In some, it was just a poem. One editorial I chose describes a character from a book that was just coming out. The other editorial described a certain type of book.
The first editorial was about Mary Poppins and was written by Anne Carroll Moore. The book by P.L. Travers was getting ready to be released. Ms Moore describes the character of Mary Poppins as being sharp with "gifts of magic and cryptic speech."(p.6) According to Ms Moore, all children should read this book and all adults, too. She thought that this book would definitely have a place as one of the best of the 1930s. I wonder if she thought the book and character of Mary Poppins would still be loved as much almost 80 years later.
The second editorial was written by the editor of The Horn Book, Bertha E. Mahony. It is about quest books or adventure, and their popularity among children. In a quest book, there is always some sort of adventure, with one character that possesses magical powers or sees some kind of vision. Most if not all of the other characters do not share in the magic or visions. One book described is "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien, which had been released shortly before. According to the editor, quest books are read over and over again by children, who might not quite catch their meaning, but may realize it many years later.
The interesting thing about these two editorials is they are about books written many years ago, but are still just as popular today. In fact, The Hobbit is being made into a movie right now, to be released next year. And of course, there is a Disney movie version of Mary Poppins that is still enjoyed by children today. There were several other issues that I looked at that featured books I read as a child. It was interesting to read the articles written about them when they were first published, or even to see the descriptions in the advertisements or booklists.
Mahony, Bertha E. "Wayfarers All." The Horn Book v.11 (May/June 1938)p. 141
Moore, Anne Carroll "Mary Poppins" The Horn Book v.14 (January-February 1935) p.6-7
Summarize a review of a nonfiction book:
Jessie Campbell Evans reviewed "Man's Worldly Goods" by Leo Huberman. This book is the "story of man's work from the feudal age to the present."(109). Evans described it as a really good way to describe economic growth and social development to a child. The book is divided into two parts. The first parts discuss the feudal periods of Europe all the way through to capitalism in the 18th century. Huberman discusses the growth of trade, manufacturing and banking and how this led to the revolutions in Europe resulting in the feudal system breakup and capitalism being established. This also led to the discovery of America, because there needed to be more trade and manufacturing, so the different countries sent explorers. All economic development in the world seemed to lead straight into the next one, with no gaps or breaks in between. The second part of the book discusses the time between 19th and 20th century(up until 30s). Huberman's book focused a lot on the combination of industry, money and banking, and the rise of imperialism and the labor movements. One thing he stresses is the oppressive conditions of the Russian people, and how they eventually revolted and became a socialist government. According to Evans, the book is a simple read, with clearly expressed ideas. It is described as a children's book, but some of the ideas might be over a young child's head, but older ones should understand. There are a lack of photographs and maps, which Evans believes would have enhanced the book. Another thing that Evans talks about is the fact that Huberman is overly excited about Russian socialism. He thinks this book would be a great supplement in a European or American history class.
I wonder what people thought of this book a few years later when people were being blacklisted or accused of being Russian spies. It probably wasn't recommended reading in schools during the Cold War. This is another example of how interesting it is to go back so many years and read this reviews about these books. This book was hailed as a great history of economics in 1938, but might have even been banned 25 years later.
Evans, Jessie Campbell "Man's Worldly Goods" The Horn Book v. 14 (March/April 1938)p. 109-112
Fall Semester!!!!
Here we are, only the end of the 2nd week of the fall semester, and already way too much work to do. I am just going to post some of my assignments up here, so if anyone wants to keep up with what I am doing they can. This means you DAD!!!!! Anyway, I am taking 4 classes this fall, which is kind of a lot. But I am determined and will plod my way through. My classes are Intro to Library Administration(required), Organization of Knowledge(required), History of Children's Lit(taught by the famous Dr. Henrietta Smith) and Materials for Young Adults(my favorite!). So far, so good, but as I mentioned, a lot of work.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Library Analysis - Special Library
Children's Board of Hillsborough County Library
1002 E. Palm Ave. Tampa, FL 33605
(813)204-1741
Website: www.childrensboard.org/cbhc_library.aspx
Hours of operation: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9am-4pm Tuesday and Thursday 12pm-7pm
This library is located inside the Children's Board of Hillsborough County. The library is very small consisting of two rooms. The first room is open, with three rows of bookshelves. There are two desks along the right wall, one for the librarian and the other for the other staff. The library has four computers, located in the center of the room. On the left side of the room is an informational table, with lots of brochures about the Children's Board, some resources and the library. A separate room houses the children's section. This room looks like a children's play area. It is very colorful, with lots of toys and a bookshelf full of books.
Thi librarian I interviewed was Marci Delaney. Marci obtained her MLIS degree from USF in December of 2004. This library is her only library experience. Marci came to work at the Children's Board after graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Campbell University in North Carolina. While working for the Children's Board, she became interested in the library position, so she decided to take a few classes in library science, which eventually led to her completing her master's degree. She has been with the Children's Board for 13 years, with the last 6 being in the library. She is the only full time librarian, so she pretty much does everything. She also runs a family resource and support center. Marci does not belong to any of the professional organizations. Several times of year, she does participate in continuing education through the Tampa Bay Library Consortium. One example would be a cataloging class.
The Children's Board in a funding organization that works with organizations related to family or children's best interests. The library was created to hold their research material. There are a lot of books about leadership, career exploration, sustainability, grant writing, funding, child development and family. There is also a large mental health section because they were given a grant for that purpose about ten years ago. This section includes many books about ADD or ADHD in children. There are about 3,000 volumes in the collection, and 85 different periodicals. The library is also part of the Hillsborough County Public Library System, so any patrons of this library also have access to the public library. This library serves any members of the public, or organizations looking for funding, and also employees of the Children's Board working in the building that may need information. The books in this library are also available to the public through the public library catalog. Marci explained that there are some books they have that the public library does not have, so sometimes those go out. Year to date, they have had 160 books checked out at their location, and 619 books have gone out to other libraries in the system.
As I said earlier, Marci is the only librarian, but the library is also staffed with three part time staff members. While there, I met two women, one answering phones in the main room of the library and another working in the children's section. They were very nice and welcoming. One of them was very helpful when I called earlier during the week. Pretty much all decisions concerning the library are left up to Marci. She decides what to buy, what to get rid of , how its cataloged, and any other library matters. She is kept pretty busy.
The technology used in this library is through the computers. Access to the Hillsborough County Library is available. There are also a couple of databases related to grants and funding available. One is Foundation Center Search and another is Florida Information Network Databases. Appointments are available if someone wants to use these and needs assistance. The Children's Board itself has a social media presence, with a facebook page, a Twitter account (@MyCBHC), and an IPhone App. You can also keep up with their activities through their email list.
I don't think that I would like to work here. It is probably a great place if you have a passion for the organizations and some knowledge of the subject. It is just too small for me. Also, it seems like it could get pretty hectic with the small number of staff. A lot of responsibility falls on one person. This might be a good opportunity for a fieldwork or volunteer position. I asked Marci if they ever had volunteers, and evidently the Children's Board isn't set up for that with their organization. They have resources to sent volunteers to other organizations, but not in their own.
What did I leave with? This library is truly an example of a special library. Although it is part of the HCPLC system, it is a collection designed around one thing, the family. Most of the books are about different ways to better the family, either by getting a job, taking better care of your children, understanding children, etc. This library is an important asset to the community. It is concerning that there is such a small staff in this library, but they make it work the best they can.
I definitely feel I am on the right career path. This library is just another example of how libraries and librarians provide a great community service. That is something that is very important to me. This library may even fall more into that category than the others. Pretty much it's whole purpose is to provide community service, by helping organizations, and sometimes individuals, find ways to assist those in need. In times like these, this service is invaluable.
1002 E. Palm Ave. Tampa, FL 33605
(813)204-1741
Website: www.childrensboard.org/cbhc_library.aspx
Hours of operation: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9am-4pm Tuesday and Thursday 12pm-7pm
This library is located inside the Children's Board of Hillsborough County. The library is very small consisting of two rooms. The first room is open, with three rows of bookshelves. There are two desks along the right wall, one for the librarian and the other for the other staff. The library has four computers, located in the center of the room. On the left side of the room is an informational table, with lots of brochures about the Children's Board, some resources and the library. A separate room houses the children's section. This room looks like a children's play area. It is very colorful, with lots of toys and a bookshelf full of books.
Thi librarian I interviewed was Marci Delaney. Marci obtained her MLIS degree from USF in December of 2004. This library is her only library experience. Marci came to work at the Children's Board after graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Campbell University in North Carolina. While working for the Children's Board, she became interested in the library position, so she decided to take a few classes in library science, which eventually led to her completing her master's degree. She has been with the Children's Board for 13 years, with the last 6 being in the library. She is the only full time librarian, so she pretty much does everything. She also runs a family resource and support center. Marci does not belong to any of the professional organizations. Several times of year, she does participate in continuing education through the Tampa Bay Library Consortium. One example would be a cataloging class.
The Children's Board in a funding organization that works with organizations related to family or children's best interests. The library was created to hold their research material. There are a lot of books about leadership, career exploration, sustainability, grant writing, funding, child development and family. There is also a large mental health section because they were given a grant for that purpose about ten years ago. This section includes many books about ADD or ADHD in children. There are about 3,000 volumes in the collection, and 85 different periodicals. The library is also part of the Hillsborough County Public Library System, so any patrons of this library also have access to the public library. This library serves any members of the public, or organizations looking for funding, and also employees of the Children's Board working in the building that may need information. The books in this library are also available to the public through the public library catalog. Marci explained that there are some books they have that the public library does not have, so sometimes those go out. Year to date, they have had 160 books checked out at their location, and 619 books have gone out to other libraries in the system.
As I said earlier, Marci is the only librarian, but the library is also staffed with three part time staff members. While there, I met two women, one answering phones in the main room of the library and another working in the children's section. They were very nice and welcoming. One of them was very helpful when I called earlier during the week. Pretty much all decisions concerning the library are left up to Marci. She decides what to buy, what to get rid of , how its cataloged, and any other library matters. She is kept pretty busy.
The technology used in this library is through the computers. Access to the Hillsborough County Library is available. There are also a couple of databases related to grants and funding available. One is Foundation Center Search and another is Florida Information Network Databases. Appointments are available if someone wants to use these and needs assistance. The Children's Board itself has a social media presence, with a facebook page, a Twitter account (@MyCBHC), and an IPhone App. You can also keep up with their activities through their email list.
I don't think that I would like to work here. It is probably a great place if you have a passion for the organizations and some knowledge of the subject. It is just too small for me. Also, it seems like it could get pretty hectic with the small number of staff. A lot of responsibility falls on one person. This might be a good opportunity for a fieldwork or volunteer position. I asked Marci if they ever had volunteers, and evidently the Children's Board isn't set up for that with their organization. They have resources to sent volunteers to other organizations, but not in their own.
What did I leave with? This library is truly an example of a special library. Although it is part of the HCPLC system, it is a collection designed around one thing, the family. Most of the books are about different ways to better the family, either by getting a job, taking better care of your children, understanding children, etc. This library is an important asset to the community. It is concerning that there is such a small staff in this library, but they make it work the best they can.
I definitely feel I am on the right career path. This library is just another example of how libraries and librarians provide a great community service. That is something that is very important to me. This library may even fall more into that category than the others. Pretty much it's whole purpose is to provide community service, by helping organizations, and sometimes individuals, find ways to assist those in need. In times like these, this service is invaluable.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Library Analysis - Academic Library
Macdonald Kelce Library at the University of Tampa
401 W. Kennedy Blvd. Tampa, FL 33606
(813)257-3057
website: utopia.ut.edu
Hours of operation: Summer: Monday-Thursday 8am-11pm, Friday closed, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 1pm-6pm
Fall and Spring: Monday-Thursday 8am-12midnight, Friday 8am-6pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 2pm-9pm
The Macdonald Kelce Library at the University of Tampa is located on the banks of the Hillsborough River. It has been around since 1969. The library has over 275,000 books and 1,600 periodicals. This library is a government depository, so they have an entire section devoted to government documents. Some of the services offered at this library are free wifi, computer labs, and study rooms.
The librarian I chose to interview was Melisandre Hilliker, the information literacy and outreach librarian. Her MLIS is from USF. She began her library career much earlier, while working in the library at Duke University. While working for the Duke library for twelve years, Mrs. Hilliker was able to move up within the system, even without a graduate degree. When her husband relocated to Tampa for employment, Mrs. Hilliker sought employment in the library at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. She was hired as a circulation staff member, but was encouraged to obtain her MLIS, in order to further advance her career. While working on her degree, she worked as a graduate assistant in the USF library. She described it as an invaluable learning experience. Upon graduation, Mrs. Hilliker went to work at St. Pete College, and eventually found her place at University of Tampa. At University of Tampa, she is a teaching librarian. Every semester, she holds classes for incoming freshman, nursing students, and business students, on how to utilize the library and everything the library offers. She also rotates with the other librarians and spends approximately twenty hours a week working the reference desk. Mrs. Hilliker participates in several professional organizations, including the Florida Library Association, American Library Association and the Association of College and Research Libraries. She is active in these associations and goes to conferences, every year or so. Her supervisor is Marlyn Pethe, the library director.
Walking into the library, I was a little intimidated, but probably because I had never been there. When walking into the library, there is no real lobby, you are just in. There are shelves for new books to the right, with a couple of nice armchairs for reading. Across from that is the reference desk, where I met and interviewed Mrs. Hilliker. Behind the reference desk are the print reference materials, of which there are a lot. The circulation desk is located towards the front of the library, against the wall. Across from the reference desk are the stacks containing print and bound periodicals. The print government documents are also located on this side. Beyond those shelves, in an area all the way to the right of the building, near some lovely windows is an area or working or reading. There are tables with outlets nearby for those wanting to work on their laptops. There are comfy chairs and couches for reading. I really wanted to curl up on one of those couches with a good book. It was really quite and serene, but I was informed that during the fall and spring semesters, especially during finals, it can get quite loud, with students piled up everywhere. The main collection of books is located on the second floor. There were a few people in the library the morning I visited. Many were working on computers and printing out things for their classes. There is no food allowed in the library and drinks are only allowed in containers with screw on or hard plastic tops. That is a big difference from USF library. Also, cell phone use is not allowed inside the library and smoking is not permitted with twenty-five feet of the library doors.
This library serves the students, faculty and staff of University of Tampa, but anyone is welcome inside its walls. There is one computer that is accessible to members of the public, but priority is given to UT students. Sometimes, members of the public may be directed across the river to the John F. Germany public library. There are statistics about how many people enter the library and how many books are circulated, but that information was not available. I was told that particular information is used to determine how much money the library gets and how to staff the library. Currently there are ten librarians, including the library director, and ten paraprofessional staff. During the semester, the library also has a team of work-study students at their disposal.
The Macdonald Kelce Library has several special collections.
First, it has a Florida Military Collection. This collection was founded in 1973, and houses one of the Southeast United States' largest private collections of military books, documents and military memorabilia. There are more than 7,500 volumes in this collection and it is located in its own room on the first floor. This room is favorite of students for studying because it is usually very quiet. This collection is used mostly by history students or those in ROTC, but sometimes requests will come from all over the country, from the Interlibrary Loan service. Members of the public are also welcome to use the Florida Military Collection.
Another special collection would be the archives. This is where the rare and old books or documents are kept. Some examples would be UT documents, administrative records, local history items and much, much more. These items can be seen by appointment only.
As I mentioned earlier, UT library is a government depository, and this collection contains just a part of all the print materials the government puts out. A lot of these material are available online now, and the library also has access to those.
What did I leave with? I always thought that the public library was where I would be able to help the community the most, but I found that the academic library helps the community also, just in different ways. The academic librarian is there for the students, but not just the ones that go to that particular school. Any students, or member of the public for that matter, are welcome to come in, ask questions, look at magazines, etc. The librarian has no way of knowing who is a student of their college, or the next one over, or just a random person. I never thought about going into an academic library other than my own for resources. I always thought that wasn't allowed. Of course, it's not. The purpose of the academic library is to educate, so all seeking education should be welcome. Of course, all the services might not be available, but many are.
I also learned that the profession of librarianship is a very close knit community, in a very small world. These librarians also had a passion for their profession. They were happy to be there, happy to help and eager to learn more about their field. I think working in an academic librarian would also be a very exciting experience. There are lots of opportunities, especially to grow and learn in your field, and to assist others in their career path and growth.
401 W. Kennedy Blvd. Tampa, FL 33606
(813)257-3057
website: utopia.ut.edu
Hours of operation: Summer: Monday-Thursday 8am-11pm, Friday closed, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 1pm-6pm
Fall and Spring: Monday-Thursday 8am-12midnight, Friday 8am-6pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 2pm-9pm
The Macdonald Kelce Library at the University of Tampa is located on the banks of the Hillsborough River. It has been around since 1969. The library has over 275,000 books and 1,600 periodicals. This library is a government depository, so they have an entire section devoted to government documents. Some of the services offered at this library are free wifi, computer labs, and study rooms.
The librarian I chose to interview was Melisandre Hilliker, the information literacy and outreach librarian. Her MLIS is from USF. She began her library career much earlier, while working in the library at Duke University. While working for the Duke library for twelve years, Mrs. Hilliker was able to move up within the system, even without a graduate degree. When her husband relocated to Tampa for employment, Mrs. Hilliker sought employment in the library at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. She was hired as a circulation staff member, but was encouraged to obtain her MLIS, in order to further advance her career. While working on her degree, she worked as a graduate assistant in the USF library. She described it as an invaluable learning experience. Upon graduation, Mrs. Hilliker went to work at St. Pete College, and eventually found her place at University of Tampa. At University of Tampa, she is a teaching librarian. Every semester, she holds classes for incoming freshman, nursing students, and business students, on how to utilize the library and everything the library offers. She also rotates with the other librarians and spends approximately twenty hours a week working the reference desk. Mrs. Hilliker participates in several professional organizations, including the Florida Library Association, American Library Association and the Association of College and Research Libraries. She is active in these associations and goes to conferences, every year or so. Her supervisor is Marlyn Pethe, the library director.
Walking into the library, I was a little intimidated, but probably because I had never been there. When walking into the library, there is no real lobby, you are just in. There are shelves for new books to the right, with a couple of nice armchairs for reading. Across from that is the reference desk, where I met and interviewed Mrs. Hilliker. Behind the reference desk are the print reference materials, of which there are a lot. The circulation desk is located towards the front of the library, against the wall. Across from the reference desk are the stacks containing print and bound periodicals. The print government documents are also located on this side. Beyond those shelves, in an area all the way to the right of the building, near some lovely windows is an area or working or reading. There are tables with outlets nearby for those wanting to work on their laptops. There are comfy chairs and couches for reading. I really wanted to curl up on one of those couches with a good book. It was really quite and serene, but I was informed that during the fall and spring semesters, especially during finals, it can get quite loud, with students piled up everywhere. The main collection of books is located on the second floor. There were a few people in the library the morning I visited. Many were working on computers and printing out things for their classes. There is no food allowed in the library and drinks are only allowed in containers with screw on or hard plastic tops. That is a big difference from USF library. Also, cell phone use is not allowed inside the library and smoking is not permitted with twenty-five feet of the library doors.
This library serves the students, faculty and staff of University of Tampa, but anyone is welcome inside its walls. There is one computer that is accessible to members of the public, but priority is given to UT students. Sometimes, members of the public may be directed across the river to the John F. Germany public library. There are statistics about how many people enter the library and how many books are circulated, but that information was not available. I was told that particular information is used to determine how much money the library gets and how to staff the library. Currently there are ten librarians, including the library director, and ten paraprofessional staff. During the semester, the library also has a team of work-study students at their disposal.
The Macdonald Kelce Library has several special collections.
First, it has a Florida Military Collection. This collection was founded in 1973, and houses one of the Southeast United States' largest private collections of military books, documents and military memorabilia. There are more than 7,500 volumes in this collection and it is located in its own room on the first floor. This room is favorite of students for studying because it is usually very quiet. This collection is used mostly by history students or those in ROTC, but sometimes requests will come from all over the country, from the Interlibrary Loan service. Members of the public are also welcome to use the Florida Military Collection.
Another special collection would be the archives. This is where the rare and old books or documents are kept. Some examples would be UT documents, administrative records, local history items and much, much more. These items can be seen by appointment only.
As I mentioned earlier, UT library is a government depository, and this collection contains just a part of all the print materials the government puts out. A lot of these material are available online now, and the library also has access to those.
What did I leave with? I always thought that the public library was where I would be able to help the community the most, but I found that the academic library helps the community also, just in different ways. The academic librarian is there for the students, but not just the ones that go to that particular school. Any students, or member of the public for that matter, are welcome to come in, ask questions, look at magazines, etc. The librarian has no way of knowing who is a student of their college, or the next one over, or just a random person. I never thought about going into an academic library other than my own for resources. I always thought that wasn't allowed. Of course, it's not. The purpose of the academic library is to educate, so all seeking education should be welcome. Of course, all the services might not be available, but many are.
I also learned that the profession of librarianship is a very close knit community, in a very small world. These librarians also had a passion for their profession. They were happy to be there, happy to help and eager to learn more about their field. I think working in an academic librarian would also be a very exciting experience. There are lots of opportunities, especially to grow and learn in your field, and to assist others in their career path and growth.
Library Analysis - Public Library
Seffner-Mango Branch: Hillsborough County Public Library
410 N. Kingsway Rd. Seffner, FL 33584
(813)273-3652
Website: hcplc.org/hcplc/locations/smb/
Hours of operation: Monday 10am-8pm, Tuesday 12pm-8pm, Wed-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun-closed
The Seffner-Mango branch of the Hillsborough County Public Library is a 15,000 sq. foot building, housing 84,524 volumes, located in between the communities of Seffner and Mango, Florida. It offers free wifi, and Internet access through 16 PCs. There is a public meeting room, study rooms, Friends of the Library bookstore, separate children's department, photocopiers and public FAX.
The librarian I chose to interview was Cindy Nichols. She is the senior librarian and site coordinator for the Seffner-Mango branch and has been a librarian for eight years. Her MLS is from Queens College in New York. She discovered her love for the library working at her campus library while pursuing her undergraduate degree in social work at Hunter College. During pursuit of her master's degree, she worked in circulation at the campus library of Barnard College in New York City. Upon graduation, she worked as a media specialist for about a year, and then she moved to Florida. Her decision to change from working in a school library as a media specialist to working in the public sector was financially based. Mrs. Nichols has been a member of professional organizations in the past, but does not currently participate. Every year, she takes a few different courses through the Tampa Bay Library Consortium or the county continuing education classes. One interesting one was "Better Storytelling for Librarians."
This location of the Seffner-Mango library is relatively new. It has been opened for a little over two years. When walking through the door, one sees the lobby of the library. There is a table with informational materials against one wall and vending machines on the opposite wall. The Friends of the Library bookstore is also located in the lobby. This store operates on the honor system, just like most of the FOL departments of the library. Opposite of the bookstore are the restrooms. Walking through the library, you reach another set of double doors. To the right is the desk, where one can talk to staff and librarians, drop books off and check more out. The children's department is located in it's own room, opposite from the desk. Once past the desk, there are stacks to the left for young adult and adult books. In the center are tables for working or couches and chairs for reading. Over to the far right are shelves housing DVD's, CD's and materials on hold. Not so far over to the right are the computers for internet access. On the day of my visit, the library was pretty busy. It was a Thursday morning, about 45 minutes after they opened. There were quite a few people on the computers already. Many people were also wandering around the stacks. Volunteers were walking around, pushing carts and shelving books. I observed staff members assisting patrons with the copy machine/printer, and also showing them how to access the computers.
Mrs. Nichols stated that this library stays pretty busy. While she didn't have an exact figure, she estimates that they see approximately 5,000 patrons a week. In June 2011, there were a total of 28,029 volumes checked out. 49% of those were juvenile materials. From January to June 2011, the total was 221,931. This number does not include books going out to other branches for patrons putting things on hold. This library serves the Seffner and Mango communities and other surrounding areas. Anyone with a Hillsborough County Public Library card can use this library. Any resident of the county can obtain a card, for free. If you are a non-resident of the county, you can still get a library card, but there is a $100 fee.
This library employees two full time librarians and a library technician. These three individuals compose the reference staff. Other employees include the three members of the circulation staff. Volunteer service is greatly appreciated at this branch, and they probably need more, even though they already have 10-15 volunteers. All of the staff seemed to be very friendly. I observed them welcoming patrons coming through the door, listening to a patron vent his frustrations, and answer several different questions. They took a personal interest in their patrons, often knowing their names and holding short conversations with some.
This library carries a very special collection. It is the realia exhibit. It includes a microscope, telescope, slides, globes, charts, skeletons, etc. Patrons are welcome to check out these materials (and much more), but are only allowed to have them for one week. There is no grace period and $1 fines will start to accrue on the first day late. There used to be another collection just like this at the MOSI branch of the library, but it is no longer open, so currently, Seffner-Mango is the only one.
The Seffner-Mango library does not have a presence on Twitter or Facebook. Some of the online features for the entire library system are Ask-a-Librarian, email service and updates, or text alerts to stay updated.
What did I leave with? Well, for one thing, I was really impressed with the realia collection. For just the price of my library card (free!), I could walk out of there with a telescope, microscope and whole other host of things for science study. How awesome! This is great for people who can't afford these things but have these kinds of interests. What a great resource for homeschoolers! I wish stuff like this had been at my library growing up. I also learned that the library had free wifi, and study rooms, which is great because it is closer to my house and sometimes, I don't feel like driving all the way to the USF library. One thing that concerned me was the lack of staff. I saw alot of work being done by a few people, and from what I understood, they could use more help, either with staff or volunteers. Might be a good place for an internship or fieldwork.
I think visiting this library further convinced me that I am on the right path. Just being in the library, with all the excitement and hustle and bustle of the patrons, made me realize that I wouldn't want to be any where else. I always thought I would want to be a librarian in the public sector, and as of right now, that remains true. I feel like in the public library, you would get a real sense of community, and helping out those in the community. Of course, it might not be as exciting as an academic or research library, where you may get interesting reference questions, but you would still feel satisfied at the end of the day.
410 N. Kingsway Rd. Seffner, FL 33584
(813)273-3652
Website: hcplc.org/hcplc/locations/smb/
Hours of operation: Monday 10am-8pm, Tuesday 12pm-8pm, Wed-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun-closed
The Seffner-Mango branch of the Hillsborough County Public Library is a 15,000 sq. foot building, housing 84,524 volumes, located in between the communities of Seffner and Mango, Florida. It offers free wifi, and Internet access through 16 PCs. There is a public meeting room, study rooms, Friends of the Library bookstore, separate children's department, photocopiers and public FAX.
The librarian I chose to interview was Cindy Nichols. She is the senior librarian and site coordinator for the Seffner-Mango branch and has been a librarian for eight years. Her MLS is from Queens College in New York. She discovered her love for the library working at her campus library while pursuing her undergraduate degree in social work at Hunter College. During pursuit of her master's degree, she worked in circulation at the campus library of Barnard College in New York City. Upon graduation, she worked as a media specialist for about a year, and then she moved to Florida. Her decision to change from working in a school library as a media specialist to working in the public sector was financially based. Mrs. Nichols has been a member of professional organizations in the past, but does not currently participate. Every year, she takes a few different courses through the Tampa Bay Library Consortium or the county continuing education classes. One interesting one was "Better Storytelling for Librarians."
This location of the Seffner-Mango library is relatively new. It has been opened for a little over two years. When walking through the door, one sees the lobby of the library. There is a table with informational materials against one wall and vending machines on the opposite wall. The Friends of the Library bookstore is also located in the lobby. This store operates on the honor system, just like most of the FOL departments of the library. Opposite of the bookstore are the restrooms. Walking through the library, you reach another set of double doors. To the right is the desk, where one can talk to staff and librarians, drop books off and check more out. The children's department is located in it's own room, opposite from the desk. Once past the desk, there are stacks to the left for young adult and adult books. In the center are tables for working or couches and chairs for reading. Over to the far right are shelves housing DVD's, CD's and materials on hold. Not so far over to the right are the computers for internet access. On the day of my visit, the library was pretty busy. It was a Thursday morning, about 45 minutes after they opened. There were quite a few people on the computers already. Many people were also wandering around the stacks. Volunteers were walking around, pushing carts and shelving books. I observed staff members assisting patrons with the copy machine/printer, and also showing them how to access the computers.
Mrs. Nichols stated that this library stays pretty busy. While she didn't have an exact figure, she estimates that they see approximately 5,000 patrons a week. In June 2011, there were a total of 28,029 volumes checked out. 49% of those were juvenile materials. From January to June 2011, the total was 221,931. This number does not include books going out to other branches for patrons putting things on hold. This library serves the Seffner and Mango communities and other surrounding areas. Anyone with a Hillsborough County Public Library card can use this library. Any resident of the county can obtain a card, for free. If you are a non-resident of the county, you can still get a library card, but there is a $100 fee.
This library employees two full time librarians and a library technician. These three individuals compose the reference staff. Other employees include the three members of the circulation staff. Volunteer service is greatly appreciated at this branch, and they probably need more, even though they already have 10-15 volunteers. All of the staff seemed to be very friendly. I observed them welcoming patrons coming through the door, listening to a patron vent his frustrations, and answer several different questions. They took a personal interest in their patrons, often knowing their names and holding short conversations with some.
This library carries a very special collection. It is the realia exhibit. It includes a microscope, telescope, slides, globes, charts, skeletons, etc. Patrons are welcome to check out these materials (and much more), but are only allowed to have them for one week. There is no grace period and $1 fines will start to accrue on the first day late. There used to be another collection just like this at the MOSI branch of the library, but it is no longer open, so currently, Seffner-Mango is the only one.
The Seffner-Mango library does not have a presence on Twitter or Facebook. Some of the online features for the entire library system are Ask-a-Librarian, email service and updates, or text alerts to stay updated.
What did I leave with? Well, for one thing, I was really impressed with the realia collection. For just the price of my library card (free!), I could walk out of there with a telescope, microscope and whole other host of things for science study. How awesome! This is great for people who can't afford these things but have these kinds of interests. What a great resource for homeschoolers! I wish stuff like this had been at my library growing up. I also learned that the library had free wifi, and study rooms, which is great because it is closer to my house and sometimes, I don't feel like driving all the way to the USF library. One thing that concerned me was the lack of staff. I saw alot of work being done by a few people, and from what I understood, they could use more help, either with staff or volunteers. Might be a good place for an internship or fieldwork.
I think visiting this library further convinced me that I am on the right path. Just being in the library, with all the excitement and hustle and bustle of the patrons, made me realize that I wouldn't want to be any where else. I always thought I would want to be a librarian in the public sector, and as of right now, that remains true. I feel like in the public library, you would get a real sense of community, and helping out those in the community. Of course, it might not be as exciting as an academic or research library, where you may get interesting reference questions, but you would still feel satisfied at the end of the day.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Blog Project: Week of July 11-July 17
This is the last week for my analysis of my two blogs! While I will probably continue to read them from time to time, I will not be posting anymore about them, unless something really catches my eye.
This week in Annoyed Librarian:
First post of the week was Stuck here in Onepointopia. This is a post about libraries use of Web 2.0, or Library 2.0, as some would call it. AL discusses a survey of WebJunction employees, and their use, or lack of use, of the new Web 2.0 skills. WebJunction is a "learning community working together to ensure all library staff have the resources they need to power relevant, vibrant libraries."-WebJunction website. They are very big into the use of Web 2.0 technologies in libraries. However, they conducted a survey and found that many of their members weren't really using these online tools. The most heavily used of the tools were email listservs. 64% of respondents used the listserv daily or weekly. 16% said they never used them. However, the question was kind of confusing, calling them "email discussion lists." If they would have said just email, the numbers would probably have been closer to 99% and 0% respectively. Supposedly, email is supposed to be a dying form of communication. In reality, it is the way that most professionals communicate on a daily basis. People always talk about wanting to give up their email because it is too overwhelming. This is not because it is a dying form of communication, but shows that it is widely used. Another question on the survey was about social networking. 39% of respondents said they used it daily or weekly for professional purposes and 63% used it in their private lives. AL doesn't believe that many people are actually using social networking for real work related issues, more like for issues semi-related to work issues. According to AL, the WebJunction survey questions are skewed to favor the "twopointopians," even if that was not their intention.
My thoughts: I can see where a lot of the WebJunction members might not be making the best use out of the Web 2.0 tools. We just learned about them, and I don't see myself using them a great deal. I do agree that some of the questions may have been asked in a manner to favor the use of the Web 2.0 online tools. Asking someone if they use email listservs or if they use email are two totally different things. You can't ask about one, and then exclude the other. I think that, in time, members will become more confidant with the numerous tools available to them and will gladly use them with more frequency.
The second post for AL this week is Skills for the Next Generation...They Look Familiar, Sort of. In this posting, AL discusses a paper "Key Skills and Competencies of a New Generation of LIS Professionals." It is basically just a study of other studies and summary of the results. According to the paper, the results illustrate a complete picture of all the skills needed by a modern LIS professional. It then goes on to describe a long list of skills and competencies. AL points out that most of these skills would have been useful to many generations of librarians, and that most of them are already in use. the only new things needed are skills with technology. She also points out that many of the skills are useful in other professional disciplines, not just library science. AL believes that very few, if any, librarians can possess all of these skills, but it would be wonderful if they did.
My thoughts: I agree with AL in that many of the skills listed by this paper are skills that would make you successful in any profession, not just library science. If the authors of the paper truly expect one single person to exhibit all skills and competencies listed, they are being slightly unreasonable. I think that expecting one person to have a sprinkling of some of the skills is more like it. They can always be complementary of others who exhibit some of the other desired skills.
HeyJude had one post this week. It was called Google+plus Deeper Web. She states that she forgot that Google filters search if you are logged into Google and suggests logging out for serious searching. She was reminded, by someones tweet about Deeper Web. While using Deeper Web, the search results were organized differently. Tags and phrases could be deleted, and the search would resort itself. There are a few different source boxes on the page, and the layout is quite different from just plain Google. You can find your sources in a metrics search, news search or blog search. HJ feels that she needs to explore this search engine booster further, but sees it as a definite way to enhance your searches with Google.
My thoughts: I don't really use too many of Google's products, but this one seems very interesting. The information is laid out so much differently and it seems like there is more than on just plain Google. There were some adds on the very top of the page, that kind of took up alot of room, and I didn't really care for that. Time will tell if I begin to utilize this on a regular basis.
This week in Annoyed Librarian:
First post of the week was Stuck here in Onepointopia. This is a post about libraries use of Web 2.0, or Library 2.0, as some would call it. AL discusses a survey of WebJunction employees, and their use, or lack of use, of the new Web 2.0 skills. WebJunction is a "learning community working together to ensure all library staff have the resources they need to power relevant, vibrant libraries."-WebJunction website. They are very big into the use of Web 2.0 technologies in libraries. However, they conducted a survey and found that many of their members weren't really using these online tools. The most heavily used of the tools were email listservs. 64% of respondents used the listserv daily or weekly. 16% said they never used them. However, the question was kind of confusing, calling them "email discussion lists." If they would have said just email, the numbers would probably have been closer to 99% and 0% respectively. Supposedly, email is supposed to be a dying form of communication. In reality, it is the way that most professionals communicate on a daily basis. People always talk about wanting to give up their email because it is too overwhelming. This is not because it is a dying form of communication, but shows that it is widely used. Another question on the survey was about social networking. 39% of respondents said they used it daily or weekly for professional purposes and 63% used it in their private lives. AL doesn't believe that many people are actually using social networking for real work related issues, more like for issues semi-related to work issues. According to AL, the WebJunction survey questions are skewed to favor the "twopointopians," even if that was not their intention.
My thoughts: I can see where a lot of the WebJunction members might not be making the best use out of the Web 2.0 tools. We just learned about them, and I don't see myself using them a great deal. I do agree that some of the questions may have been asked in a manner to favor the use of the Web 2.0 online tools. Asking someone if they use email listservs or if they use email are two totally different things. You can't ask about one, and then exclude the other. I think that, in time, members will become more confidant with the numerous tools available to them and will gladly use them with more frequency.
The second post for AL this week is Skills for the Next Generation...They Look Familiar, Sort of. In this posting, AL discusses a paper "Key Skills and Competencies of a New Generation of LIS Professionals." It is basically just a study of other studies and summary of the results. According to the paper, the results illustrate a complete picture of all the skills needed by a modern LIS professional. It then goes on to describe a long list of skills and competencies. AL points out that most of these skills would have been useful to many generations of librarians, and that most of them are already in use. the only new things needed are skills with technology. She also points out that many of the skills are useful in other professional disciplines, not just library science. AL believes that very few, if any, librarians can possess all of these skills, but it would be wonderful if they did.
My thoughts: I agree with AL in that many of the skills listed by this paper are skills that would make you successful in any profession, not just library science. If the authors of the paper truly expect one single person to exhibit all skills and competencies listed, they are being slightly unreasonable. I think that expecting one person to have a sprinkling of some of the skills is more like it. They can always be complementary of others who exhibit some of the other desired skills.
HeyJude had one post this week. It was called Google+plus Deeper Web. She states that she forgot that Google filters search if you are logged into Google and suggests logging out for serious searching. She was reminded, by someones tweet about Deeper Web. While using Deeper Web, the search results were organized differently. Tags and phrases could be deleted, and the search would resort itself. There are a few different source boxes on the page, and the layout is quite different from just plain Google. You can find your sources in a metrics search, news search or blog search. HJ feels that she needs to explore this search engine booster further, but sees it as a definite way to enhance your searches with Google.
My thoughts: I don't really use too many of Google's products, but this one seems very interesting. The information is laid out so much differently and it seems like there is more than on just plain Google. There were some adds on the very top of the page, that kind of took up alot of room, and I didn't really care for that. Time will tell if I begin to utilize this on a regular basis.
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