So very tired

This post is probably going to be very boring and not about knitting. It is all about tired Anne. What riviting drama. I'm very happy this week is coming to an end. I can't remember if I've talked about my practicum on this blog much. If not, I'll give you a short recap. If I have, please excuse the tired mind. Doing a practicum, or working in a library, is one option for my library science masters. (The other option is writing a thesis. See why I chose to do the practicum?) Practicums are great for people who have never worked in a library setting before. You get to actually work as a librarian and do all sorts of different work depending on your library.

I've been building webpages, working the reference desk, collecting materials for library instruction, coming up with a podcast/series of instructional segments and author talks, and attending staff meetings. I'm sure I've done more but it is hard to think of it right now. As interesting as the work is, I'm just tired.

The praticum is 100 hours with an additional 50 hours on a project or paper. Today I wrapped up 80 hours. I've been working at my practicum site 10 hours a week since the middle of January. Most of the weeks, I've worked one morning 9-12 and then gone to my actual job to work 12:30-9 and then worked 9-4:30 on Friday at the practicum. The past two weeks, however, I've had to work at my job on Friday so that messes up the practicum schedule. So I've been working at least 2 mornings and a couple of hours on Saturday when the reference desk is staffed. This week, however, is even more different because I've worked 3 mornings at the practicum. Three 12 hour days in one week sucks. I don't know how people do it! The library will be closed on Saturday because that is when Spring Break starts.

I can't even tell you how much I am looking forward to it! I will have the whole week off from anything to do with the practicum. Then as a bonus, my practicum supervisor will be out of town the next week so I will have that week off too! (From the practicum, at least. I still have to go to my actual job obviously!) Well, I might have to go in Friday to help record some author book talks but that will be a lot shorter than a 9-4:30 day and will be very interesting.

On Monday, I recorded a sound bite/instructional segment about using the library catalog and requesting books from other institutions. Next, I added screenshots to the sound. It was pretty good if I do say so myself :)

In other library related news, I'm going to be doing a book talk for a group of retired schoolteachers/other influential ladies of the community in April. This will be my first chance to do a booktalk and I'm really excited/nervous. Trying to find books which interest them is really challenging because a) I've never done this before and b) I have no idea what they might like. There is a book called The Booktalker's Bible from which I will be borrowing heavily. I will also be talking about Tom Brokaw's book, Boom, because we are doing that for a One Book, One Community program during National Library Week. I really should get on reading that. How in the world am I going to be able to talk to a group of people who lived through the 60s when I wasn't even born for another 20 years?! Anyway, I hope this book talk will go well. If it does, I will be able to go to a lot of other groups. You would be amazed the number of places that want someone to come to talk to them about books. Now if only I could find a way to combine the knitting and the book talking :)