SIMMONS Admissions Office Blog » Dual LIS/Children’s Literature

Ladies and Gentlemen…the lovely and talented Nicole Giroux

Maggie Davidov — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:12:24 +0000

I have come across many fascinating people during my time in the GSLIS program. The majority of these awesome people turn out to be from the dual degree program. So I can’t help but want to get inside their brains. Seriously, what’s in the water in the Children’s Literature department? Is there an awesome ratio they require upon acceptance? They are sharp, creative and fiercely brilliant. Seriously, don’t cross a dual degree student. And with that, I present Miss Nicole Giroux from the dual degree Children’s Literature program.

Q: If you could be a character in any book who would you be?

A: Oh, sure, start with an easy question! This is so torturous to have to choose. I’ve gotta go with Hermione Granger (do I even need to say what she’s from?!). I could certainly use her time turner and magical skills. Besides, she’s named after a Shakespearean character and is an intelligent and strong female. What’s not to love? Though, I must admit, I totally identify as a Ravenclaw instead of a Gryffindor.

Q: What’s been the most exciting part about being in the dual degree program so far?

A: The most exciting part of being in the dual degree program has been being able to approach children’s librarianship from two distinct disciplines. It’s so wonderful to be able to really dive into children’s literature, but it’s also great to have the practical side of learning about managing a collection, planning programs, etc. I really feel like I am being so prepared for my future work as a teen librarian. It’s also been awesome to meet so many great people! I have good friends in the children’s lit and GSLIS programs, and it’s nice to be able to connect with others in both fields.

Q: If you had your ‘druthers how would you spend your days?

A: I was totally talking about this with someone earlier! If I could, I would love to focus more on my crafting and really get my steampunk jewelry, hair, and fashion accessories out there. My spare time would be filled with drinking tea, reading novels, playing Arkham Horror, and volunteering for various organizations (a library of course being one of them!).

Q: What has been your favorite LIS class so far?

A: My favorite LIS course so far was Young Adult Literature (obvs!). I love YA lit and it was exciting to read from a wide range of genres that I might not have read on my own, especially nonfiction. In terms of general LIS courses, my favorite so far was probably Reference (LIS 407) , though I also really enjoyed Information Organization (LIS 415). They were certainly some of the more challenging courses I’ve had, but I loved the hands-on practical experience I got from both. While I don’t plan on going too deeply into reference or cataloging in my career, learning the basics of each of these aspects of librarianship was essential for truly understanding what we ultimately do: organize information to make it more easily accessible.

Q: If you could have any super power what would it be and why?

A: Oooh, this is a tough one – there are really so many great superpowers! I think I would have to go with teleportation. Being able to travel quickly and cheaply would be quite the change of pace for me!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Hannah Gomez

Maggie Davidov — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 15:35:47 +0000

I met Hannah while dissecting the motherboard of a PC in LIS 488. I think we had the most fun of anyone in the class because we made up names for the parts we didn’t know. She is a dual degree Children’s Literature/Library Science student here at Simmons, so she’s a superhero in my mind. Enjoy meeting Hannah Gomez, with these incredibly serious interview questions that really get to the heart of who GSLIS students really are.

1) If you could be assume a role in a book who would you be?

As I kid I was always jealous of Dinnie in Sharon Creech’s Bloomability because she got to go to international school, which seemed so much more exotic and intellectual and independent than plain old school. Now that K-12 school is behind me and that’s not an option, I can’t think of anyone in a book I really love whose life I’m not already living (hence my liking them).

2) What’s been the most exciting part about being in the dual degree program so far?

Sorry, what? I’ll get back to you on that when I’m done reading six children’s and/or YA novels a week and learning both critical theory and practical, real life applications of it. Really the best part is that I’m finally not considered quirky (or at least not as quirky), because everyone who studies children’s literature is a nerd. I have found my people!

3) What does a typical day look like for you?

Oversleep, snooze the alarm between three and seven times, finally get up. Shower, eat, and Internet my morning. Do homework or read a novel (most days I have to read an entire one if I’m going to stay on top of things). Go to work or school, followed by the other one. Come home, Hulu or homework (okay, both), look up and realize it’s 2am, crash. Repeat. I think I have been claiming to work out and write a novel, but I’m not sure where those have gone. Any time I consider them, I get a call from Buffy, Liz Lemon, or Mulder and Scully, and then they win.

4) What has been your favorite LIS class so far?

My favorite class has definitely been 422 (Literacy and Services to Underserved Populations: Issues and Responses) with Shelley Quezada. I’m not as interested in the library science part of things (though that’s slowly changing as my new job and my love for digital content management and creation start coming out) as I am about the library service, so learning about advocacy, early literacy, outreach, and other types of service really spoke to me. Also, how often in your twenties do you get field trips? We had three!

5) If you could have any super power what would it be and why?

Can I call mermaid abilities a superpower? I love to swim, and I assume that the ability to swim in salt or fresh water and travel fast would be useful, as would what I assume are the whale-like lungs–I could throw away all my inhalers. And then I could go on vacation without having to pay for a plane ticket, because anywhere with a coast would be easy to get to.

Crunch Time

Leah Labrecque — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:39:39 +0000

December is upon us. I can�t believe it! Only two classes left for the semester, one small paper, one big paper, and a huge reference project. I don�t know how I am going to get them all done. Juggling a reference class, a children�s lit theory class, a husband, and a toddler has been manageable for most of the semester. I did a fair amount of procrastinating from September-November, like any student, but nothing that would sabotage my productivity as fall draws to a close. Then why do I feel frozen in the pit of my stomach? I think it�s because I can�t figure out how to prioritize the steps and projects I have left. My to-do list is full � full of half-started project pieces, half-highlighted essays, and half-read novels. I guess if I think of it that way, I�m halfway done? Everything will get done, eventually, and it will all be good work and submitted on time. That�s my mantra for the next two weeks until the end of final exams.

I started out writing this entry to encourage married parents and say that yes, you too can pursue two master�s degrees at Simmons College, but I just allowed myself to see how much I really have to do/freaked myself out. I should be reading! I�m sure I�ll have more positive things to say on December 18^th when this is all done. But for now, consider this a reality check. It�s not easy!