Simmons GSLIS: Dispatches from the Field

This post is from Thana, an Iraqi colleague who has shared in several training programs run by Simmons. She is currently in Chennai (formerly called Madras), India on a six-week training program. She writes:

It is so nice that we are free three days, Saturday & Sunday we are having holiday, and it’s a long weekend Monday because we celebrating Diwali over here. It’s a Hindu celebration.

On the first free day we used it for shopping, and India is amazing place for shopping. As everyone in previous Simmons training programs who knows can tell, I am good in bargaining.

On Sunday we went to visit an ancient place (temple) 60 KM far from Chennai - it is named Mamllapuram. The way to this place was wonderful and green green green. You can not find 1 meter without trees and also from time to time we were able see the Ocean.

The temple is carved on so many big rocks, and all the places around rocks covered with natural plants and flowers and so many butterflies in all colors you can only imagine. So, I added to my collection more butterflies (farashah in Arabic).

After lunch we went back to Chennai,. It was so nice day for me and also for my friends.

When we reached Chennai we saw it was busy and more crowded than before as people start to be ready for Diwali day - shopping and fireworks are everywhere.

Monday morning after breakfast, all the training group was in net center trying to prepare articles for our project work. Then, we went to Marina beach, a nice place full of people today celebrating Diwali day. The women wear very nice saris and tied flowers in their hair.

You can see all colors in India, and children are happy buying things from many carriages that sell many things.

We left after sunset and the fireworks started again….

Our dinner was in the Marina Mall on the top floor with the restaurant on the roof, a nice design, overlooking a tower over the beach & main street in Chennai. The site was exciting while we can see from all directions fireworks.

As I said, INDIA is a colorful world, full of life, and full of sad and poor people who live there…we hope all good for them.

Till next post…thanks for reading my blog, Thana

Posted by Meaghan O'Connor at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This post is from Thana, an Iraqi colleague who has shared in several training programs run by Simmons. She is currently in Chennai (formerly called Madras), India on a six-week training program. She writes:

Today was so busy - a rainy day for us. We started the day with a lecture on library management in digital environment. Dr. Ravei. gave the lecture, and he focused on automation & digitization. He also talked about SWOT analysis. In addition, we covered digital resources, preservation, library security (RFID, security gates, CCTV, and fire alarms).

We then divided into groups to discus our experience in managing our libraries.

At evening, we went to visit the main library at Madras University. It's a library that deserves a visit - and we showed our respect to people who works there.

They use colon classification that was done by Ranganathan. They have many e-resources and also books, theses, journals and magazines. The plan was also to visit the Lib.& Info. Sci. Department …but heavy rain made the director put off the plan.

On our way back, the traffic was bad as the roads were almost filled of water. Everybody in streets was hold his / her umbrella and some of them didn't have one, so they got very wet. I saw a beautiful young lady riding a motorcycle. It is exciting, women here are so brave. The life here is hard here but with all this you can find Indian people nice & friendly.

Posted by Meaghan O'Connor at 02:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This post is from Thana, an Iraqi colleague who has shared in several training programs run by Simmons. She is currently in Chennai (formerly called Madras), India on a six-week training program. She writes:

It is rainy today, but that seems usual here to rain heavily. Our lecture today will be on library automation problems in academic libraries - present status & requirements.

Dr. Ravichandran elucidated for us, and it was interesting to discuss so many points in many countries.

At evening lecture time Dr. Ravi. explained to us that we need to do a project, so we started to suggest our plans and what we want to do, which subject will we choose. For some of us, his/her English language is not good enough to do a project. We will help each other.

Thursday morning our lecture was - Computer: it applications in self instructional materials. The lecturer was Dr. T.G.Sambanthan, head of the computer center. He focused on its impact in technical education. He also talked about computer enabled instructions (SIM) and multimedia.

He was so active a teacher, and he kept trying to get the feed back directly - he waked all sleepy students in class. I found this lecture was so interesting and his English speaking was very clear to understand.

On my way back to rest, I found a sign (billboard) written on it this statement:

"Whoever has a taste for reading good books is able to bear loneliness in any place with great ease." Mahatma Gandhi

Till next blog …best for everybody

Thana

Posted by Meaghan O'Connor at 02:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This post is from Thana, an Iraqi colleague who has shared in several training programs run by Simmons. She is currently in Chennai (formerly called Madras), India on a six-week training program. She writes:

The training program seems to start today. Everyone was in class at 9:30 am. Dr Ravnchandran told us yesterday to prepare something about our country - its culture, education, and anything we can say about our countries, so I did and so did my colleagues in the training group. We enjoyed the time listening to each other.

Then we spent one and a half hours at lunch, and then back for a lecture by Dr. A. Amudhavalli, a professor & head of the Madras University Library & Info. Science Department.

The lecture was about library science in India ….and also about what librarians do to serve users.

I enjoyed this lecture a lot, and I said inside now the program starts to be useful for me. I loved her way in teaching and her way to feel the feed back from others. At the end of her lecture, everyone clapped for her and I told her she is an excellent teacher.

We will meet her again when all the group will visit the Lib. & Info. Sci. Department next Friday. I asked her to prepare something for me so that I have an idea about curricula in India.

At the end of her lecture I loved the statement she said: be proud of yourself that you work as a librarian, if you do not respect your work how can the others?

Till next diary ….. accept my regards,

Thana

I want you to know the countries where all of us come from, so I have made a list. The training group now is:

1 from Lesotho
1 from Nigeria
1 from Mauritius
1 from Fijian Island
2 from Uzbekistan
1 from Afghanistan
2 from Zambia
6 from Myanmar
2 from Uganda
1 from Sudan
2 from Uganda
2 from Palestine
1 from Ethiopia

Posted by Meaghan O'Connor at 02:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This post is from Thana, an Iraqi colleague who has shared in several training programs run by Simmons. She is currently in Chennai (formerly called Madras), India on a six-week training program. She writes:

Hi again from India,

Yesterday a librarian group (6) come from Myanmar…..and (3) from Zambia..and (1) from Fiji and (1) from Sudan and also (2) from Palestine.

I met them at morning, we said Hello to each other …and we all share the same feeling about this place. When we meet Dr. Ravchandran who is responsible on this training program, he told us we are waiting for more librarians to join us.

I asked Sanker, the man who works here, to lead me to a super market to buy some food. He told me go to City center …it is a big mall. Anaam and I went together and spent nice time shopping and watching the new place - it is nice, full of life and people.

Going to the mall and back to the institute is not easy, but I do my best to know the way. No taxis available on the street. People usually use a motorcycle and cover it like carriage and name it Tarto. I enjoyed the ride and find it a new experience.

Till next blog, hope for everybody a nice time...

Thana

Posted by Meaghan O'Connor at 02:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This post is from Thana, an Iraqi colleague who has shared in several training programs run by Simmons. She is currently in Chennai (formerly called Madras), India on a six-week training program. She writes:

...my Ministry nominated me to share in some training to be held in India /Chennai ….the course name is Modern Library and will start on 20 Oct. and last until 12 Dec.

Annam Tahaa is an Iraqi librarian working in the Islamic education office - she is also sharing in this training - we are the only two from Iraq here. As I heard so many librarians will join us from different countries... that will be so exciting for me to know more librarians in the world.

The Indian embassy booked our flight for us (a transit flight) from Baghdad to Dubai and then from Dubai to Chennai. Our problem was waiting between these 2 flights for more than 24 hours. We reached Dubai Wednesday evening on 15 October and our flight did not leave until early morning Friday 17 October. We spent a very long and trying day at airport... we must hold our bags with us and sleep on the chairs. The airport in Dubai is an excellent place and I spent nice time discovering it and shopping... but we felt exhausted from waiting so long a time.

Our flight to Chennai was on Emirates Airways - hmmm, we found it like a dream. I am hearing my favorites songs, the airplane is amazing, it was happy and exciting 4 hours for me - a wonderful flight. We reached Chennai early morning Friday.

The training will be in the National Institute of Technical Teachers Training & Research. There is a dorm in the same building in this institute. When a nice Indian man (Sankar) lead us to our room, we were shocked when we saw this small room with 2 beds and so simple furniture. The weather is hot and damp and the air-conditioner seems not doing anything.

When we start to have our 1st meal I found myself and my colleague couldn’t eat anything. The man who served the food is nice man but food was spicy and the place is not clean enough to eat in. I hope we can find good restaurant to end food problem.

I hope the training will be useful to forget other not important things like food and room. I will do my best to be happy and enjoy my time here discovering a new city and learning more about library science.

I will tell u more in next diary, Inshallah.

Thana

Posted by Meaghan O'Connor at 02:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

IMG_0794
Originally uploaded by Blackbelt Librarian

Posted by Jessica Haglund at 07:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)