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Author Archives: Shoshana Patocka
Introduction to Serials Cataloging
Courses are open only to Nebraska residents or those who are employed by a Nebraska library.
This class provides the basic principles of serials cataloging for original and copy cataloging. Topics will include title changes and when to create a new record, what to edit when working with copy, and how to determine the chief source for title transcription.
Classes will be held online from April 5 to May 7. In order to receive credit for the class all assignments must be completed by May 10 AND you must receive a 75%, or above, for the course.
Class participants will access the course web site in order to read materials and complete projects and assignments. The class is held asynchronously, which means that participants are not required to be online at any particular time during the five weeks; however, there is a class schedule with due dates that participants are expected to meet. The instructor will interact with the participants during the course to offer feedback and provide explanations of material.
A few days before the class starts, class participants will be sent information about accessing the class.
This class is approved for the NLC Cataloging Certificate Program.
Prerequisite: Library staff with regular usage and knowledge of AACR2/RDA, MARC records, and cataloging. Preferred that the attendee has completed the Understanding Marc course.
To register: Go to Basic Serials Cataloging in the Nebraska Library Commission Training Portal. Registration closes March 28, 2021.
Posted in Education & Training
Tagged Cataloger, cataloging, cataloging certificate, Continuing Education, MARC, serials
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Friday Reads: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
“Between life and death there is a library,” she said. “And within that library, the shelves go on for ever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived.”
This is the idea behind The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. I debated how to write this review without giving too much of the story away and a pro/con list seemed the best way to do that.
Pros:
-An easy read. I had it finished in just a few sittings.
-There are some beautifully written passages that just envelop you.
-The characters are very relatable.
Cons:
-Those beautifully written passages? For me they sometimes felt misplaced and would totally take me out of the story.
-The plot leads you in such a way that you don’t necessarily want to take the time to read everything fully, you just want to get to the next plot point.
-Everything about the book feels very unoriginal and overdone. It seems more like something you’d see someone write for a short story class in college, not from a well-known author.
During the pandemic reading, for me, has become more of a chore than being enjoyable. For every book I do manage to finish there are ten that I don’t, or don’t even really start. It was nice to find a book that caught my attention enough to stick with it and even with all its faults it wasn’t a burden to read.
Would I suggest rushing out and buying it? No, but if you happen across it in the library someday maybe check it out.
Posted in Books & Reading
Tagged #FridayReads, Books & Reading, Friday Reads, Friday Reads, FridayReads
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Understanding MARC21 class
This class is approved for the NLC Cataloging Certification Program. Courses are open only to Nebraska residents or those who are employed by a Nebraska library.
Why would you use a 651 MARC tag instead of a 610 tag? What is the difference between a 260 tag and a 264 tag? Where do you put the note about large print?
If you have questions about MARC catalog records or would like to learn more about entering records into your local system, join us for this seven-session asynchronous online workshop.
Topics will include:
- Fixed & variable fields, subfields, tags
- Title and statement of responsibility
- Edition
- Publication
- Physical description
- Notes
- Subject headings
- Series
- Main and added entries
This class will be held online from February 8th to March 28th.
Class participants will access the course website in order to read materials, discuss questions/issues in discussion boards, and post assignments. The instructor will interact with participants through discussion boards and optional web chats in order to offer feedback and provide explanations of material.
To receive full credit, participants must complete all assignments AND receive a total score of 75% or above for the class.
Prerequisite: Basic skills “Organization of Materials” or some library automation experience.
To register: Go to Understanding MARC 21 Bibliographic Records in the Nebraska Library Commission Training Portal. Registration closes January 31st.
Posted in Education & Training
Tagged cataloging, cataloging certificate, Continuing Education, MARC, training
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Friday Reads: The Finishing School Series by Gail Carriger
Imagine yourself in lovely Victorian-era England with grand homes, elegant balls, and a large steam powered dirigible school floating by.
Wait…what?
The Finishing School Series by Gail Carriger is an absolutely lovely young adult series that follows one Miss Sophronia Temminnick through her time at Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. Classes include “Fainting in a crowd to attract attention” and “Buying poison and planning dinner on a limited budget”.
Hold on! What?
As the books progress we’re taken out of Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy into the greater world. In Scotland we’re introduced to Sophronias friend Sidhegs pack, her grandfather and uncles, all of whom are werewolves. And to London where the vampires are trying to undermine a plot they just know the Picklemen are trying to run against them.
STOP!!!! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!?
I absolutely love this series! The fantasy elements are done in such a way as to seem completely plausible and familiar. This is neither a dystopian set of novels, which seem to be so popular these days, or a “princess in need of rescuing” story. These girls can take care of themselves thank you very much! Not a fan of YA? Most of Gail Carrigers other books all take place in this same lovely world but are decidedly not YA.
Oh! I almost forgot my favorite part – the mechanicals! Simple household type tasks are carried out by these steam and gear-powered robots. Sophronia happens upon one, which happens to look like a dachshund, early on in the series whom she eventually carries around like a purse. Isn’t that just the cutest thing?
Posted in Books & Reading
Tagged #FridayReads, books, Fantasy, Friday Reads, Reading, series
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Cataloging Audio Recordings
Courses are open only to Nebraska residents or those who are employed by a Nebraska library.
From vinyl records, 8 track tapes, and cassettes to digital and streaming services, various forms of audio recordings have been included in library collections. Those who attend this course will learn how to cataloging audio recordings, particularly audio books and music, in cassette, CD, and downloadable formats.
This class will be held online from October 12th to November 20th In order to receive full credit, all assignments must be completed by November 23rd.
Class participants will access the course web site in order to read materials, discuss issues in a forum, and complete assignments. The class is held asynchronously, which means that participants are not required to be online at any particular time during the six weeks; however, there is a class schedule with due dates that participants are expected to meet. The instructor will interact with the participants during the course to offer feedback and provide explanations of material.
A few days before the class starts, class participants will be sent information about accessing the class.
To receive full credit, participants must complete all assignments.
This class is approved for the NLC Cataloging Certification Program.
Prerequisite: Library staff with some knowledge of MARC records and cataloging rules, preferred that the attendee has completed the Understanding Marc course.
To register: Go to Cataloging Audio Recordings in the Nebraska Library Commission Training Portal. Registration closes October 4th.
Posted in Education & Training
Tagged Audio, Cataloger, cataloging, cataloging certificate, Continuing Education, education
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Friday Reads: Before and Again by Barbara Delinsky
The Wikipedia entry for Barbara Delinsky states that “she is an American writer of romance novels, including 19 New York Times bestsellers.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Delinsky) While every point of this is true it misses the vast number of her books that I would say fall under “stories of intrigue”, though not mysteries, as within the first chapter or two you are told what has happened and at times even by whom. What Delinsky does masterfully is get into why the event happened and why the people involved act the way they do, spinning a wonderful web of intrigue throughout.
“Before and Again” follows the story of Maggie Reid as she makes a new life for herself in a small town Vermont after her daughter dies. Almost immediately you find out that a 15 year old boy has been picked up by the FBI for hacking. That someone had been hacking grades at the high school had been no secret in the town but everyone is sent reeling when he’s also charged with hacking into some very prominent twitter accounts. Maggie considers the boy’s mother a good friend so she can’t help but get involved but that means dealing with her own past and helping a lot of others deal with theirs as well.
Barbara Delinsky’s books are like curling up with a cup of tea in an oversized comfy chair, even if you happen to be reading on the bus or over your lunch hour in the break room, so easy to get into with beautiful imagery that’s not hard to conjure. While “Before and Again” is probably one of my least favorite of Delinsky’s books that I’ve read sometimes, especially in times like these, it’s more about how the reading experience makes us feel rather than what we’re actually reading.
Authority Control Class
Libraries use authority control to manage the names, uniform titles, series, and subject headings in their catalogs. Participants in this class will learn what authority control is and why it is needed, how to read a MARC authority record, and how to use the Library of Congress authority file. The class will also include discussion of how to keep headings in your local systems up-to-date, and the relevance of authority control.
Prerequisite: “Understanding MARC21 Bibliographic Records” class.
This class will be held online from June 22nd to July 26th. To receive full credit, participants must complete all assignments by July 26th.
Class participants will access the course web site in order to read materials, discuss issues in a forum, and complete assignments. The class is held asynchronously, which means that participants are not required to be online at any particular time during the five weeks; however, there is a class schedule with due dates that participants are expected to meet. The instructor will interact with the participants during the course to offer feedback and provide explanations of material.
A few days before the class starts, class participants will be sent information about accessing the class.
To register: Go to Authority Control in the Nebraska Library Commission Training Portal. Registration closes June 14th.
This workshop is approved for the NLC Cataloging Certification Program. Courses are open only to Nebraska residents or those who are employed by a Nebraska library.
Friday Reads: Buried to the Brim by Jenn McKinlay
In these interesting times we find ourselves living in I figured a nice fluffy read was in order, and in this case it’s literal!
Buried to the Brim by Jenn McKinlay is part of the “Hat Shop Mystery” series that follow Scarlett Parker on her adventures. Originally from the states Scarlett and her cousin Viv run the hat shop, Mim’s Whims, that was left to the both of them by their grandmother. This book begins with Scarlett’s fiance coming to the shop needing a favor for his Aunt Betty and her dog Freddy. (I told you it was a fluffy read.)
Aunt Betty and Freddy have been competing in the local charity dog show for the last few years and have always managed to only come in second. Wanting something that will give them an edge in this years competition they’ve come to ask if Mim’s Whims will make a hat for Freddy to wear while competing.
My only disappointment with this book is that aren’t any illustrations! Viv, after some convincing, ends up making multiple hats not only for Freddy but matching ones for Aunt Betty as well. To see those creations atop Freddy’s fluffy little head fills my corgi loving heart with glee.
I’m usually not much of a mystery reader but seeing as Jenn McKinlay also has written a few romance novels this definitely didn’t have much of a “who-done-it” feel to it. I also enjoyed the fact that even though this was the sixth book in the series it stands well on it’s own and I never felt like I was missing anything by not having read the other books. Now that I’ve finished Buried to the Brim I definitely want to read the other books in the series, although they can’t be nearly as good without a corgi in them.
But it’s okay though, I have a corgi of my very own. Anyone know where I can pick up a top hat for Charlie?
Posted in Books & Reading
Tagged #FridayReads, dogs, Friday Reads, mysteries, mystery, Reading
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Understanding MARC class registration now open!
Why would you use a 651 MARC tag instead of a 610 tag? What is the difference between a 260 tag and a 264 tag? Where do you put the note about closed captioning?
If you have questions about MARC catalog records or would like to learn more about entering records into your local system, join us for this seven-session asynchronous online workshop.
Topics will include:
- Fixed & variable fields, subfields, tags
- Title and statement of responsibility
- Edition
- Publication
- Physical description
- Notes
- Subject headings
- Series
- Main and added entries
- Special topics
This class will be held online from March 30th to May 15th.
Class participants will access the course website in order to read materials, discuss questions/issues in discussion boards, and post assignments. The instructor will interact with participants through discussion boards and optional web chats in order to offer feedback and provide explanations of material.
To receive full credit, participants must complete all assignments.
Prerequisite: Basic skills “Organization of Materials” or some library automation experience.
To register: Go to Understanding MARC 21 Bibliographic Records in the Nebraska Library Commission Training Portal. Registration closes March 20th.
This class is approved for the NLC Cataloging Certification Program. Courses are open only to Nebraska residents or those who are employed by a Nebraska library.
Contact Shoshana.Patocka@nebraska.gov if you have any questions.
(Understanding MARC class will be offered again in August of 2020.)
Posted in Education & Training
Tagged Cataloger, cataloging, cataloging certificate, class, Continuing Education, free, MARC
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“Cataloging Video Recordings” class registration closing soon!
Video materials make up a significant portion of today’s libraries’ collections. Attend this workshop to learn about copy and original cataloging of video recordings in a variety of formats, including DVDs, Blu-ray discs, and streaming video. Topics will include series/episodes, cast notes, editions, and access points.
This class will be held online from February 3 to March 9. To receive full credit, participants must complete all assignments by March 13th.
Class participants will access the course web site in order to read materials, discuss issues in a forum, and complete assignments. The class is held asynchronously, which means that participants are not required to be online at any particular time during the six weeks; however, there is a class schedule with due dates that participants are expected to meet. The instructor will interact with the participants during the course to offer feedback and provide explanations of material.
A few days before the class starts, class participants will be sent information about accessing the class.
Prerequisite: “Understanding MARC21 Bibliographic Records” class.
To register: Go to Cataloging Video Recordings in the Nebraska Library Commission Training Portal. Registration closes January 26th.
This workshop is approved for the NLC Cataloging Certification Program. Courses are open only to Nebraska residents or those who are employed by a Nebraska library. This class is approved for the NLC Cataloging Certification Program.
Friday Reads: The Little Book of Big Feelings: an Illustrated Exploration of Life’s Many Emotions by Maureen “Marzi” Wilson
Being the good reader that I am every holiday season I make sure to include books on my gift list. (Yes, my family still does Christmas lists but that’s a story for another time.) Sometimes I’ll ask for the latest hot fiction title, or I might want a larger coffee table book that I’ve had my eye on but couldn’t justify the price. This year though I went with something small enough to fit in my stocking.
The Little Book of Big Feelings is authored and illustrated by Marzi Wilson, creator of “Introvert Doodles”. If you’ve ever wondered about the care and feeding of your fellow introvert, or are one yourself, I highly recommend checking her out. She has a lovely little Instagram page, perfect material to scroll through when that party gets to be a bit to much and you’re taking a moment to yourself behind a potted plant. She has three other books, as well, including an activity book!
This latest book takes a look at those big feelings we all get, joy, sadness, anger and so on, how they may look different to an introvert and, greatest of all, how to deal with them. Reading this book is a great way to get perspective on those emotions and even to start processing and accepting them. Each section deals with one particular emotion in small cartoons as well as meatier parts dealing with they psychology behind them. This is a fun and easy to grasp little book that, while slightly geared towards adults, would totally be useful for those fun balls of emotions that are teens.
“Cataloging Video Recordings” class registration now open!
Video materials make up a significant portion of today’s libraries’ collections. Attend this workshop to learn about copy and original cataloging of video recordings in a variety of formats, including DVDs, Blu-ray discs, and streaming video. Topics will include series/episodes, cast notes, editions, and access points.
This class will be held online from February 3 to March 9. To receive full credit, participants must complete all assignments by March 13th.
Class participants will access the course web site in order to read materials, discuss issues in a forum, and complete assignments. The class is held asynchronously, which means that participants are not required to be online at any particular time during the six weeks; however, there is a class schedule with due dates that participants are expected to meet. The instructor will interact with the participants during the course to offer feedback and provide explanations of material.
A few days before the class starts, class participants will be sent information about accessing the class.
Prerequisite: “Understanding MARC21 Bibliographic Records” class.
To register: Go to Cataloging Video Recordings in the Nebraska Library Commission Training Portal. Registration closes January 26th.
This workshop is approved for the NLC Cataloging Certification Program. Courses are open only to Nebraska residents or those who are employed by a Nebraska library. This class is approved for the NLC Cataloging Certification Program.
Friday Reads: It’s All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World’s Family Tree By A.J. Jacobs
When I’m out of something to read, or just in a rut, memoirs are my go to genre. Something about peeking into the lives of others, and realizing even the biggest star has gone through many of the same things I do, gives me the feeling of being transported to another time and place like no other.
A.J. Jacobs is writer of a number of memoirs, a few of which I’ve also read, mostly centered on a big idea. In his book “The Know-It-All” he tackles every entry in the Encyclopedia Britannica. In “The Year of Living Biblically” he does… well… just that by trying to follow the rules of the bible, and not just the big ones, as literally as possible. A.J. writes not only about his personal experience in each book but also how it affects his family, as well as the research and study surrounding each subject.
For this edition of “Friday Reads” I read “It’s All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World’s Family Tree”. It starts off with a seemingly innocuous email from the husband of A.J.s eighth cousin. This man’s work on his own family tree has become his life’s passion with over 80,000 relatives on it, including A.J. This sparks something in A.J. who, after some quick poking around on his own, decides that he’s going to throw the world’s largest family reunion.
This book isn’t only just about genealogy but touches on a myriad of subjects like the meaning of family, DNA, privacy, history, race, celebrity, and death. Broken down into a weekly countdown to the reunion the chapters are in bite size chunks which makes for a quick and enjoyable read. There’s also a guide in the back of the book where A.J. goes over how to start researching your own family tree.
Personally I’ve never been into researching my families past, the making of a boring list of names, but this quote from the book tugged at my heart strings enough that I may have to give it a shot…
“What affects me emotionally isn’t seeing the ground where my ancestors’ bones lie. It’s hearing their tales, seeing their images, reading their words. It’s learning about the nickels they strewed on the ground for loved ones… that’s what gets me.”
Friday Reads: The Woman in the Window, a novel by A.J. Finn
Shortly after I started back in April I was asked if I wanted to contribute to the commissions “Friday Reads” blog and of course I said “Yes!” And then I froze. I had been moving so I haven’t read anything in a while! Nothing I had with me seemed to work and nothing recently seemed intriguing. So after some (okay…a lot!) of browsing I finally came across “The Woman in the Window” by A.J. Finn. It mainly caught my eye as my cover says “Soon to be a major motion picture” and I’m the type of person who always has to read the book first. Rarely is a movie better than the book but with this one we’ll just have to wait and see.
Told from the perspective of one Dr. Anna Fox who, due to her battle with agoraphobia, has spent the last ten months in her house having what she can delivered so she never has to leave. She keeps tabs on her neighborhood through the lens of her camera and “see’s something she shouldn’t”. I’ve never seen “Rear Window”, or much of it at least, but it seems like there are a number of connections that can be made between this book and the movie. A person trapped in their home thinks they see something nefarious and people don’t believe them. The connection is made even stronger through Anna’s own love of old movies, including “Rear Window”, which are referenced throughout the book.
As for the rest of the characters A.J. does a good job fleshing each of them out but I hate to say it – he does nothing with them. Most of them have very little connection to the plot and you never really get to know any of them well. Unfortunately, you never really get to know Anna very well either as major parts of her story, and why she is the way she is, aren’t revealed until you’re ¾ of the way through the book. Thankfully the book redeems itself in other ways and really is a quick read. The “chapters”, some of which are only a page long, are grouped together by date and the flow that this gives the book never waivers. Plus, the way AJ writes really gives you an almost visceral feel for what’s going on (hence the reason I feel that if done right the movie might out shine the book.)
I wouldn’t recommend “Woman in the Window” to hard core mystery buffs, but other than that I found the book enjoyable. I normally don’t like mysteries as I find it frustrating that I usually figure it all out only sentences before the characters do. “The Woman in the Window” is more suspense story than a true “who-done-it” type of mystery, though, and it keeps you on your toes by throwing twists and turns at you constantly making you, and Anna, question if your reasoning is correct. With that being said in the end I was able to figure out the “who” well before it’s revealed in the book.
