Week 3-Reflections

I have to admit this was a tough week from me. I really had some trouble with the academic library visit. I have really been upset all summer that my only academic library is closed on weekends and only open M-F, 8-4. I work a full time job, and it’s really hard, especially in the summer, for me to take any time off. This is where my frustration comes from because I feel like I can’t be honest with my boss. But anyways I called in sick one day and spent it at my library. It was really useful and I actually enjoyed myself.

The database assignment at first was overwhelming. It can be so confusing if you don’t know what you’re looking for. But once I got the hang of it, it was very useful. “Web design” who knew there could be so much information out there about it. I got like 10,000 hits the first time, when using the advanced search and changing it to search titles that really helped and narrowed down the hits to 55.

The library catalogs assignment was my favorite. I learned how to get exactly what books I needed and the ones that best fit my topic. I started with United States and Foreign aid and the subject fields lead me to foreign aid policies and economic assistance, which really gave me a lot of useful books. Then I went and looked for the books at the library and it really took me no more than 5 minutes to find all of them. I used this same technique for one of my other classes. I found all the books I needed and was able to run into my library as soon as it opened, had my books w/in 10 minutes and ended up being just about 40 minutes late to work, which isn’t bad considering I have a half hour commute.

I also really enjoyed the organizing information assignment, as I am very controlling about things, I love to organize. And I really do have a lot of books. I have them in boxes and piles and piles of them on one bookshelf, I can barely see the titles. So when thinking about something I would organize I thought of my books and now I really want to do it.