libraries – hippiegrrl explains it all

Today, I received a text from my local library to let me know that the book I currently have checked out is about to be overdue (in 2 days). This prompted me to log in to the library website and renew the title. While at the site, I decided to take a look around to see what features are offered, other than renewing titles and looking up books in the catalog. One of the features is to build a book list, which immediately grabbed my attention because I love love LOVE reading lists. In fact, I love making lists in general, so I decided to give it a go.

I chose my topic (Sociological Reads), created the list, and then started my search to add titles. My first choice, Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex came up and I added it to the list. Next, I searched for Durkheim. This search should have brought back all the titles by Emile Durkheim but it returned ZERO results. Okay – maybe I spelled the name wrong. I walked over to my bookshelf and looked at my title of Suicide and found that I was, indeed, spelling his name correctly. Next, I decided to do an Advanced search to see if, perhaps, there was something not working on the standard search. Again, I chose “Author” as my search term and typed in Durkheim. Still, nothing. What the hell? How does a library system not have ONE title by Emile Durkheim?!?!

Deep breaths.

I took a moment to relax and thought “okay – maybe that was too much to expect”. So, instead, I typed in Freud. Three titles appeared in the list. The Interpretation of Dreams, Civilizations and their discontents, and Dreams. Okay – I guess that is a bit better, but where the hell is Dora?! Ugh.

Next, I decided to search for Marx – which I did pause at for a moment remembering that it is 2018 and our library search records are probably being monitored by Big Brother, but I decided not to worry about that crap and search on! This time, I decided to type in the name and then click on the full name in the sidebar – Marx, Karl. In order to get to his name, I had to open up another row since the “most searched names” were Groucho, Harpo, and Chico. Again, ugh. After clicking on Marx, Karl – three results. I guess three really is the magic number here. The letters of Karl Marx, Grundrisse: Foundation of the critique of political economy, and Manifesto of the Communist Party came up. Um – okay – that isn’t horrible, but where the hell is Capital?

This was not working. How could I create a Sociological Reads list without the foundational works in the field?! What kind of library system doesn’t have a copy of Capital? My next search was for The Protestant Ethic and the “Spirit” of Capitalism by Max Weber. This title, I searched for by name and again, ZERO results. Wow. This is super depressing. Just to see, I typed in Weber, Max and chose “Author”, and NOTHING.

Next I searched for Frederick Douglass (by Author name) and a list of 24 results came up. Okay – this is promising! However, when I scanned the list, the titles were different editions of his Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass and My Bondage, My Freedom was nowhere to be found. I suppose that is asking a lot and I should be content with the 24 copies of the former title. As a counter-point – Booker T. Washington (in an Author search) yielded 10 copies of Up from slavery, which I will count as a win.

Sticking with the Rochester human rights category, I searched for Susan B. Anthony (by Author name) and received only one title back – a reader called The Elizabeth Cady Stanton-Susan B. Anthony reader: correspondence, writings, speeches. I suppose that women’s suffrage isn’t a big topic of research down here either. Once more for those in the back: UGH.

A search for W.E.B. Du Bois returned zero results when I clicked the link for the Author name on the sidebar, but when I typed in Du Bois, W.E.B. it yielded 16 results, including The Souls of Black Folk and The Philadelphia Negro. Okay – so maybe we are getting somewhere now. Maybe typing in the full name, last name first, in the search bar will yield more results for the above searches. I went back and tried that and came up the same. I’m happy that at least they have Du Bois work on the shelf, even if they only have 16 copies across 9 of the branches in the system.

This last thought, in my searches, led me to another level of understanding. Which branches carry these titles? Does the branch that I frequent, the newest of all the branches that is located in the suburbs, have the titles I found above. And the answer is a resounding NO. None of the titles above are at the branch that I frequent. All of the titles are, however, at the main branch downtown, so I suppose, just like I did in Buffalo, I will be going downtown for my checkouts going forward.

And yeah, I guess that list isn’t going to happen. I guess the library system down here will be for quiet contemplation and new non-fiction. I’m not really into fiction, as a daily reading genre (unless it is dystopian YA) so my reading options are greatly diminished. Luckily, I still have access to the digital collections at NYPL and BECPL. Otherwise, I’m not sure what I would do. And I’m sure that, eventually, those will be revoked as well, but in the meantime, I will continue to use Overdrive in my quest for sociological titles.

One bright spot I found was when I searched for Angela Y. Davis. Although they don’t have Women, Race, and Class, they do have a new work by her. So at least they are bringing in new works by established writers in the field. We will just have a loss of those works that were generated prior to 2000? I would love to see their collection development plan, but, alas, I have not been called for an interview.

When I first moved to Huntsville, I was so excited to obtain my library card because, for me, that is an immediate need. Now that I see the full collection, online, I am disheartened by the lack of good sociological titles to be had by the general public. I am hopeful that, eventually, the collections at the various branches will improve, but for now I will rely on my own collection and the ability to circulate books from New York.

Peace and happy reading,

Chantale (aka hippiegrrl)

In 2009, I made the decision to return to school and obtain a second Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. This time I would apply myself. I would study and try my best not to procrastinate. I would work as a volunteer and devote myself to causes within the major. I would work on a research project and continue on into a PhD program. My goal, at the time, was to move forward into the world of academia and become a Sociology Professor.

From the moment I stepped into my first Sex and Gender class I was hooked. From there I took classes on social movements, race and class, ethnography, emotions, environmental sociology, power, research methods (qualitative and quantitative), and many other topics within the realm of social science. I had made a pact with myself that since this was a second bachelors degree I would not spend more than 2 years at the school. I had already obtained a BA from the same school and so I was not required to take many of the core classes that I took the first time around. This meant that my course of study was very specific to sociology (with a bit of anthropology thrown in for good measure – could never stay away from Dr. Fish!) and allowed me to be immersed in the subject matter. I began my studies in January of 2009 and I completed the program in May of 2011. This meant that I attended 5 semesters, but I still felt like it was a whirlwind experience.

This time in my life was somewhat tumultuous for several reasons. First, my Papa passed away suddenly in February of 2007. We were extremely grief stricken as a family, but had to keep moving forward for my Nana. In September of 2007, the job that I had worked my way up to over the course of 6 1/2 years was coming to a close as the bank I worked for was being bought out by another local bank. This meant that in February of 2008 I would be out of work. It was difficult, but not impossible as the writer had a full time teaching job and we felt like we were okay. I was given a severance package and immediate unemployment and worked until the very last moment – making me the proverbial “last one out turn off the lights” person at GBSB. It was sad, but freeing. Knowing that I would be losing my job in February, I decided that instead of continuing on in the banking world, I would go to the Small Business Association and get a loan to open a coffeehouse. I started working on that dream in October of 2007 and continued into a small business education program, run by the city of Buffalo, in January of 2008. During the planning stage, I was very optimistic. I had worked in coffeehouses on and off in my 20s and felt like this would be an excellent way to move into my 30s.

Then, in April of 2008, my Nana passed away. This was very difficult for me. We had only just lost Papa a year earlier and now we were losing Nana too. I was closer to nobody else in the world and they practically raised me alongside my own parents. The loss was great. My mom is a determined woman and although she was grieving for both of her parents, she got us through the funeral and moved us toward getting the house in order. We worked, through the summer of 2008, clearing and cleaning out the house and at the end of the summer it was sold. The Autumn holidays were the most difficult that year because Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas were my Nana’s favourites. Any day that brought her family together to visit, eat, talk, and sometimes yell and scream (as any self respecting Italian or Southern family does) was a good day for her, and the holidays were the absolute best. It felt like time stopped on April 4th and didn’t restart until after the New Year. Although it has been over 8 years, it is still difficult to think of them being gone. There are still mornings that I wake up and forget for a moment that they are not available to talk to. I will think of something to tell one or both of them and then remember they are not there anymore. Time numbs the pain, but it never fully goes away.

During the Autumn of 2008, I decided that I was going to stop pursuing the coffeehouse idea and started looking at schools. I navigated to the website for my Alma mater (Buffalo State College) and searched through several programs until I stumbled on Sociology. Since I had already obtained a degree from the school, the admission process was quick. I was admitted for Spring 2009 and thus began my journey into Sociology. So now, here I sit, 5 years beyond graduation, a Masters degree in Library Science also in my bag of tricks (obtained in a slightly longer time frame, but still useful) and a job at a software company.

So, what’s next? Where can I go with a BA in Music, a BA in Sociology, and an MS in Library and Information Science? Academia? That’s the goal, but we will see what happens. The writer completed a PhD in the last 5 years as well, and he is currently searching for a full time professor gig. We are hopeful that our degrees will allow us to move somewhere new and start a new chapter in our lives. My dream, now (and it could change at any moment) is to start off as a reference and/or research librarian in a University and then move into a PhD program. This is all contingent on our physical location in the next 5 years.

At the end of it all, I really just want to write. Helping others understand Sociological concepts and constructs would also be awesome, but if I have to do that through a library rather than a classroom I will be content. As long as my future profession involves reading and writing I will be happy. Oh – and the ability to work from the neighbourhood coffeehouse sometimes would definitely be a bonus. Writing and research – mobile employment – that is the way to go.

Peace,

Chantale (aka hippiegrrl)

What dreams did you have, as a teen or 20-something, that you still need to achieve? Tell me about it in the comments! And please share with your friends. We love opinions and constructive criticism!

Appropriate links:

How to Craft a New Career from aarp.org
Six Steps To Reinvent Your Career After A Major Life Change from forbes.com
Best Graduate Schools 2017 from US News & World Report