My first full day back home

Ok, you guys, you'll never believe what I did last night!  I slept in a bed!  Under a comforter!  In air conditioning!  Under a ceiling fan!  It. Was. Amazing.  And then, I got to drive my car Henry around town!  And then I went grocery shopping with my parents to Publix!  I took a photo of one of their slogans that pretty much sums up how I feel about Publix.  Their other, main catch phrase is "Publix, where shopping is a pleasure"; so true!  And guess what I had for dinner?  A Publix Cuban sub!  Epic day.

Geez, you'd think that I just got back from an 11-week stay in a third world country or something.

Home

Yes.  Finally.  And it didn't come without quite an ordeal.  This morning went well, our car came to pick up Genevieve and me right on time and got us to the airport in no time.  I did have to then take the shuttle to my terminal, but that wasn't too bad.  Because we got there so early, I had quite a bit of waiting to do, but that was find.  But then my flight was delayed.  First by only half an hour.  Then they decided that we would require a new plane as our scheduled aircraft had some damage from the weather.  So they pushed our flight back another hour and a half.  They also kept switching our gates so it felt a bit like musical chairs.  We finally took off at the time when we were supposed to arrive in Jacksonville.  But alas, it was all washed away when I speed-walked (or sped-walked?) out into the arms of my mommy and daddy, tears of joy on my cheeks, so happy to be home.  And now here I sit, on my proper bed, in the air conditioning and silence - real silence, uninterrupted by cars honking or sirens blaring or the general white noise created by running multiple fans at once.  Yes.

Our last hoorah

Today, I went to Beacon, New York for my last day in New York City.  Yeah, that's right, for my last day in the city, I left the city.  We spent our last Guggenheim museum culture seminar at Dia: Beacon, an art museum located about an hour and a half north of New York City.  The building was originally a Nabisco box printing factory so it is huge.  The art in the collection makes use of the massive amounts of space offered in the galleries with rather large pieces as well as wide open spaces.  Beacon itself was quite nice as well, and the weather was wonderful.

After touring the museum and having lunch, I bid farewell to all of my fellow Guggenheim interns and new friends and headed back to the city to pack for my trip home.  My glorious trip home!  I have been looking forward to this day for quite some time and it appears it has finally arrived.  I have already booked a car to drive Genevieve and me to Laguardia in the morning.  It's been real, New York, but I think we need a break.  It's me not you, really.  You're going to make someone really happy one day, but for now, I just need my space, ok?  I hope we can still be friends.

Today's mileage: 2.79 mi.
Total New York mileage: 222.77 mi.

It's been fun, Guggenheim library

Today was my last day working in the Guggenheim library.  I've learned a lot while I was there and met some really fantastic people.  Becky, my supervisor took me out to lunch to celebrate my last day.  She also surprised me at the end of the day with a parting gift - my choice of either a Guggenheim coffee mug or any one book from the collection of Guggenheim publications.  I decided to go with a book (surprise, surprise), The Guggenheim: Frank Lloyd Wright, the Making of the Modern Museum as it is far less likely to shatter in my luggage on the trip home.  Ok, that's not the only reason, I mean, I am a (wannabe) librarian, right?  My last act as the library intern took Becky and I on a tour of the Whitney Museum's new library.  Their library is similar to that of the Guggenheim, though their space was designed more with a library in mind than ours was.  But that is not my last act as a Guggenheim intern: tomorrow we are taking a day trip to Beacon to visit the Dia: Beacon museum.  But I don't want to get ahead of myself here, you'll just have to wait until tomorrow for the exciting conclusion of my whirlwind New York tour!

Yesterday's mileage: 2.31 mi.
Today's mileage: 3.76 mi.

Librarians can help you avoid huge ships

For today's post, I have a couple of fun links for your reading pleasure.  The first is a project started by The Atlantic, asking readers to explain what people don't get about one's job.  If you are a librarian, or know one well, you are most certainly having a proper chuckle over simply considering the numerous things that people don't get about working in a library.  And, in fact, The Atlantic has already compiled a list of submissions available here.  You will no doubt be nodding your head in agreement as you read through people's surprise that librarianship requires a Master's, librarians don't simply sit around reading books all day, and that new technology is not, in fact, threatening the existence of the library.  These are all things that I myself have been asked and explained far too many times to count.

The second link is pretty much pure fun.  I have found it to be absolutely hilarious, so much so that I had to stop reading it on my work break because I was laughing so hard that I was worried people would come in thinking I was upset from the tears streaming down my face.  This is a compilation of the best (read: most gut-busting) reviews for the book How to Avoid Huge Ships.  It's just as funny the second and third time you read it, so you may want to bookmark it in case you ever need a pick-me-up.

Today's mileage: 2.34 mi.

Where was Facebook when we needed it?

Today, I was tasked with attempting to identify the people in photographs from a 1969 Guggenheim exhibition opening event.  I was given a list of the artists featured in the exhibition and asked to find photos of them from around 1969 so that we might match them up with the people in the pictures.  This was not an easy task.  Simply finding photos of these people was a challenge, let alone narrowing it down to a specific time frame.  I couldn't help but think of how easy it is on TV when the techies just run a photo through facial recognition software - yeah, that would have come in handy.  And if not fancy software, where was Facebook back then?!  Think about it - not only would it be really easy to find photos of these artists and just scroll back to albums posted in 1969, but assuming these photos were already on Facebook, they would just be tagged!  Oh, how we take such modern conventions for granted.

Today's mileage: 2.15 mi.

This time next week...

Yep, that's pretty much all I will be thinking about all this week: what I will be doing this time next week.  Thus begins the last week of my internship at the Guggenheim and in New York City.  I know it's not over yet, but before I forget, I'd like to thank all of my faithful (and intermittent) readers for your continued attention and encouragement.  I never thought people would actually want to read about what I do and have to say but alas, you keep coming back for more.  And I thank you for that.  The knowledge that someone will be reading this has kept me on my toes and motivated me to keep blogging about my experiences.  Never fear, I will continue to blog even after I leave New York, though it will probably not be a daily occurrence.  Let's fact it, life in Gainesville is just not as exciting, not that I am complaining.  The excitement of New York is too much for me.  I greatly look forward to going back to working at the UF library and spending my free time baking and such.  And air conditioning.

Today's mileage: 1.09 mi.

Um, I graduated today?

So yeah, the FSU Summer 2011 graduation ceremony was this morning.  Obviously, since I'm in New York City, I was unable to walk.  However, my dear roommates gave me my very own graduation.  The three of us headed down to one of the common areas in the dorm which happens to have a stage-like area and Genevieve, pictured here, gave a lovely little speech before announcing the only available graduate, me.  As you can see, it was a very formal endeavor, Genevieve coming straight from yoga and me draped in a black sheet with a red tank-top-turned-hood around my neck.  Excitement abounded as even our photographer and third roommate, Imani, was trembling with emotion.  After Genevieve handed me my makeshift diploma, I took the stage for a moment to thank my roommates for such a wonderful pseudo-commencement.

Today's mileage: 1.95 mi.

Wait, what is the BMW Guggenheim Lab?

This week's museum culture seminar took us to the BMW Guggenheim Lab which just opened Wednesday.  You're probably wondering what the BMW Guggenheim Lab is.  Yeah, me too.  According to the website, it's "a mobile laboratory traveling around the world to inspire innovative ideas for urban life."  It's got a cafe.  The best I could gather was that it's a space created for various events.  I don't know, maybe this is just one of those things I don't get.  But it is completely free for everyone, so if you happen to be in Manhattan and have some time on your hands, you can check it out.  If you have a better understanding of it, please do explain it to me.

Today's mileage: 6.45 mi. (That's a new record, by the way, if you've been keeping track.  It's also roughly the same distance as a 10K.  Today's mileage also puts me over 200 miles for this summer thus far.)

A whole lotta nothin'

I'm not gonna lie, I've got nothin' for you guys today.  Just an average day at the library, cataloging and fielding reference questions.  Honestly, all I can think about is how much I miss home and cannot wait to go back.  If you too are anxiously awaiting my return, please direct your attention to the countdown widget on the left-hand sidebar, with the zero-hour being my arrival time at the Jacksonville airport.  I know that's not technically home, but it's close enough and it's when I get to give my parents a big hug!

Today's mileage: 2.34 mi.

Telling a librarian she can't find something - rookie mistake or stroke of genius?

My favorite fact-checking fellow intern Thadeus was back today, hot on the pursuit of more information.  After an hour and a half of attempting to hunt down the dates for a past exhibition, he finally decided to turn to me for help.  He gave me the low-down of what he was looking for and where he had already looked.  I told him that I would work on it.  He said something along the lines of, "Thanks for the help, I doubt you'll find anything, though."  Oh ye of little faith!  Telling a librarian that he or she probably can't find some piece of information is like giving him or her a challenge that will not be refused.  It only makes us more determined to located that bit of information.  And locate it I did.  It took about an hour, but I finally found it.  So I pose the question again: when a user tells a librarian that he or she probably won't or can't find something, are they making a rookie mistake by doubting the librarian's mysteriously awe-worthy research skills or ingeniously inspiring an extra measure of investment on the part of the librarian to find the information and prove his or her skills?  I think we all know which method Thadeus was aiming for....

Today's mileage: 2.33 mi.

Rockin' the reference questions

Thadeus, one of the interns who uses the library quite regularly came in this morning looking a bit overwhelmed.  He explained that he had quite a bit of fact-checking to do and would likely spend a good deal of time in the library today.  He added that he may, in fact, need my help as well.  That is my job, I explained to him, and I would be more than happy, if not completely eager to aid him in his research.  He began his search on his own, but eventually turned to me for some assistance, though he didn't seem terribly optimistic about the library's resources or even our combined effort to locate the information he was seeking.  Needless to say, I accepted his challenge.

So you need to verify that a term was coined in 1950 but did not actually show up as a printed definition until 1952?  Ah, yes, here we are, almost those words exactly in a reliable dictionary of art term.

And you are looking for a 1951 article from an obscure French journal?  I believe this is the essay you were looking for, the full-text reprinted in a library book.  I do hope it is alright that it has already been translated to English.

There is some conflicting information concerning the dates of an exhibition and a gallery's opening, you say?  Well, this book quotes the artist directly confirming the dates of his exhibition at said gallery - will that be sufficient, good sir?

Ok, so it wasn't quite as simple as that, but it was very satisfying to be able to find the information he was looking for and present it to a very impressed library user.  That is why I love doing reference.

Today's mileage: 2.33 mi.

Neat-o photo

I noticed this great photo op a few days ago and finally got around to taking a picture of it.  This is the view from the balcony of one of the NYU buildings - including both the Washington Square Arch and the Empire State Building:

See, Mommy, I told you I see the Empire State Building all the time.

Today's mileage: 2.33 mi.

Laziness and Lady Liberty

My apologies for my lack of blog post yesterday.  You see, dear reader, yesterday I was lazy.  I mean, I still managed to walk just over a mile (see below) in the quest for meals and such, but other than that, I did basically nothing.  It was quite nice, actually.

Today, I was a bit more active.  Anu and I brunched with a friend of hers in Times Square, which was far busier than the one other time I was there.  We later traveled down to Battery Park, at the southernmost tip of Manhattan, to see the Statue of Liberty from across the water.  No, we did not actually go out to the island to see it close-up or climb to the top or anything.  That costs money!  And we are being quite cheap at the moment.  Ok, mostly we just had no real interest in going.  But I also saw the Statue of Liberty when my plane to New York City was landing, which I thought was pretty neat.

Yesterday's mileage: 1.06 mi.
Today's mileage: 2.48 mi.

Auctions are not for me

Today's museum culture seminar brought us to Sotheby's for a mock auction.  We were each given a paddle, a mock catalog, and a budget.  My budget was $650,000.  That's a lot of money, right?  Yeah, not so much at Sotheby's.  And the catalog items were...well, let's just say they were not my taste.  I couldn't help but think that I would rather take that money and spend it at Target or Ikea or something.  Ironically, the auctioneer later said something about how when we get our own places and begin furnishing them, we should come to Sotheby's and not go to Ikea - that we should get some furniture that will gain value over time.  Personally, I just want furniture that will serve its purpose and look awesome in my apartment.  And as I said, antique colonial American furniture is really not my style.  Target and Ikea?  Yes, please!

But anyway, there was a mock auction as well.  Ok, I am not one for gambling and I consider auctions to be a form of gambling so I wasn't too terribly into it to begin with.  Wow, it was one of the most stressful things ever.  The auctioneer just kept talking, so quickly and constantly that I couldn't even process it fast enough to bid on anything.  I mean, there were only 8 items so it was only a few minutes of stress, but still, it was crazy.  But hey, now I know to avoid auctions at all costs, you know, for future reference.

Today's mileage: 3.74 mi.

Countdown

So, you may have noticed that I added a countdown to my homecoming on the left sidebar a few days ago.  Yes, I am greatly looking forward to coming home.  And in addition to counting down the days (and hours, minutes, and seconds in my digital countdown), I keep finding other ways to countdown my time in New York City.  From this moment until I fly home:

• I will do laundry once.
• I have 2 whole weekends here.
• I will eat 14 meals from the dining hall.
• I will spend about $75 in dining dollars.
• I have 4 museum culture seminars to attend.
• I will spend 8 days in the Guggenheim library.
• I will walk roughly 45 miles.

If anyone has any more countdown suggestions, I would love to hear them.

Today's mileage: 2.31 mi.

Navigating the job market

We interns had a bonus museum culture seminar today with the human resources department.  They gave a presentation about looking for jobs and going through the application and interview process.  As with many such trainings, it was geared more toward the museum world (understandable) than to the library world.  That is not to say that I took nothing away from it.  On the contrary, it was very informative to hear about the hiring process from the recruiter and human resources point of view.  One thing that they stressed was the importance of utilizing the benefits of LinkedIn.  I've got a profile which I've kept updated, though I have yet to find LinkedIn to be particularly helpful.  However, I figure it can't hurt, I keep it anyway.  And it's got a link to the lovely blog you are currently reading. 

Today's mileage: 2.29 mi

The end of an era

I just submitted my last assignment for my MLIS.  That may possibly be my last class assignment ever.  I'm fairly certain that I should be feeling relieved right now, but I can't help but be freaking out a bit here.  I mean, that's it?  Now what?  You mean I don't have to worry about homework anymore?  I don't know if I can wrap my head around that. 

Today's mileage: 2.36 mi

I'm famous!

I am the new face of the Guggenheim Library & Archives Department.  Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration but this picture of me with the Guggenheim's rare books collection was featured in the Library & Archives newsletter today.  And it went out to All Staff so I feel all kinds of important.  The rare books are kept under lock and key so you can feel special too because you get to see them...even if from afar.

Today's mileage: 2.29 mi

Getting away from the city without leaving Manhattan

Because the weather was slightly nicer today than it has been the past few days (it was a mere 90 or so degrees), Anu and I took the opportunity to visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Cloisters Museum & Gardens.  Although it took us a 45-minute subway ride to get there, it was totally worth it.  The air was wonderfully breezy, it was gloriously quiet, and fantastically beautiful.  It was as if we had been transported from the mean streets of Manhattan to a wonderland of peace.  And that was just the gardens!  The Cloisters themselves were fabulously air-conditioned and a treat to enjoy as well. 

After our lovely trip to the Cloisters, Grace and I ventured out to see the movie Horrible Bosses to escape the now-tolerable-but-still-unpleasant heat.  It was very funny and a good end to the day.

Today's mileage: 5.12 mi