I used to want to be a writer…

I used to want to be a writer,
Someone who gave knowledge and information,
Someone who built worlds,
Someone who fueled the mind.

I used to want to be a writer,
I dreamed of it,
I thrived for it,
I lived for it.

Then the words disappeared,
They dried up like a river bed in summer,
They flew my coop like a flock of birds,
They bled from my mind.

Oh how I mourned their loss,
I sought out the advice of others,
I lost my self in their knowledge and information,
I lost myself in their worlds,
I had my mind fueled and I decided I wanted to be just like them.

I used to want to give knowledge and information,
I used to want to build worlds,
I used to want to fuel minds,
So I did.

I became a librarian.

Image by andreas160578 from Pixabay

I became a librarian by choice. I chose to go back to school to get my undergraduate degree and then go straight to graduate school. I was a non-traditional student and proud of it. My love of knowledge, discovery, and research led me to this path. My adoration of words, their meanings, and what they can accomplish fueled it.

Why did I become an academic librarian? It wasn’t for money, nor for fame. It was to help others. The dissemination of information is one of the greatest gifts — or superpowers — I have. I can help others find and discover the information they were looking for, and I can help spread knowledge. The toughest lesson I have had to learn is how to say ‘I can’t find that information, but I can suggest new avenues for trying to discover it.’

Even in this time of uncertainty, we are here for you. The academic librarians of Touro College are here. We are here to help you find your facts, support your arguments, and find new avenues of research. Above all, we are here for you — period. Reach out and talk to your librarian today.

Contact a librarian: https://www.tourolib.org/ask-a-librarian

Review our remote access guide: https://www.tourolib.org/student-remote-guide

This post was contributed by Heather Hilton, Librarian, Bay Shore

Start the semester off right: 4 tips for academic success

(CC0 image by Jay Mantri)

Whether you’ve been at Touro for a few semesters or you’re joining us for the first time, there a few key steps all students should take to make sure you’re set up to do your best. Writing and research is an inescapable part of most college courses, but it can sometimes be a frustrating process. The good news is that the library is here for all your research needs, from finding sources and understanding new information, to academic writing and creating citations. In fact, a recent report released by the ALA found that, “students who receive library instruction as part of their courses achieve higher grades,” and gain “confidence with the research process.” If that sounds good to you, make sure that you follow these tips!

Essential Steps to Academic Success

(CC0 image by Jay Mantri)

Whether you’ve been at Touro for a few semester or you just joined us this Spring, there a few key steps all students should take to make sure you’re set up to do your best. Writing and research is an inescapable part of most college courses, but it can sometimes be a frustrating process. The good news is that the library is here for all your research needs, from finding sources and understanding new information to academic writing and creating citations. In fact, a recent report released by the ALA found that, “students who receive library instruction as part of their courses achieve higher grades,” and gain “confidence with the research process.” If that sounds good to you, make sure that you follow these tips!

November is a month to celebrate authorship

November 1st was National Author’s day. Officially adopted by the Department of Commerce in 1949, the idea for the day originated with teacher and avid reader Nellie Verne Burt McPherson, but its observance was popularized by McPherson’s granddaughter, Sue Cole, after McPherson’s passing in 1968. Cole urged people to write a note to their favorite author on the 1st to “brighten up the sometimes lonely business of being a writer.”1 These days you’re probably more likely to tweet an author you admire (official hashtag: #NationalAuthorsDay), but showing your appreciation is still encouraged.

On Writing…and Laundry

The Shelf

My building’s laundry room has a bookcase where people recycle their previously read material.

The Faculty Publication Database

“The Writing Master” by Thomas Eakins, 1882 (CC0 image via Wikimedia)

Are you a Touro College professor?  Then chances are you’ve published some sort of work, whether it is a book or a journal article.  You may have even had an exhibition of your artwork, or gotten a patent.  If this is the case, we’d like to include your work in the Touro College Faculty Publications Database.

Guest Post: Communication in the Workplace

(CC0 image via Unsplash)

The following has been contributed by guest author Sabra Brock, Interim Dean at the Graduate Business School of Touro College. This post originally appeared on The Conference Board.