S.s. Librarianship

Download this episode. This week on a very special guest-packed episode...Mind Grapes: We do a large round table discussion of our favourite “hidden gems” of books and video games with special guests Adena Brons (@adenatamsin), Michael Wynne (@scholardemic), Melanie Cassidy (@bookscassidy), and Jon Newell (Bearded Devil Blog). We highlight books and video games that we love that no one else seems to have read or played. A giant mind grapes is all we have this week, but it’s an awesome discussion. Links:Skies of ArcadiaEunoya by Christian BokChampions of NorrathThe Book of Flying by Keith MillerThe Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon Series by Spider RobinsonLyonesse Trilogy by Jack Vance

Download this episode directly. This week...Mind Grapes: We talk guilty pleasures in the form of scifi thrillers and medical shows, plus Alli reports back on Circulating Ideas' fascinating interview with Cory Doctorow.Where Do We Put This?: Sam interviews Alli about her work in UBC Library's Digital Initiatives department - we get into the process and the product of digital collections, and talk about why digitization is an excellent thing to have in your back pocket when someone asks, 'You need a Master's degree for that?!'"Links:UBC Digital InitiativesPrey by Michael CrichtonGrey's Anatomy (wow, trailers were corny a decade ago...)Circulating IdeasCory Doctorow

Download this episode.This week, with special guest Jason Korff...Mind Grapes: On a three for three book review this week, Jason shares one of his favourite re-reads in the young adult / teen fiction department, Sam talks about her latest non-fiction find, and Alli shares her late night Rainbow Rowell experiences. We also bandy about some movies and t.v. shows that we have been dabbling with.Class Z(ed): We get into some issues surrounding video games in libraries, how do they get there, and why do we think it's important to develop these collections. Also a little discussion about the nature of games as art and why people who don't think they can be art are stupid. Links:The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy FarmerThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca SklootEleanor & Park by Rainbow RowellChuckIntelligenceSean Lecomber@midnightArcher"Video games can never be art" by Roger EbertThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International L

Mind Grapes: Lots on our post-holiday mind grapes, including surprises from Brandon Sanderson and social commentary from Margaret Atwood; cooking with ratios; playing very old video games; and, of course, our thoughts on The Hobbit (spoiler alert: we loved it, and we couldn't be happier about Tauriel).Class Z(ed): Bits and bites on professional development, including learning about assessment, perception, and camaraderie at Academic Librarians in Public Service; getting experience running the Cool Tools Unconference; our jobs this term; and our final library school courses. Links:Warbreaker by Brandon SandersonMaddAddam by Margaret AtwoodRatio by Michael RuhlmanThe Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and an article at The Mary Sue, which, along with its comments, constitutes a really thoughtful discussion of Tauriel very much in line with our feelings on the subject.Star Trek: Voyager Elite Force - Set Phasers to Frag!Contrast@TheGeekyComic and The Rather Awful Doctor Who Episode Guide

This week, on a special New Years edition of the podcast...Mind Grapes: On a super-sized mind grapes this week, Sam and Alli compile our top ten lists (in no particular order) of the ten things we liked best this year. The rules of the game maintain that the items also have to be from this year or a series that continued into this year. New Year’s Resolutions: We talk about our hopes for 2014, including some goals and achievements we set for ourselves. Tell us what your resolutions are!Links:Orange is the New BlackPacific Rim – Honest TrailerThis is the EndRide the CycloneBook Riot PodcastOcean at the End of the LaneHappy EndingsThe Legend of Zelda: A Link Between WorldsJohn Oliver hosting the Daily ShowBrooklyn Nine-NineBioShock InfiniteDay 6 – Drones PieceMuch Ado About NothingParks and RecreationHark! A VagrantRoderick on the LineGravityTina Fey and Amy Poehler are awesome 

This week, with special guest Theo Mills...We might be miles apart, but we're back!Mind Grapes: Sam kicks of the holidays with Frozen and Love Actually; Alli was floored by American Hustle and is enjoying the new Zelda; Theo's been playing the new Splinter Cell and enjoying Almost Human.Where Do We Put This?: We have a wide-ranging conversation with Theo about video games - in addition to his studies toward becoming a game designer, we also touch on the emergence of the "sandbox" standard, the economics of the industry, and the way players interact with each other.Links:FrozenLove ActuallyAmerican HustleZelda: A Link Between WorldsSplinter Cell: BlacklistAlmost HumanGiant Bomb and Patrick Klepek

Download this episode.This week, with special guest Melanie Cassidy...Mind Grapes: Lots going on on our mind grapes this week, from Saved by the Bell and time travel movies to murder mysteries and feel-good holiday flicks.BiblioFiles: Barbara Gordon/Batgirl/Oracle - how does she hold up as a librarian, as a superhero, and as a female comic book character? Melanie walks us through her research, analysis, and wishlist on the history and future of this iconic librarian.Links:Melanie on Twitter and TumblrMelanie's video: "Barbara Gordon: Librarian?"Go BaysideThe KillingSafety Not GuaranteedScott Lynch's Gentleman Bastard booksThe Mistletones 

This week, with special guest Nadia Stennes-Spidal...Mind Grapes: Nadia's been playing some complex board games, Sam has been working her way through Children of God, sequel to The Sparrow. Alli has finished the great Gilmore Girls re-watch.Class Z(ed): Nadia shares her experience as an intern at the library inside the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. She reflects on the wonders of working with a unique collection and the people who need it. Links:Arkham HorrorSmall WorldPower GridThe Sparrow and Children of God by Mary Doria RussellGilmore GirlsThe National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (and Library) 

This week, with special return guest Mary Jinglewski...Mind Grapes: Sam's loving Happy Endings, and still reading about Jesuits in space; Alli reads Fangirl in one sitting and gives Supernatural a try; Mary tells us about the new cops and robots saga Almost Human, and gives us some southern insight into apocalyptic narratives.Class Z(ed): We talk to Mary about her transition this year from library student to working librarian, and she tells us all about her non-traditional, but still incredibly vital, position with the BC Libraries Cooperative, where she performs IT assessments for rural library consortia, and works on the NNELS project to develop library materials for the print disabled. The takeaway? Network, network, network!Links:Almost HumanHappy EndingsThe Sparrow by Mary Doria RussellFangirl by Rainbow RowellBC Libraries CooperativeNNELSMary's Cobbler Recipe:Ms. Louise's Cobbler Recipe4 cups of fruit1 cup of milk1 cup of sugar1 cup of self-rising flour1 stick of butterNote 1: Self-rising flour can be m

This Week...Mind Grapes: Sam may be abandoning Doctor Who again because of opinions, Alli is reading China Mieville's Un Lun Dun, and we both talk a little bit about the podcasts we love.Where do we put this?: Sam went to a talk about the past, present, and future of the Oxford English Dictionary, launching us into a discussion on traditional reference sources. Do we still use them? Do students still use them? And what do professors mean when they tell new students not to use encyclopaedias?Links: China MievilleThe Night of the Doctor: A Mini EpisodeThe BookRiot PodcastNerdist IndustriesMy Brother My Brother and MeRoderick on the LineWTF with Marc MaronDr. Stephan Dollinger at UBC Faculty of EnglishOxford English Dictionary OnlineThe Road to the OED: A History of English Language Dictionaries (UBC RBSC Exhibition) 

Download this episode. This week, with special guest Michael Wynne... Mind Grapes: Michael discovers Neil Gaiman's Sandman  and backs Sam up on the awesomeness that is Good Omens; Sam catches up on Doctor Who  and learns to love the Moffatt of it all; Alli plays the crap out of the new Pokemon - twice. Class Z(ed):  We talk to Michael about his current gig as a student librarian at Xwi7xwa Library at UBC, unique in Canada as an academic library focused exclusively on content by, for and about indigenous peoples. We learn a lot about the intersection of library processes, policies and values with the processes, policies and values of the indigenous communities Xwi7xwa serves. We also talk about repatriation, archival practices, and the incorporation of indigenous content across the university curriculum. Links :Sandman "Vincent and the Doctor" Pokemon Xwi7xwa Library MOA The Reciprocal Research Network International Federation of Library Associations Presi

Download this episode. This week...  Mind Grapes:We both saw Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity, Sam is reading Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake  for the first time, and we are enjoying some comedy in the form of the sadly recently cancelled Happy Endings  and the currently going strong Parks and Recreation.   Class Z(ed):Alli professionally developed! She attended the BC Library Cooperative and Surrey Public Library's Data Camp - an un-conference that discusses data, open data, and what libraries and information professionals can do with these movements. We talk about the presentations and discuss the outcomes of a break-out session on privacy on library computers, particularly on protecting patrons from getting their data mined by advertisers. We also talk about getting involved with these kinds of less formal professional development avenues as a great place to start networking as a student.LINKS:BC Libraries Coop Data CampMyron Groover's Blog BibliocracyMargare

Download this episode. This week, with special guests Emily Booth and Jon Newell, and a little help from our friends… It’s the S.S. Librarianship Halloween Spooktacular! We’re mixing it up scary style this week, with lots of our friends and colleagues stopping by to tell us about their favourite horror movies, creepy books, and terrifying video games - and our resident horror expert explaining why we love to be scared. Mind Grapes: The Butterfly Effect and psychological horror; the growing genre of comedic horror homages a la Shaun of the Dead and The Cabin in the Woods, and the tense terror of The Descent and Amnesia. Where Do We Put This?: “Aspiring expert” (and first member of the S.S. Librarianship two-timers club) Jon Newell, currently completing his PhD in Gothic literature, talks to us about the sprawling genre of horror and some of its darker corners. We talk about fear versus disgust, the temptation of the taboo, and why we're so attracted to spooky stuff. LinksJon at Bearded DevilEmily on Twitt

This week... Mind Grapes:The seventh season of Bones  is on Canadian Netflix, the new comedies Brooklyn Nine Nine and The Crazy Ones are surprisingly LOL-worthy, and comedy favourites return in Modern Family and How I Met Your Mother.  Also: Rachel Dratch's memoir A Girl Walks Into A Bar. Where Do We Put This?:We discuss the idea of serendipity and browsing and how it fits into our increasingly digital world. How are your libraries trying to encourage serendipity with digital resources? LINKS:Brooklyn Nine NineThe Crazy Onese-Books in the physical collection

Download this episode. This week, with special guests Mary Jinglewski, former classmate and current kickass librarian, and Matt Ruen, MAS/MLIS Candidate and future King of North America... Mind Grapes:Sleepy Hollow and its special guest stars get a resounding endorsement; we learn about the Fate roleplaying system and its emphasis on character; the great Gilmore Girls rewatch continues; Divergent's place among the proliferation of US-based future dystopias.Where Do We Put This?/Class Z(ed):In a special hybrid segment this week, we talk issues of copyright, fan created content, and the inflation of corporate rights, with Star Trek Renegades as our jumping-off point. Highlights:Disney, corporate law, and the bloating of modern copyrightStar Trek and the birth of modern fandomWhat librarians can and should do to raise awareness about the brokenness of copyright in the age of fanfiction, web series, and remixMatt's post-graduation plans for continental domination.LINKS:Fate RPGStar Trek RenegadesMatt and Mar

Download this episode. This Week... Mind Grapes:Disappointed with Dexter, hanging with Hannibal, gabbing about gals in games, and sharing about S.H.I.E.L.D.Class Z(ed):The Word Vancouver Festival was in town! We talk about our visit to the Central Branch of the Vancouver Public Library for the Word Vancouver event that brings together schools, publishers, libraries, and community organizations from the Lower Mainland to talk about reading, writing, and getting involved. Links:  Word VancouverDamsel in Distress: Tropes vs. Women in Video GamesPart OnePart Two  Part ThreeOur pal Mary on Tumblr and Twitter Word Vancouver swag bag and contents.  The Word Vancouver poetry vending machine.  

 This week, with special guest Vicki Chan, coordinator of the Out on the Shelves library...Mind Grapes:  The Dog Whisperer  and his application to cats; identifying with moms in Gilmore Girls; Terry Pratchett’s Snuff; Outlander and other bodice-rippers.Unnamed Segment About Depictions of Librarians in Media (send us a good name if you have one):The Naughty/Sexy Librarian - empowering or demeaning?Class Z(ed):  Vancouver’s own Out on the Shelves Library at Qmunity, BC’s Queer Resource Centre! We talk to Vicki about specialized library outreach, volunteering, and learning how to run a library hands-on style.  Links: Qmunity, BC's Queer Resource CentreHow to Volunteer at Qmunity Out on the Shelves LibraryVicki Chan's Published WorksSupercut of Charlie Day Screaming

Download this episode. This week...Mind Grapes:Jasper Fforde and comedic misdirection; the EMP Museum and curating nerddom; Community season 4; new Harry Potter Expanded Universe movies!Class Z(ed):Our first two weeks of classes; getting involved outside of academics during your academic degrees - call for audience participation!Links:Excuuuse me princess!Jasper Fforde & Nancy Pearl  The Terrible Secret of Animal Crossing  The Town of My Butt The EMP Museum (including the SCREAM BOOTH) Harry Potter and the Ten Years Later (NOT FOR YOUNGER VIEWERS)This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Download this episode. This week, with special guest Jon Newell…Mind Grapes: Bioshock Infinite, True Blood versus Game of Thrones, Bernard Cornwell, and giving blood.Where Do We Put This?: We talk to Jon about the Dungeons & Dragons Alignment system, its impact on gameplay, and its utility (or lack thereof) IRL.Links and Recommendations:Jon Newell's Blog: http://bearded-devil.comAlignment Charts:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alignment_charthttp://thisnerdinglife.com/2011/02/03/community-alignment-chart/ http://www.deviantart.com/fanart/?view_mode=2&order=5&q=alignment+chartJon's Recommendations for Intro to D&D Resources:  Giant in the Playground - http://www.giantitp.com/The RPG site - http://www.therpgsite.com/Campaign Builder’s Guild - http://www.thecbg.org/DnD with Porn Stars - http://dndwithpornstars.blogspot.ca/Tales of the Grotesque and Dungeonesque - http://talesofthegrotesqueanddungeonesque.blogspot.ca/Grognardia - http://grognardia.blogspot.ca/Wizards of the

Download this episode. This week...Mind Grapes: Featuring Doctor Who, Orange is the New Black, and diversity; how grad students watch TV; Adventure Time and the sense of an ending. Where Do We Put This?: Tumblr, tagging, and the culture of attribution.Class Z(ed): Summer work, reference anxiety, and heading back to school. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada License.