Subject/Object

I woke up this morning a little disoriented. After pushing through my last 25 pages of writing in 4 days for the semester, I finally am done. Only 3 classes and one practicum class to go.

I felt off today, having difficulty adjusting to the fact that I have nothing to do. I took myself out for a coffee, something I haven’t had the chance to do in months. I spent $40 at a used bookstore on the new unabridged translation of Foucault’s History of Madness and a replacement copy of Society of the Spectacle which I accidentally wrecked a few months ago. I strolled around in the snow, wrote in my book, and was generally quiet all day.

This is really one of the few times I have had the opportunity to be alone in the last four months. I have been stuck inside working on assignments, while my partner has been attempting a transition of careers into not-for-profit urban agriculture work. She has been working for a variety of organizations, helping out until she can find something full-time, and because of this she is always around and I never get a second to just stop and be quiet with myself for a moment.

Of course, when it comes, I feel useless. No essays, no group work, no pointless professional busy work. I have difficulty reading for myself because I am out of practice. I do have a book review to complete for the Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship (my first!), but more on future developments in another post.

I want to rest, but I feel like I have forgotten how to just let go. But when I finally do let go I will have lost this momentum and will have to struggle to get it back next semester. This is why I am out of sorts.

I enjoy when students talk about their courses. I find that each department approaches the dicipline and professional practice in such different ways.

Just picked my courses:

FIS2127H - Collection, Development, Evaluation and Management FIS2172H - Readers’ Advisory:Reference Work and Resource FIS2300H - Special Topics: Information Literacy FIS2199H - Special Topics in Info. Studies: Advocacy and Library Issues (no direct link, at bottom)

This last one is by distance–my first distance class–and I heard is amazing. It is with the ex-President of the Canadian Library Association, who gave a talk last year. I am also very excited by Information Literacy and Collection Development…. and even Readers’ Advisory, even though I am not really interested in public library work.

Next semester:

FIS2131H - The Literature of the Humanities and Social Sciences FIS2181H - Information Policy

These two I want for sure. Not so sure about:

FIS2137H - International Organizations: Their Documents and Publications FIS2132H - The Literature of Science and Technology or FIS2125H - Information and Culture in a Global Context (links on this page are really broken)

I have signed up for Science and Technology for now, but I don’t know if I am more interested in professional courses or theory courses this time around. And, frankly, the selection this year was not very fruitful.