:: My Urban Eyes ::
All that I see, and then some.
:: Monday, December 13, 2004 ::
University Libraries Rock, Except When They're Broken
Okay, okay, I know I should be working. But this keyboard types too well to pass up the opportunity for a quick blog entry (say what you want about the innards of a Dell machine, but their keyboards kick butt).
I'm working on my 12-15 page paper for Sociology. My subject--bilingualism in Asian American children. Is bilingualism good? If yes, how so? Should it be encouraged in public schools, and if so, what method of teaching is best?
Both good and bad stuff happening here... the evening is getting better as it wears on. I had a hard time getting started, but once I sat down I got a couple of pages out. I came across a reference to an article that would be a great help to my paper, in a common journal, to boot. So I packed up my massive expanse of spread out papers and hoofed it down to the periodical section. When I got to the photocopier with the journal I found out I had enough money to make three copies... not enough. I made the three, then ran upstairs to put more money on my card. The machine you use to add more money was broken! But, a sign informed, the Science Library also had a machine.
So I hoofed it over (not bad, five minutes, but it's cold and damp tonight! ~whine whine~). I got to the machine there, put in my card, put in a dollar bill... but the machine wouldn't accept it. It whirred with hope, but never took the money. I turned to the circulation desk.
"Yeah, it's broken."
Turns out that when the main library machine crashes it tends to take the Science Library machine down with it. Great. No copies for Karla. Lesson of the night--have $20 on my podium account at all times!
Worked in the Science Library for a while. I really liked the individual study carrels over there, more than the ones at the Main Library. They were more roomy, more room to spread out. The shelf was a little high, though--I had to put all my stuff a little over the edge to see it. I still like the Main Library better overall--it has a warm silence as oppossed to the Science Library's cool (as in cold) silence. More feet shuffling and fewer lights buzzing.
When the Science Library closed I went back to the main library, where I am now. I really wish we had a 24 hour library... that would kick butt. Do many universities have them? Granted, one am is fairly late for a library to be open, but still. They used to be open until two am during finals week, but not anymore... what happened with that?
I've had a lot of luck in finding really cool and good articles online. The online database here has really expanded. I think there were only two articles I couldn't find in PDF format, and the library has hard copies for those. Perodicals will reopen tomorrow morning, and I'll be there.
I'm really liking the info I'm finding, too. It's interesting stuff. I come across other cool articles in the meantime, stuff dealing with learning Japanese as a second language or teaching English as a second langauge... I should e-mail myself a ton so I can read them over break.
I have my planning final to do to... yarrrrgh. Not fun. It should be a simple "sit down, shut up, and write" thing, but I'm still not looking forward to it. Due tomorrow at 5:30, so I'm writing that as soon as I get my forward progress with the Soc paper typed up.
Woah, I'm rambling, but that's what blogs are for, right? Maybe it's the itsy bit of caffeine in the Arizona green tea I just finished, too. I'm surprised I haven't had to dip into my Mountain Dews yet. Just wait for four am. -_^
I'm going to have to walk to my dorm soon... but it's cold! And with all the news stories about girls getting assaulted at weird hours lately, I'm more on my toes than usual. Granted, those incidents have happened downtown for the most part, but UPD is well known for covering up on campus problems. Wish me luck.
:: Kazen @ Always Doing 10:27 PM [+] ::
:: ... 4 comments
Comments:
you know, if you're going to leave us hanging on something like that, you should post when you get back to your dorm with "made it" or something similar...
worried about you ;-),
E
worried about you ;-),
E
As an Asian American, born in the US, perhaps personal testimony could help to enrich your paper. I went to elementary school in Elmhurst, Queens, New York City, at P.S. 89. Elmhurst's zip code was listed as the most culturally diverse in the country at some point. My kindergarden class was all Korean. An interesting choice by the school, but probably a policy developed out of necessity due to the limited English capability of the Korean students there just entering the public school system. It was kind of interesting for me because my Korean was lousy at best, and I'd often zone out when my teacher gave instructions for assignments in Korean. Sometimes she'd notice I wasn't paying attention and ask (in Korean) if I understood what she was saying, and I pretended I did. In the interest of saving time, she'd sometimes skip following up in English, so I was left on my own to read the instructions printed on the sheet. You could argue that my lack of bilingualism in an environment where it was expected of me forced me to become literate more quickly than my bilingual classmates, and probably also my peers of strictly American heritage in other classes. Or maybe not. Draw whatever corollaries you like.
- Jab
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- Jab
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