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Heyo it’s back to school time and here’s a research tip from your friendly neighborhood academic librarian.When searching for any topic on the internet just type in the word ‘libguide’ after your topic and tada like magic there will be several  beautifully curated lists of books, journals, articles, or other resources dealing with your subject. Librarians create these guides to help with folks’ informational needs, so please go find one and make a librarian happy today!!

#online learning #studyblr #studying #information #library #library search #academic #academia #variety pack

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A very brief intro to online learning

I've been in academia for many years, but still turn to teaching myself something from time to time, using whatever is available on the internet. It doesn't matter whether you have three degrees or none; whether you want to learn something for fun or need a new skill; whether you have plenty of time or only a handful of free hours per week - there are resources out there that can help you.

With the new terms in full swing at unis, and with the lockdowns stretching out, I thought it was a good time to put together a list of resources that I've been using in the hopes that someone may find this helpful:

1. The lords of self-education: Coursera and Edx

If you're looking for a comprehensive course on some topic (be it science or coding or art or anything at all), these two websites are a place to start. You can purchase a certificate, but you can also listen to the courses for free. And that stuff is excellent - some of the top unis in the world have courses on there. Yep. For free.

2. YouTube is a treasure-trove for lectures

Find a few well-known people from your field of interest - very likely they will have lectures and interviews recorded that you can easily find on YouTube. Excellent for science and art alike - for example, I love exploring the interviews of the writers whose books I enjoyed; and there is lots of interesting stuff from the media world as well, such as behind-the-scenes or how-its-done. Lots to explore!

3. Do not underestimate Wikipedia

Yes, this is an open-edit encyclopedia and so sometimes you have to filter out the bullsh*t, but in 99.9% of cases Wiki is a priceless source of information, and at the very least it will give you ideas of what to explore next. The number of times I used Wiki for playing around and exploring things for my Very Serious Research is, frankly, unbelievable.

4. Read the relevant news

Now, the news is probably something that should be consumed in very careful doses for the sake of our mental health, especially now. However there are specialised news resources as well - you probably already know these for your professional field, but you can go out there and explore other topics of interest as well! For example, I read the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg public health newsletter daily (marvellous resource btw, can't recommend it enough), but I also subscribe to BookRiot emails and enjoy every single one of them that comes into my inbox.

5. Explore the resources available to you

There are often things out there that you can access that aren't advertised, or that you haven't yet heard or thought about. If you're a student, search for the services and training available from your universtly, and check which magazine/service subscriptions they may have - a lot of this is easy to find, but some of it can be surprisingly obscure! Want something from your uni? Look for it. Ask for it. Google it. If you want to attend some course, go ahead and email the lecturer - in most cases they'll be happy to allow you to listen in, even if you're from a completely different field. Use the advantages of online learning - you can fit more stuff into your schedule this way!

The same applies to people in bigger companies that may provide training - if your organisation has resources, explore them and use them!

In a wider community, there are also things to explore as well. This absolutely depends on where you are in the world, but if you're lucky enough to be in the place that has libraries - use the heck out of them. Support them, and they will support you in return.

6. Google stuff

This is especially applicable for specific skills and tasks. Got a question? It doesn't matter how silly or stupid it may be - google it. I promise there will be at least twenty people who have asked this before. I found this very useful for crafts and cooking (and, like, I had to start at the level of "how to cook this vegetable". Not everything is a five-page recipe with three sauces in it - there is stuff out there for all skill levels)

7. Stay curious

There are so many things out there that I haven't mentioned here. Keep your ears open; if you look for opportunities, you're likely to find them.

And most importantly: be kind to yourself and don't push yourself too hard. Try to learn the stuff that is interesting to you, stuff that makes you happy. And if you don't have time or energy to learn a new language on Duolingo right now while all your friends are doing it - this is completely fine. Find your own rhythm.

Happy learning!

#online learning #I'd like to add #Find professionals in the field or people who study what you're into on social media #academics love talking about their Thing

[smudgeink]

A very brief intro to online learning

I've been in academia for many years, but still turn to teaching myself something from time to time, using whatever is available on the internet. It doesn't matter whether you have three degrees or none; whether you want to learn something for fun or need a new skill; whether you have plenty of time or only a handful of free hours per week - there are resources out there that can help you.

With the new terms in full swing at unis, and with the lockdowns stretching out, I thought it was a good time to put together a list of resources that I've been using in the hopes that someone may find this helpful:

1. The lords of self-education: Coursera and Edx

If you're looking for a comprehensive course on some topic (be it science or coding or art or anything at all), these two websites are a place to start. You can purchase a certificate, but you can also listen to the courses for free. And that stuff is excellent - some of the top unis in the world have courses on there. Yep. For free.

2. YouTube is a treasure-trove for lectures

Find a few well-known people from your field of interest - very likely they will have lectures and interviews recorded that you can easily find on YouTube. Excellent for science and art alike - for example, I love exploring the interviews of the writers whose books I enjoyed; and there is lots of interesting stuff from the media world as well, such as behind-the-scenes or how-its-done. Lots to explore!

3. Do not underestimate Wikipedia

Yes, this is an open-edit encyclopedia and so sometimes you have to filter out the bullsh*t, but in 99.9% of cases Wiki is a priceless source of information, and at the very least it will give you ideas of what to explore next. The number of times I used Wiki for playing around and exploring things for my Very Serious Research is, frankly, unbelievable.

4. Read the relevant news

Now, the news is probably something that should be consumed in very careful doses for the sake of our mental health, especially now. However there are specialised news resources as well - you probably already know these for your professional field, but you can go out there and explore other topics of interest as well! For example, I read the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg public health newsletter daily (marvellous resource btw, can't recommend it enough), but I also subscribe to BookRiot emails and enjoy every single one of them that comes into my inbox.

5. Explore the resources available to you

There are often things out there that you can access that aren't advertised, or that you haven't yet heard or thought about. If you're a student, search for the services and training available from your universtly, and check which magazine/service subscriptions they may have - a lot of this is easy to find, but some of it can be surprisingly obscure! Want something from your uni? Look for it. Ask for it. Google it. If you want to attend some course, go ahead and email the lecturer - in most cases they'll be happy to allow you to listen in, even if you're from a completely different field. Use the advantages of online learning - you can fit more stuff into your schedule this way!

The same applies to people in bigger companies that may provide training - if your organisation has resources, explore them and use them!

In a wider community, there are also things to explore as well. This absolutely depends on where you are in the world, but if you're lucky enough to be in the place that has libraries - use the heck out of them. Support them, and they will support you in return.

6. Google stuff

This is especially applicable for specific skills and tasks. Got a question? It doesn't matter how silly or stupid it may be - google it. I promise there will be at least twenty people who have asked this before. I found this very useful for crafts and cooking (and, like, I had to start at the level of "how to cook this vegetable". Not everything is a five-page recipe with three sauces in it - there is stuff out there for all skill levels)

7. Stay curious

There are so many things out there that I haven't mentioned here. Keep your ears open; if you look for opportunities, you're likely to find them.

And most importantly: be kind to yourself and don't push yourself too hard. Try to learn the stuff that is interesting to you, stuff that makes you happy. And if you don't have time or energy to learn a new language on Duolingo right now while all your friends are doing it - this is completely fine. Find your own rhythm.

Happy learning!

#education #studing #learning #online school #online learning #studyblr

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***Headphones Recommended*** Style: piano waltz, nostalgic undertones Notes: falling in love & heart to heart, but as an odazai audio~

“The waltz held the feeling you get when you finish a well-loved book. It left me longing for something I couldn’t name.” ― Louise  Miller  

#music #tunes #joeys-piano #joeys piano #<3

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How To Become a Myth

- Nikita Gill

1.

Fly into the sun, defy anyone who tells you that you cannot love Him.

The ocean will break your fall. even if it is by drowning you.

(You knew he would burn you, Icarus you simply thought he was worth the risk)

2.

Get stolen by a God away from the meadows you once knew, wood nymph.

Become Queen of the Underworld. Turn the land of the dead into home.

(You knew didn’t you, Kore? How to survive you would become Persephone?)

3.

Turn yourself into an echo of the person you used to be, then fall in love with him.

And when he doesn’t notice you Instead falls in love with himself, pine away.

(Narcissus could never love you, dear Echo. Not the way he loved himself.)

4.

Become an indestructible monster. Become the thing that warriors speak of in hushed breaths in terror.

When you finally do die at someone’s hands make sure it is glorious.

(Theseus was the only end worthy of you, Minotaur.)

5.

When the Sea God assaults you, turn people into stone. Turn Gods into stone.

Turn anything that threatens you ever again into stone.

(Medusa, Athena turned you monster to protect you. She took your beauty to give you power.)

6.

Adore her so much that the world grieves with your broken heart’s song.

Almost save her from the Underworld. Almost.

(Orpheus, all you had to do was not turn to look at her.)

7.

Marry a God King.

Watch him betray you over and over again. Become bitter and cruel.

Recognise he will never respect you. Promise to make him suffer till he does.

(Hera, I know why you couldn’t leave him, it was all for love, it was all for love)

8.

Become an undefeated warrior in a war where you lose everything you love.

Even the one you love most of all. Don’t realise it. Keep fighting.

(Achilles, Patroclus’ love would have made you immortal anyway.)

9.

Be unhappy in your marriage. Find a dangerous Prince who promises you a real love.

Run away with him

Do not think of the consequences.

(Helen, you didn’t just launch a thousand ships you set kingdoms ablaze.)

10.

Destroy everyone you love in a murderous rage.

Go on a journey hoping it will kill you

(Hercules tell the truth, you hoped those tasks would be your destruction didn’t you?)

Addendum:

Don’t become a myth. Stay human.

Stay mortal.

It is less wounds.

I promise. It is less wounds.

#poetry #mythology #stories

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Anyway, my sister-in-law would like me to remind everyone that speculative fiction magazine Strange Horizons (and its multilingual sibling magazine, Samovar) are 100% free to read, are always looking for stories by and about marginalized people (all flavors of queer/non-straight/non-cis and intersex, POC, disabled, etc forever), and pay their authors, artists, and translators professional rates for stories that are available to read for free online. They are especially proud to focus on content about a particular identity whenever bigots get up in arms about their inclusion (or, as was the case with the Sad/Rabid Puppies and the Hugos a few years back, have completely misunderstood what the magazine and its staff stand for).

Thank you, that is all.

#literary magazine #Strange Horizons #submissions

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Just wanted to put a plug in for one of my new fav websites, Can I Play That?, which focuses on accessbility reviews of video games by disabled gamers. As someone with a dexterity/mobility disability in my hands (carpal tunnel) I NEED games that allow easy and convenient ways to push buttons to do stuff and let me rebind keys at will. I’m now checking Can I Play That? before buying games since their reviews are ++. They include accessibility reviews for deaf/hard of hearing and cognitive disabiliies too.

#gaming #disability #can I play that

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meirl

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It has always been a dream of mine to work at a library. So when I was offered a position in the circulation department of my local library this past December, I jumped at the opportunity. Only the reality was nothing like I expected. Not even my years as a patron, library-lover, and advocate could have prepared me to face the things they don’t tell you about working in a modern public library.

1. You do not get to read on the job.

Despite being surrounded by books, people who work in libraries rarely have time to read on the job — except, of course, on break or during story time.

2. Your customer service goes beyond reading recommendations — way beyond.

It also means showing them how to use the photocopier or fax machine. (Yes, these do still exist.) It means explaining the difference between MP3s and DVDs. It means explaining what Twitter is and showing them how to sign up for an account.

3. The job is less about books and more about computers. 

Registering new patrons, ordering books from other libraries, searching the catalog, placing items on hold, checking books in or out — none of this can be done in a modern library without the help of a computer or the internet.

4. The library is rarely quiet.

Libraries are loud and vibrant places where people meet up to study, talk about books, or just shoot the breeze. They’re the place where playgroups meet up, where sing-along storytime takes place, where special presenters bring in live animals of all shapes, sizes, and noises.

5. The library phone is like a community helpline.

People call in to fact check trivia questions or settle a bet, to get the phone number of local government offices or email addresses to elected town officials, to find out why their DVD player isn’t working or when taxes are due.

6. The library isn’t a house for books; it’s a home for the community.

For so many members of the community, the library is a second home. It is where parents who homeschool their children come to find the resources they need, and where public school teachers come for supplemental educational materials. It’s where retirees meet up in the morning to discuss local news and share a cup of coffee. It’s where special needs groups congregate for group lessons and educational outings. It’s where babysitters take kids to do homework or to hangout with friends. It’s where nonprofits host their meetings and offer community programing.

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data_irl

via reddit

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Princess Peach was really just like “my castle is gonna be a weird museum with maybe some living quarters tucked away somewhere but mostly just magic portals to battlefields and slides” and everybody was like yeah you beautiful binch go ahead

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And so do you.

Webcomic - Babble Fish

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Happy Friday! Hope your week went swimmingly.

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I’m the kind of person who wastes inventory space in games carrying around useless items that mean something to me or my character

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Mr. Ratburn is a gay man and a gay icon

proof:

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idk why it’s never occurred to me but I was just wondering where bucky was during the events of black panther….. I kno he was most likely in a freezer in shuris basement BUT it would be hilarious if he was just chilling on his farm the whole time and didn’t notice anything was going on

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