Computers are so frustrating!

I'm really starting to think that as much as computers can make life easier they are a living hell. I am taking this computer course right now for my Library Science program and I completely bombed the midterm. Yuck! I am doing fine with all the assignments but the midterm just kicked my butt. It asked very technical questions that had me looking at the computer going "huh?" I think my problem is that I am not taking enough of an elementary approach to this class, I should be doing vocabulary terms every week because that was basically all that the test was. Maybe for the final that is what I will have to do. I'll just write out vocab words for each chapter and then go over a couple times per week and then perhaps by the end of the semester one or two of the words may have stuck. Or perhaps the computer techie thing is just not for me. I can understand the programs and how everything runs and how to use everything, but I cannot for the life of me understand or remember what all the parts are called, for example RAM...what? I have no idea. Do I even need to know this to be a librarian? I know that I need to know how to use the computer, which I do. I mean for goodness sakes, I work for a compuet company right now. But if I need to know the inner workings of the computer or how it runs I will take it to the Geek Squad at Best Buy. Scheesh, all I know is that I better pass this class despite my crappy midterm grade because I cannot afford to lose out on the outrageous amount of money that I am paying to take this class!

Finding Work

So here's the deal, I'm sick of my current job. I graduated last year with a B.A. in Psychology and after that I was...lost. I didn't know whether to get a job or get a Graduate degree or both. I realized that I needed a "real" job sooner rather than later, especially since my insurance ran out once my schooling was finished. But finding a job in Michigan is so hard! After 9 long months of searching I finally got a job working for IBM in their accounting department at about the same time that I started school again for Library Science. Now after about 6 months of working in accounting I realize I hate it!! I actually dread coming to work. I don't like feeling that way. I've decided that if I'm serious about having a career in the library world I need to step up to the plate and look for a job, anywhere in the country, that will hire someone that does not yet have their degree. I have just come up with this plan 4 days ago and have already sent out 13 applications. I really want this opportunity. The library is one of my favorite places to be in the world and the idea of actually making a living by working in one is almost too much to bare. I'm nervous that because I am applying for so many jobs out of state that maybe I won't be taken as seriously, I'm not sure why. I guess I'm just thinking that maybe they'd hire a resident over a non-resident, silly I know. I really hope I get one of these jobs, I need a big change like this right now.

Computers in the Library

Having free computers has really brought the library back to life. I did an observation this Winter at the reference desk of my local library & the job that the librarians did the most was monitoring the computers. By monitoring I mean signing people in & making sure people only stayed their allotted time because there were so many people who came in to use very few computers. One problem that current librarians have told me about is the practically "mandated" filtered computers. In some libraries all the computers have filters which block sites out that may contain images or verbiage dealing with sex, nudity, illegal activity, etc. One library in my neighborhood still has not instituted a filtering system on their publicly used computers. From what I was told, Library Directors are the ones who decide whether patrons can view questionable materials, i.e. pornography. This particular library allows their patrons to view porn on the computers & because of it other patrons have become upset, so much so that there was an article about it on the front page of the paper about a month ago. A mother was upset because she wanted to use the computers with her daughter & the librarian told her that she may not want to do that because there may be other patrons looking at images deemed inappropriate for children. Besides that, people believe that because patrons look at pornography they may also be trying to pick up underage children for sexual purposes. Computers have brought libraries a lot of business but they seem to be hindering them in some ways as well. Basically you're damned if you do & damned if you don't.