Post 9 - Final Reflection

1. Look back to your earliest posts. What were your goals? Did you achieve these goals? If so, what did you have to do consistently to achieve the goals?

                Looking back at my earliest posts, my goals were to be more organized, responsible, and to be able to communicate with adults. That's exactly what I achieved. What I did to achieve these goals is that I kept practicing them everyday at the internship by organizing the books on the shelves and do the job that I'm assigned to. I'm really happy with my achievements.
2. What are the most important ideas or skills you’ve learned in the last 12 weeks?

               The skills that I learned are how to be more responsible, organized, and having fun at the internship. Learning these skills was really helpful for me.
3. In what ways have your grown as a student and young adult?

               Some ways that I have grown as a student/ person is being able to work and interact with adults. Also, seeing the work that they do.
4. What were the highlights (memorable moments) of your internship experience?

               I think some of the highlights from my internship is coming everyday to internship on time and doing the job I'm suppose to. Now, I would call that a highlight because I never knew that I was a good person who comes on time until I had this job.
5. What have you learned about the professional world?

               Something that I learned about the professional world is that you can't achieve something unless you work really hard for it. That's exactly how I achieved my goals. Also, Don't be afraid of interacting with the people around you at work becayse they are actually the same as you. I'm saying that because at first, That's what I used to think but that changed. Now, I'm openminded about people and working with them.
6. What challenges did you overcome?

               Two challenges that I've overcome are interacting with adults and shelving books. Interacting with adults was one of my challenges because at first, I didnt interact with the people that I work with at all so that was a problem because when you don't talk to nobody, you feel lonely and you don't like the place that you work in. So, I tried to talk with the workers at the library and that worked. Another challenge was shelving books. Shelving books was also one of my challenges because at first, I didnt know where every book goes so, sometimes I used to put the books anywhere I want if I didnt know where are their places. So, I knew that what I was doing wasn't helping because I'm suppose to do the opposite. One strategy that I used is that I went and asked the other part timers that work there to help me and abviously they did hThat's how I overcome my challenges.elp me with all the things that I needed help with.
7. If you were to start internship next week, what is at least one thing you would do differently?             

              If I was to start my internship next week,something that I would do differently is take the skills that I learned about interacting with people and use it because I think that this strategy would help me a lot in internship and in the future too.
8. Think of two to three pieces of advice you could offer a new intern at your site.

              Three advices that I would give to a new intern at my site are :-

                 - Don't be afraid of interacting with adults that you don't know

                 - You can't achieve something, unless you work really hard for it

                 - Choose/ make decisions slowly because if you choose fast, you may not like what you choose so think it through.  

                 - Always ask for help whenever you need it.                     
9. What will you miss about your internship?

              What I will miss about my internship is helping people/ patrons that used to come to the library. Also, I will miss the staff members that used to help me in everything that I needed help with. Thank you guys so much.

Post 8- Thank you letter

Thank You Letter

Dear Ms. Tracey Mantrone,

         From all my honor and respect. I thank you so much for being such a great mentor to me. I really enjoyed working with you and all the Mapleton staff members and the part- timers. All of you guys been such great teachers and friends to me. Every time, I enter Mapleton Brooklyn Public Library, I feel like I’m entering my house because everybody is so great and have sense of humor. All of the staff members been really nice to me and treated me as one of the workers there. I really love the way you handle people and treat them. You are a great teacher that people want to follow in your footsteps. You are really responsible and organized.

         I am thankful to you for teaching me how to be responsible, organized, and independent. Thank you for giving me these opportunities on how to be a better person in the future. All these skills will help me in all aspects of my life. Thank you for teaching me how to use my skills too in this kind of job. For example, putting the books in alphabetical order before I shelve them.

         I’m really amazed of how the staff members handle patrons when the situation is really stressful. They are always helpful to others and willing to do anything to help others. I understand that some of the staff members had been working as a librarian for over 10 years. That’s really amazing because they really love that job. I really appreciate you giving me the opportunity to volunteer at Mapleton library. This experience helped me a lot especially because it’s my first time working at all. Also, this experience showed how people are working at a library especially for managers and librarians and their typical day. I am really proud of interning at your site because it made me accomplish goals in my life. Thank you so much for everything you did to make me a better person. I wish you a good luck on everything you want to accomplish in the future. I will miss you a lot and take care.

Sincerely,

Lina Banna

Post 4- Artifacts






Add caption: The computer classes of Mapleton Branch are really helpful and useful too. These computer clases are only for beginner learners for adults. This paper shows the different topic that each class have. It shows when is this class and at what time. For example, Microsoft Word classes are scheduled on several days and their time which is from 1-2 o'clock. It also shows requirements that you must pay attention to. For example, you must attend all 4 classes of each topic because then if you didn't, you will not learn a lot about these topics. This requierment is really important. Finally all classes are free and you don't need to register for the classes. These classes began from January and until June, 2011. They are not everyday classes, They have special days and time that they begin on.

The library crad is the most important thing to use in the library. Without it, you can't check out books, DVDs, or even use the computer. If it's your first time, you can make a library card free using your social security and ID and the home address. If it's not your first time and you lost the card, you can make a new one which you have to pay for it if you are older than 12 years old. You can also pay fines on your library card and anything that you want to print out. So, that means you have to put money on your card to print out anything that you want from the computer.

This calender of Mapleton Branch shows a lot of stuff and things that the library offers. First, it shows the library hours which means from what time to what time is it open. Second, it shows the days that the library opens and closes at the same time. Third, it shows the kind of events and activities that the library offers. For example, this library offers computer classes, English classes, story time, Chess classes, and a lot more. Also, it offers the branch's phone number in case you have any questions about anything and how to renew things online like books, DVDs, and more. Finally, each classhas a different age that they must attend to. For example, Computer classes for adults, Reading for ages 6-18, Chess classes for all ages, and story time for ages -5. It also shows the time and the day that each activity is on.


Post 5- Midpoint reflection

My internship is kind of the same as I thought of it, and what I mean by that is that I expected to do book shelving and that is exactly what i'm doing. But something that is different is what I didn't expect is being able to help people find the kind of books in all the titles that people want. Also, once I helped by taking the books that don't belong to the library, and put it in a small box where it can be shipped to the # of the branch that is written there on the books. My internship's workplace is really clean and organized as well as IHSL and there is a kitchen in the basement of the library which is only used for staff only the same as my school. So, there is a lot of stuff that are the same in both of them. But, however there are differences too like the kind of job I do in each of them, the place that I work in, the kind of people I see there, and the size of each building. So, in conclusion, there are a lot of sameness and differences in both of them.

The kind of skills that I gained from my internship is being organized and responsible. Also, I learned how to be independent and work on my own and be treated as an adult in which I have my own job where I communicate with a lot of professionals in that kind of job. By the way, I also noticed that being treated as an adult is really hard because that's the time where is nobody that can help you as when you were a teenager. I think I have grown a lot of this experience. The things that I'm talking about are like I have actually gained the confidence in meeting and talking to new people even though, I'm still shy at first. Also, working with adults had showed me how to be one of them and do the kind of work that they do. It is really an enjoyable and interesting journey to explore even though, It is still really hard to achieve if you are not a good student.

In truth, I really don't talk to my mentor a lot because she is not working in my internship anymore. But, I mean still even when she was working in my internship, I didn't used to talk to her at all except saying "hi" when I come in and if I have anything important to tell her. So, I think I need to work on my communication skills with my new mentor especially when I know who is she. I learned how to put the books in order before putting them on the shelves so it can be really easier for me when I put them in their original space. Also, If I have any problems with putting the books back or not knowing where to put them, I just ask questions to the other part-timers that work there because they been working there for a longer time period than me.

The changed schedule really affected me and how I use the time to go to internship and do the work that I have to do. First, It is a positive change because we don't have to do in the classes and have a lot of time to go to internship. Second, It is a negative change because there is a lot of projects that we need to do in order to pass the class.Sometimes after I come back from internship, there is not a lot of time for me to do my work on time. Some goals that I hope to accomplish after I finish my internship is to leave good things behind me and always when anybody ask about me, they can hear good things about me and the things I did in my internship. Also, to be more organized and responsible and be able to do what the others tell me to do.

What I have learned from being out in Newyork city is that you are independent and everything you do is on your own and you are responsible to what your doing. If you didn't do something, It's actually your fault. Also, you feel like you are treated as an adult and you have a job like other adults and your living your own life. I think my relationship with my mentor is not that good because first of all, My mentor does not work in my internship anymore and before she left, I just used to tell her " hi" when I come in and " bye" when she signs my time sheet. So, I think my relationship with my mentor is still as mentor-student style. Also, I think because i'm still shy even if I worked there for a long time now.

At first, when I didn't know where is the actual place for the books that I have to put in order, I used to put it anywhere that I want to because I was really confused of where to put the books. But, However, that changed because after that I felt bad of what I was doing so, I started to ask questions to the people who work there and they always tell me so, that wasn't hard at all and now I'm really good at it.

Post 6- The mentor Interview

1. What is your full name?
                   My full name is Nadia.

2. Where are you from ( city, state, country)?
                   I'm from Kiev, Ukraine.

3. Where did you go to college? For how long? Would you like to go back to school?
                   I went to college in Ukrain for 3 years and I continued in the United Staes for another 3 years. I would not like to go back to school right now.

4. ( If the interviewee went to college)... What was your major in college and what kind of degree did you earn? Did you attend graduate school for an advanced degree? If yes, What degree and at which school?
                In college, I majored in education in Ukraine and Librarianship in the United States. I earned Master's degree in library science.

5. What made you choose your career you are working in now?
               I actually worked as a librarian in Ukraine and I loved it so, I worked in the United States as a librarian.

6. Why did you choose this particular job at this particular company?
                  I lived in Brooklyn so, I applied for a job and they assigned me to Mapleton Brooklyn Public Library.

7. Describe the process in which you got your job. Did you interview? With how many people? How many times?
                 Yes, I was interviewed with 3 or more people. I only interviewed only one time.

8. How long have you worked here?
                 I have worked here for 22 years.

9. What is your job title?
                 My job title is the senior librarian.

10. What do your duties include? Another way of asking this question is, " What kinds of work does your job involve?'
                1) assist patrons with reference questions
                2) Reader's advisory - recommending books for people.

11. What are some of the challenges you have faced working here?
                1) serving public
                2) The library became a community central with very broad aspect of service.
                3) Staff shortages because of the budget crises.

12. What is the best part of your job?
                The best part of my job is helping people to find the things they need.

13. What is something you would like to change about your job?
               If we have more staff, it will become less stressful and establishing better communications.

14. Did you work somewhere else before the job? Where? for how long? How was that job similar or different?
               I have never worked anywhere in the United States before.

15. What do you see as your future with this company? If you plan on changing jobs,what will you do?
               If I was planning to change jobs, I would like to be a cycologist.

16. Do you enjoy the kid of work you do? Why or why not?
               Yes, I enjoy the kind of work I do because I like to help people.

17. Do you ever plan to open your own business? If so, what kind of business will you open? Where will you open it?
              No.

18. How has having and intern helped your company or organization?
              Having interns is really helpful because of the staff shortages.

19. What advice would you give to teenage interns ( such as myself) getting ready for college?
             Think things very slowly before you do them.

20. What advice would you give to teenage interns ( such as myself) preparing to find a career in the real world?
              Don't be hard on yourself. Choose what you like and don't choose it really fast.

First Impression

My mentor's name is Tracey Mantrone. She is the Library Information Supervisor. My mentor is really nice and friendly. she helps me whenever I need help so she is really helpful. The Environment where I'm working is very comfortable and organized. My first impressions when I first started working in my internship, I thought that it was going to be boring because all I do is putting books in order. The different jobs that I do at my internship is shelving books by the right order from alphabets and numbers from decimals, helping other people finding the kind of books they want, and taking out books that doesn't belong to the branch where they can be shipped back to the branch where they belong to. Well, the hardest thing fro  me so far is putting books in order and that's because they are in different places and they are all over the place when they are on the cart. So, I have to go from one place to another in order to put the books. One skill that I have learned is being organized and responsible with not only books but for my personal things too.

The three questions tat I have for my Internship is what is the primary goal of the organization that I work at? How many people work at this organization? Does this organization exist in other cities besides New York? if so, Which cities?

when I asked Ms. Tracey Mantrone these questions, she answered me for the first one is to fulfill the information an educational and reservational needs of the people of Brooklyn. She said for the second question is that at this branch, there are 20 people that work there. but at this organization as a whole, is about 900 people. For the third question she said that this library exist in most cities and towns in the United States.

Post 2-staring off strong

What I Am Video

Verse 1

If what I am is what's in me

Then I'll stay strong - that's who I'll be

and I will always be the best

"me" that I can be.

There's only one me, I am it

have a dream I'll follow it

It's up to me to try. 

Chorus 1

Oh! I'm a keep my head up high

Keep on reaching high

Never gonna quit

I'll be getting stronger.

And nothing's gonna bring me down (no!)

Never gonna stop, gotta go.

Because I know

I'll keep getting stronger.

 Bridge 1

And what I am is openminded

what I am is helpful

what I am is responsible

and what I am is smart

what I am is friendly

what I am is organized

There's nothing I can't achieve.

Because in myself I believe in oh...

Post 1-Internship Goals

My Goals for my internship are being able to help other people whenever they need help and learn how to be more responsible and more organized.The knowledge that I hope to get from my internship is helping other people and to know how to shelve books in the right order. The skills that I hope to gain are responsible, organized, and helpful. In the library, the type of work that I will do is book shelving and helping other people.

This picture represent what is the kind of job that I will be doing at the library.