Russian-American librarians/ Русско-американские библиотекари

Continue or not?

2009-05-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

I was very busy this term with papers and writing, so I am completely abandoned my blog. Other reason that I don't know who is my potential audience. I know about twenty librarians expatriates from former USSR who work in libraries here. It will be nice to communicate with them and share thoughts and experiences. Just few have blogs, Facebook accounts, PJ account or use Web 2.0 tools Maybe it will be better to increase the audience by addressing to all librarians expatriates?

Education for American Librarians/ Образование для американских библиотекарей

2008-11-26T19:52:00.000-08:00

Образование для американских библиотекарей

Если ты хочешь работать в библиотеке в качестве библиотекаря, особенно в библиотеке университета, нужно получить степень Мастера в библиотечной и информационной науке (MLS). Причем школа где ты получил Мастера должна быть аккредитована Американской Библиотечной Ассоциацией. Возможно найти работу без специального библиотечного образования и расти по служебной лестнице, особенно в публичных библиотеках и если есть недостаток в библиотечных кадрах и eсли библиотеке нужны информационные работники, адмистраторы сетей, веб дизайнеры и т.п.

Система образования радикально отличается от российской.Твое библиотечное обучение начинается только на уровне Мастера. Ты можешь получить любое образование как Бакалавр и быть принятым в программу МБН (MLS).

Сама программа состоит обычно из 36-42 кредитных часов ( 2-x лет), где тебе преподают только предметы связанные с библиотечным делом и информатикой. Российское обучение базируется на том что в Америке называют Либерал Артс(Liberal Arts). В США знание литературы, иностранных языков, психологии, истории и т.п. не обязательно. Ты выбираешь одну треть предметов, остальные обязательны. В зависимости от колледжа упор делается на информатику или библиотечное дело.

Old libraries

2008-11-14T20:52:00.000-08:00

«Австрия» на Яндекс.Фотках

2008-11-14T19:17:00.000-08:00

Olga Strakhov
Library Assistant in Technical Services (November)
Frances Loeb Library, Harvard University

A former bibliographic and preservation assistant in the Weissman Preservation Center, Olga Strakhov is currently a student at the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Library and Information Studies. She holds a bachelor's degree from Moscow Lomonosov University and a PhD from Brown University. Olga replaced Page Nelson, who was promoted to the position of Cataloger in Technical Services.

Information needs

2008-11-10T19:22:00.000-08:00

I looked at some web sites created for Russian community in U.S. Reading Room of RussianAmerica.com keeps track of top hits in categories (subjects) and book titles that users of this web site have downloaded or looked at.
Top hits by subject:

Иммиграция в США (Immigration)	283138
Въездные визы (Visas)	260288
Полезные советы (Advice, How-to)	231210
Сказки (Fairy Tales)	113745
Наука (Science)	111010
Писатели об Америке (Writers about America)	106588
Мифы и легенды (Mythology)	104829
Тайны и загадки мира (Secrets and wonders of the world)	102042
Иностранная литература (Foreign literature)	91947
Пословицы	90443
Культура и образование	86833
Фантастика	86325
Жизнь на Земле

I understand the interest in immigration and how to advices, but Mythology?

The most popular books of the year are:

Учите английский (English language textbook)	24361
Процедура подачи заявки и условия получения неиммиграционной визы	19956
Пословицы и поговорки о дружбе (Sayings about friendship)	16975
Как то будет по-рюсски? (Russian language guide)	15873
Кибернетика и религиозное мировоззрение (Cybernetics and religious thoughts)	15267
Языческие святилища древних славян (Pagan sanctuaries of Slavs)	15114

Religion and mythology again on the top of the list!

2008-11-10T18:23:00.000-08:00

I am looking for public libraries which serve Russian population, have significant amount of books in Russian. Demographically people who are ethnic Russians or came from Russia or former Soviet Union concentrate in urban areas of New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Detroit. Check couple websites which have information about Russian-American community in U.S. Found an informative web site, which belong to Ameredia( an advertising agency specializing in multicultural ethnic market). According to its web site:

Russians are second largest ethnic group among foreign born population.

There are an estimated 5.5 million Russian-speaking people in the Unites States.

Most Russian- speakers are bilingual but generally prefer to speak their native language at home, and turn to Russian-language media for the latest news and information.

53% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.

80.3% have completed a HS Diploma compared to 67% for the foreign born population.

Inclination towards higher education, high-paying employment and general readership.

Higher readership of in-language print media among older and first generations.

Higher usage of Internet and online media among the more acculturated and tech savvy younger generations.

Being an educated community, Russian Americans focus more on post-collegiate work participation and are involved in higher-paying employment.

67.5% are in managerial, professional, technical and sales occupations (compared to 45.6% for all foreign-born).

Median age of 32.5 years compared to 38.1 years for all foreign-born people.

The size of the community, educational level and readership characteristics make this ethnic group a good recipient of library service.

Back to blogging

2008-11-05T16:27:00.000-08:00

I was underestimated the amount of work and stress that will accompany the move from Florida to Kansas. We had to buy the house over the Internet. What?! I am an information specialist and we live in the digital age. We had some surprises when we saw house first time after driving for 3 days with two stops on the way. My husband is still make some comments from time to time about me and my conviction that everything can be done online... Finally all 300 boxes has been unpacked, rooms are painted and furniture are bought. We can relax and enjoy our new home.

2008-07-30T06:14:00.000-07:00

I have to temporary stop posting on my blog, but I will be back in September after the operation "Relocation ".
My family is on the move again from Florida to Kansas, from Clearwater to Overland Park.
I am from the family of civil engineers (couple generations of engineers, architects and planners), so I grew accustomed to moving from one place to another. Buying a house, packing 150 boxes, farewell parties, getting to know a new community. The excitement of change!

Friendly bloggers

2008-07-23T03:36:00.000-07:00

I found this comment on the Russian librarian blogger's site:http://rusu-library.blogspot.com/ На этот раз русско-американских. Я вообще заметила (или просто так сложилось), что очень много женщин, уезжающих в США на ПМЖ работают там библиотекарями.И вот, представляю вам сообщество в ЖЖ Russian-American Librarians и блог с одноименным названием. В блоге советую осилить Zapiski of Russian Librarian expatriate. Вдруг кому-нибудь д а пригодится :)))

Homo legens or Reader

2008-07-17T06:07:00.000-07:00

Unusual action by the group "Sugar, 1KG" in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Three young men during two days read books and converse with visitors about the importance of reading in the Zoo cage. Необычная акция прошла в минувшие выходные в зоопарке Санкт-Петербурга. В одной из клеток зоопарка вместо медведя, который обычно там обитает, расположились три молодых человека, которые в течении двух дней читали книги и общались сквозь прутья решетки с посетителями зоопарка, рассказывая, насколько важно чтение для жизни человека, сообщает ИА Regnum.
По словам организаторов акции — представителей Ленинградского зоопарка и творческой группы «Сахар, 1кг», — Homo legens или «человек читающий» уже давно превратился в вымирающий вид, поэтому и родилась идея с зоопарком, ведь именно здесь мы можем увидеть редких и вымирающих животных«.

http://www.etoday.ru/2008/07/homo-legens-stpetersburg-zoo.php

Zapiski of Russian Librarian expatriate

2008-07-17T03:29:00.000-07:00

I would like to share some general observations of being expatriate librarian in America.
Many Russian librarians and library technicians are applying for and some are gaining positions in U.S. Based on my experience and conversations with my friends it is not an easy process. I will not compare this ordeal with obstacles that Russian doctors have to face when they immigrate to U.S. and want to continue their careers, but the road is much longer compare to IT specialists.
Most employers will ask for ALA-accredited MLS degree. ALA policy stated: "The master's degree from a program accredited by the American Library Association (or from a master's level program in library and information studies accredited or recognized by the appropriate national body of another country) is the appropriate professional degree for librarians." So some hiring managers post adds that said :"ALA accredited degree or its foreign equivalent". However, most of them, especially when job market is tough or there is surplus of librarians, set limits to schools that have received ALA accreditation. There is no exam or a special programs that you are able to take in order to certify your diploma. If you have graduated from University of Culture and Arts with Diploma in Library Science, most of certification agencies will evaluate your education in Russia is equivalent to the U.S. degree of Bachelor of Science. See this useful ALA site:
Foreign Credentials/Degrees Evaluation Assistance for Job Seekers in the U.S.People who want to be more marketable need to go back to school and earn MLS degree. There are no schools in U.S. which will transfer the credits that you earned in foreign college, rarely you will receive credits for work experience, so be prepared for 34-42 credit hours, two years of schooling. I know somebody who had PhD.D in Library Science from Moscow University of Culture and still went to local library school to earn "ALA-accredited" MLS.

In my next postings I'll try to outline the challenges and rewards of applying skills gained in Russian library schools to the tough world of foreign employment. Topics like bringing your skills to a new environment, management styles, the challenge of librarianship when English is your second language, the culturally sensitive librarian, learning the rules and the expatriate lifestyle.

Surveys

2008-07-15T04:38:00.000-07:00

I am looking for two papers that have been published:

You Can’t Get There from Here, or How Do I Become
a Slavic Studies Librarian? by Michael Brewer

Slavic Librarian Educaton/Experience Survey Results — Results of a survey into the educational and experiential background of 127 working Slavic librarians (primarily from North America).

LiveJournal community

2008-07-15T02:59:00.000-07:00

Natasha Tuchina created a community http://community.livejournal.com/rus_librarians/
Jul. 12th, 2008 at 10:51 AM
pochitaiI have to thank Olga Koz from Clearwater Public Library System (Clearwater, FL) for the great idea - to create a community of Russian-American Librarians who work in USA (or may be anywhere in the world!). Olga and i will be managing this community. Please, join and support!My name is Natalia Tuchina, I am a librarian in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I work in the Forsyth County Public Library. Our library website is forsythlibrary.org. You can see my picture on this

Images

2008-07-11T09:11:00.000-07:00