(no subject)

[sebastienne]

Tuesday 27th March

Social Sciences interview panel

10.30: Start
Tour of Said Business School library
Tour of Social Sciences Library
Interview with panel
Test (shelving books etc)
12.30: Finish

I guess I need to get breaking in my interview shoes, for the station-St Catz walk (TMI-note: make sure I'm wearing something under my skirt to stop thigh-chafing), and need to swot up on the shelving practices of the SSL.

Petty perfectionist that I am, I'm torn between "yay! I gots me an interview!" and "damn, social sciences, no chance of getting the RSL/Sackler/History fac then".

Comments

[glamwhorebunni.livejournal.com]

Good luck!

Hmm, only used the SSL once. I seem to remember it having some quite interesting stuff tho, and being rather shiny.

It uses the Library of Congress classification scheme. Interesting. It's a confusing scheme in some ways, because it only shows high level hierarchies. On the other hand, it's good as shelfmarks don't get as horribly long and drawn out as Dewey ones can, all of them are one or two letters and then 3 or 4 numbers.
The letters show how things are ordered in a hierarchy- "JC" (political theory) is part of "J" (political science).
But the numbers don't reflect a hierarchy, all the sub-concepts are just listed in any old order. So unlike Dewey JC491 is not part of JC490.

Shelving with LoC is fairly easy, as long as you know the alphabet (which caused me some problems at my last workplace!)

[dyddgu.livejournal.com]

I don't think it means you have no chance of coming eg to us - there can be a fair amount of horse-trading between the libraries as we fight over people we like!

I personally don't like LC - antarra is doing our stack books in LC at the moment, and I find the numbers can get quite long. But it is at least not very difficult to put things in letter/number order, generally, even if I don't understand what the letters "mean".

[ktroo85.livejournal.com]

SSL and SBS are nice and new, the SBS is very pretty, it has an amphitheatre out back where I had my first ever lecture at oxford. Haven't actually really spent much time in either library as tend to use my textbooks or for mgt most of the stuff is online so can't really tell you much more about them.

[dyddgu.livejournal.com]

Also, stuff wot antarra told me: don't wear stuff which clashes with purple (SSL chairs are purple) - I think that can probably be arranged. The practical test is indeed to put a mixed-up trolley of LC books in the right order. More anon.

[antarra.livejournal.com]

Hi, I had a several interviews at the SSL over the last couple of years (without ever getting the job). The shelving-exercise isn't too bad, and I think they even give you a sheet of explanations in case you aren't familiar with LC. One thing I remember from the interviews is that they put a heavy emphasis on team-work and your attitude to it.

I actually worked at the SBS for six weeks once. The library is very modern, with surprisingly few books(though they seem a lot when you shelf them) and a lot of electronic resources. The people working there were really nice. The atmosphere is very un-library-like, in that it is noisy, people are allowed to use their mobile phones in the lower part of the library, and chatt a lot. This can be a bit of a shock if you come from or expect a more traditional library environment. And they have a self-checkout system which is scary but useful, as it cuts down on the work you have to do at the desk.

[anotherusedpage.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! and good luck.
I always liked the SSL; rarely used it, but I'd regularly meet a friend of mine there.

[sebastienne.livejournal.com]

Wow, the SBS sounds bizarre.. but that tallies with my application, which placed emphasis on my interest in internet publishing, modern information management, etc.

Thanks for your help, by the way - makes me feel a lot calmer about the whole affair.

[sebastienne.livejournal.com]

Ah, my Interview Clothes (wot I went shopping for specially) are black/grey & green, so I shall look marvelous with purple! And I just found out I have an interview at Nuffield College library as well.. I wonder what colour their chairs are? Actually, I had to go in there for a journal once, I don't seem to recall a particular colour scheme. Hang on - that interview's only 6 days away! Meep!

And thanks for all your help though, it makes me feel a lot less scared and a lot more like I can go in there and be impressive.

[ktroo85.livejournal.com]

if i remember from the emails I get sent round by the sbs they have done away with the being able to use mobile phones in the lower library as it was getting too noisy. Though I agree with the electronic resources 50-70% of my reading list each week is online.

[dyddgu.livejournal.com]

This is because we would all like you to join us [join us, join us, join us...] ;-)

Nuffield has a lot of stairs. You have been warned.

[sebastienne.livejournal.com]

Yes, I've seen that tower.. and I get out of breath just going from the bottom to the top of the RSL (three flights, but in my defence, they are BIG flights..) so I could probably do with a job at the Nuffield to get back in shape. (Not that I really mean "in shape".. the whole point was that I was happy being whatever size came naturally, as long as I was fit & healthy.. and in the last year or two I've sort of stopped being either.)

[jacinthsong.livejournal.com]

The SSL is great. *nods* Er, I'm not sure I have any insight on their shelving practices despite spending every other day there...

Good luck! :D

[castophrenia.livejournal.com]

Oooh, good luck. Charles knows about libraries and will probably be happy to answer any questions/give insight if you'd like! x