MLIS Survival Guide

The unofficial UCLA MLIS Survival Guide (or How to Get Started in Library School).

This guide is written by the SLA student group. So follow these steps to ensure a successful time at UCLA:

1. Get your BruinCard

  • It doubles as your UCLA Library Card, allowing you to check out books and make inter-library loan requests online.
  • It works as your copy card in UCLA Libraries.
  • It allows you use the BruinGo discount fare program on the Santa Monica Blue Bus and Culver City buses.  Show the driver your Bruin card and ride for 50 cents one way (begins fall 2011).
  • It gives you free access to the John Wooden Center gym (and locker room), all UCLA Recreation facilities, programs, and services. The Wooden Center has a decent gym, as well as basketball courts, racquetball courts, rock-climbing area, treadmills, elliptical machines, weights, and a sauna inside the locker room. You have to pay for lockers (can’t use your own lock), and bring your own soap.

You can add money to the BruinCard (via credit card online or in cash at the BruinCard office) and use it at the on-campus stores, eateries and some vending machines (no more fumbling for change for that last minute coffee!).

2. Use BruinOnline to get connected to campus resources

BruinOnline allows you to:

3. Familiarize yourself with campus and the best ways to get to and from UCLA

The IS Location page has information on commuting and driving to campus.

- Familiarize yourself with:

  • Parking lots 3, 4, and 5 (possibly 7 and 11, too).
  • The GSE&IS building (where our classes take place, where our MIT lab is)
  • YRL (Young Research Library–our main library)
  • The Powell Library (our secondary library; where the Film/TV archives is)
  • The Anderson Management School (good cafe; one of the most aesthetic libraries)
  • The Hugh & Hazel Darling Law Library (also a beautiful, nearby library; however, sometimes access is limited to law students)
  • North campus – the closest place to the GSE&IS building to get food and coffee
  • LuValle commons – go downstairs to the bookstore to buy your GSE&IS textbooks.  They are NOT sold with the undergrad textbooks at the main Ackerman bookstore.

4. Campus Parking

* Cost analysis*
Daily pass ($11 /day).
Quarterly pass ($195 /quarter).
Each quarter is 10 weeks, so if you are coming to campus over 2 days a week, the pass is worth it. Having the quarterly pass adds the convenience of not having to go to a parking kiosk to pay for parking each time you come to campus, however, many people don’t mind it – it is a matter of preference.

You have to apply and pay for a quarterly parking pass well in advance of the start of a new quarter.  Campus parking application and deadlines

* Time to arrive*
The Lots begin selling daily passes at 6:30 a.m.; if you can muster the strength, it’s good to get here early so you will be more likely to get a pass for the lot of your choice. Anderson Business school’s cafe (and Northern Lights) opens at 7 a.m.; YRL opens at 7:30 a.m.; the MIT lab opens at 8:30 a.m during the academic year. A good bet is to come to campus as early as possible on class days (before 9 am), to get a decent parking lot and just do your homework if you don’t have a morning class.

* Best Lot*
Parking Lot 5 (right across from classrooms). The best places to purchase Lot 5 passes are:
A. Parking Lot 4 Visitors Information Area (See Map. Down Westwood Plaza, left-hand lane, near the “i”); Purchase your Lot 5 ticket, leave Lot 4, take a soft right out of the parking structure so that you drive east, past the elementary school (Charles Young Drive), take a right at Royce Drive, go straight after the 4-way stop and park in any level of Lot 5.
B. The Information Kiosk off of Westholme and Hilgard (See Map). Ask for a Day Pass for Lot 5, then drive straight to Young Drive, turn right and follow Young Drive to Royce Drive and turn left onto Royce. Continue to Lot 5, which will be on your right, and park on any level. You may only park on levels 1, 2, 3, and 6 in Lot 5, and you need to exit and re-enter the garage to access each level. Do not park in spaces labeled “Blue Permit Only” or in the green spaces.  Please note that you CAN park in spaces marked for Yellow Permits, and this parking structure does NOT have an elevator.

*2nd Best Lot*
Parking Lot 3 (up the hill, close to Hilgard street. See Map). For daily-pass parking, enter Lot 3 in the side closest to Hilgard, then turn right (turning left leads you to a gate for parking spaces for those with quarterly passes) into the lot and look for an available space.  Remember the space number, then go to the nearest automated kiosk to pay for parking. Park as close to Level 2, Royce Drive entrance as you can (this is a good exit, and it’s ground level to where you walk). If you exit the parking structure from the 2nd level of the parking structure, you can walk down Royce Drive and arrive at the GSE&IS classroom building via the back way.

* 3rd Best Lot*
Parking Lot 4 (Westwood Plaza and Sunset). Usually doesn’t sell out until 10 a.m. Try to park closest to the area underground that corresponds with Powell Library/Fowler Museum. This is a decent lot if you want to get coffee before class, because you can walk right past the Anderson Business School’s Espresso Roma Cafe (far preferable to “our” Northern Lights caca). This is a good lot if you want to start or end your day on campus with a work-out at the Wooden Center or track–you can park underneath the Wooden Center opening.

* 4th Best Lot*
Parking Lot 7 (right next to 4). This is about the same level of “okayness” as Lot 4. It’s under the athletic field, so sometimes you can see sports teams practicing.

* Sad-Sack Lot*
Parking Lot 11 (Northeast corner of campus. See Map). Literally 1.5 miles from our classroom building, and straight uphill (on the way back). However, it is near the softball diamond, if you want to catch a game before or after classes. If you get to campus late on a Monday, you’ll be assigned here. This lot stinks, so try to avoid.

5. Public Transportation (Avoid the parking hassle altogether!)

- If you live in Santa Monica or West Los Angeles, it may be easier for you to take the bus to campus. With your BruinCard, you can ride the Santa Monica and Culver City buses for 50 cents (excluding weekends, university holidays and summer).

- If you ride the bus frequently, you may want to buy a quarterly ‘flash pass’ that will cover your quarter fare. The ‘Flash pass’ is only on sale for the first couple weeks of the quarter.

* For more information about buses and ‘flash pass’ go to the UCLA transportation services web page.

For information on bus routes:

6. Sign up for the discussion and announcement lists (the best way to find out about jobs, events, EVERYTHING)

Sign up for IS department listservs via the automated form

There are four core lists:

IS-ANNOUNCE
IS-Announce is the Department’s primary on-line communication vehicle for major announcements regarding curriculum, policy, special programs, emergency announcements and the etc. Other sources of postings to IS-Announce include: GSE&IS information which impacts IS directly and; all official postings from the UCLA administration which have not already gone to the UCLA community. This list is only for currently enrolled students in the degree programs at Information Studies, IS faculty (ladder, emeriti, adjunct), and IS staff.

IS-NET
IS-Net is a discussion and announcement list for interested students, faculty, and staff. Its focus is on issues relating to Library and Information Studies education in general, and the Department of Information Studies in particular. In addition, announcements of scholarship opportunities, conferences, student and professional job opportunities are posted here. This list is optional, but highly recommended as its scope is wider. Students, faculty, and staff must subscribe themselves.

IS-CHAT
IS-CHAT is a discussion list that is open to any topic. Where the previous 2 lists must be related to the department, or information studies topics, any topic may be discussed on IS-CHAT.

IS-TALKS
IS-TALKS is open to everyone and is used to advertise talks/presentations/events both within the Information Studies department, and events outside of the departments that may be of interest to the community at large. Examples of topics would include IS Colloquium series announcements, special presentations by guests to the department (for example, the SLA President making a presentation), or Information Studies related speakers at other local institutions. This list should be used instead of IS-ANNOUNCE to make announcements of these events, unless an event is directly sponsored by or taking place within the GSE&IS department.

Information on all lists

7. Websites you should know about

8. Get Calendars (so you know WHEN you’re supposed to be doing stuff):

9. Registering for classes

  • Get a list of the classes offered for the quarter
  • Find out when you are officially able to register (they mete out different times for different students, in order to stratify the registering), and do it the very second you can (online, through URSA). Go to URSA, type in your student number and password, click “URSA Enrollment Appointments,” and the year and term you would like to see.
  • Register for the core classes first (get these over with). The core courses are 200, 260, 245, 270, 201, 410 and one research methods course (all students with the informatics specialization must take the 282 research methods course.)
  • If you can’t decide on the classes you want, one option is to register for more than 3 classes, attend them all the first week then drop those you do not want to take after Week 1. *The system will allow you to do this, although the practice is discouraged* as there are enrollment caps on classes and your registering for a class you do not intend to take will often prevent someone who does intend to take it from getting a spot. But this strategy may be helpful in the case that you are “waitlisted” for a class you really want. If you don’t get into it, after waiting, you won’t be left high-and-dry without a third class. There is no fiscal penalty for dropping a class if you do it by the end of the second week (however, in the summer there may be). If you decide to drop a class after the first 2 weeks of the term (due to a waitlist taking too long to resolve, or personal reasons, or whatever), you can drop it until the day before finals. It’ll cost you $3, but it won’t appear on your record as a “late drop.”

Take summer school classes, when you can (if you can afford it).
* It is a great way to give yourself a cushion if you are forced to cut a class in a later quarter. This way, you won’t be behind in hours, which is crucial if you want to start internships as soon as possible (you can’t intern until you’ve completed 36 hours–which should be after your Spring quarter of your first year). Summer school classes are great: there are less people on campus (parking is much better); and you can focus on fewer classes than during the regular quarter (usually, you only take one or two summer classes); And there are often excellent classes taught by adjunct professors offered that aren’t offered in the academic year.

Once you’ve registered, go to the instructor’s web page. If the professor has posted a syllabus for the class, you can find out which books are required (and order through the internet, rather than the expensive UCLA bookstore); what kinds of assignments will be assigned; and (incredibly), if there is an assignment due on Day 1 (this happens occasionally). If no syllabus has been posted, you might want to email the professor to see if s/he has an idea which books will be assigned (so you can get a jump ordering them).

10. Book buying

* You may be able to find better prices for you books outside the campus bookstore:

  • Buy on the internet at Amazon, or Half.com, or ebay, or Google it.
  • Buy on Amazon via the ALA Student Chapter Online Bookstore. Proceeds go toward funding guest speakers, workshops and more.

* You will have no choice but to go to the UCLA bookstore if a “reader” is assigned (This is an instance when a professor has chosen several journal articles or chapters from books and has had them combined into one photo-copied reader.)

* Our bookstore is usually LuValle. UCLA Lu Valle Commons (310) 825-4014.

11. Eats

* Northern Lights, in the North Campus Student Center right across from GSE&IS. The coffee is okay, most of the food is overpriced. It’s the only place to buy Odwalla-style juices. Best item: ice cream. For breakfast especially, the other vendors in North Campus have cheaper, heartier food.

* Vending machines in plaza near Northern Lights. Decent for quick junk food, and the vended hot chocolate/coffee bevs are much cheaper than Northern Lights and just as good.

* Convenience store attached to North Campus Student Center. Good for health food bars, nuts, etc., and the newspaper. A quick stop.

** Get a UCLA Non-Spillable Mug, if you will. You can buy one at Northern Lights for about $5. It’s the only mug the libraries (including our MIT lab) will let you in with. It doesn’t spill, really, but has been known to dribble. It’s not a pleasant drinking experience (highly odd mechanism), but if you must have coffee in the library with you, it’s a must. Somehow put your name on it, because you will inevitably leave it behind somewhere.

** Try to bring your own lunch to campus, because prices/quality can be questionable.

12. Write-up your experiences in each class the minute the quarter ends

* This will be extraordinarily helpful for you when you compile your “portfolio.”

* Buy a 3-ring binder or expandable file and designate it for your portfolio. Every time you attend an event like a colloquium, forum or conference, store a flyer from the event or your notes you took in the binder–these are invaluable to writing about your participation in professional, organizational & service opportunities.

* Every time you produce a flyer for an event, or photograph you and friends on a library tour, etc., store a copy in your portfolio–this is invaluable to being prepared for the “supporting documentation” of the portfolio.

* Lastly, consider meeting with classmates from your core classes to discuss what you learned in the cores. Having multiple perspectives produces the insight and verbiage you’ll want when writing the portfolio.

* Take if from the experience of one notable graduate: she had a 6-page outline for her Core-Class section from so-called “portfolio parties!”

13. Try to talk to your professors, one-on-one, immediately

* Scholarships come down the pike early-on, and oftentimes they ask for professorial letters-of-recommendation. This is a tough task, because early-on, your professors don’t really know you.

* Focus on getting to know on-site professors who have areas of interest you are interested in. Some examples:

  • Jean-François Blanchette: Authenticity of electronic information. Social and political dimensions of information security. Digital preservation. Sociology of mathematics. Privacy and data retention. Materiality and computing. Technology, memory, and oblivion.
  • Christine Borgman: The empirical research on the creation, use, and management of scientific data and its implications for science policy; and, analytical work on the changing nature of scholarship in an environment of ubiquitous computer networks and digital information.
  • Johanna Drucker: The history of written forms, typography, design, and visual poetics.
  • Jonathan Furner: Cultural informatics and the ways in which cultural institutions (libraries, archives, museums, etc.) organize information about the resources (books, artworks, images, etc.) that they collect.
  • Anne Gilliland: The various intersections of information technology, recordkeeping and cultural heritage; social justice and human rights issues as they relate to archives and records; and archival education.
  • Chris Kelty: Science and technology studies; specifically internet culture and history, intellectual property, the public sphere, free and open source software, public domains, commons, authorship and ownership, and the history and philosophy of science and technology, in the US, Europe and India.
  • Greg Leazer: Bibliographic control; organization of information; bibliographic works and relationships; cataloging and classification; evaluation of bibliographic retrieval systems.
  • Leah Lievrouw: Information society; social and cultural aspects of communication/information technologies; scholarly communication; communication and knowledge.
  • Beverly Lynch: Structures of complex organizations; organizational environments; measurement and evaluation of library performance; libraries as organizations.
  • Mary Niles Maack: Professionalization; gender issues; literacy; comparative studies.
  • Cindy Mediavilla: After-school homework assistance in public libraries; history of public libraries in California; history of the California Library Association.
  • Ellen Pearlstein: Preventive care as a preservation method; conservation methods.
  • Steve Ricci: Moving image archiving.
  • John V. Richardson: History of education for library and information science; decision-making and information policy (United States, federal level); process of general question answering–numerical modeling and implementation as expert/knowledge-based systems.
  • Ramesh Srinivasan: The development of information systems within the context of culturally-differentiated communities.
  • Virginia Walter: Children’s information needs and information resources; sociology of children’s literature and childhood reading; childhood and family literacy; evaluation of library services; citizen participation and volunteerism in public libraries.

Go to the faculty information page for extra info!

14. Join student groups (or attend meetings)

Student groups plan and provide off-campus tours of libraries, panels of library professionals, workshops, and many other helpful connection-facilitating activities. They are invaluable and a great resource! (don’t be frightened by the massive quantities of acronyms you will encounter: embrace the acronym!)

15. National groups to think about joining:

  • SLA (Special Libraries Association) and SoCal SLA
  • ALA (American Libraries Association)
  • SAA (Society of American Archivists)
  • CLA (California Library Association)

16. The main international conference you should attend is …

the annual SLA Conference and INFO-EXPO.  Be sure to subscribe to IS-NET to hear about stipends to attend the conference.

But there are many other conferences, including those for the …

17. Internships

  • Invaluable and rare opportunity to see if you really like a specific aspect of library and information science
  • Take as many as possible! You can use up to 12 combined units of interning and field work (interning outside of the L.A. area) towards your degree
  • Visit Keri Botello in the MIT Lab and ask her about it
  • There is usually an open-house of internship sites during the spring quarter, at which about 70 different libraries are represented. They will be seated at tables throughout the GSE&IS building and you can just go up to them and talk, very casually, give them your resume, etc. It’s invaluable!
  • Keri usually has a meeting/class to fill you in on all the particularities and requirements of interning.

18. Miscellaneous Advice

- Your co-students in the program are your future colleagues and/or bosses–get to know them and establish relationships

- Forget about grades–you are here to learn, and you don’t need added stress (P.S. please disregard, if you are trying for a PhD! Then, they DO matter; also, if you have a scholarship that depends upon a “B” average!)

- Write down everything you do, write, and attend–you can use it in your portfolio

- Attend as many events staged by student groups as you possibly can and whether or not you are a member of the organization. There are workshops on technologies and applications that you may never hear about in class; there are panels of information professionals which can give you insight into a potential career path; and, there are field trips to area libraries and information centers.

- Think about obtaining a mentor. Contact ALA about the status of the mentor program.

- Our department is very open and flexible, and the students create much of the added-value that compliments what you learn in the classroom.  If there is a type of event, student group, panel discussion, special interest group, or meeting you would like to see happen, GO FOR IT!  You can create and put on almost anything you are interested in.

- There is so much to learn outside of the classroom – getting involved as an officer in student groups is a great way to expand your horizons and network with your peers and practicing information professionals who will be hiring you in just two years!  This is a short program, so don’t be scared to get involved right off the bat.  If a group doesn’t turn out to be right for you, you can switch to new groups in your second year.  Also, you can definitely be involved in many groups at the same time.

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