Treasures Found by Seafaring Librarians
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APRIL–JUNE, 2009 VIRGINIA LIBRARIES PAGE 7 Treasures Found by Seafaring Librarians by Mary Johnston PHOTO COURTESY OF SEMESTER AT SEA COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE hoy! To manage an under- graduate library while sailing around the world, Ayou will need your well-honed library skills and a bit of an adven- turous spirit. In this article, the University of Virginia librarians who have belayed their traditional landlubbing librarian jobs and successfully navigated a semester at sea present their ideas on the value of embarking upon such an adventure. Studying on a ship while sailing the globe — that’s Semester at Sea. Answering reference ques- tions while standing on steady sea legs — that’s a Semester at Sea librarian. What Is Semester at Sea? Semester at Sea (SAS) is an educa- tional voyage of discovery adminis- Semester at Sea's floating campus, the MV Explorer. tered by the Institute for Shipboard Education (ISE) and academically sponsored by the University of Vir- riculum sponsored by the Univer- than 200 universities from across ginia (U.Va.). Differing from tra- sity of Virginia, they also receive the United States. These students ditional study abroad immersion an education in adaptability and are guided by 65 faculty and staff programs, SAS emphasizes a global versatility within a setting that on a 110-day voyage around the comparative education “to build includes individuals who share world each fall and spring semes- the insight and background nec- the desire to see the world and to ter. The summer voyage is slightly essary for perceiving and under- understand its complex issues.”2 shorter at 70 days and focuses on standing international issues and The SAS library supports a a region such as Europe or Central differences.”1 study-abroad program that circum- and South America. To earn U.Va. In his welcome to visitors to the navigates the globe on one of the SAS webpage, ISE President Dr. Les world’s fastest passenger ships. This McCabe elaborates, “It is within floating campus, the MV Explorer, Mary Johnston is the Semester at Sea this shipboard community that serves as dormitory, student union, library coordinator for the University individuals not only receive the athletic facility, classroom, and of Virginia and a two-time alum of the highest quality of international library for 600–700 undergradu- Semester at Sea program. She can be education available through a cur- ate students representing more reached at [email protected]. PAGE 8 VIRGINIA LIBRARIES APRIL–JUNE, 2009 credit, students attend classes held base and security blanket, each SAS the shipboard community partici- while the ship is at sea and partici- participant can experience vastly pating in onboard educational and pate in field programs during days different cultures. And some of the social activities and attending the spent in port. world’s great libraries — the Great interdisciplinary Global Studies U.Va.’s academic sponsorship of Library of Alexandria, the Hong course. the SAS program started in 2006 Kong Central Library, the Royal Witness learning. The opportu- and comes at a time when, accord- Library in Copenhagen (The Black nity to witness learning in a more ing to the report of the Commis- Diamond), the Museum Plantin- intimate scale gives the librarian sion on the Future of the Univer- Moretus Library in Antwerp, or an easily observable reward. Right sity, U.Va. is moving forward in its the ruins of Hadrian’s Library in in front of your eyes, the students effort to raise its international pro- Athens — are often only footsteps gain knowledge in their course file and “will be looking at ways to away from the dock. topics and an understanding of the mainstream a global perspective Mentor a student or two. Many role of the library. into the classroom and the broader faculty and staff choose to adopt Learn how to be flexible. student experience.”3 Further, one or two, or even eight, students Blimey! Things can happen quickly Thomas Jefferson’s academical vil- for the duration of the voyage. on the MV Explorer. Itineraries can lage provides the model for ship- change quickly based on weather board life: “Daily life aboard the and world events. [MV] Explorer has been compared And it’s not only the outside to a residential college experience, Shiver me timbers! world that dictates flexibility. Liv- a place where students and faculty Why in the world would ing in close proximity with a ship- live and learn together — in the board population of about 1,000 same way that Jefferson envisioned you, a sane librarian, students, faculty, staff, lifelong the Academical Village.”4 learners, and crew can require a choose to spend a great deal of flexibility. Adapting to close living quarters, dining SAS Library Challenges semester at sea…? with colleagues and students at and Treasures every meal, and the inability to go Far from the comforts of home and for a solitary walk can challenge all the amenities available there, Because so many students express the introvert among us. e.g. interlibrary loan services, an interest in being adopted in Revitalize your land-based knowledge from subject experts, order to simulate a little bit of library position. Aptly expressed support from colleagues, and rock- home life, some faculty members by Michael Pearson, an SAS faculty solid, high-speed Internet access, adopt larger-than-usual shipboard alum: “The word travel has its roots challenges ensue. Shiver me tim- families. The opportunity to share set complexly in the ancient mean- bers! Why in the world would you, the voyage with students in a per- ing of the word travail. It is associ- a sane librarian, choose to spend sonal way adds much to the expe- ated with pain and anguish and a semester at sea when plenty of rience. It is an opportunity to con- hard work — even with the labor of challenges await right there in your nect, to have fun, and to mentor. childbirth. And this makes sense home library? And when your library work-study to me, for travel should be about A semester at sea can be a trans- assistants return to their home bringing new things to life, and formative experience not only for campus, complete their undergrad- that’s never easy.”5 the undergraduates but also for the uate degrees, and then enter gradu- Yet despite the travails, each librarians. Here are some reasons ate school for library degrees, your returning U.Va. librarian has asked why a semester at sea can be the heart will swell with pride. the question, “When can I go library job of a lifetime: Connect with the shipboard again?” And students, too, are eager See the world (and the world’s community. Your motivation to return: “There are such strong libraries). Classes are held and for spending a semester at sea is connections established that a the library is open for business undoubtedly shared by other fac- good number of students take more while the ship is at sea — roughly ulty and staff, creating a strong than one journey and some return half the voyage. While the ship is bond from the beginning that to work either full-time on staff or docked in each port, the library is often lasts long after the voyage to become lifelong volunteers.”6 closed, giving the entire shipboard ends. In addition to regular library The SAS experience is great for community the opportunity to responsibilities, librarians are shaking things up and bringing new explore. Using the ship as home expected to be an integral part of things to life. In addition to being APRIL–JUNE, 2009 VIRGINIA LIBRARIES PAGE 9 far away from home, the librarian faces the challenges and benefits of a new living arrangement, a new highly specialized collection, a new support mechanism, a new library catalog, and new faculty colleagues. And it might be that once shaken, you’ll want to keep things stirred when you return home again, as revealed by a former SAS librarian: “You’ve changed — you’ve seen the world, literally, but everything else has basically stayed the same… . Some librarians return to their jobs newly reinvigorated, while others, in time, move on to differ- ent careers. SAS makes people unafraid to pick up and do something different.”7 Above, view Getting It Done of the library from the com- Despite the unique cir- puter lab. cumstances of running a shipboard library Left, view of while sailing the world, the library much regular library from the stairs. work remains — circula- tion, reference, reserves, cataloging, shelf-read- ing, scheduling, and staffing the library from 0800 to 2300 each day at sea. To manage that workload, the library is staffed with a librarian (always from U.Va.), an assistant voyage, the librarians have also ing, Selby laid the groundwork librarian (selected from a national accomplished the transitional tasks for future voyages by setting up pool of candidates), and library required to integrate the SAS library systems to deliver access to U.Va. work-study students. with the U.Va. library system: library electronic resources at sea. The shipboard library collec- • Relabeled the collection to meet According to Selby, “Semester at tion is “specifically tailored to U.Va. library standards Sea was an amazing opportunity. international study, travel, world • Inventoried a library collection I was the first U.Va. SAS librarian cultures, religion, art, history, and open to all, 24-7 basically because I could pick up to the curriculum and itinerary of • Migrated the records to a new and go more easily than my col- each voyage.”8 Expertly assembled integrated library system leagues. Everything and everyone and managed through the years, it • Imported all catalog records from was new to me — and a bit over- has grown according to the teach- the ship into the U.Va.