Unofficial Graduate Student Guide to CLIS
From Clisala
This is a guide for students in the College of Information Studies (CLIS) at the University of Maryland, College Park. As a resource for open discussion and suggestion, this guide is sponsored by the ALA Student Chapter at CLIS, but does not necessarily represent the opinions of that organization.
Contents |
Tips for New Students
1. Join the CLISList.
2. If you aren't sure what type of libraries you are interested in, don't worry; you're not alone. Take a variety of classes and sooner or later you'll be able to start narrowing it down based upon you're likes and dislikes. If you have an idea of what you're interested in, the career course plans will help you plan your schedule.
3. Get to know your new classmates by becoming an active member in student organizations
4. Make use of the student lounge on the 4th floor of Hornbake; you'll run into a lot of other students up there.
5. When planning the classes you want to take for your entire time at CLIS, you might want to refer to the 'Teaching Plan' - a PDF document listing the frequency classes are offered - to get a sense of whether the class you're interested in is offered all the time, or if this might be the only time you can take it!
6. When shopping for textbooks check out The Maryland Book Exchange on the corner of Rt. 1 and College Ave.
7. There is plenty of free parking on campus after 4 PM, as well as on weekends. If you're taking all evening classes, you shouldn't need a parking permit.
8. Hungry? Be sure to check out the Maryland Food Co-Op down in the basement of the Stamp Student Union.
9. You have free access to a GREAT gym, use it. The ERC has two indoor pools, a weight room, a fitness center and an indoor track. They also offer a number of group fitness classes.
10. Students can request free tickets to UMD sporting events online through ticketreturn. Tickets are available first come first served; some popular events involve a ticket lottery.
Housing
If you are new to the area, you're probably wondering where to look for housing. If you are looking for a roommate, you might want to check the CLISList postings as well as UMD's Off-Campus Housing website. Many of these houses and apartments will be located fairly close to campus. Craig's List displays apartments and homes available for rent, but does not group them by area. Housing Maps does not offer as many listings as Craig's List, but does give you a handy display of Craig's List style adds displayed on a Google map.
1. Off-Campus Housing Services: http://www.umd.och101.com/
2. CLISlist: http://clis.umd.edu/resources/clislist.shtml
3. Craig's List: http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/
4. Housing Maps (combines Google maps and Craig's List): http://www.housingmaps.com/
5. MDHousing Search: www.mdhousingsearch.com/index.html (This site just started, but more listingswill continue to be added)
Transportation options and drive time will probably factor in to your decision. Here are some suggestions based solely upon distance:
Closest (2 miles or less): Hyattsville*, University Park*, Berwyn Heights*
A Short Drive: (less than 8 miles): Takoma Park, Silver Spring*, Greenbelt*, parts of Northern DC
The campus shuttle serves most of these areas listed (*). The shuttle also provides transportation between the College Park metro station, which is on the green line, and campus. Shuttles run every 8 minutes between 6:30 AM and 8:00 PM M-F.
Quite a few students live at least a half an hour away from campus and drive in. Keep in mind that traffic is often thick and unpredictable.
Have Questions or Comments on Housing? Post Them in Our Forum
Assistantships
In order to be considered for assistantship positions, you need to fill out the GA application form available on the CLIS website ([1]) and return it with a copy of your resume. These applications are kept on file in the student services office and reviewed by departments seeking GA's as positions become available.
Full time GA's work 20 hours a week and receive tuition remission for up to 10 credits per semester (as well as 4 credits over the summer for 12 month appointments) along with a stipend.
If you don't receive an assistantship for the fall, there is still hope! Positions may become available during the semester and show up on the CLISList. There are also a number of hourly positions available on campus, which will also be advertised on the CLISList.
Assistantship Profiles: COMING SOON
Local News, Traffic and Events
2. Washington Post Traffic Center
3. The Diamondback: UMD's Independent Daily Student Newspaper
4. Washington City Paper: DC's alternative weekly
5. The Washingtonian: Magazine focusing on local feature journalism, guide book-style articles, and real estate advice, etc.
6. DCist: Local blog covering news, events, food, etc.
7. The Onion: So The Onion isn't local, but on April 5th DC became the 10th city with free print distribution!
Bookish People, Places and Things
Librarians of all stripes are people that heart books. So we simply had to point out some fun, book-related and literary events and places in the MD-DC-VA area.
1. Kramerbooks & AfterWords Cafe - a great, independent bookstore located in the heart of Dupont Circle. Open pretty late every day, features a fabulous cafe and unofficially famous as a great place to meet people of the same bookish bent.
2. Capitol Hill Books - a cramped, tiny and wonderfully quirky little bookshop located in Eastern Market. Look out for the book section in the 'bathroom'.
3. Library of Congress National Book Festival - next festival: September 29, 2007. http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/
4. Bethesda Literary Festival - gathering of writers and readers in downtown Bethesda, MD. Community-oriented and family-friendly. Last festival: April 20-22,2007. http://www.bethesda.org/specialevents/litfest/litfest.htm
Local Libraries
1. Prince Georges County Memorial Library System: http://www.pgcmls.info/
2. Montgomery County Public Libraries: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/libraries/index.asp
3. District of Columbia Public Libraries: http://dclibrary.org/
4. Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/index.html
5. Smithsonian Institution Libraries: http://www.sil.si.edu/
6. Folger Shakespeare Library: http://www.folger.edu/index.cfm
Library-related Links
1. ALA: http://ala.org/
2. ALA 2007 Annual Conference: http://www.ala.org/ala/eventsandconferencesb/annual/2007a/home.htm
3. The Dewey Blog Featuring posts written by Dr. Rebecca Green, a former CLIS professor who now works as Assistant Dewey Editor for OCLC.
Six Things Every Graduate Student Should Know
From the Graduate Student Government: (http://www.gsg.umd.edu/6things.html)
1. Graduate Legal Aid provides legal services free of charge to currently registered graduate students. They handle a wide range of both University-related and off-campus issues. Their web site includes helpful information on Landlord-Tenant Law, Maryland Business Law, Maryland Traffic Law, Maryland Consumer Law, Auto Accidents, Health Insurance, Divorce and Separation Law, and Towing Appeals. GLA can provide general information, referrals, advice and assistance to students with legal questions and disputes.
2. Graduate Ombudsperson is an impartial, independent and confidential resource for resolving conflicts. This can include conflicts with an advisor, committee member, instructor, other faculty member, or any member of the campus community.
3. Graduate School. Contact the Graduate School if you need a waiver of academic policy. Their site has useful information on assistantships, fellowships, and grants. The Graduate School also hosts a number of very useful workshops.
4. Graduate Student Life provides programming and advocacy for graduate student needs on campus. GSL provides discounted admissions to events such as professional soccer games, wine festivals, and plays. This office is responsible for the weekly MegaMailer which all grad students receive.
5. Graduate Handbook has info on resources that are available to you as a graduate student. This is especially useful for new grad students.
6. Center for Teaching Excellence has useful information for TA's, especially the Graduate Teaching Assistant Resource Guide. Roughly 2200 graduate students are Teaching Assistants.
