The Framework Five - Resource Discovery

Summary
Learning resource discovery skills encompasses an understanding of a wide range of sources and access options, then finding and evaluating information, understanding the different formats and information types, while having the flexibility to adapt according to how they and the discovery process develops.

Successful searching
I have numerous unsuccessful case studies of research from the 10 years or so working at Cambridge Judge Business School given that the students tended to focus on topics that hadn't been done before for their final projects, or there were very niche group projects for markets that weren't markets yet. Instead we gave them information on related markets or industries.

Fortunately, there are far more case studies to choose from where I was successful, aided by class projects where everyone was researching the same thing, or recurring popular areas of focus such as social media, food or drinks companies and market share data. I could tell you about toilet bowl research guy (more interesting thaan it sounds), the time I had to search for sex toys (careful), diseases in canines (heartbreaking), luxury items (eye-opening) and pet fancy dress (fun).

However there is one that stands out from my time as the designated support librarian for a distant learning course on entrepreneurship because it was a difficult one. To paraphrase a Veronica Mars quote out of context: "No one writes about the ones that come easy."

Logan (Jason Dohring) from Veronica Mars

I won a staff recognition award for my work, largely due to my dogged tenacity in trying to find information; as one of my colleagues said, I don't give up. This time, I almost give up, but I was determined not to leave the student empty handed. The details are vague as it was a long time ago, more than five years ago now! The subject was the equine industry. There was nothing on the databases we subscribe to, nor would there be as they cover broader or more commercial industries. We did eventually get a database that covered more specific industries, but I doubt even that would have had anything. There was nothing on the wider University's resources. I even contemplated contacting the veterinary school, but seeing as though the subject was about transporting horses rather than diseases or injuries, they wouldn't be able to provide any data and the student needed it broken down to numbers being transported by country and region. There were many terms to search by, phrases to use and file formats to find.

The wise Gregory House

Using some smart internet searching (filetype:pdf, site:org and date range), I found a useful website in the ether of the internet, deep in Google search results; never assume the information isn't there if it's not on the first few pages of results. I couldn't provide them with exactly what they needed, but they altered the focus of their research upon discovering the information wasn't out there and I believe their project was the better for it.

Unsuccessful searching
I'm going way back for my case study of unsuccessful searching, back to when I was writing my undergraduate dissertation. However, I didn't want to find anything. That didn't stop me looking extensively though. As I mentioned in the previous case study, sometimes people are looking for a subject that hadn't been done before. Yet I was still surprised to find nothing. Surely I couldn't really have stumbled on a unique topic? My dissertation connected prominent literary figures: Samuel Johnson and the Brontë sisters. There had to be something.

The Search After Hapiness "little book" manuscript by Charlotte Bronte

My dissertation was on the search for happiness in the books of Charlotte, Emily and Anne as I found out Charlotte wrote a piece of juvenalia called The Search after Hapiness (sic), which has surprising similarities to Samuel Johnson's Rasselas. I found out immediately that there were no books or articles on the subject, using different combinations of search terms and synonyms. But my topic has few keywords to start with, just the authors' names and their works. I then turned to book chapters. Google Scholar was in its infancy back then, so there might have been more, but I wasn't able to find any reference to them. I've just done a search on the internet and even now, there isn't much, just a few unauthoritative blog posts. Finally, I found one small chapter on the relationship between the Brontës and Samuel Johnson, with a surprisingly cursory mention of Rasselas appearing in Jane Eyre. Luckily, it was in my university library. I did check Copac and Worldcat, as well as other local library catalogues, though it did rely on detailed subject headings, contents and descriptions. I also to my shame checked Amazon when the catalogues failed me to find more information on the book. It all worked out as my dissertation ended up at the Brontë museum at Haworth.

Themes from both case studies
You may not be able to find what you want, but you can find what you need with a little change of focus. Check more than the usual places, go further, think more openly about sources. Resource discovery can be trial and error, don't give up.

"Never give up, never surrender" Enrico Colantoni, from Galaxy Quest

Personal vs. professional
When you're looking for other people, for another's research, it adds more pressure. Professionally, I'm more dogged in my support, making sure I've looked everywhere. But that's if I have the time. When you have a student in front of you, sometimes they don't want perfection, they just want the top 5 databases to look at, authoritative or peer-reviewed sources, or just plain good enough. Using Ansley Stuart's tour guide metaphor, librarians don't need to give students all the facts, just the highlights. That helps me feel confident in my work. Personally, I look for perfection in my own research, which shows I'm more insecure. It can even lead me resorting to blogs, forums and social media. It can be time-consuming and exhausting, but thorough!

Reference
Stuart, A. (2019) "Embedded librarianship: the future of libraries." Library Journal, November 19. Available at: https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=embedded-librarianship-the-future-of-libraries (Accessed: 24 February 2020)

35 fictional boyfriends

It's my birthday and I'm 35. So I've written a special blog post for the occasion. My great loves in my life have always been from books, TV programmes and films. This has meant I have had many fictional boyfriends in my lifetime.

Fictional boyfriends have allowed me to get close to men when, in real life, my anxiety hasn't let me get close to anyone as my fight or flight kicks in for some reason; you can't run away from fictional boyfriends, throw up in front of them or simply not try due to literally paralysing fear. They have also given me the opportunity to date them when I watch them on TV, on the big screen or read about them. You can give up on them, but, true story, apart from panic attacks, I have never left the cinema, not seen a TV series to its end or not finished a book. To be perfectly honest, fictional boyfriends may be the reason I have never had a boyfriend; no one can live up to them!

So, if you know anyone who complements my anxiety-prone nature, who is witty, laidback and patient, loves books, TV and films; he'll have to be able to get all my references; has a bit of an edge, thinks deeply and will challenge me, set me up!

Disclaimer: This is the unashamed, non-guilty pleasure and unedited, while also edited a lot, list of all my fictional boyfriends past and present. They have all played a significant part in my fictional romantic life from an early, perhaps too early, age right up to now. Some were of their time, some came at the right time and some are timeless. I have tried not to be swayed by actors, although I did go through phases of liking certain people.

Jordan Catalano

Leon

I didn't include: Jared Leto's Jordan Catalano from My So-Called Life (too much of a cipher, despite being sooo pretty); Burt Ward's Robin from the 60s Batman (one of my first TV crushes, but don't think it was romantic); Ross Poldark (I can't have two Aidan Turner characters, he leaves his love alone too often and he's even worse in the books); Henry Ian Cusick's Desmond from Lost (all of that cast is sullied by the final episode, but what a lovely Scottish accent and such a lovable character); Jean Reno's Leon from Leon/The Professional (despite being sweet, sensitive and able to look after himself, he does kill people); David Bowie's Goblin King Jareth from Labyrinth (too disturbing, but caused many a teenage awakening for an entire generation of boys and girls); the bad boys from The Breakfast Club (Judd Nelson's Bender), Rebel Without a Cause (James Dean's Jim Stark) and Eoin Macken's Gwaine from BBC's Merlin (too difficult to be around); the antiheros from A Discovery of Witches (it's only because of Matthew Goode's portrayal of Matthew Clairmont that I'm even mentioning him as he's sooo obsessive and controlling), House (Hugh Laurie, too petty and gloomy), The Mentalist (Simon Baker's Patrick Jane, too frivolous on the outside and dark on the inside), Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock (too selfish) and any of the superhero TV series (too dangerous and stressful to be with); Samurai Jack from the cartoon series (more respectful of him than anything else); and any sappy romcom guy like those from Ever After, Breakfast at Tiffany's or The Notebook (too perfect and unrealistic).

35. Heathcliff - Wuthering Heights: The guy you idealise and idolise without realising their true character. He used to be my fictional boyfriend when I was a teenager; he connected with me as Emily Bronte was writing exactly how I saw romance at the time. But as I grew older and obviously Emily didn't get to live that long, I realised she didn't have a chance to write about real love and I realised how Heathcliff and Cathy's love is unrealistic. He's like your boyfriend from school and while you now both want different things out of life, you can't let each other go due to your shared history. Never has a love soared so high and sunk so low, in the book and with me.

34. Rochester - Jane Eyre: The older man you want to notice you. It may be one of my favourite books of all time, but Rochester is awful. He's the man you love to hate. The man you wish you could give up, but you can't. You know he loves you for you, but that love is twisted, controlling and manipulative. He won't take no for an answer, lurking around you until you give in. It's only when Jane becomes more powerful than him, that they can be together. At least Charlotte understood love a bit more than her sister. My favourite portrayal is by Orson Welles, though everyone has brought something different to Rochester. Anne Bronte was the Bronte who wrote about love the best.

33. Rhett Butler - Gone With The Wind: The cheeky and confident man every girl loves and every boy wants to be. The book version and not Clark Gable's film version, obviously. He's not as bad in the book, but he's still pretty terrible. His only saving grace is his unconditional love for Scarlett, the way he challenges her, including laughing at her which is great, and how much he believes in her, even if he does reject her at the end, it's clear he still wants her. These types of men exert a magnetic pull all of their own, but it's more lust than love.

Colin Firth's Darrcy

32. Darcy - Pride and Prejudice: The brooding silent type you want to get to know. Best of a bad bunch following Heathcliff and Rochester. I guess it's controversial having him so low down the list as he's many people's ideal fictional romance. His brooding intensity, strong silent presence set the romantic archetype forever more. I wasn't immune, but he's like that guy who's not as great as he thinks he is, despite his money and influence.

31. Peter Pan - J. M. Barrie: The boy who never notices girls. Before I was attracted to boys, I was drawn to Peter Pan by reading the book. I loved his devil-may-care attitude and I never wanted to grow up, just like him, but with him!

30. Robin Hood - The Disney version: The leader of the pack who has a whole gang around him. I think this was one of my first fictional crushes and I think it might have been quite a few people's of my age. How can a cartoon fox be so attractive?! Maid Marian may have been the same for lovers of the fairer sex.

Hawkeye

29. Clint Barton/Hawkeye - The MCU films: The strong and stable type. I had to include a superhero as they are one of my film obsessions right now and I'm seeing the latest Avengers for my birthday. Clint is the most stable of them all and you can tell he's a great father, not just from the big reveal, but by how he treats Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. Plus, Jeremy Renner is an underrated actor.

Oberyn

28. Oberyn Martell/The Viper - Game of Thrones: The coolest guy in school who always seems to have a different girl on his arm. His character in the books is so vibrant, confident and powerful, I was hooked and then when he was played by Pedro Pascal in the TV series, I was gone. He was true to himself, his proclivities and his passion. I wish I could be that uninhibited. However our relationship didn't last long, as he doesn't last long. But it was good while it lasted.

27. Legolas - The Lord of the Rings and Will Turner - The Pirates of the Caribbean films: The archetypal romantic hero. Alright, I had an Orlando Bloom period, but Will is straight out of an Errol Flynn film. He will do anything for love and who doesn't want that? For Legolas, clearly this was the film version and not Tolkien's, so it's all about Orlando Bloom's performance. He may be more interested in his friends than you, but he can turn his hand to anything.

26. Captain Jack Sparrow - The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl: He wants you, he wants you not. Note that this is specifically about the Jack from the first film. I have a weird thing for amoral men, I must do. He would've been higher if Johnny Depp had not gone down in my estimation. He's the love you and leave you type, who'd return to you if he felt like it, but he's never around.

Kili

25. Kili - The Hobbit: The romantic. As there is no romantic subplot with a character that doesn't even exist in the books, this purely comes from Aidan Turner. For a dwarf, he's prone to frivolity, mischief and fun, plus he takes romance seriously. But this romance is doomed.

24. Dickon - The Secret Garden: He will always love something else more than you. After reading the book, Dickon was in my thoughts a lot. He loves animals and even has a medal named after him. My love for Dickon is pure and he will always have a special place in my heart.

Jesse

23. Jesse - Free Willy: The diamond in the rough. The film came out at the right time for me, okay? He may look like he's not worth the trouble, but all he needs is someone to take him under his wing. I still harbour an interest in Jason James Richter; years ago we were MySpace friends and bonded over the band Travis!

22. Laurie - Little Women: The literal boy next door. Always on the list of fictional boyfriends, but he's a slow grower. You won't realise you like him that way until suddenly it seems like you've always loved him. Give it time, there's always the money, playfulness and puppydog loyalty to tide you over in the meantime.

21. Jamie Fraser - Outlander series: Too good to be true, even for a fictional boyfriend. This is why he isn't higher up the list; he's a sensitive principled warrior, an oxymoron in itself, can look after himself and others, but is also tender and gentle. He's another who would do anything for love and family and puts his life on the line way too many times. I have a penchant for a Scottish accent, so Sam Heughan in the TV series is high up on my TV crush list.

Martin

20. Martin Blank - Grosse Pointe Blank: The drifter. The first entry for John Cusack and an assured fictional boyfriend as he's in one of my favourite films. He will frustrate you and turn you on in equal measure with his sarcasm, dark wit and ability to protect you come what may. But you never know whether he's going to stick around or not.

19. Jack Pearson - This Is Us: The ultimate archetype. Jack is too perfect: handsome, strong, funny, capable and loving and no matter how much they try to undo that with his closed-off-ness, perfectionism and stubbornness in later episodes, it's too late, he's the archetype of a father, husband, son and brother.

18. Geordi La Forge - Star Trek: The Next Generation: He will always be there for you. Maybe it's because he wore glasses, maybe because the actor LeVar Burton has the same surname as me or maybe it's because he's a smart, funny and loyal guy who's a great friend to someone different. I fell for Geordi at an impressionable age.

Killian

17. Hook/Killian Jones - Once Upon a Time: The bad boy turned good. The series may be over, but his loyalty saw him through to the end. He could've been so much less attractive, interesting and charismatic if it were not for Colin O'Donoghue, who forced them to make more of his character by the sheer power of his performance. He's a bad boy, selfish and flippant, but love will change him into a caring, mischievous and strong hero.

16. Jon Snow - Game of Thrones: Someone to rely on... He's one of the main characters in the programme and books and Kit Harington is Jon Snow; he makes me feel like a teenager again. I don't think he'd make the greatest of boyfriends as he's highly virtuous, ambitious and prone to getting into trouble, betrayed and even killed, but he'd make a brilliant friend when the relationship inevitably goes sideways.

15. Aladdin - The Disney version: Just give him a chance. The film came out at an impressionable moment. It didn't help that he was based on Michael J. Fox, one of my all-time crushes. He's handsome, sensitive, romantic, cheeky and offers freedom. What more could a girl ask for?

Henry

14. Henry Tilney - Northanger Abbey: You will need to make the first move. My favourite Jane Austen book and my favourite Jane Austen main man. He's a lovely guy, just not someone who would come out and tell you, loving you from afar. You'd catch him looking at you, but he will look away when you see him. He's worth the effort.

13. Spike - Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The antihero. Angel may be Buffy's paramour, but Spike is her truest love, even if it's unrequited. James Marsters wins over David Boreanaz any day. You can't change Spike, but if you spend enough time, he can change for you.

Logan Echolls

12. Logan Echolls - Veronica Mars: He will change for you. I'm team Logan all the way (Piz is soft) and he wins Veronica in the books and film. Jason Dohring was so good at being bad, they upped his part. But he isn't bad, he's misunderstood and acting out. He just needs someone to believe in him. Logan is the rare thing: a man you can change through sheer persistence.

11. Benny - Benny and Joon: You will make a good team. For those of you who haven't yet seen this film, you have to. Seriously. It's one of Johnny Depp's best performances. He's your equal in all things, a true partner, someone to consult about anything and you could live the rest of your life with.

Dean

10. Dean Winchester - Supernatural: He'd be your everything and you'd be everything to him. I know I should love Sam more as he's the intelligent one who reads books, is a good researcher and a sensitive soul; he'd make a great librarian. But it's Dean who I find the most attractive; you know he'd look after you, defend you and give great hugs, as well as be a fantastic father. If he has the time between hunting monsters and saving the world. It helps that Jensen Ackles, in fact the whole cast, are awesome people.

Jess

9. Jess Mariano - Gilmore Girls: A walking contradiction. I'm team Jess all the way: Dean is an idiot and Logan turns Rory into someone she's not. Jess loves books! He's a bit of a bad boy. He's a sensitive soul. He's so considerate, caring and compassionate. Milo Ventimiglia is easy on the eye. If only he could get his act together and stop wasting his talent. He makes you bite your lip when you see him and you know you shouldn't get involved, but you can't help yourself.

8. Lloyd Dobler - Say Anything: The friend who becomes something more. Okay, I have a small John Cusack preoccupation. However he plays toasted marshmallows so well: crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. He's the ideal boyfriend, your childhood sweetheart, your first love and only love, someone you could grow old with.

Benton and Dief

7. Benton Fraser - Due South: Too good for this world. He's the ideal man in many ways. He looks handsome in his mountie uniform, but when he puts on a leather jacket... Benton is so much more than man candy though. I love his intelligence, his kindness and his polite nature, but adore his innocence. Paul Gross gives him an edge.

Ten

6. The Tenth Doctor - Doctor Who: The stalwart presence. David Tennant is my Doctor. When you spend so much time with someone, even if they change on you, they will always be a big part of your life.

5. Beast - Disney's Beauty and the Beast: The one who will always put you before himself. He gave her a library!

4. Marty McFly - Back to the Future: The one who knows who he is. I had a huge crush on Michael J. Fox for a time, entirely based on this film. Now I just admire and respect him hugely. The love has developed. What I adore about him the most is the fact he is entirely his own person, accepts himself and his flaws and is unashamedly himself.

Westley

3. Westley/The Dread Pirates Roberts/The Man in Black - The Princess Bride: The fantasy. He is the same witty, sarcastic, confident, assured and prepared man all the way through the book and the film. You know he can put his hand to anything. He is intelligent, strong, skilful, learned and romantic. The book is wonderful, the film is peerless and Cary Elwes interpretation will always be my fictional boyfriend. Yet, I haven't put him at the top...

Michael Vartan

2. Michael Vaughn/SPOILER André Micheaux - Alias: The paramour. Michael Vartan's love interest is almost perfect, but he should have waited! He was always going to be on this list as he's in my favourite TV series of all time. However his courage, determination and ability to lapse into French at any time helped. Plus, he's supportive but gives you your freedom. He's romantic, but not in a soppy way. He's intelligent, loyal and couldn't do more for you. He's like the boy next door, who's your first unrequited love and you discover each other again later in life...

1. Gilbert Blythe - Anne of Green Gables series: The perfect fictional boyfriend. Gilbert develops from a idiotic boy into an incredible man, boyfriend and SPOILER husband, while never being perfect himself. You can grow up and grow old together, never growing apart. The fictional boyfriend that lasts the test of time.

Gilbert Blythe (Jonathan Crombie)

Music therapy

I have brought music back into my life. I realised how little music I listen to, just as part of film and TV soundtracks and on long car journeys: the only time I listen to the radio. It was a big part of one of my old jobs and it was crucial there; working at a police station can be extremely stressful. We listened to the radio, all day every day. I have a playlist full of music from that time and after the annual Cambridge Librarians conference I created a new one, which you can see on Spotify.

It's one of the three new year resolutions I made; I know, I don't usually make them, but I find myself at a transition point in my life mentally and I needed to make some changes: music via some cordless headphones, health and fitness (the first part being out of my hands and in the doctors') and writing my book, which is going slowly. However this is helping as music is a big part of my book. I toyed with the idea of at the beginning of each chapter naming a song as a thematic device, but that became too unwieldy. So, using Scott Pilgrim as inspiration; the author listed the songs he listened to when he was writing the book at the end; I have created a playlist for the book, which I will put on Spotify if it gets published.

Scott Pilgrim

Music helps me emotionally, so I don't know how I've done without it for so long. However I know why; in-ear headphones affect my balance as it changes the pressure inside my ears. Over-ear headphones are fine, but the cord gets in the way, so I needed cordless headphones. They're the best Christmas present I've had for years as they have changed my life. Listening to music over lunch has improved my mood no end, especially as I've been tipping towards depression. It's been long overdue as it is quite common with anxiety sufferers, but now I have a handle on my anxiety, it has started to manifest. The Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack has been helping. The conference was too much for 70s and 80s music to combat though. Big social occasions overwhelm me, on three fronts: mentally, physically and both together. The social anxiety of having to mingle and make conversations, alongside crowds of people putting me literally off balance due to my vestibular condition and all the noise, commotion and activity affecting my high sensitivity. So, just like with the Christmas party, mentioned in my Quiet book review post, I was grateful to have a job to focus on; because my workplace was hosting it, I helped make sure our library looked the best it could be, creating posters and plasma screen slides beforehand and displays on the day. When I felt overwhelmed, I had the excuse to pop back and check on things, plus my natural conscientiousness drove me to do that anyway! There, I could deal with fewer groups of people, showing them round. However, unlike the party, I had to focus and listen and take things in. I had to engage my brain, so I really had to manage my issues which was doubly exhausting.

After the conference, I had adrenalin overload, a consequence of the anxiety. I did pop my head in the pub afterwards, but when I cringed every time I said anything, imagining social fauxpas, I knew I had to go home. I was right, as it kicked in when I got in the door. So I had to slow things down. If I don't do anything, it could trigger a panic attack and the subsequent adrenalin comedown, both aren't pretty and make me feel awful. So keen to avoid that, I went home and listened to my wind down playlist as I call it. The One Show and Death in Paradise, cosy, good-hearted and mildly challenging TV helped too. There are few Cafe Del Mar type pieces of music as my chillout tunes need words and lyrics, otherwise I can't connect with it. Let me know your own wind down music. Books are the ultimate way to wind down for me though.

I won't include the full list of songs here as you can see, and hear, it on Spotify; I've called the playlist wind down obviously. Instead, here is some of the reasoning behind my song picks: blur as Damon Albarn's just-got-out-of-bed voice is soothing and has real meaning behind it, not the youthful exuberance of their earlier songs, excepting The Universal, but those from Think Tank; Travis, my favourite band would always make an appearance, their mellower later tracks are beautiful and Fran's lyrics and melodies speak to me like nothing else; Leftfield as I'm always lulled by their tunes; The Levellers' Elation is a song that sends me to another place; Moondance is one of my favourites of all-time and the version from the film August Rush reminds me of a great moment; Shakespear's Sister is a real nostalgia trip and Stay takes me back in time to listening to the radio on my way home from swimming, all sleepy and relaxed; Sit Down by James has some of my favourite lyrics which make me feel like I'm not alone; Vangelis is one of the best film composers and his music is so out of this world I'm not me anymore; there are songs that bring back memories from great films and TV like Disney which would always make it to any of my playlists, the dreamy The Life Aquatic, seductive performances in The Bronze on Buffy, the excellent Veronica Mars soundtrack and music from my favourite TV series Alias; Elbow's Mirrorball can send me to sleep in the best way; Into Dust by Mazzy Star is trance-like; some songs are self-explanatory just from their titles such as Moby's Down Slow, Will Young's Let It Go  and Simon and Garfunkel's The Sound of Silence, one of my favourite songs ever; some artists are just perfect for winding down to such as The Lighthouse Family's smooth tones; and finally Gotta Get Thru This was the soundtrack to my first panic attack-ridden months and was one of the things that literally got me through. I will be forever grateful to Daniel Bedingfield for bringing that song out when he did, so the acoustic version is my go-to to wind me down when nothing else will work.

There are songs I wanted to include, but were either too emotive like Sarah McLachlan, come from films or TV programmes that had too big an impact on me or were songs that remind me of a part of my life that isn't conducive to relaxation. The exception that proves the rule is the Star Trek: Voyager theme as it reminds me of early evenings when I was a kid, warm and snuggly after I'd had my bath. I hope you find some of these helpful, they mostly have a slow rhythm that mimics a relaxed heartbeat and none of them are melancholy, but hopeful and neutral.

Bonus: Here's a Travis song not on Spotify, a lovely Viennese Waltz style song all about me!

Cognitive recalibration: A superhero you can believe in

I believe in superheroes! I can finally say it. I love superhero films and have watched almost all of them, even Mystery Men and the less said about that film the better. However I have never had that suspension of disbelief where I truly believed in the performance, except for maybe Christopher Reeve in Superman, but I was a kid then so it doesn’t count, especially as I was a kid with an overactive imagination. That's all I'm saying about the Superman incarnations by the way and I'm not going to even mention Fantastic Four, though Chris Evans was the only good thing in it.

Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man

That is until now. Tom Holland in Spider-Man: Homecoming... I don't know, it was like he was born to play the part. His dancing background playing Billy Elliot on the stage, which means he can sing as well as dance and act, making him a triple threat, certainly helps. His part in The Impossible was challenging to say the least and his is the character that stays with you long after the film is finished, such is the strength of his performance, not Naomi Watts, not Ewan McGregor and not even the tsunami. That performance was so realistic and he's done the same with Peter Parker, he simply is him. He makes you truly believe in him, not only as the teenage superhero, finally a real looking and acting teenager, but that it could be possible he could do those amazing feats. You didn't have just a montage of him figuring out his powers, the entire film covered that. He didn't have it all figured out and do everything right, in fact he pretty much screwed up the entire film too. He was a dork but a standard dork and not in a cutesy slapstick way. He was smart but not prenaturally intelligent. He was flawed in a very human sense, not a superhuman. What I'm trying to say is, he was wholly relatable, not a mass of characteristics, which made the film the most enjoyable out of all the superhero films. It helped that it was so playful, playing with the superhero tropes, with the comic references and a few in-jokes. Also, the villain had a proper arc and you understand why he became the super villain, not just for revenge or because he is simply evil.

Now, I can hear you say, what about Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield? Fine actors to be sure, but they were too old certainly (adults playing teenagers, it's never believable, just look at Grease), too sure of themselves (Spider-Man is constantly trying to find himself, he is a teenager after all) and too cool to truly play the part; as much as they tried to be geeks and Andrew Garfield particularly got the awkward dorkiness, they never overcame their inner coolness.

The MCU

Now, you’re interjecting with other superheroes. So here’s a rundown of the best; The Incredibles wins it hands down, but cannot be included as it's a cartoon. I love all these performances by the way, but they never make me believe in them as a superhero and I have a very vivid imagination! NB: I'm classing a superhero as someone who has super powers, rather than someone with a load of gadgets and is highly trained, like Danger Mouse. Batman for example being the exception that proves the rule of course.

Wonder Woman, I had to start with her and I hope she's the first of many and because she's the first, she's the superheroine who will spawn better films, but Gal Gadot being both beautiful and powerful; she trained in the Israeli military; she looked the part, but never quite got beyond the surface acting-wise, they just plonked her in situations and set-pieces and let them do the talking.

Hugh Jackman made Wolverine his own, which is amazing and he's by far the best thing about any of the X-Men films, but he isn’t Wolverine as he can't quite portray his berserker rage among other things.

Avengers gif.

Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth certainly look like Captain America and Thor and are great actors, but that’s it. They are icons, idols, figureheads, they represent abstract concepts so you never see the person underneath, but we may do in future films.

Tom Hiddleston embodies Loki and relishes the part, but you can see his joy underneath which is wonderful, but all too knowing.

Mark Ruffalo makes for an interesting Bruce Banner/Hulk and I’d love to see him in a standalone film, but the casting is too leftfield, which I adore, to be convincing.

Patrick Stewart was inspired casting for Professor X; he has the looks obviously, but also the gravitas, sly humour and air of authority. however he’s an actor’s actor, you can see his process. Same goes for Ian McKellen as Magneto.

Guardians of the Galaxy, what can I say. The most fun of the superhero movies as they accept their super powers completely, wholeheartedly enjoy them and in the case of Peter, SPOILER lets them go with a shrug. They don't hide their comic book credentials, they wear them with pride!

And finally the exceptions:

Tony Stark/Iron Man is Robert Downey Jr., not the other way round. Period.

Batman. No one has ever quite played Bruce Wayne and Batman and made both parts cohere; they were better at either one or the other, or average at both, sorry Adam West. Though Will Arnett as Lego Batman comes close!

LEGO Batman

Paul Rudd is perfect for Ant-Man, but that part was never going to be credible, especially as they’ve skewed it to comedy.

Honourable mentions go to:

Jessica Jones

Chronicle, which I haven't seen yet but looks brilliantly different, Black Panther which looking at the trailer is going to be amazing, Doctor Strange who Cumberbatch plays as an amalgam of Sherlock and Khan, the Disney (not Marvel Disney) movie Sky High, the deconstruction of the superhero movie Unbreakable, the "I don't give a damn" superhero movies Deadpool and Hancock, and the TV superheroes: Buffy the Vampire Slayer a superhero in all but name; all of the Misfits, if you've never seen it, watch it, it's... indescribable, incredibly raw and inconceivably crude; Heroes (the first season for Hiro, Sylar, Peter Petrelli, Claire and Isaac and Heroes Reborn which is something in itself); the inhumans in Agents of SHIELD, but the humans are better characters; Jessica Jones, the fantastic Krysten Ritter from Veronica Mars ably supported by David Tennant who you will never see in the same way again; Mike Colter in Luke Cage who could have been transported off the page, but hasn't got the acting range; Charlie Cox in Daredevil who erases that much maligned film from your mind; can't wait for The Defenders, which combines all three, plus *mutter* The Iron Fist; Dan Stevens in Legion, a bizarre series you just have to watch as it has to be seen to be believed; Stephen Amell in Arrow who is a great role model; another too cool geek Grant Gustin in The Flash; Melissa Benoist in Supergirl who is adorkable; all of The Legends of Tomorrow but especially Wentworth Miller; and The Tick, both cartoon and live action. I love you all and despite the extra time you have to play your superheroes, there's something about watching you every week in my living room which makes it too intimate; you can see everything they're thinking and feeling, making you believe in them less over time conversely rather than more, but by then, they're already in your heart.

Marvel's The Defenders

Or is it just me?

P. S. Bonus points for anyone who gets the reference in the title.

How to and how not to do your librarianship degree

I have recently finished my MSc in librarianship, distance learning from Aberystwyth while working full-time. I tried to do it as quickly as possible, completing it in just more than two years. I did it the hard way, I always do things the hard way. I wouldn't recommend it as it damn near caused a nervous breakdown!

It occurred to me that I have a few other bits of advice to impart, some serious and some not so serious. For those of you contemplating doing a librarianship degree, distance learning whether from Aberystwyth or otherwise, this blog post may prove useful. For those of you currently doing your degree, I have broken it down into general MSc advice, as well as specific dissertation advice. And for those of you who have like me finished, you may chuckle in recognition. For everyone else, there's some pretty pictures of Aberystwyth.

My dissertation was on ebooks, looking at the attitudes of publishers, suppliers, faculty and librarians (the main influencers of the success of ebooks in academic libraries) rather than users; the University of Cambridge became a sort of case study. For those of you interested, here is my dissertation. It got a decent enough grade, but maybe reached too far and tried to encompass too much:
https://www.academia.edu/6393946/_Books_are_no_more_threatened_by_Kindle_than_stairs_by_elevators._The_impact_of_ebooks_on_printed_book_collections_in_University_of_Cambridge_libraries_Attitudes_of_librarians_faculty_and_suppliers

The statue on the hill

How not to do your MSc in librarianship

Here are my recommendations on what to do and what not to do while studying for your MSc/MA in librarianship. I did mine at Aberystwyth distance learning while working full-time. But I believe the lessons I learned are attributable to at least all distance learning courses, let alone beyond. These are hard-earned lessons through bitter experience.

DO NOT:

...spend time off. Work steadily and regularly.

...forget the people you met at study school. Regardless of how quickly they or you get through the course, they will be your benchmark, virtual friends and the people who understand what you are going through the most. If you don't meet these people at study school, or go to study school, find them in your local librarian community who have done/are doing the course. Cambridge is great for that. I won't list those that helped me, but they know who they are. I occasionally met up with another Cambridge librarian to talk about where we were at, rant about annoyances and generally catch up. Just knowing someone else is going through the same things as you is comforting and encouraging. It also helps with the distance side, not having lessons or lectures, no socialising with classmates and not having someone to talk to on a daily basis.

Me with the friends I made at the first study school

...on that note, avoid contacting the course leaders if you have any questions, no matter how small, via email or on the forums. Do use the forums and keep in touch virtually (social media is particularly useful. Facebook or Twitter via the #aberils hashtag) with classmates and other librarians, they are your most useful resource, not the electronic articles, textbooks and course packs.

...be scared of the blank page. It is a genuine phobia by the way: vacansopapurosophobia. Write something, anything. Once you start, you'll find it gets easier and better the more you write. You can always edit afterwards. There is no such thing as the perfect assignment, the perfect essay.

...stay at Pantycelyn, if you go to Aber. You will not get any sleep. The food is worse. The sleeping quarters are atrocious. The ablution facilities are bad bordering on dangerous. Trefloyne was the best place I stayed. But I also booked a lovely little hotel on the seafront for the last study school. However you'll need a car or try and catch the bus as the route to the library studies campus is up a steep hill.

...try to do it in 2 years unless you don't plan on having a life, enjoy hard work and have unshakeable determination.

...take on too much such as trying to solve long-standing mental problems, learning to drive and passing your test (5th time), while also trying to have a family life, going on holidays and holding down a full-time job.

...expect too much of yourself. You will run yourself ragged with the combined stress of family, work and study.

Castle hill

...make a mountain out of a molehill. Tackle the molehills, not the mountain.


DO:

...choose the right course for you. I don't know about Robert Gordon in Scotland, but with Northumbria you have to do it in 2 years and Aber you can do it in 2-5 years, which allows for much more flexibility. There are also part-time and full-time courses, of course.

...set yourself deadlines. Yes, there are marking deadlines, but they are almost impossible to stick to, particularly if you're a perfectionist like me. The only one that matters is the dissertation deadline, otherwise with all the hoops it has to jump through, you have to wait months for your mark to come back. You will set off with the best of intentions, especially after the study schools: to be the best you can be. But I can guarantee by the end of it, you will be saying "that will do."

Babe "That'll do, pig"

...heed the universe. If you keep coming up against barriers, frequently get writer's block or everything seems against you, the universe is trying to tell you something. Put it this way, if traffic lights keep changing to red just before you get to them, the universe is telling you to SLOW DOWN.

...expect to put on weight. I haven't ever weighed so much without medical intervention. This will happen specifically when you are writing the dissertation. It's from comfort eating, convenience foods and lack of sleep/stress.

...have a good work-life-studies balance. Get into a routine if possible. If you can't, do little and often. It's about regular work. Go with the flow. Whatever works.

Aberystwyth sunset

...remember life will always get in the way. Distance learning is tough as it encroaches on all areas of your life at all times, if you let it. It's not like a job which you can usually leave at your workplace; it comes home with you.

...realise procrastination is the enemy. Self-motivation is key and the hardest part about distance-learning especially. You will find any excuse not to work. There will always be one more chapter to read, one more episode to watch, one more chore to do. Do not give in.

The bluebell walk trip during the April study school

...take advantage of the opportunities offered at study school, such as the National Library visit and the bluebell wood walk in Aberystwyth.

...use Dropbox. It's invaluable. You can work wherever you are. All you need is an internet connection. You will always have an up-to-date version of your work. It will allow you to take advantage of any moment you have, any inspiration and any motivation. That said, make sure you keep a back-up as well.

Backup from Veronica Mars

 ...use Zotero. You can keep all your references and bibliography in one place. You can create folders to separate them according to each assignment or module. One click is all it takes in your internet browser (Firefox and Chrome at least) to save something. There is also a Word add-in so you can instantly add citations to your assignment and create a bibliography, using your chosen citation style. I always used APA. You will never lose a reference and you will never have to manually create a bibliography again.

...have good, supportive people around you, be they workmates, friends or family. They will act as cheerleaders, there to crack the whip and preferably to do the cooking, cleaning, washing etc. I didn't until my dissertation as me and my brother who I live with share all the chores, but you might be luckier. It means if you're on a roll, you can stay on a roll. Even in the depths of my dissertation I had to take time out to cook, clean and grocery shop as it was my turn.

...allow for downtime. Do something away from work, family and studies. I took refuge in books (paradoxically studying will reignite your love of reading, at least reading literature) and TV, as well as the aforementioned learning to drive and trying to solve my mental problems. For me it was particularly Glee, Once Upon a Time and How I Met Your Mother for the TV programmes, Anne of Green Gables, Jasper Fforde and Cornelia Funke for the books. Without downtime, you'll go mad. A special mention to Gilmore Girls who saved me after I finished.

The balloon I purloined from the 25th anniversary dinner

...have fun with it! Do things your own way. Do the modules that interest you as well as the ones that will further your career.

...lastly and simply, get enough sleep!

How not to do your dissertation

Here are my recommendations on what to do and what not to do while writing your dissertation for the librarianship MSc/MA.

DO NOT:

...do every kind of research under the sun: interviews, surveys, the literature review, statistical analysis. It takes a long time to create, arrange, do, analyse and write up everything.

Beautiful Aberystwyth

...try to finish it under a strict deadline. More so than any other of your assignments, you will find dissertation time frames are unreliable, intangible and ephemeral.

...take a week off to try and write the bulk of the dissertation, in a heat wave, in England, in the summer. As you know, that almost never happens. So your dedication to your work will flutter away into the sunshine.

...ignore a wrist problem. All that writing, typing and mouse work will have their toll on your poor old wrist. It will only get worse, so let it have a break. If you must continue, get appropriate wrist support.

From the funicular railway

...accidentally ignore your supervisor's advice, creating a hybrid structure of the social science and thematic model. They are there to advise you. They know what the markers are looking for, so you must do as they say, or argue your point with them and in your dissertation.

...get sick at the wrong time, just as you are on the final stint of your dissertation. Not only is it extremely inconvenient, it saps your strength, energy and motivation.

...falter at the last hurdle, thinking "yes! It's almost over". It ain't over until it's over.

...write down all the things you want to do afterwards, so you will have a list when you've finished. It only adds pressure and makes things harder, looking at all the much more fun and entertaining and useful things you could be doing. Your librarianship MA/MSc is useful and sometimes fun too.

DO:

...think about your dissertation right from the very beginning of your course. You can be gathering research as you go, thinking about the topic and how you will go about it. And yes, you do need to have at least a shortlist of topics before the dissertation study school and ideas about the research methods you could use.

...get as few people involved in your dissertation as possible, only who you need. It just adds unnecessary pressure.

...print off and proofread your dissertation in paper format. My dissertation went through 3 people before I printed it off. By reading it in print rather than on screen, I found a few typos, incidences of repetition and mistakes and then my proofreaders found far more. One of the markers still found a minor mistake, despite it having gone through 7 people other than me!

Camera obscura image of Aberystwyth

...ask someone who is not a librarian and knows nothing about your subject to do the proofreading. My parents were brilliant at finding grammar and punctuation errors, parts that needed more explaining and consistency mistakes.

...choose a topic you're interested in, know something about already and won't send you doolally after months of work. You want to be sane by the end!

...plan something for when you finish, don't just go on holiday. You will go from being really ridiculously active to nothing otherwise. There will be a crash, I guarantee it, so if you have a project to do, TV series to watch or anything really, it will mitigate the effects.

So that's my advice. Do with it what you will. If you want more advice, the excellent Library Wanderer has written more articulately on the same subject. N.B We both came up with the Babe reference separately. Good luck!

Thing 10 – Everything is open, nothing is set in stone

Everything is happening for me at the moment; I have a full-time job as an Information and Library Assistant at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, a job I've managed to keep for about two and a half years now, I’m learning to drive at last after years of putting it off and I’m about to start a distance-learning MSc in Information and Library Studies in September at Aberystwyth University. It has all fallen into place all of a sudden after coasting through life with nary a thought of the future. I thought I had all the time in the world, just "with the cares of the world" right in front of me instead of far behind. My boss finally encouraged me enough to give me the confidence to apply for the MSc and it has all happened so quickly. In researching where to do the course, I settled on Aberystwyth as it seemed to me to be the best, had a great set-up and many Cambridge librarians have gone there. It just so happens by complete coincidence that our summer holiday, which was booked over a year ago, was a mere 18 miles from where we were staying. I didn’t realise until afterwards! So I organised a visit, spent a long morning there getting my own private open day basically and I now feel a lot happier about the whole thing. I also fell in l
ove with Aberystwyth. But how did I get here? How come I'm studying again? How did I become a library assistant?

The short answer is I don’t know. But in trying to rationalise it, I will go through in chronological order, bear with me as it’ll all make sense in the end, it did to me anyway. I do tend to live in my own little world most of the time; for those of you interested it's like the world on the other side of the mirror in the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus where I can stumble upon anyone from people out of my past to fictional characters such as Sydney Bristow from Alias: dream-like, surreal, dark, technicolour and magical. I left full-time education five years ago, wow has it been five years? I graduated from Anglia Ruskin University with a BA in English; I adore reading, literature and books so it was the natural choice, plus it was my best subject. One of my teachers said I was like Matilda: long dark hair, painfully shy and always had my head in a book, yet hopefully with the same intelligence, imagination and spirit. I may have done English, but I also picked and chose modules in drama, film studies and creative writing, whatever interested me. I always tried to choose the juiciest fruit from the tree of knowledge and even those seemingly out of my reach. I fell off branches a few times trying to do just that, but least I tried; the bruises always fade and never leave lasting damage. I am a writer at heart and on top of everything e
lse I’m going to start writing the novel I have had in my head for many years now. I may have left it too late and it may be too much to take on alongside everything else, but committing yourself to something for a few years makes you realise all the things you have not yet done. My time management has never been the best and I'm an all or nothing type of person, so at the moment it's "all" but I've had months and months of "nothing"ness.

After leaving university, I didn’t have a clue what to do; I had vague ideas of journalism, publishing and even MI5! I blame Spooks. So I went to a temp agency and got a very interesting administrative job at the police station, contracted initially for a month as a data entry processor, but I progressed into various and diverse tasks for a few different departments, and finally lasted seven months as I proved too good to let go, that’s literally what they said. As proof, they couldn’t afford to keep me on any longer in that role, but they offered me another so they didn’t lose me. I got a lot of experience: work experience and life experience; if you want your eyes opened, work in a police station; but I couldn’t take the tension any longer. I’m surprised I lasted as long as I did without having a nervous breakdown. So I had to leave. Directly afterwards, I finished working for Heffers in their classical music shop, my first proper job and one I had for seven years. I still miss it.

I then applied for a job off my own back as a content editor for an online reservations company. We had a great team of people, which is what it was all about for me. From doing that job I discovered Watchmen, Veronica Mars, Freaks and Geeks, furthered my love of anime and made a fantastic group of friends. Thanks guys. I can’t remember if I left there or if I was let go, either way it was due to restructuring. I went briefly back to temp work, but quit because I got another job as maternity cover, after a long interviewing process; the final meeting was a presentation about the functional food industry. I was a research assistant for an offshoot of a development agency. I hated the job, not the actual work, just the place. So to rescue my sanity I left; it was either me or them and let's face it, it was not going to be them. I went after I was due to leave I might add because of the person I was covering's procrastination, which didn’t help things. A few more interviews came and went and then I saw the advert in the paper for my current post. I had always wanted to work for Cambridge University, an institution I have great admiration for and pride in; I'm Cambridge born and bred. That may be the reason why it jumped out at me, seemed to fit, made sense; I don’t know how to describe it except something clicked inside my head. I didn’t have the insight to analyse it further, but I applied for the job more in hope than anything and to my great surprise, I got it.

There does seem to have been some overarching master plan to my career progression so far, just not of my own making. All those previous jobs have been unconsciously preparing me for what I do now. Heffers gave me extensive customer service experience, cataloguing skills and till work. The administrative job is obvious: data entry, office experience, acquisitions, filing, word processing, the list is endless. Working with such a great team of people, the relationships I’ve developed and liaising with the different departments in the police station, civilians and police officers alike, have proved essential to what I do now. Working in a police station isn't actually that different to the world of academia, there are similarities between police officers and faculty; the former needs things urgently the latter wants things urgently... The content editing job is less obvious, but I learnt professional creative writing, web-based publishing, proofreading, accuracy, attention to detail, I even did some editing in foreign languages. I also got to go to the headquarters in Amsterdam which was brilliant. The research job, well, working in a business school requires excellent research skills and that job interview where I had to do the presentation is similar to what our students go through now. I was literally doing what our students do for their projects, coursework and so on. It was also my first experience of databases, introduction to the business world and I was basically paid to search the internet and read newspapers! I also got to play It’s a Knockout on one of the company away days, but that’s a whole other subject.

I have never hidden my love of libraries, I have always felt instantly at home in them, surrounded by books and knowledge; it's simply where I belong. So in reading this, you will now know I have never worked in a library before, apart from a brief stint at school, but I’ve been working towards librarianship without even knowing!

My story is actually pretty similar to Lottie Smith; here is her post via Adventures of a Librarian.