Meghan Kowalski
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  • Resume
  • Presentations & Publications
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Tuesday Tips: Know When to Stop

1/31/2023

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It can be hard to know when to stop something. When is enough research enough?

Usually, we say it's enough when you keep reading and finding the same things over and over again. When nothing new comes up, that is usually a sign to stop your research or change tactics. What that looks like changes depending on what you are researching.


This is my not so subtle way of saying that knowing when to stop applies to other things as well. I've been debating sunsetting this series for awhile. While there are endless librarian tricks to share, I think there are better ways to do that. I've decided to end the Tuesday Tips series. I'm not sure if that means taking a break and revamping it, or ending it for good. 

If you ever need research support, I am still happy to provide my expertise.

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Something I Noticed

1/30/2023

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The week between Christmas and New Years is a dead zone. As a parent, it's a dead zone with no childcare. I'm fortunate that my university gives us that week off. I don't need to use leave or find childcare coverage. I do, however, need to find ways to entertain a three-year-old for several days which is easier said than done.

One of the moms in our daycare class put together a loose schedule of playdates. Essentially, she said "I'm going to be at this place with my kid at this time. Join us if you want." Since our kiddo loves her friends, we went to a few of the meet ups.

Two of the playdates were at branches of the DC public library system. While our kiddos played, we moms chatted. I noticed that a lot of people were taking advantage of the library to entertain their children. And, by people, I mean moms and grandmas. They were reading books to the kids, helping them with toys, or walking them through the space. Every child was accompanied by a mom or a grandma. There was not a father or a grandfather or any other male caretaker in sight.

This was not at all a surprise. The vast majority of childcare is provided by women. When schools and daycares are closed, the gap in coverage is usually covered by a mom using leave, female relative, or other female caretaker. They are left with the burden (and expense) of how to fill the time with the children.

The massive imbalance of caretaking by gender is not something I am going to diatribe on. Well - not today. While, in the moment, I was grumpy about the visual reminder of the societal burdens of caretaking placed on women, I was also heartened. The library was here to help. 

Filling a full day with kid-friendly activities is hard. Filling a week is even harder. The library made the burden a little less by providing not only a safe space, but also age appropriate things to do. There are story times and activity packs, play spaces and rooms to explore which are designed specifically for children. Librarians are on hand to help with book recommendations or direct activities. And it's free. The library closed the care gap by making it just a little easier for moms and other caretakers to get through a long day. And, it does so without adding any financial burden. 

I've always love libraries. It's why I became a librarian. But I've never before seen them as an oasis of support until I became a parent. They make my life easier and the keep my kiddo happy. I couldn't ask for anything more.

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Now On My TBR

1/30/2023

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I've been slow to add books to my TBR list lately. Nothing has jumped out, but these two coffee table-esque titles did.
Y​ou can see my complete TBR list on Pinterest.
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*Items featured here are Bookshop.org affiliate links.
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The Weekly Wrap: January 29, 2023

1/29/2023

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We're having a milder winter, but my body doesn't seem to know that. 

Most days, while working, I am freezing. I'll be wearing long pants, a cozy sweater or top, and full coverage shoes or slippers. I still fill chilly. So, I toss on a lap blanket. Still cold. On goes the space heater or up goes the heat. Still cold. So, I throw a coat or extra sweater on top of everything. Only then am I mildly warm. 

If there is  a sun beam available, I will do everything in my power to station myself in it. I'm a cat who moves with the day. It's a good thing I've got office chairs on wheels.

In the evenings, I wear my warmest PJs and practically burrow into a pile of blankets on the couch. I toss my hoodie over my head and hunker down to try to reduce the amount of exposed skin. It's not until right before bed that I feel warm enough to peel off a layer.

My body seems unable to produce and trap body heat. I've been known to cuddle my husband with the sole purpose of stealing his. (He is not a fan of my extremities in the winter because they are ice blocks. Oftentimes, I get swatted away.)

I'm counting down the days until warmer temperatures arrive. Tell me I'm not the only one who seems to be cold blooded.

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  • How to schedule your emails. [WaPo - gift link]
  • Terminology matters. [CNN]
  • The defensive recession mindset. [Culture Study]
  • How to apologize better. [NPR]
  • Kids sleep overs can be good. I loved all the ones I went to. [The Atlantic - may be paywalled]
  • A generational meme. [The Atlantic - may be paywalled]
  • "A wealth of research has shown that masculinity is among the most fragile of identities..." [HBR - may be paywalled]
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  • So quiet you can hear a pin drop... and your heart beat. [The Daily]
  • I love octopuses. [Terrestrials]
  • We need to raise taxes. [The Daily]
  • How easily we're persuaded. [Hidden Brain]
  • Long looooong distance running and its meaning for South Africa. [99% Invisible]
  • This look at Empress Anna's ice palace has wonderfully immersive sound editing. [Atlas Obscura]
  • The power of Pemberley. [Hot and Bothered]
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  • I'm not sure if Gamer was weird, stupid, disturbing, or all three. Gerard Butler stars in this thriller about a con who serves as an avatar in a live, first-person shooter video game. He's controlled by a player and, if he survives 30 rounds, earns his freedom. The filming was very art house style and came across as almost manic. I'm still debating what I think about this one. There were attempts to tell allegories but it's all very overwrought. [Amazon Prime]
  • We finally got around to watching Top Gun: Maverick and I can't believe I waited so long. It was the most enjoyment I've felt watching a movie in years! On its own, the script is lackluster and full of trite one liners. But that doesn't matter. There are layers to the acting, shockingly powerful performances (with phenomenal casting - still can't get over Rooster), and thrilling action scenes. This film is entirely fan service and all the better for it. I think it works even better than the first film but that is only because the original existed. This is likely to be one film I rewatch all the time. And, you know what, I think it deserves its Oscar nod. [Amazon Prime]
  • A delightful collection of shorts where a romance novel author argues with her heroine. If you read romance, this will have you cackling. [Jill Bearup - reader submission]
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  • We made grilled portobello, bell pepper, and goat cheese sandwiches for the first time in a looooong while. They were a touch goat cheese forward because we forgot to take the the log out of the fridge to soften. That lead to more mushing the cheese on than spreading. I've also learned, through trial and error, that it's easier to make the sandwiches if you quarter and flatten the pepper as opposed to cutting strips or doing full halves. [Cooking Light]
  • Made a new recipe this week - southwest skillet ragu. It was kind of like a spicier twist on Hamburger Helper. I accidentally bought ground chicken instead of ground beef but it still was tasty. Not as meaty feeling, but tasty nonetheless. Definitely recommend using a larger pan than you think you need. I almost ran out of space. [The Kitchn]
  • For my lunch meal prep, I tossed together this Lebanese lemon-parsley bean salad. It was so hearty that I forewent the pita on the side. Next time, I am going to double the amount of cucumber. I wanted more of that pop of freshness in the mix. [Cookie + Kate]
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Just Good Things #70

1/27/2023

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Our kiddo's daycare is closed today. Right now, I am forever grateful that she loves watching Daniel Tiger. This is a rare day with no screen time limits because it means I can actually get some work done. She's happy, I'm productive. That's what matters.

Here's what was good this week:
  • The husband and I providing running commentary for each other through an awful, low-budget disaster flick
  • Enjoying an afternoon walk alone
  • Top Gun: Maverick
  • My library holds arrived with perfect timing
  • A stash of cookies in our freezer
  • Teaching in person again
  • Clementines
  • Taking the kiddo to an hibachi restaurant for the first time
  • Spending some time with friends

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The Now: January 25, 2023

1/25/2023

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Yesterday, I found out that my proposal to speak at the 2023 CALM conference was accepted. I did a little jig in my cube. The conference is not until June so I have some time to prepare. I'm debating if it's worthwhile to harness some of my excitement to outline my session this week. I probably won't get to it, but I'm at least thinking about it.

Here's what I am working on.
  1. Research Assignment Design: We are [thisclose] to finishing our first pass of joint transcript coding. We should wrap that up in our working session tomorrow. Then we are going to take a break from that coding to analyze and code the syllabi and assignments. Qualitative research is a long slog, but at least we have a lot to work with out of this data set.
  2. Website Updates: I took a break from working on our website because my brain needed it. I'm feeling refreshed and read to tackle this. Today, I put together a survey to gather some "vibe check" data about what people like and don't like about our website. While responses roll in, I'll start working on some of the low-hanging fruit updates like changing our header and updating some links. Then I'm going to tackle updating the nav bar. Once I figure out how to do that, I should be able to roll right through it.
  3. Annual Planning: Last week, the husband and I embarked on a mission to plan out our annual leave for the year. Between our kiddo's daycare closures, work travel, and other happenings, we wanted to get this down on the books early. We finalized our plan and I got approval for all my leave from my boss. That lead to one plane ticket purchase and price tracking on another. It feels real good to have a handle on this so early.

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The Weekly Wrap: January 22, 2023

1/22/2023

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Warning - I'm going to rant about Twitter. 

Now, I mostly like Twitter. Even through the Musk takeover, it's generally been a good tool for me. I've always highly curated my feed thus avoiding the worst of the muck. For me, Twitter is an information awareness tool. I can stay up-to-date on topics and people that matter to me. Since I'm particular about what I see, all of the other shenanigans have mostly passed me by.

This week, Twitter changed the platform's feed layout. I hate it. There are now two feeds - one that is all about the algorithm and another that is for "Following" but seems to miss half the stuff the people I  follow share and comment on.  To get the full picture, I have to toggle between the two feeds. That puts my content at the mercy of algorithm. I HATE IT!

All I want is to see the content created and shared by the people I choose to follow in reverse chronological order. Is that so hard? 

Listen, Twitter, I will give you promoted ads. I'm fine with that. But stop burying what I want to see under a pile of shit I didn't ask for. I know you're trying design things to keep me scrolling, but all you are doing is overwhelming my brain and making me want to run away.

This issue is the same across other social media - namely Instagram and Facebook. However, on those feeds, I still can narrow down to who I choose to see. That now seems impossible on Twitter. 

I'm about to go through my annual purge and clean up of my online accounts and, for the first time, I'm seriously considering jumping ship on an entire platform.

When something becomes so focused on the algorithm that you lose all control, it's time to leave.

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  • Bar soap versus body wash. [Real Simple]
  • It's time to upgrade the pizza box. [The Atlantic - may be paywalled]
  • Stop widening highways. It doesn't work. [NYT - may be paywalled]
  • Ridding the government of actual red tape. [WaPo - gift link]
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  • The power of citizen science. [Short Wave]
  • Can placebos be cures? [Hidden Brain]
  • A delightful interview about lovely ideas. [By The Book]
  • Are we at risk of losing human writing? [The Indicator]
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  • After reading a ranking of Tom Hanks' films, I was in the mood to watch some Tom Hanks. Captain Phillips was available as a free streaming option for us. I've seen the movie before and it's still impressive on rewatch. I find the last 15 minutes to be some of the best acting I've seen out of Hanks - or anyone for that matter. [HBO Max]
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  • Tried my hand at homemade stromboli again. This time, I went vegetarian with mushroom and spinach. The flavor was excellent but the middle of stromboli was a little gummy. The filling was rather wet and I think that prevented the dough from fully cooking. Next time, I'll cook it longer to dry things out. [Skinny Taste]
  • Broke out a slower cooker classic for the holiday Monday: white chicken chili. This one is good as written but I think I will add frozen corn next time. That sweet pop would be an excellent addition. I like to eat this one with tortilla chips. The scoop variety worked great. [Budget Bytes]
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Just Good Things #69

1/20/2023

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We've got some cucumber slices in the fridge that need to be eaten. I'm very much looking forward to breaking out some dip and enjoying them as an afternoon snack in a few minutes.

Here's what else made me happy this week:
  • Took the kiddo ice skating for the first time and she was fearless!
  • Kiddo was also all about staying with her friend. It was adorably endearing to see her so concerned.
  • Squeezing in errands at lunch time
  • My Metro card is now on my phone. So much easier!
  • Drove some new streets and did not freak out. Go me.
  • Loving all the books I've been reading lately
  • Tom Hanks
  • Making a decent mocktail out of peach mixer and lime fizzy water
  • Feeling the good kind of sore after a workout

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What I've Been Reading: January 19, 2023

1/19/2023

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Eleven Hours
Pamela Erens

I started reading this book last night. If it weren't for the fact that I had to get up this morning, I think I would have finished this in one sitting. The narrative is gripping and the structure between view points flows so seamlessly it's hard to break away. I feel like there is only one way this book can end. I hope I'm emotionally prepared for it.
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I polished off The Towering Sky by Katharine McGee. It was a rather predictable way to wrap up the series. One character's story ended up feeling like it didn't need to be in there at all. She played a role in one scene that, frankly, was not all that pivotal.

I also powered my way through two other books. Well Matched by Jen DeLuca and How to Raise a Reader by Pamela Paul and Maria Russo. Well Matched is the third entry in a romance series based around a renaissance faire. They are always delightful reads with rompy stories and characters. How to Raise a Reader is exactly what it sounds like; a book devoted to tips and titles that will help you turn your kid into a booklover.

*Books shared here are affiliate links for Bookshop.org

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The Now: January 18, 2023

1/18/2023

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Earlier this week, the reference librarian team talked with a professor about her class which is focusing on archives. It was a winding conversation that ended with us volunteering to teach a few workshops. (Yeah! I'm doing two. One on preservation and another on personal archiving.) It also reinvigorated my love of why libraries/archives/museums are important and have to continue to speak out about things. We are not neutral! We never were. We need to acknowledge our shortcomings to make things better for the future.

Here's what I'm working on:
  1. Faculty Webinar Series:  I'm hosting the first session in our webinar series on Friday. This semester, we're looking at research as it relates to funding and publication. Friday's session is all about finding funding. I put together my outline today and will create my slides tomorrow. For the series as a whole, I've done some marketing blasts and other logistics like creating a slide template and feedback form. We're using a new registration system this semester and it notifies me when people sign up. It looks like we may get some good attendance this semester. I'm excited!
  2. Website Improvement: Back on this train. Right now, I'm drafting a survey to gather more information about what people like and do not like about our website. I'll collect that data while I'm working on some of the low-hanging fruit fixes our usability testing identified.
  3. Personal Photo Management: Speaking of personal archiving... I have not completed any personal photo management in over 6 months. Right now, I've got all the pictures finally downloaded off my phone. (I had to figure out how to do that on my new laptop.) Next, I'll weed out the images before renaming and filing the keepers. Then I'll make sure everything gets backed up before I share some select pictures in our family's shared album.

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