Indexing: DONE

Indexing is finally over! 

On my fourth to the last day, I continued indexing the rest of the articles together with their subject headings already and added the subject headings from those articles I indexed already. Honestly I skimmed the article and see what subject headings I can provide. Sometimes the subject headings seem repetitive but then sky's the limit.

After which I encoded the articles in the IPN (Index to Philippine Newspapers) which is basically the same process as with the IPB but the interface is different.

I will miss indexing though because I felt so relaxed here and I don’t get to do much besides read an article, think about the subject heading, write the necessary information it in a 3 by 5 paper, search the appropriate subject heading, encode it and repeat the process. Also I like indexing because in the indexing section is the only place I could smell newly cooked rice from their rice cooker, it makes me hungry yes but it reminds me of home. (Weird huh?)

Surprisingly, indexing could be put into one sentence when describing the work: 

the endless clicking of the mouse and typing of the keyboard.

End Product of my Newspaper Indexing

End Product of my Newspaper Indexing 

End Product of my Magazine Indexing

End Product of my Magazine indexing

It’s so automatic that personally as much as its unavoidable to do so being a librarian, I wish my work wouldn’t be that boring and lifeless.

I prefer to be always moving, always interacting, always in the moment. Maybe general reference would be for me but that is still unknown.

My last work was encoding the last articles I indexed in the newspaper (Manila Bulletin) I was given. So far it was easy since most of the subject headings I could think of are in the records and I don’t know if I did it wrong in such a way that is/are my subject headings too vague, too repetitive, too much? I sometimes wonder if librarianship is for me because there are times that I enjoy and times where I want to throw the RDA rule book or AARC book or any handbook out of the window.

via GIPHY

It’s odd though that I didn’t get the chance to indexed scholarly articles but then I guess they are somehow similar to indexing an article from a magazine or a newspaper.

Indexing is fun. Though I wish it would be more alive. I will never forget my time there because in indexing I got to sit in any way I want, I did my job earlier than expected, and I will never forget looking at Sir Emar nodding his head in the music only he could hear while doing his work.

Now onto UARD, the longest hours of them all!

Indexing: Encode and Indexing Newpaper

As I was finishing encoding the rest of the articles in People Asia in the IPP, I said to myself: "Hey Indexing isn't that tedious after all". Well besides the subject headings that is. But the thing about indexing magazine articles especially one as People Asia's is that the subject headings are the people talked about in the article themselves and what profession they have.

After encoding, Sir Emar gave me Manila Bulletin, a newspaper. Basically its the same as indexing People Asia but this time the subject headings must be precise and on point--meaning it can range from 4 to 6 subject headings per indexed article. So what i did first was indexed the articles without subject headings and plan to return to them since the database for subject headings buffers from time to time.

Like the Magazine, I written my indexed newspaper articles on a 3 by 5 paper and compiled them all.

Indexing: Index and Encode

Today I continued indexing the rest of the People Asia Magazine.

When I finished writing my indexed articles. Sir Emar thought me how to encode my written indexes from the 3 by 5 paper into the IPP (Index to Philippine Periodicals) for Magazines.

Encoding an article

Basically you need to sign in into the database. You need a library staff for this.

After signing in. Go to the "Publication" tab where all the  list of Magazines are found. Once you find the Magazine you have been indexing, click the Magazine title and it will lead you to the annual publication to monthly issues to previous indexed articles of the Magazine.

Click the drop down list "Articles" and click "New Articles".

Then fill the needed information you have done in your 3 by 5 paper into the database.

Make sure to recheck your items for misspellings and the like.

And viola you have encoded one article into the database!

Onto the next!

Indexing: People Magazine

Nothing really important happened besides me indexing the rest of the People Asia Magazine; sitting comfortably; smelling the newly cooked rice at 9 in the morning; hearing the chit chat of the librarians and the sheer utter boredom and eerie silence of the entire section.

I swear this section need to be promoted more. Though I like the retrospective atmosphere, millennials like me won't give a second thought at staying there unless its air conditioned. The wifi I can understand.

Indexing: Guidelines and Magazines

My time in the Indexing Section is not memorable this week. Why? Because it my UAAP season and it’s UP Fair week and it’s LIS Congress . To be honest, ever since my last week on doing my OJT I am still exhausted and all I want to do is take a rest and do some academics (but let’s be honest here I am not a person to do academics unless it’s near the deadline or if I love the subject *tehe*). So this week I just did minimum hours because I have my priorities (LOL).

I first studied the principles and guides in indexing and I was surprised that it’s so different from what I studied in my LIS 64 class. I mean there are similarities here and there but I never thought it would be THAT different. By different I mean, I expected to look through books and get peculiar words and list them together with their page number and compile then alphabetise them--little did I know that I was going to serials indexing. I was taught how to do indexing from Sir Emar.

These are the guidelines

I was given magazines and what I’m going to do are the following:

Since UP Main Library indexes all possible articles regarding about the Philippines especially about UP, we must look at every magazine, serials, and newspaper for articles regarding the said two and we must index them accordingly. In indexing you must make a hard copy by writing the needed details about the article and then write the subject headings in a small (the staff sometimes use recycled raffle tickets and write the details behind it or use 3 by 5 papers) piece of paper then transfer it on their digital database.  I was given People Asia magazines. Most of the articles are about famous people who are Filipino or about restaurants or hotels or business in the Philippines.

Sample 1

Sample 2

My thoughts about the indexing section: 

It’s so quiet and library users are one or two only. This section is rarely used and I feel I could hear a pin needle drop in that area. Also the indexing section, particularly works are less rigid than the cataloging section in regards in doing library work. The staff are either too engrossed in their work and there is no background music unlike in the cataloging section even if the songs are songs in the 1980’s.