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Dean Britz has arrived...

Even after a very long flight (14 hours) Dean Britz still had the energy to join the group for a nice traditional Korean dinner. Welcome Dr. Britz...

posted by Rebecca @ 7:58 AM 0 comments

Topic maps anyone?

Every once in a while you encounter an instructor who is so energetic and excited about sharing his/her knowledge that it inspires you and makes you interested in a topic that you've never thought you would ever have any interest in learning about in your entire life... This is what I experienced today when meeting Dr. Sam OH at Sungkyunkwan University. Believe it or not, Dr. OH made me want to learn more about classification and ontology, do a little data modeling and run out create a few topic maps. Who would have imagined... Thanks Dr. OH and thanks also to Dr. Wonik Shim who shared with us knowledge on usage statistics of e-resources. Here are a few links to some resources they shared.
http://www.ontopia.net/
http://www.projectcounter.org/index.html

The photo above is of Sungkyunkwan University, the first national education institute in Korea - founded in 1398.

posted by Rebecca @ 7:27 AM 0 comments

A familiar face...

Thursday’s tour brought us to the Sookmyong Women’s University(http://lib.sookmyung.ac.kr) where we received a tour of their newly renovated library. The $10 million renovation resulted in an amazing library that would make the most unmotivated student (although I truly do not think there area any in this country) want to study. The newly renovated library has incorporated the latest technology and the most user friendly features into its design. The details that have gone into this library have made it a remarkable example of beautiful form and outstanding function. From the information kiosks at the front enterance, to the dedicated student study areas and endless computer access, this library uses technology to enhance the learning experience for all who venture inside.

Another unique feature of the library is its World Women Writers Gallery featuring works and profiles of prominent women writers both Korean and from abroad.

The highlight of the tour for me was seeing Dr. Yunkeum Kim Chang once again. Dr. Chang is an old friend who I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a few years ago when she taught at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

posted by Rebecca @ 6:13 PM 0 comments

The library tours begin...

We have toured several libraries over the past few days and have learned a lot about Korea’s commitment to preserving their historical resources and providing high quality library service to the country’s students, researchers and scholars.

Many of the libraries we have visited are using the countries most valuable resource – the Korean peoples’ strong work ethic and their advanced technology to gather and make available historical, cultural, and scholarly documents.

Fantastic digital library projects are being developed in many of the libraries we visited.

The National Library of Korea (http://www.nl.go.kr)
The National Library of Korea is the representative library in Korea. It opened in 1945 and it maintains 5,906,632 publications. During our visit we had the opportunity to meet the Chief Executive of the National Library of Korea, Mr. Kwon Kyung Sang as well as the Director of Library Services, Ms. Chi-Ju Lee. Ms. Lee gave us a brief overview of the history of the library and shared with us her trailblazing efforts in the development of the KOLIS -Korean Library and Information System as well as her involvement in their very successful digitalization project.

National Assembly Library (http://www.nanet.go.kr/english/)
The National Assembly Library (NAL) which opened in 1952, serves the members of the National Assembly as well as the general public. Some of the services provided are:
Legislative Information Services
Legislative Reference Question & Answer Service
Legislative Knowledge Database
Foreign Information Research and Translation
Policy Chronicle Information Service
Internet Resources Service
Foreign Law Information Service
Reference Database
Since 1998, the National Assembly Library has been involved in the digitalization of its collection. The NAL Digital Library provides catalog, abstract and full text information on-line.

posted by Rebecca @ 6:05 AM 0 comments

Tradition, Culture, and everyday life...

We are outsiders looking in on this beautiful country filled with tradition and fascinating history. We immerse ourselves in the Korean experience, yet we still only get a glimpse of what truly is a “Dynamic Korea”.

The first few days of this experience have been filled with exploration and learning. The National Folk Museum of Korea located inside Gyeongbok Palace gave us a glimpse of the lifestyle, traditions and culture of Korea from different periods of time. The National Museum, Korea’s largest museum, displays artifacts and national treasures that tell the story of the people and culture of Korea. But, among all of these beautiful artifacts, I found myself surrounded by something even more precious, two Korean families who we met and who shared with us a bit of their lives. The children of these two families were very polite and very eager to learn English from us. I was just as eager to learn from them. My most pleasurable experience with these families was our tour of the National Museum. Kelly and I challenged 8 year old Seong to a scavenger hunt of Korea’s national treasures. He was thrilled when he found one of the many artifacts listed on the museum map, and were amused by his excitement and 8-year-old energy.

We had many wonderful meals during our first few days in Korea in the area around Sinchon & Ewha University as well as in Itaewon, an area very near the US Army base and an area very popular with foreign tourists. Also, thanks to Sarah’s wonderful communication and navigational skills, we explored other areas of the city such as Insadong, an area filled with handicraft shops, narrow alleys with tea shops, restaurants and beautiful old buildings.

posted by Rebecca @ 5:28 PM 0 comments

To blog or not to blog?... that is the question....
(technical note for students)

And the answer is... TO BLOG, because it is required by all students for this study abroad program!!! This blog is being hosted by Blogger and is being used to document the activites and experiences of the UW-Milwaukee, SOIS study abroad program in South Korea. There are many different blogging options available online. Find the one you feel most comfortable working with. Many have the same features and options, so it pretty much is a matter of taste.

Some options to check out are:
BLOGGER: www.blogger.com
MOVEABLE TYPE: www.sixapart.com/movabletype/
BLOGLINES: www.bloglines.com

Check them out and feel free to stop by with any questions. Good luck!

posted by Rebecca @ 5:07 PM 0 comments

Night life near Ewha...

posted by Rebecca @ 5:04 PM 0 comments

We have arrived....

Welcome to South Korea and welcome to Ewha Womans University. All students have arrived from various locations throughout the US. (Rick from Texas, Becca from Brooklyn, Diane from Idaho, Sarah from Illinois, John from Ohio, and Kerry, Eve, Kelly and myself (Rebecca) from Milwaukee).

We are staying at the world's largest university for women, Ewha Womans University, located in Seoul (Shinchon). We are staying in great accomodations in the International House Hanwoori Hall located at the very top of steep hill overlooking the city. The veiw is amazing!

The Korean experience has been nothing but pleasant. I have been genuinely amazed at the friendly, helpful and welcoming nature of all people associated with the University and the Korean people in general. Our first night in Korea was an unforgettable adventure that included a traditional Korean meal of Bulgogi -marinated and grilled barbecued beef and a walk thru the narrow streets and the maze of neon lights, shops, cafes, and bars near the University. Our evening ended with a brief stop at the subway station to retrieve our transit pass to explore the city to our hearts content. Not only have we arrived, but we are now on our way...

posted by Rebecca @ 5:46 PM 0 comments