Next to families, teachers, medical folks/other first responders, & farm folks
(make mine mostly organic farm folk, please – ’twas what my Dad did)
librarians are who I feel keep our civilization perking along.
Librarians defend books against censorship –
in polite ways, which isn’t always easy to do.
They are the lead characters in many true stories of childhood hours
rescued from inept/inadequate families.
And of course in families where all functions as it should,
libraries are like the cherry on top of the sundae, or they are like the bookmark nestled between the pages of the book, or like the surprise little gift package of book-plates by the dinner plate at the family dinner hour, or like the timely family visit to the library
puppet show or No. That’s wrong. Librarians ARE the library puppet show…
REQUIREMENTS TO BE A LIRARIAN
A master’s degree in library science is suggested for many important library careers, but my friend from Girl Scout parent days is happy at work in our town library, as an aide/assistant, connecting the right book to the right child.
I’d like to share something about another keen library worker.
Young Adult/ Middle Grade novelist Adrian Fogelin, who is an award-winner for many of her titles, such as THE REAL QUESTION, CROSSING JORDAN, SISTER SPIDER KNOWS ALL & many others, is in fact a Sunday afternoon neighborhood librarian.
Check out her one-of-a-kind check-out system. It makes me want to stand up and cheer!
This sweet news is courtesy of Danielle Smith, who creates the blog, There’s a Book!.
And you’ll find a FUN sing-along video with it, too!
I hope you’ll be glad that you looked at these books.
If awards are handed out for under-the-radish, non-fadish, unofficial library work,
Adrian Fogelin is your nominee.
Note: April 11, 2011 is the beginning of annual National Library Week.
Suggest to your favorite politician that we can’t do without our librarians.
Yay! for all the many kinds of hard-working librarians.
It can’t be easy.
Adrian, the energy & creativity you & Ray pour into The Front Porch Library is Super.
You know when these children are your age, they will still remember
that husband & wife who got them books.
Wishing you more books for the young readers &
library cupcakes (delivered! to you!)
And thanks to Danielle Smith for giving you
that spot of attention so we could enjoy it here.
LikeLike
Imagine my astonishment when I discovered myself in this post! I was going to leave a comment about managing The Key Largo Library–two and a half years of my life when my personal title for myself was “Ths Imposter Librarian.” The only requirement at that time to be a librarian in the Keys–even a branch manager–was a college degree. I had one. In sculpture. My favorite part of the job was running the children’s programs (my staff was old, grouchy, and hated kids).
Having my own (shared with the whole neighborhood) library has been incredibly wonderful. Last week we wrote letters to our new Chinese pen pals. This week we will start putting things in a time capsule–I’m thinking letters to our future selves so that when we open it in three years there will be a message from this day to be enjoyed by whoever we have become in the meantime.
Hurrah for libraries and librarians (even the imposters)!
LikeLike