Deep Thinking

The May 2007 American Libraries is out and part of my responses are there. You can read my letter on SLJ’s blog Practically Paradise when I responded to an earlier AL article. I wasn’t content with Leonard Kniffel’s response online either and have been waiting for this article to appear. I felt that his response didn’t truly look at why we were upset. Be sure to visit the comments, particularly Debbie Abilock’s.

I hope that other types of libraries are reading about our schools and that they respond on the blogosphere. Did anyone learn anything by reading the article? I believe collectively we had a TREMENDOUS amount to share. I hope that others will be galvanized to go blog.

If you are an ALA member, you can go online and read while you are waiting for your print copy. If you aren’t a member, you need to connect with one and discover why you should be a member. I realize that there continues to be discussion on LM_NET about the cost of membership. I think more people should look at the cost of NOT being a member of a professional organization. We continue to find low-cost and no-cost methods of belonging through blogs, wiki’s, Second Life, Ning, etc. but none of us has the time, funds, or expertise to be the collective expert that 65,000+ members provide through ALA. If you haven’t read Doug Johnson’s response, take a moment.

Just in case I need a reminder why school libraries are practically paradise, I had two wonderful experiences today.
1) Overhearing students exclaim that they can’t wait to go back to the library.

2) A student I’ve had since preschool sliding up to give me a one-armed hug at dismissal (very slyly so everyone didn’t see) and to tell me that I have always been special to him.

If I need anything said when I die, please let it be from the mouth of a child.

We have stopped circulating (although I have been researching heavily with first graders) this school year. Since we are following Karen Lowe’s methods of collection analysis and resource alignment, we needed to majorly shift shelves of books to make room for the new and updated titles. Our P.T.A. donated a large sum of money this month so I quickly ordered over 200 books to fill in the needs identified from our analysis. (Thanks, Karen, for reminding me to always be ready).

I have enjoyed meeting with teachers, ordering, and now processing these new books. Lots of concept books, government info, symbols, transportation, mathematical concepts, grammar, etc. We are entering them frantically in the computer so they’ll be ready to display the first day of school. Of course I can’t wait so I am already teasing teachers with them by putting them in their hands and telling them that they can’t have them yet. The teachers then grip the books even tighter and announce their intention to use them ASAP. Yes, I do feel diabolical.

What does all of this have to do with “Why we move books?” While I was shifting 3,000 titles this week, several students came by to return books and watch. Their immediate concerns were a) where did the origami books go? and b) how are we going to find the books we like to read over and over? They quickly spread throughout the school letting others know the nonfiction books were in new places. I overheard several of them chatting in the halls about this. One little girl indignantly explained to them, “That’s why librarians teach you HOW to find things. Then they move them every year so you have to practice.”