Librarians Thread! (No buns, please)

[Glynis]

From the OCLC website:
'Founded in 1967, OCLC Online Computer Library Center is a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world's information and reducing information costs. More than 53,548 libraries in 96 countries and territories around the world use OCLC services to locate, acquire, catalog, lend and preserve library materials.

Researchers, students, faculty, scholars, professional librarians and other information seekers use OCLC services to obtain bibliographic, abstract and full-text information when and where they need it.

OCLC and its member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat—the OCLC Online Union Catalog.'

Very cool, thanks a lot!

 

[jedi_librarian]

Hey, everyone!
Wish me luck - tonight I'm leading my first book discussion. I'm not nervous about leading it, I'm just nervous to be speaking to a group of 20 or so (though, I'm hoping not to have to do too much talking as I hope most will participate). We're discussing The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, which I know will be popular. Anyway, it's part of my new position as Readers Advisory Librarian. I've been "co-leading" the last few discussions, but tonight is my first solo!

 

[DVCLiz]

Hey, everyone!
Wish me luck - tonight I'm leading my first book discussion. I'm not nervous about leading it, I'm just nervous to be speaking to a group of 20 or so (though, I'm hoping not to have to do too much talking as I hope most will participate). We're discussing The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, which I know will be popular. Anyway, it's part of my new position as Readers Advisory Librarian. I've been "co-leading" the last few discussions, but tonight is my first solo!

You'll do a great job!!! Booktalking and leading book discussions has become one of my strengths - as a matter of fact, I belong to a Book Club (I use the term loosely since most of the members are about 30 years older than me and no one has read an actual book for this club in years - they have speakers instead!) and in desperation once when it was my turn to do the program, I said, "I couldn't think of anything terribly interesting, so I'm just going to tell you what I've been readung this year." It was one of the best prgrams we've ever had, if I do say so myself, and now it's something they request every year.

It was working at the library that helped me to be able to do this. I had the most enormous case of public speaker's fear ever recorded. I was so shy as a child I couldn't even participate in Girl Scouts unless my mom came with me!!!

But talking to people about books is something I love to do, and always have. From the time I first shared the plot of a new Nancy Drew with my best friend in third grade, it was fun to tell someone else about something I had loved to read. When I became a Children's Librarian, I had endless opportunities to tell kids about my favorite books. It grew from there. I realized that the people I was talking to didn't know I was nervous, or felt inadequate. They thought I was smart because I was a librarian!!! Fooled them, huh??!! And the more I did it, the better and more comfortable I got.

Talking about The Kite Runner will be easy - I know you'll have a great event!!!! Let us know how it went!

 

[miclcon]

Hi guys,
I'm not a librarian, but I've been the driver of our Bookmobile since 1993. I work for a county library system in Southern NJ. My family and I love Disney too. (DW thinks we love it a bit too much ) I think this is a neat thread!

 

[SeattleRedBear]

My DD works in a library, does that count??

She started volunteering at age 14 with the childrens librarian and story-time programs, then when she turned 16 and wanted a paying job, she got hired as a page (shelver) and has continued to work there part-time to now. (She's almost 21, junior in college) She is in art school, with no definite plans about the future, but she has mentioned from time to time going for a graduate program in library science. I'm thinking that sounds good, with her art background, maybe she could work in a college library or something.

But it's all just talk right now.

Our whole family LOVES the library.

With her background, you DD has more options than just a college library. Commercial art institutes and art museums typically have libraries or resource centers that hire accredited librarians. In addition, digital image collections are one of the big areas of the profession now (both in academic and commercial sectors). Here in Seattle, Corbis regularly hires librarians to catalog images. Just an FYI.

Hey Jedi -- How'd your book talk go??

 

[Glynis]

Hi guys,
I'm not a librarian, but I've been the driver of our Bookmobile since 1993. I work for a county library system in Southern NJ. My family and I love Disney too. (DW thinks we love it a bit too much ) I think this is a neat thread!

Welcome! We love the Bookmobile here! We live in a really small town that doesn't have a library except the school library, so in the summer the Bookmobile is the only thing that keeps my kids going. Without it, we'd be broke from shopping at the bookstore.

So, Jedi, how about a report on the book discussion!

 

[SeattleRedBear]

I have a question that maybe someone will be able to answer for me. A friend is on the library committee for a new charter school in our area. They are trying to finalize a list of books for the new library, and one very vocal woman is making her feelings known about certain books that she absolutely DOES NOT want on the library shelves. My friend asked me if there is someplace online where there would be a suggested list for titles for a new school? This school will teach K-12. I haven't tried searching myself, but came straight here to see if anyone here has an answer.

Hey Glynis -- I was going to get this to you earlier, but got sidetracked. Resources for School Librarians (http://www.sldirectory.com/) has a section devoted to collection development. there are no actual book lists available from the site, but under the area on book selection, some of the standard sources used for building collections ("Best book for...") are listed. In addition, there are selection policies that might be useful if you guys don't have one yet. The site will probably be a useful resource for your program as well.

Another site that might help is "Building a School Library Collection Plan" (http://www.lmcsource.com/tech/felker/). Again, no lists and little too much history (it appears to have started as an MLS student's project) but there's some solid info in here.

Hope this helps.

 

[DVCLiz]

Yeah for Katherine Paterson!!! She won the Astrid Lindgren award this morning!!!! Bridge to Terabithia was one of the first YA books I read after I started working as a Children's Librarian - still one of the best.

I remember how exciting it was the day the Newbery and Caldecott awards were anmnounced. One of the professors at our local university was on the committee the year The Hero and the Crown won, and another was on the Caldecott committee several years. As a matter of fact, she asked a local school librarian and I to help her select the artwork for that year's Caldecott calendar (I think it was the year David MacAuley won for that book with the frogs...hmmm, memory lapse, plus not sure of the spelling of his name!!!) It was a thrill to see my name listed as "Committee"!!!!

I love children's book awards!!!!!

 

[whnim64]

Silly me had never heard of Richard Peck until I started working here at the library. I was surprised to find out that A Long Way From Chicago and A Year Down Yonder were set here in our little town, where he spent time with his grandparents. Mr. Peck came here for a book signing last summer for the town's sesquicentennial. I've become a fan of his books since then.

 

[Glynis]

Hey Glynis -- I was going to get this to you earlier, but got sidetracked. Resources for School Librarians (http://www.sldirectory.com/) has a section devoted to collection development. there are no actual book lists available from the site, but under the area on book selection, some of the standard sources used for building collections ("Best book for...") are listed. In addition, there are selection policies that might be useful if you guys don't have one yet. The site will probably be a useful resource for your program as well.

Another site that might help is "Building a School Library Collection Plan" (http://www.lmcsource.com/tech/felker/). Again, no lists and little too much history (it appears to have started as an MLS student's project) but there's some solid info in here.

Hope this helps.

Thanks. These look good. I'll forward them to my friend, and bookmark them for myself.

 

[whnim64]

Thanks. These look good. I'll forward them to my friend, and bookmark them for myself.

There's always the accelerated reader list, too. http://www.lex5.k12.sc.us/dfes/AcceleratedReader.htm

 

[jedi_librarian]

Oh, Man

I just had a patron get irked with me cause her son asked me where Ian Fleming books were (James Bond) and I told him "In crime fiction". She looked at me, like "Should he be reading that as a child?" like saying "How could you!"

It's not my job to censor. Just to give info!! I've seen librarians stop kids from getting something when they ask for it by saying "Oh no, honey, you don't want that" Sorry, I'm not all for censoring. Any thoughts?

 

[jedi_librarian]

Oh, yeah! Book discussion... Actually I led 2 this week! I had forgotten about the 2nd one! The Monday night one, for The Kite Runner, went well! It's a great book to discuss. Though there were only 11 participants, and usually there's more. I think most have already read The Kite Runner and it's popularity may be fading...

The 2nd one, on Tuesday morning was at the local Panera bread (we discussed Never a City so Real by Alex Kotlowitz - a nonfiction book about Chicago) and while it was a small group of 4 of us, it went extremely well - so well that a couple that attended wrote an letter to our local paper's editor complementing on how wonderful the service was (going out into the community to do a book disc.)! And they mentioned my name and email my boss a copy of it!

 

[SeattleRedBear]

The 2nd one, on Tuesday morning was at the local Panera bread (we discussed Never a City so Real by Alex Kotlowitz - a nonfiction book about Chicago) and while it was a small group of 4 of us, it went extremely well - so well that a couple that attended wrote an letter to our local paper's editor complementing on how wonderful the service was (going out into the community to do a book disc.)! And they mentioned my name and email my boss a copy of it!

That's great! Nothing like getting some good words for the library in the paper and some good words about you to the boss.

 

[jedi_librarian]

Yeah, I think she said she put it in my personnel file!

 

[Glynis]

Oh, Man

I just had a patron get irked with me cause her son asked me where Ian Fleming books were (James Bond) and I told him "In crime fiction". She looked at me, like "Should he be reading that as a child?" like saying "How could you!"

It's not my job to censor. Just to give info!! I've seen librarians stop kids from getting something when they ask for it by saying "Oh no, honey, you don't want that" Sorry, I'm not all for censoring. Any thoughts?

We've been discussing this in one of my classes. I, too, am against censorship, especially in a public library. I feel if the parent doesn't want their child to read something, then it's up to them to monitor their children. I've seen way too many parents use the library as a "babysitter" for their children, and then they get angry when the kids check out books the parents feel are inappropriate for them.

Now, in a school library, it's a trickier subject. Perhaps at a school, the librarian could monitor her students more, but I really don't know. At this point, I have no experience; I'm still a student. However, as a parent, I know that I'd be up in arms if my kids school library subscribed to Playboy, or stocked "bodice ripper" novels. I just don't feel that those kind of things are appropriate in a school setting.

Anyone else have any thoughts?

 

[SeattleRedBear]

Now, in a school library, it's a trickier subject. Perhaps at a school, the librarian could monitor her students more, but I really don't know. At this point, I have no experience; I'm still a student. However, as a parent, I know that I'd be up in arms if my kids school library subscribed to Playboy, or stocked "bodice ripper" novels. I just don't feel that those kind of things are appropriate in a school setting.

Anyone else have any thoughts?

Of course (do we have thoughts? ). The purpose of a public library and school library are different. The school library is there to support the curricular and educational needs of kids. Now there are some areas of curricula that can be controversial (and these controversies can be reflected in a school library's collection) and the school library can also support recreational reading (as an extension of language arts and it's just plain good to read...depending on the age, *any* reading is better than no reading) but IMO the primary audience of Playboy & bodice rippers is adults, not school children.

Others?

 

[SeattleRedBear]

So Glynis. I read this in the ALA newsletter and thought of you. Good luck with the job hunt...might be easier to find a public library job.

Provo schools phasing out K–8 librarians

The Provo, Utah, City School District is stepping up its plans to phase out most of its certified media specialists at the elementary- and middle-school levels. Instead of awaiting retirements and resignations to shift the positions to classified employees—nonteaching staff members who are trained to maintain existing media centers and circulate materials—officials will cut budgets by 50% for K–8 libraries districtwide as of the 2008 school year....

 

[harleyquinn]

Just found this thread!

I'm a children's librarian in a public library in Ohio. Love my job! Wish I made more money and right now our health insurance is terribly expensive for families. I'm hoping to elected to our union's negotiating team for our new contract, because we got totally screwed last time. State funding in Ohio is really scary right now.

We're contimplating moving in order for DH (art teacher) a job.

Anyway, I love my job and I'm so glad I found this career.

So the last topic I saw was about role of public/school libraries. School libraries serve in loco parentis so they have to be much more careful of their collections. Which is why I love being a public librarian, especially since my favorite genre is fantasy, often challenged in school libraries.

 

[Pigeon]

Hi Y'all. Another librarian here. I'm an academic librarian. My primary responsibility is collection development, but I also do reference and a great deal of instruction. I'm currently team teaching a course on modern China with a faculty member in the geography department. I really enjoy my job because of all the diversity.