A REAL LIBRARY LIONESS!!

Welcome to Library Lions interviews Raising a Roar for libraries and the outstanding librarians serving youth in schools and public libraries across the U.S. Please Roar today’s guest Kathy Pazaski!

This is my 26^th year of teaching in the Lake Washington School District.  I spent 10 years teaching in a 6^th grade classroom then earned my library credentials and moved to the library.  I was fortunate to have the opportunity to open Blackwell Elementary in 1998 and work in a beautiful library. 

Our school is located in Sammamish which is a suburb east of Seattle.  We currently have almost 500 students but next year sixth graders move to middle school so our enrollment will be about 370 students.  I will miss sixth graders since their reading preferences are often more advanced than younger students and being a former 6^th grade teacher I have a fondness for their curriculum.  I love to spend time with my family, read, travel, walk my dog and explore new technologies.  This year I created a blog which has a picture of me touching a real lion in Zimbabwe. (This is one of the coolest and most dangerous things I have ever done!) 

Note from blog host: This makes you a real Library Lioness, Kathy!

The Skinny

I thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to be a helpful, caring adult in student's lives. I am reminded on a daily basis by my interactions with students to appreciate the wonder of life through a child's eyes and I love learning something new with them every day. I love it when students are eager to learn and I assist in that process; whether I help students find a book to read or show them how to apply a technology skill it is exciting to see them want to gain knowledge and make connections.  

Library Laughs

It is always fun to see a student’s “light bulb” turn on!  Recently, first graders were completing a class book about baby animals.  When deciding on the title for their book the question of what makes something a mammal came up.  I told the class that mammals have fur or hair, have live births – not from eggs, and they drink their mother’s milk.  One of the first graders commented that people are mammals.  A boy then raised his hand and said that we couldn’t be mammals because we don’t drink milk from our mothers.  The girl sitting next to him said, “Yes we are, you know, boobies, that's what they are for!”  The boy’s jaw dropped and the “light bulb” came on!

A Lion’s Pride of ProgramsInvolving the community is such an important part of a library program. This year I tried a couple of new ways of connecting with the community that incorporated my newly created blog, the Bobcat Blurb.  First, I invited in a college student (Erin) who had traveled to Trinidad twice with her high school biology teacher to talk about her work with Leatherback Sea Turtles.  Fifth and sixth grade students listened intently to her presentation and asked many thoughtful questions. 

(Erin presenting to students)

They also had the opportunity to blog with Erin and continue the conversation about leatherback turtles.  My students loved this opportunity to learn from someone closer to their age.  Erin’s presentation kicked off an endangered species research project and PowerPoint presentation that students worked on all spring, and then shared with their classrooms. 

The project included many library, technology and writing standards. The students improved their research, technology, cooperation, and time management skills and they were totally engaged in learning about an endangered species of their choice.  I think this is a great example of how library instruction really can impact students’ educations.  We are so limited in the time that we have with them but we can make a big difference!

Here are some quotes from sixth grade students:

“I learned how to pull out the important pieces of information to put into a slideshow.”  Alanna

“I improved on being able to work well with partners and include their thoughts as well as mine.” Rebecca

“I realized that it was important to research before you start making the presentation.  I usually research as I go but I get mixed up on my sources.” Anisa

“I learned how to use reliable data and not just go looking around Bing.  The Google Advanced Images site has helped me a lot and I use it a lot!” Natalie

“I improved on my note-taking and use of online resources like ELibrary.” Katie

“I learned that you should use more than one website.  Also, I learned how to make a PowerPoint interesting and fun.” Hank

“I learned that you need to keep looking at sites until you see a consistent answer.” Bennett

“The most meaningful activity in library class this year was when Erin came in and talked to us about the leatherback sea turtle.  I improved on how to make a legible PowerPoint and how to make people interested in the subject.” Ryan

“I improved on making citations and getting the information needed to make them.  I learned how to add a video and how to crop photos on PowerPoint.” Luke

“I improved on giving credit to the websites/sources and creating a Works Consulted.” Connor

“It was fun to learn so much about the Great White!” Connor D.

Finally, a comment from a fourth grader who listened to a few presentations, “They made me really concerned and curious about these animals.  It made me want to do something about it!” Annabelle

 Another community connection occurred after a vacation to Iceland. 

The third grade teachers were reading a story with their classes about Pufflings, in Iceland, and they wondered if I would be willing to tell the students a bit about Iceland. 

Of course, as a librarian, learner and avid traveler, I jumped at the opportunity to share my experiences and new found knowledge about Iceland with the students.  They had great questions about geology, geography, sociology, biology, etc.  However, with my limited experiences I couldn’t answer all of the students’ questions.  So, I set up an opportunity for the students to blog with a boy in Iceland, who is about the same age as my third graders named Gunnar. 

Our “community” expanded to Iceland thanks to technology and Gunnar’s willingness to answer questions.  I also researched answers to their questions and modeled for students how to find information by contacting experts via email and looking up information on reliable websites. I had 50 comments posted about Iceland; many students loved this opportunity to connect with me outside of library class, as well as other students and our new friend in Iceland.  I will continue to use blogging as a method for connecting students to the library outside of their weekly library class and to expand our “community”.

Readers Roar: (Let’s hear from the kids!)

 “You know lots about books, cameras, and technology.  We check out books and learn something new every time!”  Mitchell, Grade 5

“Thank you for finding a lot of good books for me. You are the best!” David, Grade 4

“You are one of the most helpful people in the school.  You’re always helping kids inside and outside of class with problems, especially finding books.  You also are one of the kindest people I know.”  Ivan, Grade 5

“You have always been a great librarian and a magnificent Battle of the Books host. I love books because of you! Thank you so much!” Abosh, Grade 4

“You give reading a whole new meaning, from your fun and positive websites to your fun activities.  You really do give reading a purpose.” Josh, Grade 5

“You have inspired me and someday I want to be a librarian or a writer and then donate my books to schools.” Julia, Grade 4

“You are the best librarian in the whole world! I love how at the beginning we read books and then we get to check them out.” Emily, Grade 3

“You are a great library teacher and I probably would never have read some great books that I went crazy for.  I wouldn’t have read the Hunger Game series and the Warriors series.” Max, Grade 3

“You are the best librarian ever! You give us cool projects and help me find books if I can’t find them.” Anouska, Grade 5

“I found learning about how to use the library system and genres the most meaningful.  I also learned how to look through the library to find a book off of a call number. One of my favorite books this was the One and Only Ivan.  I found it very interesting and I am glad that it was brought into the library.” Anna, Grade 6

 Book Brag:  What three books are hot this year? Why?

The Hunger Games science fiction series has been impossible to keep on the shelves with a continual list of students with hold requests.  Of course, the movie increased the interest in the books but even before the film many students were hearing about the books from friends, siblings and adults and wanted to read them.  The “survivor” aspect reminded students of the TV show and made the game aspect of the plot appealing.  Students wanted to keep reading to find out about the next challenge. Older students and adults gathered more social and political meaning from the books which make the stories good for family or classroom reading and discussions.

Wonder by Palacio, R. J. has been very popular.  This realistic fiction story provides insight into the life of a fifth grade child with a grossly disfigured face who attends school for the first time.  It exposes fears and situations that all students, to some degree, probably experience and can certainly relate to.  The story is told from different points of view allowing the reader to think about how actions affect different people in different ways and perhaps to ponder how they would react in the same situation.  The topic connects to everyone’s awareness about their own physical appearance and what is truly important about a person.  Teenagers and adults have also found the book to be moving and thought-provoking. 

4th and 5th graders show their favorite books.  

“I liked Dragon’s Keep because it’s interesting and keeps the adrenaline pumping!” Peytra, Grade 4

“I liked Palace of Mirrors because it’s mysterious and keeps you flipping to the next page and it is full of adventure.” Ashley, Grade 5

“I liked Julie’s Wolf Pack because the pack takes you through and adventure of life with animals.” Josh, Grade 5

Author! Author!  
Great author visits combine information about the writing process that students can apply to their own writing, specific interesting details about the author’s books that readers don’t know from reading their books or getting the inside scoop. Topics that students can relate to tend to grab the attention of the audience; humor always adds interest. Students like to hear about how authors get their ideas, how they organize their ideas, what it is like to be an author and how they get published. 

Teachers like to hear about the need for revising, editing, and writing about something that you know. Interactive presentations keep students focused and visual information is helpful to keep students listening. This year we had author and storyteller Margaret Read MacDonald visit our school. 

Folktales from various cultures and storytelling fit in perfectly with new Literacy Core Standards.  The kids loved the participation aspect of her visit and teachers learned some storytelling techniques to use in their classrooms. 

Last year we had a wonderful author, named Janet Lee Carey J visit our school for Read Across America.  Here is an excerpt from a letter one of the teachers wrote to me after her visit:

Dear Kathy,

           When you invited author Janet Lee Carey to visit Blackwell, I was thrilled at the opportunity it would present my students.  Twelve years ago, I bought her newly released book, Molly’s Fire, at a signing event in Kirkland.  I stood in line with everyone else there so she’d sign my copy and asked that she personalize it to my students.  I’ve read the book and its inscription aloud to every class I’ve had since then.
           Your effort to connect authors with students has a lasting effect on the lives of students.  One such story begins last year when one of my kids asked, “What IS Molly’s fire?”  It was a brilliant question that usually doesn’t come up until the end of the story, so we started making a list of ideas as they occurred to us during read-aloud.  By the time the book ended, our list had almost 20 references to fire; some real, others implied and still others metaphorical in nature.  I was so proud of the students’ work that I left the list posted in our classroom long after we finished the book. 

          Then, we got word that Janet Lee Carey was coming to Blackwell.  My class wondered if we could share our list of ideas with her.  They wanted to hear from the author herself if they’d interpreted her text in the way she intended.  On the day of her visit, we carefully rolled up our chart paper of ideas about Molly’s Fire and brought it to Ms. Carey’s book talk.  Our time with her went right up to the dismissal bell but we still hadn’t gotten to show her our list.  The class crowded around her and asked if they could show her their thinking, even though the bell had rung and others were packing to go home.  They were invested.  When she read their ideas back to them, a smile affixed itself to her face and we all knew that yes, we’d understood.  It was such a real and potent moment for the kids as readers.
          After school, Ms. Carey gave me her contact information and asked me to send her a copy of our ideas.  I did, and a while later, she responded with a thank you and an idea.  Would it be alright, she wanted to know, if she returned to Blackwell…

Zandria

Note from blog host: J

Library Lion’s Roar: ONE LAST BIG ROAR

I have a sign on my library wall that defines libraries as:

1.  A forum for new ideas
2. An escape to other worlds
3. A connection to different people
4. A place of learning and growth.

My goal is to make the Blackwell library a warm and welcoming place for students related to all four library definitions.  Most days during lunch recess somewhere between 10 and 40 students choose to visit the library.  They play educational computer games and visit, they check out and read books, they work on homework, they ask for help on projects.  Through class instruction, recess visits and now blogging, I think I am making progress towards the goal!

Let’s Link

Blog:     http://bobcatblurb.edublogs.org/

Library Website:  http://www.lwsd.org/school/blackwell/Library/Pages/default.aspx

 Thanks again for the great interview, Kathy!

Love Libraries? Give a Roar in “Comments” below.

Note to Librarians: If you’re a Youth Librarian working in a school or public library we’d love to hear about you and your library. Contact Janet at jlcarey@hotmail.com for an interview slot. 

THE DARING LIBRARIAN

Welcome to Library Lions interviews. We Raise a Roar for libraries and for the outstanding librarians serving children and young adults in schools and public libraries across the U.S. Please Roar today’s guest, Gwyneth Jones – AKA The Daring Librarian!

We’re so happy to have the Daring Librarian here with us today. Gwyneth’s many accolades include: Library Journal.com Innovator Movers &/Shakers of 2011, Edublog Awards Nominated Best Librarian Library Blog 2011, Nominated Best Individual Tweeter 2011. Here's her cool portfolio!

Gwyneth works at the Murray Hill Middle School (MHMS) in Laurel, Maryland

The Skinny
I love that every day is different! I love that I get to work with all three grades of my middle school and every subject and that they still laugh at my corny immature jokes. I love being a generalist and learning new things while I’m teaching different lessons, projects, and units. I also love my middle schoolers! They’re a wacky bunch but then so am I - they are so much fun! I love that they come back and visit me in high school, college, when they graduate and have even been invited to a wedding or two! These kids just make me happy & feed my soul!

 Library Laughs  
Oh gosh, there have been so many funny things happen almost every day here in the last 15 years it’s killin me to pick one. Gah! But here goes: I got brought in to take pics on this gag that took place in the classroom next to the library (close enough?) one of our 7th grade teachers is an identical twin and his twin lives in the midwest. Around Christmas he came to visit & was hiding out in the library until it was time for him to “appear” in his brother’s class. Of course I had to grab my camera - go into the class & pretend to fix the computer to catch all the surprised freaked out expressions of the kids. It was such a hoot!

A Lion’s Pride of Programs:
Our kids love QR Codes & mobile media. We have 2 iPod touch gen 4’s that we use for library scavenger hunts. More about it here at The Daring Librarian.com

We also love to be a gallery space for our Art Classes! Here are the sculptures inspired by the colorful Alebrije Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical creatures.

Want to see more? Check out the Blog Post here! See blog & photos here! 

Readers Roar
Crowdsourced Reviews: Using the power of Google Apps & forms our kids love to write book reviews! We keep at least one public access catalog computer available with our wikipage loaded for kids who want to read what other kids wrote about the books they enjoyed the most!

Andre, Grade 8 says he loves to come into the library “because it’s a cool place to be. I try and come every day I like to hang out and read and see my friends.  I can always find something to read. I like books like anime,  iSpy books and football books.  Ms. Jones and Mrs. Black always buy whatever I ask for” (Students can use the book request line on our wiki to request a book.)

Book Brag: What three books are hot this year? Why?

~Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins  - Can’t keep this series on the shelf this year - can’t figure out why!

~Skeleton Creek series by Patrick Carman. We were lucky enough to get a few signed copies of books & posters and we had a fun time with a Skeleton Creek tracker contest giving them out! Kids LOVE the interactive features of the book with the videos & downloadable apps that go along with the story!

~The Bluford High series by Anne Schraff  is very popular with my 8th grade girls (and boys!) They’re attracted to these urban dramas that explore popular teen issues in a realistic manner. And because the covers are cool!

Library Lion’s Roar: ONE LAST BIG ROAR
We had a great time co-teaching via Google hang out recently! We connected with Mrs. Mensing’s 2nd grade GT class in Arizona! Read all about it with pics here!

A Roar from us here at Library Lions to Gwyneth the Daring Librarian for her innovation! You can find so much just looking at her Daring Librarian Edublog

Let’s Link

Blog: The Daring School Library Blog

Library Website: MHMS Daring School Library Website

Thanks again for the terrific interview, Gwyneth!

Love Libraries? Give a Roar in “Comments” below.

Note to Librarians: If you’re a Youth Librarian working in a school or public library we’d love to hear about you and your library. Contact Janet at jlcarey@hotmail.com for an interview slot. 

THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY TEEN BOOK FESTIVAL

Welcome to Library Lions! This week we’re showcasing THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY TEEN BOOK FESTIVAL.


Student MC 2012 Teen Book Festival

In 2004 a group of librarians, parents, and students joined together with the avowed purpose of promoting teen reading in our community. We held the first Montgomery County Teen Book Festival in January of 2005. Following the first event we received the Highsmith Award, given annually for the most innovative project involving a school library in the state of Texas.

Our Dream is to celebrate the joy of teen reading. In support of this dream we promote books and bring together teens and authors.

A Roar For The Committee
The festival couldn’t be a success without the work of each and every member!
The Teen Book Festival is a group effort. From the beginning, it has been supported by the Conroe Independent School District and has grown to include volunteers from entire Montgomery County area. The committee includes public and school librarians in the area, as well as parent volunteers and other community members.


Cinda Williams Chima & Pam Cooper (Pam is one of the founding committee members)


Three of the many librarians who help us each year.


More Volunteers

(See the full list of all of the librarians and volunteers on our website )

Author! Author!
We’ve had so many great authors over the years! This year’s festival included:


From L-R Melody Carlson, Patrick Jones, Cinda Williams Chima, Joseph Hayes, Belle Whittington, Melissa Studdard, Gayle Forman (somehow Kristin Cast didn’t make this photo op)

Other authors we’ve had include Chris Crutcher, Lois Lowry, Lauren Myracle, Melissa Marr, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Sara Zarr, Justina Chen, Gordon Korman,, Cassandra Clare, Tamora Pierce, and Neal Shusterman.

The Festival Day
The festival day is largely run by student volunteers. We have a student master of ceremonies every year and students introduce the authors at each session.


Authors and their student assistants

We have student volunteers who escort the authors,


Lauren Myracle student escorts

They help with food, handle the festival surveys, and provide entertainment.



Another unique aspect is that the artwork for the festival this year was created by a student. We had a contest among the schools where students created artwork and the winner’s art was used for the banners, T-shirts and bookmarks promoting the festival.

Before the festival, the student volunteers get to have brunch with the authors. As you can imagine, that is a huge hit with the teens!


Lois Lowry Brunch


Neal Shusterman Brunch

While teens are arriving during the first hour or two, we have music, food and book sales in the main area of the school where the festival is held. In the past we’ve hired a band to play. This year we had a DJ playing music. Additionally, we typically have student performances. We’ve had school jazz bands, dance troupes and drumlines. This year we had students from the host school’s theatre department perform scenes from “Little Women.”


Dance troupe


Drumline

The first event is a general assembly. This includes a panel of all the authors.


Author Panel from L-R Sara Zarr, Nick Abadzis, Cassandra Clare, Shirlene Obuobi

Our student master of ceremonies directs questions to each of the authors. The keynote author speaks. Then we have two breakout sessions where each of the authors will speak in their own locations throughout the school.


Chris Crutcher

Finally, the day concludes with autograph sessions and more mingling in the common area.

Roars For The Fest!

"What a day full of AWESOMENESS! So many wonderful readers in one place at one time! It was like MAGIC! ♥" Belle Whittington- Author,

"Thank you for hosting such a wonderful festival this weekend!" Sherry Stafford Rowland – Adult attendee

Roars from Our Student Surveys!

“This book fair is the coolest thing ever, the majority of people never get to meet authors and I think it is a huge privilege,”

“I have come to this for 6 years in a row. Epic every year.”

In addition to comments about the event, we get a lot of requests for authors for future festivals.

What’s Ahead?
We are looking forward to a bright future! We have formed a formal non-profit organization and hope to see the festival grow into a special celebration of reading for the people of Montgomery County and surrounding areas.

Thank you for the interview! We enjoyed haring all about the terrific Montgomery County Teen Book Festival!


Let’s Link Up
Festival Website

Facebook:


Love Libraries? Give a Roar in “Comments” below.

Note to Librarians: If you’re a Youth Librarian working in a school or public library we’d love to hear about you and your library. Contact Janet at jlcarey@hotmail.com for an interview slot.

BANNED BOOKS WEEK!

Welcome to Library Lions special edition Banned Books Week.



Lesley James, librarian at Douglass-Truth Branch of the Seattle Public Library is here to Roar for Banned Books Week. Welcome Lesley!



The Skinny: First tell us a little about yourself and your library



We have an awesome after-school Homework Help program at my branch, thanks to the amazing volunteers who spend two to four hours each week helping students of all ages. The students deserve a lot of credit, too, for wanting to learn and for helping each other. I keep things bubbling along by orienting the volunteers, organizing the schedule, etc.

I’ve been a librarian for eleven years. One of my favorite things to do is visit schools to do presentations on information literacy and the research process. Sometimes classes of English Language Learners or special education students visit the branch for a presentation on “How the Library Is Organized.” I also love doing good old-fashioned booktalks and enjoyed working with a nearby school where I taught students how to do their own booktalks so they could share their favorites with their classmates.

Douglass-Truth Library interior


For many years, several branches worked together to hold a “Reading Marathon” that pitted four middle schools against each other to see which could log the most reading time in a six-hour period. Because of budget cuts and staff reorganizations, this year the competition was between the three grades from one middle school and held at just my branch, but the participants still had a great time eating snacks, winning raffle prizes, and, of course, reading.

Tell us about Banned Books Week:



Banned Books Week is that special time of the year when librarians get together and ban as many books as possible…just kidding! (Although teens are sometimes confused by the name.) The serious fact is that every year books are removed from the shelves of libraries when library staff responds to patrons’ official complaints by choosing to censor. Librarians and other educators who consider themselves staunch supporters of the First Amendment want to bring this to the attention of the public so they can appreciate their Freedom To Read. It’s also a great opportunity to examine the issues and emotions that prompt those complaints and the prices we sometimes pay for having the freedom.



It surprises some students to learn that there are books I hate—but I make it clear that I’ll defend the rights of those books to be on the shelves of the library with my last breath. That’s what makes the Freedom To Read so powerful: it’s not a simple or easy thing to defend, but it’s worth it.



Learn more at the American Library Association site:

Can you showcase some more displays for us?
There are great displays at every branch of The Seattle Public Library system.









What do you do to spread the word about Banned Books Week and Intellectual Freedom Issues?
When teachers invite me to do a presentation on intellectual freedom for their classes, I do a lesson on the “competing goods” of the Freedom To Read. I start by showing the students the text of the First Amendment and then I show them a newspaper photograph and tell them this is a picture of the First Amendment in action. We discuss what’s going on in the photograph: an African-American woman is crouched defensively over a white man who became the target of a group of violently angry people who turned up to protest a Ku Klux Klan march. Why would this woman protect a Klan member whose speech is filled with such hate for her race? Because she believes in his right to speak, no matter what he’s saying. The protesters have an equal right to voice their opinion, but not to silence his. It’s a compelling image that helps students understand the gravity of defending free speech, even when you completely disagree with it.

Next, we do an activity that involves small groups of students looking at children’s picture books that have been challenged in the past and guessing what the challengers objected to. We use picture books because they’re easier to flip through than young adult novels, they lead to a later discussion about age restrictions, and they elicit cries of, “But I love the Lorax!” By the way, I want to give credit to the Multnomah County Library System librarians—I observed a version of this activity led by them at a conference and adapted it.
PHOTO cover The Lorax

Some of the reasons for challenging seem silly to the students (such as the bottle of wine in Little Red Riding Hood’s basket for her grandmother leading to alcoholism) but others are more serious (such as the use of racial slurs in Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry). The important thing I want students to understand is that they all represent someone’s personal values. Whatever their personal values are, the students always bring up the point that it’s good to have books that represent different opinions. If we removed every book that offended someone, there would be no books left on the shelves! The students also agree that that depicting a particular behavior doesn’t necessarily condone it and that it’s better to show reality as it is, rather than trying to shield readers from harsh truths.
We do a couple of other activities during this lesson and I’d be happy to share them, as well as details about the activities described above.

Any Banned Books you would like to highlight?
I’d like to highlight some hometown heroes. Three local (Seattle or Seattle-adjacent) authors of books for teens are represented in the American Library Association’s “Books Banned or Challenged in 2009-2010” booklet: Sherman Alexie, Brent Hartinger, and Richelle Mead. Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian was challenged but retained on a school summer reading list. (It’s important to note that many challenges fail to lead to a banning.) The objections focused on “vulgar and racist” language. So many teens, especially boys, have read and loved this book.



You could have a great discussion about the difference between being racist and depicting racism with these readers. Hartinger’s Geography Club was retained at a public library despite complaints that it was “obscene or child pornography.” (In 2005, it was banned and then reinstated by a nearby school district, although the focus that time was a scene in which the protagonist arranged to see someone he met online.) This book also provides a great opportunity to talk about the difference between gratuitous sex scenes and sex scenes as an important part of the plot—or, in this case, books in which characters think about sex but don’t actually have it but are still considered “pornography.”



Mead’s entire Vampire Academy series was banned at a junior high school for “sexual content or nudity,” including books which have not yet been written. It’s true that schools don’t have the same responsibilities as public libraries to protect the freedom to read, but that doesn’t mean they should go ahead and ban books without reading them first!

What can Library Lions readers do to roar for Banned Books Week?
Support your local public library! We love our volunteers and appreciate every penny that’s donated, but most of our essential functions can only be funded by the city or county government’s budget. When times get tough (as they are right now), tough decisions have to be made about those budgets. It’s crucial that city and county governments know that public libraries are a vital service to their communities.

Yes, a lot of people get their information online these days, but where do people go when they don’t have computers or the skills to navigate the increasingly complex world of online information? The library, of course. We are actually more needed than ever. Our buildings are bursting with job-seekers, recent immigrants, and students of all ages who need help with their homework. They may be the only places where children hear stories read to them, elderly people figure out how to use a computer mouse, or someone who’s having a bad day sees a smile. And our local governments need to know all this so they don’t put us in the same pile as the parks and the art projects that are awesome but tend to lose their funding more rapidly than the police and fire departments.

One More Library Lion’s Roar:
I’d also like to put in a plug for the profession of librarianship, which seems especially relevant at a time when we’re celebrating the First Amendment. It’s true you don’t need a master’s degree to do a lot of the things we do these days (if I had a dollar for every printer I’ve un-jammed, I could have retired by now) and that what we bring to our work is somewhat intangible. But intangible doesn’t mean unimportant. Librarians hold back the forces of censorship with one hand and welcome everyone—and I mean everyone—into the library with the other. Without us, freedoms would get chipped away, both the freedom of ideas to enter the public space and the freedom to gain access to those ideas, regardless of your skills or resources. Interest in those ideals led me to library school and by the time I left, they were tattooed on my soul.

Let’s Link!Teen

Blog: http://blog.spl.org/yablog/

Adult Blog: http://shelftalk.spl.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeattlePublicLibrary?ref=ts
Thank you, Lesley for your terrific interview!

Love Libraries? Give a Roar in “Comments” below.

Note to Librarians: If you’re a Youth Librarian working in a school or public library we’d love to hear about you and your library. Contact Janet at jlcarey@hotmail.com for an interview slot.