Hug your librarian today

Thanks for your comments on the last post. The school district that banned my books also got rid of all their K-8 librarians. I see a correlation. I can't express enough how important librarians are. I've visited about 200 schools to do assemblies and writing workshops. Within a minute of meeting the librarian, I know exactly how the event will go. If the kids will be engaged, excited, and leave the assembly eager to go read a book, or if they'll half-ignore me as some other adult blabbing about nothing. The relationship the librarians has with the kids and the prep they do prior to the assembly is 50% of how it goes.

The librarian is the heart of the school, the center of literacy. I don't mean a book-checker-outer. I mean a Librarian. There are many library aides that are extraordinary and go above and beyond, but in my experience a fulltime, MLS-trained librarian is consistently phenomenal. They know books. They curate a library perfect for their school's population. They booktalk and get kids excited about reading. They match the right books to the right kids, which is the #1 key in turning a "non-reader" into a Reader. They know the school's curriculum and work with teachers to integrate the right books with what they're teaching. They organize literacy events.

Research shows: Kids who are confident readers have a chance to excel in any subject they face. Kids who aren't confident readers will struggle in most subjects. Teachers and parents don't have to be alone in this mission to engage kids with books. Again, librarians make all the difference.

Hug your librarian today! Do you have a fulltime librarian in your school? Write a note to the superintendent or district execs thanking them for valuing librarians! If you don't, maybe write a note expressing why you think it's important. They're often looking at numbers. If they don't understand the added value a Librarian brings, they'll just think, "Why hire a librarian with a master's degree to just check out books? We can get someone for that on minimum wage."

I could hire a lot of people to do something for minimum wage rather than a professional: like add a new electrical outlet in our garage, tile our bathroom floor, do my taxes, fix my car, set a broken bone, cut my hair. When something matters, when we want it done right the first time, when we value it, we get a professional. When we value children and literacy, we make an effort to staff our schools with professional librarians.

Comments

[nancy merrill]

It seems ridiculous to me that a school district would eliminate librarians for K-8. That breaks my heart. I loved going to the library when I was in elementary school. The library staff (we actually had TWO librarians at my elementary school, which means I'm really dating myself) was so good at finding out what was trending with young readers and getting those books on the shelves. They were always willing to recommend a good book for someone looking for something to read. I wish I could remember their names, because they knew mine, and remembered what series I was reading (Oz books and Little House on the Prairie), and if I was late returning a book. I'm now in my late 40s, and I still have my very first library card that my mom printed my name on the back of because I was too young to write it legibly enough.

My heart aches for these kids who won't have that experience. I know funding for school can be tight, but have we really come to this?

[GMS]

My experiences in school libraries as a child are why I am a Youth Services librarian (public library) today. Thank you for this post, your books, and you.

[Amy Marshall]

I agree and I have had great experiences as a reader and as the parent of readers/reluctant readers. But I had to laugh a little at the last paragraph. Between my husband and myself we would only hire a pro to set a bone and only recently have we used a professional to do our taxes! Not sure what that says about us.

[Kim Aippersbach]

Hear, hear. Please, people who have anything to do with schools and kids, please hear this!

[Alysa]

My son's school just go ta new librarian and she is an absolute peach (a highly trained and friendly peach)! Very much looking forward to getting to know her this year, but a little bit heartbroken that my son is pulled out from his class to go to the gifted program right when his class heads to the library. :( Thankfully, students can go before and after school with a parent! (Not the same, but better than nothing.)

[Eliza]

The library really is the social hub of my school. Some people are only there for the computers or chess sets, but they're there. And sometimes they end up grabbing a book after all. Bookstores and amazon are great, but I meet most of my favorites in the library. I can remember the day I found The Goose Girl in my elementary school library. Third shelf from the wall in the back left corner. It was displayed on top of the shelf, which meant it was a featured book, and I might not have noticed it otherwise. Hooray for whatever librarian put it there!

[Christian Gibbs]

It sounds like the school board has appointed themselves as Librarians.

[kas stohr]

Nancy and Shannon-- yes, it has come to that. We tried everything to fund our school librarian. Now two of our 2nd graders are raising the money themselves!~ http://igg.me/at/drseuss At least they are learning along the way.