Monday Blurb: National Library Week

Today over at Market My Words, Shelli Johannes-Wells is kicking off National Library Week with Library Appreciation Day, with bloggers sharing stories about why they love libraries  Shelli also has some giveaways going AND a list of 105 reasons why everyone should USE their public library. Go on over, join the party! Here are some other things you can do.

• Join the Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge, hosted by Home Girl’s Book Blog.
• Purchase a book for your local school … it’s national School Librarian MONTH!
• Support and participate in Operation TBD (Teen Book Drop)
• Last but not least, contact your Senators to support library funding.

If you’re looking for creative ideas, you might also check out Marge Loch-Wouters’ post (Tiny Tips for Library Fun) about the Adopt-a-Book program at her library.  You may find similar programs in your own library this week; or check your local “Friends of the Library” chapter to see if there are opportunities to support your library.

Why do I love libraries? Because of the librarians. They turn a building into a living organism. Enter a library and it’s buzzing with life – people at the computer, librarians helping students or reading aloud to small children; kids looking through the shelves; and more. As I mentioned in my opening post for this year’s Share a Story-Shape a Future blog tour, librarians play a pivotal role in our community. No matter what your age or station in life, librarians help connect you with books … they guide you to places that are (literally) out of this world and they can show you the deepest depths of the sea. They’ll show you how to explore their treasure-filled institution and be as joyful as you are when you find that perfect book. I want to be a librarian someday. Why? Because I think the greatest gift we give our communities is sharing. IMHO, librarians are the models of sharing. It’s not just about knowing catalog systems and sorting books, it’s about connecting people with ideas., real and imagined, literal and creative.

When I was in college, I had a work-study job in the library. Over my four years and summers there, I did everything from book purchases and cataloging to binding and repair to circulation, and, of course, reshelving. And I loved every job. The librarians who worked in each of those departments were always enthusiastic teachers. They inspired me to take my English degree in a direction I had not even considered. I had always loved books and reading, but  had never thought about “playing” with books as a career. Fate has created a more circuitous course to my goal, but I am one of those people who trust the journey …

This year, I’ve gotten a little closer to getting back to the library. Every Monday, one of my volunteer jobs at my daughter’s school is to create the week’s library in her classroom. I explore the shelves in the classroom with the teacher’s personal collection and then I go to the library to return and/or check out new items. So each week, I get to explore all of the wonderful materials available to the kids and chat books with the school librarian. It is fascinating to see how she engages the kids and gets them excited about books. She is as passionate with the child who first arrives in the morning as she is with the last child to depart in the afternoon.

So today, I offer a heartfelt thanks to all of the librarians who give life to this joy we call reading!