Kneeling

I kneel a lot these days at work. The picture books (Easy Fiction) are my assigned area to shelve. On any given day I shelve two to four full book trucks of picture books -- hundreds -- in and around my other duties. And it involves a lot of kneeling, as the shelves that hold the books are low for the young children the books are intended. Often you can spot my head bobbing in the children's area as I walk on my 51-yr.-old knees, from one range to the next, while pushing along a stack of books, which are laying flat on the top of the shelves, with my raised arm. It is the very task with which I began my career in libraries, as a shelver while in high school. As I handle the books I remember my first experience in a public library as a very young child. My Aunt Judy, an elementary school principal in south Florida, took me to the Coconut Grove library and let me pick out two picture books. I was awed by the huge selection of colorful stories from which I was allowed to choose. I was entranced by books from the start. And I still am. They have opened up a world of ideas --- real and imagined -- to me and so many others. So I am honored to daily stock the low shelves of picture books for the children who come to the library. I am humbled by the richness that books and libraries have brought to my life. I am grateful to be part of the continuum of providing others with library materials -- to be a librarian. My vocation has provided me with a rich inner life, a comfortable lifestyle, and the opportunity to continue to grow and learn as I age. As I kneel to re-stock the shelves with returned picture books, I also kneel in appreciation and respect for all that books and libraries have meant to me and others.

Big Groups/Small Groups

I like doing programs in a room full of children and caregivers. I also like doing programs in a room with just a few participants. Both scenarios provide enlightening experiences. In doing library programs for a crowd, I learn what "grabs" the audience and pulls them together. And we can all enjoy the exhileration that comes with a focused, resounding, unifying experience -- when everyone is together, singing or clapping or laughing at the same moment. In doing library programs for just a few children, I can better discover each child's unique personality -- his/her gifts and challenges, so that I can better direct activities toward individual needs. A small group allows me to literally and figuratively get closer to the children and celebrate each inimitable little spirit. So I'm thrilled when the room is packed for a program. It inspires me. And when the weather is stormy and there are just a few participants for a program, I am delighted. Both allow me to learn and grow and tweak and get better at providing library programs for children. At the library I am currently working in, I get both, which is nice. Sometimes it's a zoo, sometimes it's a tea party. It's all good!

Advice for New Youth Librarians

TO INCREASE ATTENDANCE AT YOUR PROGRAMS: Bring in animals or serve refreshments. TO DECREASE ATTENDANCE AT YOUR PROGRAMS: Read book, after book, after book out loud until the program is over. Or no one but you is left in the room.

Returning

I've decided to return to my blogging life and to youth librarianship after a taste of supervisoryhood. You know, be careful what you ask for....I decided to move from being a large-ish fish, wearing too many hats in a very small pond, to a medium-sized fish in a larger pond, if that makes any sense. I'm looking forward to working with kids more and getting away from the politics and admininstrative stuff that was adding stress to and subtracting pleasure from my work life. There is always a trade-off, whatever direction you take. But change is a good thing if it keeps your heart open and your energies focused.