What’s in the bag?

My boss tells the following story from her days as a reference librarian. One day a patron approached her and asked for a book about snakes, particularly snakes in that region of Florida. After she had retrieved some snake books, her eyes fell on the paper bag that the patron had placed on the counter. “What’s in the bag?” she asked. Continue Reading »

Why I hate the Accelerated Reader Program

Recently, a mother came up to the desk with her third-grade daughter. The daughter had selected a book about horses that she seemed very eager to read. The mother asked me if it was on the Accelerated Reader list. It was not. “Well,” she said, “there’s no point in my daughter reading this book if she can’t get points for it.” The child was then made to put the book back on the shelf. Need I say more… Continue Reading »

Reading on the job

I supervise four library assistants, and I encourage them to read as many children’s books as possible. My rule about reading on the job is simple: If we are slow, by all means read a book; but, it must be a children’s book. One of my assistants is a college-aged girl who recently discovered Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner. Skippyjon Jones is a Siamese cat who thinks he’s a chihuahua. It is hysterical. Continue Reading »

Spam Sandwiches

The Trap by John Smelcer grabbed my attention because of it’s cover. Drops of blood on the snow near an animal trap led me to want to learn more about the story. Survival stories can be quite riveting, and I was in the mood for a fast-paced and gripping read. The story, set in Alaska among a Native American community, is beautifully told. The grandfather’s fight for survival is excrutiating to read about because as the reader you feel his pain and frustration. Continue Reading »

Hi, I’m Joel and I’m an addict!

A few months ago, Allie recommended that I get some audio-books to help me pass the time while commuting to and from work each day. She selected the prequel to Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time Series, but neglected to mention that it was the beginning of a very long series. The next thing I knew, I was hooked. It was nice. Bad traffic was no longer a problem. No road rage for me. I would just sit and listen to my book. Sometimes I would remain in the driveway after returning home because I just couldn’t “put the book down.” Continue Reading »

Discovering Jane Eyre

As an undergraduate, I majored in English literature. Except for the grammar classes, I loved every minute of it. I read books I never would have read otherwise, like Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury. At first, I dearly hated that book. It was, I thought, impossible to read, but I pressed on. Today, I count it among my favorite books. Unfortunately, even an English major does not read everything, and somehow I missed the classic Charlotte Bronte novel, Jane Eyre. Recently, I stumbled upon Jane Eyre through the unexpected activity of Continue Reading »

Chicken Walks in to the Library - Ha! Ha!

A chicken walked in to the library, went up to the librarian, flapped her wings and said, “Bok! Bok!” The librarian reached behind her, grabbed a book, and placed it under the chicken’s wing. And, out the door, the chicken waddled.
A few minutes later, the chicken returned. She placed the book on the counter, looked at the librarian, flapped her wings, and said, “Bok! Bok!” The librarian shrugged, reached for another book, placed it under the chicken’s wing. And out the door the chicken waddled. Continue Reading »

Between the “O” and the “P”

Recently, I had the pleasure of hosting a class of kindergartners for a story-time and a tour of the library. I was reading the book, Curious George Goes to the Library by H. A. Rey. At one point in the story, Curious George rides a book-cart into a stack of encyclopedias. He goes flying up into the air with the books, then lands between the “O” and the “P”. As I read this line, I happened to notice Continue Reading »

No I won’t wear a Beaver costume

One of the hazards of my profession is that I am often approached by self-published authors, self-professed performers, and other similar self-promoters who want to do a “free” program at the library. This translates to: “I can’t get anyone to pay me to do this, but I’m sure I’ll be rich and famous if I can just get some people to notice me.” Don’t get me wrong. Continue Reading »