15 Reasons to Date a Librarian

A librarian friend posted this on Facebook and I just couldn't help myself.  I had to re-post.

eHarmony has put together a list of 15 Reasons to Date a Librarian.

I particularly enjoy reason #15. Rarr!

I wonder if eHarmony has created similar lists for say, lawyers, accountants, nurses and the like.

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

10 20 of the Coolest Librarians

Last week, while I was busy keeping Austin weird, Flavorwire had two posts about "10 of the Coolest Librarians."  They'd only planned one post, but then commenters (who, sure, are probably mostly librarians) were all like "Hey, this librarian is pretty awesome too!  Spotlight her!" And Flavorwire obliged by creating "Readers' Choice: 10 More of the Coolest Librarians Alive."

I'd only ever heard of JP (we were ALA Emerging Leaders together), Nancy Pearl (I do not live under a rock) and those Desk Set gals (NYTimes article, perhaps?), but everyone else sounds pretty cool.  And I know about Urban Libraries Unite and the have seen the Lady Gaga library video, so that shows that at minimum, some basic internet research went into compiling the list.

As per usual, they were mostly public librarians who serve adults.  They get all the glory, while we school library and children's types who shape young minds and are the first exposure to libraries get nuttin'. Ain't that the truth?  But I'm not here to whine and complain.  Seriously.  Any time any librarian gets props for being an advocate in his/her community and gets a little spotlight it helps to show people all the different types of awesome a librarian is and can be!  So let's celebrate! Wahoo!

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

It's Possible I'm Just Over-Tired...

...but between this piece about a student's coming out speech (at my alma mater, Parsippany High School!), this NYTimes article about a genius children's librarian and the loving care that children have shown to a circulating American Girl doll, and this blog about understanding teens (minus preachy part at the end) I am just about all out of ability to function without tears streaming down my face.  Too much.  It's all too much.

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

A Search Engine With a Heart

A few weeks ago there was this image going around the interwebs...

Isn't it awesome?!?!

Here's what's even more awesome: artist Sarah McIntyre has made her images available for download as a COLOR POSTER for FREE!

Totally amazing.  I printed one and hung it in my office for daily inspiration.

Happiness is a workspace that energizes you!

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Kid Lit Ink

Every now and a again I think about getting some librarian ink.  Perhaps a little 020 (the Dewey classification for library science) on the inside of my wrist, or a quote from one of my favorite books.  No matter my visions for the future, Heather Warren, a children's librarian at the Philadelphia Free Library has me beat.  She has an entire kid lit sleeve.  Yeah, that's right.  Her whole right arm is chock full o' Matilda, Where the Wild Things Are, Le Petit Prince, The Giving Tree and The Phantom Tollbooth.  And she isn't even finished yet. That, dear readers, is a librarian.

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

School Librarians in Los Angeles Defending Their Jobs

In case you were hiding under a rock these past few years, let me get you up to speed:

• The economy collapsed and the mortgage bubble burst
• Wall Street was at fault
• There's no money to pay for public services, like schools and libraries
• Wall Street is back to record earnings
• Despite the economic rebound, no one is hiring
• Public employees are being laid off, asked to take wage cuts and blamed for everything

And that brings us to the present.  A present where school librarians in Los Angeles are being made to testify in court proceedings to defend their work as educators.  They're bringing in lesson plans and discussing their teaching methods, all in an attempt to prove that they are teachers.  Meanwhile, LAUSD is trying to prove they do not teach (because if they did, then they could be transferred instead of let go).

Say what?  Just because someone doesn't have a regularly scheduled class with a course name and description, that makes his or her teaching non-existent?  Even if that person prepares lesson plans and works with teachers to plan units and TEACHes the research process?  Anyone who has ever been anywhere near a school library will tell you that librarians teach.  And thankfully, this article sides with school librarians.

But naturally I have to rant about one tiny part of the article.  The last paragraph.  Why was it even written?  It just shows that the reporter is one of "those people" who hasn't been in a school library in quite some time:

It doesn't seem right to punish an educator for choosing the quiet and contemplation of book stacks over the noise and hubbub of a classroom or a gymnasium. But that's where we are in these strange and stupid times.

Quiet and contemplation?  Don't get me wrong.  I appreciate this article's defense of librarians, and the rest of the article is spot-on, but the closing paragraph shows that the author doesn't really know school libraries at all.  Hector Tobar, you need to come visit my library and tell me how much quiet and contemplation you get a chance to enjoy.  This joint is jumpin' with active, inquisitive students.  And I'll be the last person to shush them. 

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

I don't know how to put this, but librarians are kind of a big deal...

Even CNN knows it.

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Dear Aspiring Author: Enough With the Vampires

Everywhere one turns there's another vampire novel.  All these Twilight and Buffy imitations have gotten out of hand.  My friend (and fellow librarian) Kristie makes a simple request: Stop!


The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Looking Good: LibrariYAn's Wishlist

Everyone knows that a good librarian knows the collection, is master of the databases, and can find almost anything on the internet faster than you can say "I already tried Google."  But to be a LibrariYAn, you must also look great doing it.  It's about halfway between Christmas and my birthday, and it's cold outside, so I've been spending some time browsing the internet and compiling a wishlist.

This dress from Etsy needs to be owned by me.  It even kinda looks like the girl is standing on a pile of books!

Of course this dress would SELL OUT after I fell in love with it on Mod Cloth last night.  It may be called the "Art Instructor" dress, but I think it's perfect for a librarian as well.  Perhaps paired with these Library Science heels? (To be honest though, I'd probably wear it with cute ballet flats.)

I've been stalking Ikabags for quite some time now, trying to figure out which one to purchase.  They're perfect!  Lots of pockets and plenty of space for a book or two (or ereader...someday).  Plus, they're handmade and so stylish.  But which one do I want?

I'm also kind of in love with this jewelry from Aroha Silhouettes, including this necklace, made from reclaimed vinyl records, and optical illusion pin.

If only my salary as a middle school librarian permitted these purchases...

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

If Only I'd Married a Librarian...

We would've totally sent out these "Save the Date" cards...or maybe these...or even these.

Used stacks of our favorite books as centerpieces.

Put these little figurines atop our (ice cream) wedding cake.

But that's okay, because even though I didn't marry a librarian, I this will still look perfect in my office.

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Library School: Hurts So Bad

Too much of this video - fixing paper jams, the idealism of library students (which I still maintain!), the lack of understanding from outsiders as to why on earth anyone would want to become a librarian - rings true for me not to post this...



The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Private Companies Running Public Libraries

The newest fad in libraries isn't e-books, it's turning over the reins to private for-profit companies.  It's not widespread, but it's catching on.  As the New York Times reports, L.S.S.I. (Library Systems & Services - not sure where the I comes from) has taken over struggling libraries in communities across the country, with the goal of cutting costs and increasing efficiency.

Cutting costs and increasing efficiency?  That sounds great!  But how does it work, and how does a company turn a profit from a free public library?  For starters, L.S.S.I establishes a contract with the library's governing body.  Since the whole idea is to save money, we can assume that however much that contracted amount is, it's less than the preexisting library budget.  We can further assume that L.S.S.I. takes their cut right off the top, and divides the remaining funds for staff salaries and benefits, furnishings, collection development, etc., which means less money for those important expenditures.

One of the cost savings highlighted in the article is cleaning house on the library's current staff and hiring new staff (or sometimes the old staff) who will work for less money and less benefits.  Frank A. Pezzanite, the company's chief executive, espouses the belief that library employees work for "35 years and never have to do anything" before settling into a nicely pensioned retirement.  By getting rid of longtime dedicated employees, L.S.S.I. makes way for less experienced staff who will accept lower salaries and fewer benefits.

So here are my issues:

1. I resent the accusation that library employees, as a group, do not work hard at their jobs.  Just as I resent accusations that teachers, police, etc. don't work hard at their jobs.  In every workplace there are some that work tirelessly and some that do not.  Go-getters tend to climb the ranks and advance in their careers.  Those who don't work, tend to get fired.  Sometimes, yes, they sneak by, but that's no different from one place of employment to the next.  Every workplace has "that guy" that is never on-task.

2. Wiping the slate clean and cutting salaries and benefits will save a bunch of money upfront, but that only works at the beginning.  Those new employees, if they stick around, will continue earn more a little bit more each year, and thus cost the library more to keep, so costs here will go up each year.

3. Less money in the budget means fewer books on the shelves, diminished quality in the selection of materials and outdated materials.

4. The last quote in the article "We volunteer more than ever now." (from a library patron) makes me think that perhaps another way they're cutting costs is by not having enough staff to support library services.  Library volunteers are great and any library that has them is lucky, but they aren't a substitute to trained professionals.

5. I just don't see what L.S.S.I. can do for a library that a well-trained library director or consultant can't, unless it's really all about cutting costs by getting rid of union employees who "cost too much."  By having the library run by a private company, all union guaranteed benefits (salary, pension, etc.) are no longer available to employees.  And that saves money, yes, but it seems like the wrong way to go about it - taking money and benefits from your employees only to give most of it to a private company, just for getting rid of the union?

6.  I fear that there MUST be some other way this company is turning a profit.  Do they have proprietary software that you sign on to use as well?  Do they sell your patron records? What's the secret?

Note: I am NOT an employee at a public library.  I am not even an employee at a public school library.  I work for a private school, do not receive a pension, and am not a member of any union.

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

On Becoming a Librarian Serving Teens and Tweens

From time to time I receive emails, comments, and questions from folks who are considering a career as a school or young adult librarian.  They ask for recommendations on courses to take, books/articles to read and what it takes to be a LibrariYAn*.  In response, I've put together my words of wisdom below.  If you're one of those interested in becoming an awesome librarian, read on to find out how.  If you already ARE an awesome librarian, add your two cents!

1. Get to Class!
Most libraries require their librarians to have a Master of (Information and) Library Science degree.  When I first started classes, friends (intelligent ones with their own professional degrees) asked things like, "So you go to school for two years just to learn the Dewey Decimal system?"  I, of course, told them with a straight face, "Yes.  It's a very complex system."  But seriously, there's so much more to the degree.  In my program, I took classes on materials for children and young adults, where we read books, looked at the evolution of materials available for young people, discussed related hot button issues (think LGBT characters and "banned" books), and considered the plethora of media available for young people (table top games, video games, movies, music, etc.).  There were also classes on cataloging materials, organizing information, providing reference services and how people search for information (the answer to this: not in a very sensible or organized way - that's why we have librarians!).

2. Get a Job!
If you're considering becoming a librarian, it might be a good idea to spend some time in a library before you take the leap and spend all that cash on the degree.  Look into becoming a Library Assistant or Circulation Assistant.  If you've already begun taking classes, many libraries will hire you as a Librarian, once you've completed 15 credits.  I had a terrific experience working as a Reference/Young Adult Librarian at the library in my hometown.  Since I was taking classes while working I found that each week, as I learned more in class, I became a better, more knowledgeable librarian for my patrons.  I taught classes on Excel, chaperoned teen programming and answered lots of random reference questions.  It was a great opportunity to put what I was learning into action at work and then bring questions, thoughts, and ideas back to my professors and classmates at school.  I also took a turn volunteering as an intern at a high school library.  In this role I got to do things like weed a collection, assist with purchasing/collection development, hand-key records for new materials into the database and create and deliver lessons on the research process.

3. Get Reading (Watching, Listening, Playing)!
Especially if you want to work with children and/or teens, you MUST have a sense for the materials available.  There are thousands upon thousands of books to read, games to play, movies to watch, and songs to hear.  Start yourself off with something that you find interesting.  Several years ago, when I was getting a Master's degree in Teaching and working part-time at the children's department in Barnes & Noble, I just decided one day to pick up a little book called Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.  It was a slow day, and the cover looked interesting.  As a teen, I hadn't really spent too much time reading young adult fiction, skipping instead to V.C. Andrews and Agatha Christie.  The language and characters in Speak drew me in, and I was hooked.  Before long, I was reading Louise Rennison and J.K. Rowling.   By no means have I read everything out there.  I keep meaning to read Angela Johnson's The First Part Last, and Rick Riordan's Lightning Thief series, but it just hasn't happened yet.  Heck, I only hesitantly picked up science fiction a few years ago when I had to read Scott Westerfeld's Uglies for a class assignment.  And afterward, I kicked myself for being so closed-minded about what I would enjoy.  When it came time to watch High School Musical, compete in a Wii Rock Band tournament, or listen to Lady Gaga, I knew it was in my best professional interest to do so.

4. Get Connected!
No librarian is an island.  We need each other to be better at our jobs.  I may be the only staff person in my library most of the time, but my subscriptions to School Library Journal, Horn Book, VOYA, and Booklinks are invaluable tools that keep me up-to-date on new releases, technology and programming ideas.  I also spend a lot of time tending to my professional development by attending conferences like BEA and ALA Annual.  Back when I was in NJ, I was also fortunate enough to have met many other YA librarians through my involvement with the NJLA-YA Services Section.  I also keep an eye out for FREE professional development opportunities, like SLJ and ALA webinars.  And what blog post would be complete without me recommending that you check out librarian blogs?  Bookshelves of Doom, The YA YA YAs, and GreenBeanTeenQueen are among my favorites (though I have MANY more).

And that's all I have to say about that.

* There can be only one.  That job is taken by me, but luckily, I love talking about myself, so you can learn a lot about what I do here at this blog, and then emulate!

Challenges and Cover Changes and Librarian Songs, Oh My!

A bunch of random happenings learnt today:

Menifee Union School District in California has pulled copies of Merriam-Webster's Dictionary (10th edition) from 4th and 5th grade classrooms in response to a parent complaint. Turns out there are certain words in that dictionary that are "sexually graphic." I always knew Webster was a perv out to corrupt our youth!

Little, Brown has announced they will be putting new covers on the The Mysterious Benedict Society book series (which, btw, my 6th graders LOVE) in response to complaints* of "whitewashing" the character Sticky. Sticky is described in the text as having "light brown skin" and is even shaded in internal illustrations, but appears white as ghost on the book covers. I'd make a "sticky situation" pun here, but SLJ beat me to it. Alas.

Now, to close-out with something fun, FlavorPill brings us Mixtape: 10 Best Songs About Libraries and Librarians.

Awesome job, Leila for your activism on this issue!

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.