So why am I librarian? Well, the books, of course! I love to read and have been that way as long as I remember. Back in the 4th grade, my amazingly wonderful principal, Guy Wilson, sat down by me one day and asked if I was happy, if I felt like I had friends - basically making sure I wasn't trying to avoid reality by reading. Nope, I just didn't want to stop reading. And I'm still that way.
As a librarian, I take joy in discussing books with students, making recommendations, and hearing them gush about their reading. I love to see the kids who are in every few days - maybe every day. It doesn't matter if it's short nonfiction, only sports books, only graphic novels and manga, only Erin Hunter's Warriors books. If they love it, I want them to read it.
We've become a culture where illiteracy is prevalent and aliteracy is often the norm. I have plenty of adult friends - even teachers - who confess to not really enjoying reading. My thought: they just haven't found the right book. I want to help change that. And it's not just because of books. It's about information in so many different formats. It's about access to information.
I want to help students learn how to find information and how to use it. I want them to be technologically literate. I want them to be confident in their ability to access and apply information and skills. Maybe it's in a book. Maybe it's in a magazine. Maybe it's online. I'm pretty sure it's not in a STAAR test.
So I'm going to keep reading. I'm going to keep listening. I'm going to keep recommending. I'm going to keep teaching and learning. Because I'm a librarian, and that's what I love to do.
Note: Recent events force me to note that the use of the word "book" includes literature in both print and digital formats. I love print copies, but I'm looking forward to expanding my own digital library. Nerd, yes. Snob, not as much.
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