Schools

Cute Answer From Freshman Library Orientation Survey

By Kelly B.  Recently, a fun answer came from a freshman during our Library Orientation survey. The question was “Are there any books that you think our library needs to have?” Most students answered with a simple yes or no or gave their favorite title. One student wrote a very thoughtful response to the question. … Read more

Escapism & Destiny

By Lynette M. 

All during my life, I was destined to be a librarian. I grew up in a tumultuous home. My parents were divorced and while I lived with my alcoholic mother most of the time, I was often in foster homes while she was trying to “dry out”.

I found that no matter which school I was in, what neighborhood I lived in or which family I lived with, I could visit the library and they were all the same. Different walls, different people maybe but the library itself was my friend. I could read a book and be lost in the movie that plays in my head with each book I read. It was escapism at its finest.

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I Had No Idea

By Kathy S. 

Having a love for reading my whole life, and two years experience as an elementary school language arts teacher, I was excited to return to my Alma mater as the new K-12 librarian. My first year, there, I was assigned a junior as a student aide.

She was a quiet, well-mannered young lady who was a conscientious worker and a great typist. We were still typing cards for the catalog by hand back then, so I showed her how to type the cards and assigned her to accession the new library books. She did such a good job, that the following summer, I paid her out of my own pocket to help me get the library ready for the fall.

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A Library Changed My Life

By Martha V.  I started working part-time in a very small (one-person) public library when my children were small. I hadn’t finished an even two-year college degree but the library didn’t require a degree. I loved working in the library, teaching people of all ages about the library and learning something new every day myself. … Read more

It’s In the Family

By Mark H. 

I grew up in a library, literally. Not long after I was born, my mother got her degree in library sciences along with a teaching credential for elementary school. From as early as I can remember, I was at my mom’s side as she filed the card catalog, re-shelved books, and managed the rudimentary computer lab in the library of the elementary school I attended. When my class visited the school library regularly throughout the week, I called the librarian “Mrs. Martin” instead of “mom” so that the other students wouldn’t find out about our relation. This was partly to deter favoritism, but it helped me feel like less of a square by all my classmates knowing my mom was our librarian.

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Why Libraries Matter

By Frank Menchaca

Libraries, it seems, are under attack everywhere. Schools are eliminating librarians. College libraries receive less than three cents of every dollar spent on higher education. Marketing guru Seth Godin— and a chorus of others—has questioned the relevance of libraries in particularly stinging terms.

But there’s good news too. Ninety-five percent of Americans believe that public libraries play an important role in helping people live more successful lives. Students who visit their college libraries even once a semester are much more likely to return to school the following semester than those who do not. According to the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, “the vast majority of readers aged 16-29 have read a print book in the last year.” And 60 percent of Americans under the age of 30 have used a library within the last 12 months.

The message is clear. Libraries—whether academic, municipal, or special purpose—are essential to the health, wealth, and education of the communities they serve. There’s no doubt libraries are challenged by funding cuts and bad press or that they need to beef up their marketing efforts, but the rumors of their death have been greatly exaggerated.

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My Favorite Place

By Tamara J.  Junior high is an awkward age for most children, and I was no exception. I was not invited into the circle of “popular” kids, and I did not want to be in the circle of kids making trouble. I did well in classes, but my teachers were the only ones that knew … Read more

Libraries Provide Educational (and Creative) Resources for All

By Farah F. 

I was listening to an interview on NPR with Regina Spektor one summer, where she stated that libraries are sort of a level playing field for everyone. Everyone deserves the opportunity to learn, to enjoy books and film, music, and research. Libraries help keep our communities educated, and allow these resources to ALL.

When I was a kid, we didn’t have a decent internet connection. Our house was on 5 acres of land. But we were required to use the internet for our projects in school. Needless to say, the library helped me with this. Even in college, I would look up my grades, pay my tuition, and more, at the library if I was back home for break.

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Finding a New Job

By Aaron C. 

I was in my 2nd year at GMI / EMI which is a school that had a calendar of 3 month CO-OP engagement, 3 months of schooling, 3 months CO-OP, and 3 months of schooling as a 5 year program. My CO-OP sponsor was in California and my family was in Michigan. I tried to lobby for a new CO-OP sponsor with the school but was told that in order to change sponsors I would need to find my own. I walked out of that office and straight to the library.
During the library introduction at the beginning of the semester I remembered them showing us the various company registries and how you could find any company in them. I spent hours pouring over the listings and creating a mailing list of the companies that worked in automation which is not only what I wanted to do but it applied to my degree program.

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