By Dana M. It was 11:00 pm. Wednesday of finals week and the last quarter of my senior year. My paper was due the next morning and I didn’t have a word on the page. I stumbled into the library in my pajamas carrying the heavy certainty that this moment of failure eradicated all my … Read more
By Susan J.
I had Curt in my Excel classes a few years ago. He had been laid off and seemed tense and quiet, but he was very serious about learning new skills for the jobs he was applying for. He came faithfully to classes for a while, but then we stopped seeing him around the library. We hoped that meant he had gotten a job.
By Barry M. I was a Boy Scout when I was twelve, and I needed to complete a 5 mile hike. The world was a safer place then, and my mother and father approved my hiking from our home to the public library downtown, a distance of exactly 2.5 miles. I loaded my pack with … Read more
By Dianna L. All of my life, I have loved books and libraries. In fact, I once applied to work in the library in my hometown and was told that it wouldn’t work as I talk too much. I spent 18 years as a hairstylist, which was okay, but I didn’t love it. When I … Read more
By Karen B.
More than two years have passed since I left hospital nursing. The words I penned in my farewell note to my obstetrics colleagues, some of whom I’d worked alongside for nearly twenty-two years, were bittersweet. I’m replacing the magic of birth with the magic of books.
Since then, I haven’t looked back. I now have the pleasure of working with two exceptional teacher-librarians at Hellgate High School. Daily, I’m touched by interactions with students and staff. Students’ impassioned “you have to read this!” recommendations have introduced me to books I would not have chosen on my own. I’ve had occasion to suggest books as well, not only the gut-wrenching, realistic fiction I gravitate toward, but other genres, too. Along the way, some students have confided heartbreaking experiences of their own.
By Darinlee N. One of my favorite things about working at my library is that I am allowed to put up my Spooky Doll display in one of the display cases every October. The first year I put it up, the students loved it so much, they asked if it could be put up again … Read more
By Anna J. I love libraries – always have, always will. Maybe it’s genetic. My parents both loved libraries – my dad especially. He always wanted to be a librarian, but it never worked out. As a result, he would constantly take his children to the local public library for books, activities, etc. In fact, … Read more
By Kristina Massari
Public libraries across the country are finding innovative ways to deliver value to their communities, including presenting high school diplomas to adult residents through Career Online High School, an accredited high school completion and career certificate program. Career Online High School is now available at more than a dozen libraries from coast to coast, with several launching this month, and has graduated its first library students.
By Gina O. As a middle school level girl scout leader, I can share first hand how valuable the public library is to eight middle school girls. As the library is the hub of all media, we periodically meet on site in the library to help learn about media types and its role in providing … Read more
A look at a current news item through the lens of different titles available on GVRL.
By Michelle Eickmeyer
This week, I heard recount of trying to explain to someone in Mexico, who was off Monday for a federal holiday, that our “holiday” on Monday was not quite the same thing. Yeah. No. From the outside looking in, this must seem one of the most ridiculous things we Americans have done yet. (I’ll let you in on something, as an American, I wouldn’t have much to argue with you about that.) On the first Monday of February, a rodent predicts the weather. It’s covered by the news. Punxsutawney [punk-suh–taw-nee] Phil, the most major of the rodent forecasters, rules from a rather comfy perch in Pennsylvania. There are other groundhogs, including this one in Wisconsin who bit the mayor (who is fine, so it’s ok to laugh at it). The principle is simple: if the ground hog does not see its shadow, spring will come early. If it does, winter continues for six more weeks. Practically, its a lot more ‘show’ than that. I also find it interesting that you never hear reports of a groundhog forecast in the south or west — is Groundhog Day a northern/eastern observance only? (Any comments on that welcome!)