There is something special about libraries. I might be biased; I used to be a librarian after all. Walking into a library, even a speciality library in an area I don't read, is like stepping into a warm blanket. They just smell good too.
There is something wonderful about people who work in libraries too. (Again, I'm probably partial) These are people whose lives are devoted to the printed page and cultivating that love in others. As an English teacher, I feel very much like we are in related fields. I viewed my move from Librarian to English teacher, in fact, as more of a lateral shift. I still work with and around books, I just work more closely with fewer people.
It's a tragedy of the modern era that people don't use local public libraries enough. I have tons of students who claim they don't read because they can't afford the books. It's like a revelation to them when I point out that with a little planning, a library is a source of free books to read. Of course, in the age of immediate gratification, that "little planning" is the major hurdle.
This is why I'm trying to put together a program next year to get kids over to the local Library to the school. The closest library to the school actually has a youth librarian, which is super cool. I'm hoping if I can make it easier to get the kids to the library, then they'll actually learn how awsome they are. Lot's of moving parts though.
Wish me luck on that.
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