Ain't No Cure For The Summer Reading Blues

Last week, I had my very own little Summer Reading assistant. She (an extremely precocious 7-year-old) made the sign below and then, with a somber sense of professionalism, proceeded to walk around the children's floor with a clipboard, signing up other kids for the program. (I don't think she gave them much of a choice, to be quite honest with you. Subsequently, she got a lot of sign ups. So much for child labor laws!)

 

 

She also did the illustrations, saying to me: "The rabbit is a 'reading rabbit.' Get over it." SIR, YES SIR!

Yesterday she returned.

 

Kid: "I'm back. I'm going to do my job now."
 

Me (handing her the clipboard): "Okay. You're better at it than I am!"
 

Kid: "What do you expect? I'm a cute little girl, they love me."
 

Me (jokingly): "What are you trying to say, I'm not a cute little girl anymore?"
 

Me: "No, I'm saying you're not a LITTLE girl."


The truth hurts, my friends.

Anyway, even though we all love our jobs, summer is definitely a tough time for public children's librarians, especially if your library is short-staffed and under-resourced. I have no words of wisdom other than to say: like all the summers before, we WILL get through this one (although, unlike my little helper friend, I cannot necessarily promise that it will be fun. That's what bourbon is for).

Personally, I am going to try my best to have a positive attitude this summer (at least while AT the library), and think about the fact that summer reading actually is good for kids and we ARE making a difference, even in smalls ways, and even if we don't always know it.

Godspeed, librarians.

 

Stage Fright

Found this in the library. No idea who made it or what the context was. This was all it said:

 

 

 

I guess we all have stage "frieight" sometimes, but, luckily, admitting that you have it is the first step to getting over it. Good job, kid (whoever you are.)

When Kid Art Goes Wrong

Sometimes a kid at the library draws your picture and it's adorable.

 

And sometimes a kid at the library draws your picture and it's...not quite adorable.

 

Recently a couple of my tween girl regulars were hanging around the reference desk talking about horror movies (they both love them, as do I) and how they want to create a "haunted subway" for Halloween. The subway cars would rock and shake, rats and snakes would scamper and slither over the floor, and blood would drip down from the ceiling (although how that all differs from normal subway cars, I don't know).

I guess this conversation sparked something creative in one of the tween girls. She said to me:

 
"I'm going to draw you Tim Burton-style."

Me: "Oh boy."

 

Tween: "If I draw you weird, it's not personal."

Me: "No, of course not."

Tween: "I'm going to give you weird hair, like you're in an asylum. That's what I see when I look at you."

Me: "....."

This was the result:

 

No. No I would NOT like to play.

I don't know much about drawing, and even though this artist's rendering of me is not entirely Tim Burton-esque, I do appreciate what she did here and feel that she nicely captured my basic work persona: smiling, friendly, a little deranged. 

So wrong, it's right.

 

 

Let's Rally

Last week I attended a rally for NYC libraries at City Hall as part of Urban Librarians Unite. I didn't get to take many photos because I was holding a sign (below) for most of the rally, but I wish I had been able to, because there was a great turnout, energetic speeches, and even some bubble-blowing at the end. It was definitely one of the more fun, productive-feeling rallies I've attended and it gave me hope about library funding going forward. 

School Library Journal covers it better than I could here and the Epoch Times covers it here - both articles are worth reading for their discussion the kid speeches (is there anything more hilariously adorable than an eight-year-old in a suit and tie?) and also because they talk about the introduction of legislation for baseline funding for libraries, which would be GREAT. 

If you missed that rally, there's still time for you to attend some today, May 28th! It's the City Wide Day of Rallies, and there's stuff going on in every borough. Check it out. 

If you can't go to any of those events, be sure to tune into this live feed (provided by the Queens Library Guild Local 1321) starting at 11am today. They are going to be broadcasting peoples' short (30 seconds or less) testimony about why they love their libraries. 

And if you can't watch THAT, you can always sign one of the library petitions, which I will be shoving down your throat until we don't need them anymore. *BIG SMILE.*

Rally on, people!