Do you work with teens? Have an idea for a research project?

Help advance our profession by advancing your research! YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) is pleased to support the Frances Henne / YALSA / VOYA Research Grant, an annual competition that awards recipients $1000 in seed money to support small-scale research projects. The deadline for applying is December 1.

The proposed research must respond to YALSA’s vision, mission, goals, and research agenda; applicants must also be YALSA members.  Proposals are limited to two pages plus an additional page for biographical information. Full information about the grant and requirements for the proposal can be found here: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/awardsandgrants/franceshenne

The 2013 Henne Research Grant supported work by Drexel doctoral student Rachel Magee, who examined how teens use (or do not use) technologies, how the values and relationships surrounding teens and technology impact that use and what that means for the role of information in teens' lives.

Dr. Carol L. Tilley, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, chairs this year’s jury. She is joined by Robert Bittner, Simon Fraser University; Dr. Don Latham, Florida State University; Maribel Lechuga, Kitsap Regional Library; and Dr. Cindy C. Welch, University of Tennessee.

Carl A. Harvey II

Prior to my current position, I was a school librarian for 4 years in MSD Warren Township. I have a B.S. in School Media Services from Ball State University and a M.S. in Education (focus on Educational Technology) from Indiana University. I have been active and served in various leadership capacities in both national and state professional associations. 

Mostly notably I’m a past-President of the Association for Indiana Media Educators, Indiana Library Federation, and American Association of School Librarians. I have written numerous articles for professional journals and I am the author of 4 professional books published by Linworth/Libraries Unlimited.


ABOUT YOUR JOB

I am the school librarian at North Elementary School in Noblesville, IN and the Department Chair of libraries for Noblesville Schools.

As I enter my 15th year in the field, I think the most interesting think about my job is that no two days have ever been the same. I am always looking for ways to do what we do better the next time around. 

Carl A. Harvey II

So, even lessons or projects that we’ve repeated year after year are constantly being tweaked and adjusted based on feedback from teachers, students, administrators, and me. One of the elements I like the best about being a school librarian is that constant journey to improve and get better and better.


ADVICE 

The most important advice I can give is to build relationships. The key to school libraries (and really any type of library) is building relationships with your patrons. They have to trust you. For school librarians, it is building trust with administrators about how you move your program forward; it is building trust with teachers that you can teach their students just as well as they can; and it is building trust with students that the library isn’t yours, but rather there for everyone…especially them! When you have those links and connections, the possibilities of your program are limitless.

Dr. Gary Hartzell has said that principals know about librarians and libraries from their days in school. So, every new administrator I’ve had, I have tried really hard to paint the picture of what I think a school library today should be all about. I think that is part of creating that 21st Century school library is creating that vision and then going full force to implement it.


JUST FOR FUN

As far as breaking stereotypes, I can remember interviewing for my first job, years later the principal said she saw this young guy get out of the truck, and she said, “Surely this isn’t the guy coming to interview for the librarian’s job!” I was…and I got the job!


E-mail Carl at carl@carl-harvey.com


And if you haven't liked/followed the Blog over at our Facebook page, I hope you'll take a moment to do that too! 

Janet Spaulding

After working part time for the Indianapolis Public Library as a page and a clerk with the summer reading program while I was in college and library school at Indiana University, I joined the staff full time in 2002. In 2003, I became a children’s librarian at a branch and, three years later, in 2007, the page supervisor at the branch.


ABOUT YOUR JOB

Janet Spaulding

Since 2010, I have served as the juvenile and teen collection development librarian for the Indianapolis Public Library. I work with library staff to maintain these collections and am responsible for the selection of new materials.

What would most surprise people about your current job?

When I tell people what I do, their response it to tell me how great it must be to be able to sit and read books all day. I wish!

How do you stay current?

I am constantly reading a variety of review journals and professional journals. I have a number of websites that I look at regularly to stay up-to-date on what is popular in entertainment for youth of all ages. I follow about a hundred blogs that cover a variety of perspectives – author blogs, review blogs, pop culture blogs, blogs written by teens, and blogs written by fellow librarians. Most important is word of mouth – I love talking to kids and teens about what they are reading.

How do you measure success?

Much of my selection of materials is driven by patron demand. I spend a lot of time reading about trends and about future releases, trying to select titles that I think will appeal to my patrons. Success for me is looking in the catalog and seeing that the items that I have selected are checked out or that people have placed holds on items. I also love it when kids come and tell me about a book that they got from the library. 

[After Janet sent her responses to these questions, she shared the following anecdote on Facebook: I worked the reference desk at Central this afternoon. It absolutely made my day when I heard a little voice behind me say, "Mom, look! It's my favorite librarian!" When I turned around, I found myself receiving a big hug... I love being someone's favorite!]

JUST FOR FUN

Paper or digital?

While digital options are very popular, I still love paper. For me, the act of holding the book and feeling the paper is an important part of the reading experience.


E-mail Janet at jspaulding@indypl.org 

And if you haven't liked/followed the Blog over at our Facebook page, I hope you'll take a moment to do that too!

Scholarship Opportunity for Youth Services Students

If you are pursuing a master's or advanced degree in children's librarianship, the deadline for applying for two fantastic ALSC scholarships is approaching: Bound to Stay Bound Books (Four awards of $7,000 each), and Frederic G. Melcher (two awards of $6,000 each).


Applications are due March 1, 2013. One application can put you in the running for both awards if you choose.


Application information is on the ALSC site:
http://www.ala.org/alsc/edcareeers/alscschol/scholarship_specifications

Janet Vogel

Janet Vogel and Muzzy
(P.S. Janet is the one on the right)

I graduated from the University of Illinois’ LEEP program (online MSLIS) in 2008 and was fortunate to find a professional position before graduation as a Children’s Services Supervisor for Frederick County Public Libraries, where I have worked ever since. Before that, I spent time as a library associate at a suburban Chicago library as well as in a variety of museum and academic library positions. I also have an MA in Public History, which has opened up a number of doors. In addition to my full time job, I am currently an adjunct instructor of history at Messiah College thanks to this second MA.


ABOUT YOUR JOB

As a Children’s Services Supervisor, I currently work at the main branch of our library system and directly supervise 6 staff members and one Early Start Bookmobile manager. In addition, I serve as part of a 3-person Children’s Services management team to make systemwide decisions about children’s services, such as planning the Summer Reading Program.

What would most surprise people about your current job?

I am really busy, and I always have more to do than I have time for. I currently have about 1500 unread emails in my inbox (see below about managing time – obviously I haven’t quite gotten there yet!) Hopefully, by the time you get to library school, you realize that librarians don’t just read for a living, although I do occasionally page through a picture book to see whether it is suitable for storytime. 

Many children’s librarians spend time outside of work keeping up with reader’s advisory, making just one more flannelboard story, or catching up with email. So if you want a 9-5 that you can leave at the office, this might not be the job for you. 

However, I can honestly say that I love my job, and it’s because I love it that I want to spend time reading blogs or sending just one more email. You will be busy, but it will be incredibly rewarding to have a job with such a big impact on children in your community.

Oh, and I had a life-sized Justin Bieber cutout in my office for about 2 months. Before that, it was the Count from Sesame Street. (If you didn’t know, you can buy them online, or sometimes get them donated by local businesses.)

How do you manage your time? 

Online calendars are my friend! I have my work calendar synchronized with my phone and pop up reminders to tell me what I’m doing and when. I receive about 200 emails a day, and I’m still working on managing that in a smart way. So far, I have tried categories, flags, and lots of folders. 

It is important to find the right balance between things like email and the physical things like meeting with your staff and working the reference desk. As a manager, I always end up with a lot of meetings that pop up or situations to handle on the fly. I try to handle as many things with quick face-to-face chats to limit my emails.


Who is your greatest ally and why? 
My director. He may not be a children’s librarian, but he understands the importance of building a base of library users from birth. As a result, he is very supportive of our department, which trickles down through management. Knowing that the director thinks your work has value helps you when you go out into the community to build partnerships as well.


What’s the best (or worst) part about working with young people? 

Best: finding the right book for that kid who “doesn’t like to read anything.” I once had a 5th grader tell me that I was the best librarian ever because he had never found a book he was excited to read. If that doesn’t make you smile, I don’t know what will.

Worst: when kids get sick. I once had a child throw up on the carpet in front of our computers. I did not enjoy cleaning that up.

ADVICE

What’s the best piece of professional advice you’ve been given? 

Ask! This is two-fold advice. 

First, don’t be afraid to step up and ask your colleagues (or even someone you couldn’t imagine talking to like a “famous” librarian) for advice or to collaborate with you. I’ve yet to meet a librarian who isn’t willing to at least answer an email or spend a few minutes talking to you, even if they are busy. 

Second, if you have an idea, ask if you can implement it. I really love my current position because I am allowed to try new things and see what happens. If you don’t ask, your idea definitely won’t be implemented, but if you do, you might just get the green light to go ahead and try!


How can you get the most out of attending conferences?

It’s really hard, but you have to talk to the people around you. When you sit down, resist the urge to sit in an empty row. Sidle up next to someone who looks friendly and introduce yourself. You never know when your next big idea might come from chatting with a new colleague. 

Also, the networking opportunities are amazing. Even if you think you will never leave your current job, it is great to know librarians from other areas. I believe this is one of the greatest benefits of library school; I met dozens of wonderful people who now work across the country, and I regularly “see” them via social media where we collaborate, share ideas, share articles, and just encourage one another. You can expand this network via conferences as well!


How do you respond when someone asks you, “Isn’t everything online?” 

Sure, there are a lot of online resources out there, but I know that no one can replicate the social experience of an in-person storytime (fuzzy puppets anyone?) or the texture of a touch and feel book. I think this is why library usage statistics continue to rise even in an online world. 

I grew up using a card catalog, and I would never go back (online catalogs and databases are incredibly useful!). There are many facets of the online world that I appreciate, and it definitely makes research across the country much more useful. 

Our role as librarians is changing in some ways, but the fundamental tenants stay the same: we still try to get you the information you need from a reliable source; we still provide reader’s advisory; we still provide community programs. Some of them are just online!


JUST FOR FUN

You can have any superpower; what would it be? 

I have always wanted to fly. I am always on the go, and I would really like to get everywhere more quickly. My colleagues can attest to the fact that I never move slowly! I also commute about an hour to my current job, and I like to imagine that flying would be a good way to get there.


Email Janet at janetevogel@gmail.com

And if you haven't liked/followed the Blog over at our Facebook page, I hope you'll take a moment to do that too! 

Andy Plemmons

[A note. I asked Andy to share his insights with you after reading an article he authored recently for Knowledge Quest. The article, "Opening the Space: Making the School Library a Site of Participatory Culture" (September/October 2012), highlights Andy's child- and learning-centered approach to school librarianship. I hope you'll seek out the article to read, as Andy's doing terrific work and more people need to know about it. You can also learn more from the related webinar notes.]

I am currently in my 12th year of teaching. I began as a 3rd grade teacher at Colham Ferry Elementary School for 7 years. Then, I transitioned into my role as the school library media specialist at David C. Barrow Elementary for the past 5 years. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, a Master’s in Children’s Literature and Language Arts, and a Specialist in Instructional Technology/School Library Media.

ABOUT YOUR JOB

I am currently the School Library Media Specialist at David C. Barrow Elementary in Athens, GA. I serve students PreK-5th grade on a flexible schedule as well as lead the use of technology in my school. 

What’s the best (or worst) part about working with young people? 

I love the fearless nature of students. When teachers are afraid of trying new technology, students show them that when they are given the space to play and explore, they can discover ways that technology and information can be used in education. 

I love the excitement generated by students when they are able to create information and then push those new creations out to a global audience. 

Andy Plemmons

How do you stay current? 

New technology, literature, etc. are created every day so it’s impossible to keep up with everything. Instead, I try to constantly model what it’s like to be a lifelong learner by talking aloud with students and teachers about what I’m doing to answer questions I have. I, of course, attend professional conferences, but I also read multiple blogs & journals as well as connect with other educators on Twitter. Developing a professional learning network is the best way to individualize my professional learning rather than rely only on what is offered at conferences. 

Who is your greatest ally and why?

I can’t just name one. First, my principal. I’ve been blessed to have two wonderful principals while I’ve been at my current school. They understand the importance of flexible schedules, collaboration with teachers, the role of the school library/librarian, and constantly look to me for leadership in technology and information. 

Families are also a big ally. I’ve learned that by presenting at PTA and inviting families to volunteer in the library that families begin to understand the many roles that I play in the school, which in turn develops families into big advocates of our program. 

Finally, I think students are becoming a big ally. I’ve worked to be more transparent with students about my hopes for our library and I think they are beginning to realize that a library is more than books. When they fully understand this, I think students can be the most powerful of allies. 

ADVICE

What’s the best piece of professional advice you’ve been given? 

To really decide what matters most and devote my time to those areas. This advice has been very important this year because I no longer have a library paraprofessional. We also don’t have a dedicated instructional technology specialist at our school, so the demands for my time are constant and hard to manage. I constantly have to step back and make decisions about what gets my time so that it doesn’t affect the most important thing, which is my students and their learning experiences.

What’s worth fighting for? Why? 

Anything that involves student learning and their equal access to resources. I like to talk about barriers and bridges. When I see a barrier to students accessing what they really need in order to do their best learning, I think about what bridge I can help build to get over that barrier. I think being very public about the kinds of learning that takes place in our library is a great way to build a foundation for courageous conversations about internet filtering and access to updated technology. 

How can you get the most out of attending conferences? 

Being an active participant is crucial. So often, you attend a conference and the sessions don’t necessarily match what you need as a learner. However, when I attended my first AASL conference, I saw how using Twitter to connect with attendees helped me experience the entire conference without physically being in every space. The unconference feel of a learning commons at a conference allows multiple people to present their expertise without the formality of proposals and approvals. 

JUST FOR FUN

How do you defy the librarian stereotypes?

I try to do the opposite of every one of those stereotypes. Just by being a librarian, I’m already defying the stereotypes because I’m certainly not a shushing little old lady with glasses and my hair in a bun. Seriously, though, I hope that by modeling what a librarian SHOULD be and making our library program public through my blog that I’m slowly challenging people’s past experience with librarians. I hope my students will be the generation that grows up to understand librarians and libraries as something completely different than what their parents experienced. 

On a side note, this April I plan to crowdsource a poem with my students tentatively called “Our Library is not a Quiet Place” because I have heard the phrase “remember.....the library is a quiet place” way too many times this year from teachers and substitutes!

Email Andy at plemmonsa@clarke.k12.ga.us

Coping with Tragedy and Giving Back

(Updated, 19 December 2012)

This post is a departure from the interviews that you will normally find here, but like many of you, the events in Newtown, Connecticut are much on my mind. 

Rather than offer my opinions, which won't fix anything, I have collated some resources that may help the young people with whom you work cope with the confusing, horrifying events there. 

Additionally, you'll find links to some sites that are providing financial and other material support to the Newtown community. 

If you know of other helpful resources, please feel free to add them in the comments section.

In great and loving thanks for all of the teachers, librarians, parents, and children I have known 
- Carol

Coping Resources

• PBS - Strategies for Talking and Listening, http://www.pbs.org/parents/talkingwithkids/news/talking.html
• National Association of School Psychologists - School Safety and Crisis Resources, http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/index.aspx
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network - Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators, http://www.nctsnet.org/resources/audiences/school-personnel/trauma-toolkit
• National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement, http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/service/n/school-crisis/default/
• Killing Monsters: Why children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes, and Make-Believe Violence - Gerard Jones, http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Monsters-Children-Make-Believe-Violence/dp/0465036961
• Connecticut Commission on Children, http://www.cga.ct.gov/coc/Newtown.htm
• GalleyCat - Library Books to Help Kids Talk about the Newtown Tragedy, http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/library-books-to-help-kids-cope-with-newtown-tragedy_b62488
• Helping Children and Teens Cope with Trauma, http://sparkaction.org/content/help-healing-web
• Fred Rogers - Dealing with Tragic Events in the News, http://www.fredrogers.org/new-site/par-tragic-events.html
• KidsSource - Developmental Considerations Concerning Grief, http://www.kidsource.com/sids/childrensgrief.html
• Allen County Public Library - Parents' Primer Booklist on Death, http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/children/primer.html
• National Council of Teachers of English - Responding to Tragedy, http://www.ncte.org/responding

Giving Resources

• United Way of Western Connecticut and Newtown Savings Bank, https://newtown.uwwesternct.org/

The Newtown School Board is requesting that all donations be directed to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund in care of the United Way at the above URL. Checks can be mailed to: 

SandyHook School Support Fund
c/o Newtown Savings Bank
39 Main St
Newtown, CT 06470

• Teachers Paying Teachers - Sandy Hook Memorial Project, http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sandy-Hook-Elementary-Memorial-Project
• Evergram - Messages to Families, http://www.evergram.com/post-message/our-broken-hearts-2542/?utm_campaign=subdmn
• Newtown Memorial Fund, https://www.facebook.com/NewtownMemorialFund?ref=stream
• My Sandy Hook Family Fund, https://everribbon.com/ribbon/view/10076

Kelly Keefer

Reading Circle (Clipart)

Being a librarian is my second career. Prior to getting my MLIS in 2006, I held business positions such as marketing manager for publishing companies, and product/project manager for an e-learning company. I earned my MLIS while working full-time, then help on-call and part-time librarian positions at local Bay Area libraries until I found a full-time position with the City of San Leandro.

ABOUT YOUR JOB

Currently, I am the Senior Librarian, Youth Services, for the San Leandro Public Library, which serves a community of about 80,000. My job runs the gamut from storytime to children’s desk shifts to school outreach and planning/running the summer reading program.

What would most surprise people about your current job? 

When I tell people I work in a library, they almost always respond with something to the effect of “I wish I had a quiet job like that.” I don’t think they understand just how noisy a library is on storytime days and on weekday afternoons!

What are your top three responsibilities? 

Managing programs, services and the library’s collection for children ages 0-12 and their families. I also supervise the teen librarian who handles programs and the collections for ages 12-18.

Where do you see yourself making the biggest difference? 

I see storytimes, school tours, or anytime I work directly with children, as a great opportunity to make the library seem like a friendly place that welcomes kids and their families. Creating a positive experience goes far in getting that child or family interested in a second visit. I also love having the books and readers advisory tools that will allow kids or parents to find that great next book that will keep them interested in reading.

ADVICE

What’s the best piece of professional advice you’ve been given? 

If you are planning to be a children’s librarian, make sure you like working with kids AND their parents, and make sure you can work evening and weekends! Many people are surprised by the hours they have to work at a public library, but evenings and weekends are often when services are most needed.

What’s something you wish you had known when you started out in this profession?

I wish I had more training in dealing with difficult patrons, including the mentally ill, or just plain angry. It can take some time before you find the right approach for working with the various types of patrons who use the library. I recommend the book “Diffusing the Angry Patron: A How To Do It Manual for Librarians, 2nd ed” for all libraries.

JUST FOR FUN

What fictional character would you most like to be for a day? 

Hermione Granger

Read...and share!

Original image at http://www.julieanovak.com

Here's a challenge leading up to the new year: make this blog bigger and better!

In the (almost) three months this blog has been live, a dozen school and public librarians have shared their stories. People have clicked through to its pages more than 3,000 times! Our Facebook page has more than 200 "likes."

There are many more stories to come and I want even more people to read them. Why? Because our stories matter. It's that simple.

My challenge to you - this blog's readers - is this:

1) Tell your peers, colleagues, students, instructors, principals, and trustees about the For the Future: What Today's Youth Services Want the Next Generation to Know. Share the blog (and/or its Facebook page) via Twitter, professional listservs, e-mails, blogs, snail mail, and more. You can use this handy shortened link for the blog page, http://bit.ly/TOOdiV, and this one for the Facebook page, http://on.fb.me/UKa523 

As I did at 200 "likes," I'll continue making a donation to a reading, literacy, or library-related cause at each 100th like. I'll also make a similar donation at the 5,000 and 10,000 page views for this blog.

2) Share your stories! Do you have advice, cool ideas, or something else about your life as a children's, teen, or school librarian that you want to share? Let me know. E-mail me and I'll work with you to share your stories. Perhaps you know other librarians whose work inspires you: share their name with me so their stories can be read too.

Thanks for reading and for being part of this new adventure.

-Carol

Sam Sednek

I graduated from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana in August of 2011 and have since been working as the Teen Services Librarian at the Haverhill Public Library in Massachusetts. Prior to grad school, I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the southern African country of Lesotho as an English teacher and community library developer. I'm a big fan of getting teens to create content not just consume it and I hope to continue working in libraries striving to add digital media centers to their list of services. 

ABOUT YOUR JOB

My current job is a little of everything. My library is short on people and long on jobs. I do reference, help with the website, do some children's programming, all teen programming and teen collection development.

Teen Services is really a do anything, do everything job. I was hired to “handle the teens” but was given a lot of leeway on how that gets done. So, I've done rocket launches, added computers to the Teen Area, am working with teens on painting benches, can't wait until the next outdoor capture the flag game, love working with the robotics club, and hope that the upcoming Beautiful Creatures movie stirs up as much book excitement as the Twilight and Hunger Games franchises did. 

Who is your greatest ally and why?

The head of children's services, my boss, was the last Teen Services librarian in Haverhill. The assistant director of the library was the Teen Services librarian before her. I've got a lot of administrative support and it helps me get far. 

How do you stay current? 

People often forget how useful the internet is...I mean, it is full of adorable cats memes and endless flash games but if you work with teens half of that can be turned into a program. I read blogs that interest me (io9, 4YA, Lifehacker, Jezebel) and then I turn as much of that into a program or activity for my kids. It has worked pretty well so far! 

How do you measure success? 

On the last half day of school, I was working on a new booklist at my desk when five kids made their way over. “Sam! What are we going to do today?!” was the call...and I knew I had some level of success. I got kids running from school to the library to do stuff. What's better than that?

ADVICE

What's worth fighting for? Why? 

Money. Budget cuts are everywhere but if you can build a program that brings folks into the library and has them leave with a) library materials and b) a smile on their face, you've got it made. Apply for grants even if they're scary and time consuming because once you start getting outside funding your possibilities become endless. 

How do you respond when someone asks you, “Isn't everything online?” 

Well, it pretty much is and we're heading further in that dirction, so when I get that line the first thing out of my mouth is, “Absolutely! Have you seen our awesome new databases?” Folks think everything is on Google but if you have one or two good databases up your sleeve you can show them the one-stop shop isn't Google but your library's webpage.

JUST FOR FUN

What fictional character would you most like to be for a day? 

Honestly? I read a lot of dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction. Most fictional characters have really awful lives and I'd pretty much pass on all of 'em. But, I do sort of like the crazy medieval world in R.L. LaFevers' Grave Mercy so maybe I'd be Ismae...after she learns how to kill people. 

How do you hope to spend your retirement? 

Wait. What? Librarians actually retire? 

Paper or digital? 

All of the above. The more formats we have the more people we can reach. There's no losing scenario there.

Email Sam at sednek1@gmail.com


And if you have enjoyed this interview, please continue reading! Better yet, come join us on Facebook and you'll be the first to know when there are new interviews posted.

Dipesh Navsaria

My undergraduate majors were biology and English Literature, followed by a master’s in public health in health services. I then went to physician assistant school and practiced as a PA for a few years in outpatient pediatrics before going to medical school. It was in the midst of medical school I went to library school with the intention of learning more about children’s literature.

I am now an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin, spending about half my time in primary-care pediatrics at a community health center and the other half of my time doing a blend of advocacy training, early literacy promotion, and medical education/advising. I am the medical director of Reach Out and Read Wisconsin as well. It keeps life interesting!


ABOUT YOUR JOB

Why would a physician want an MLS? (Or, why would a librarian want an MD?)

I went to library school expressly to learn about children’s literature. I did - but I also learned a lot more. I learned that information-seeking behaviors and techniques (particularly around medicine) were not unique to medical education — reference interview is not all that different from medical interviewing. In a sense (if you ignore the performing of “procedures”), medicine could be considered a highly specialized form of librarianship.

Most people are surprised to learn that I was not a librarian before I went to medical school, but that I specifically intended to go to library school during my medical training.

Who is your greatest ally and why?

Public librarians. They give information away as a public good without question. The focus is always on “how can we serve our patrons best” without being unduly wrapped up in questions of profit and financing. Health care could learn a lot from public libraries.

How do literacy and librarianship fit in your current job?

A good part of my time is spent on programs which train health care providers to encourage families to share books together with their young children as a critical aspect of well-child care. It is critical to expose children to the foundational aspects of literacy early in order to build brain development so that they are “primed” for learning in preschool and beyond. As I am fond of saying, Books Build Better Brains!

ADVICE

What’s worth fighting for? Why?

Fight for what you know to be true. Keep repeating it. It’s taken a few years, but the notion of giving books to children as a key component of health care is finally gaining traction.

How do you help parents and other adults understand the value of sharing books with children?

In clinical practice, I give the book directly to the child and watch what they do with it. I can perform a lot of my developmental assessment just by observing. (I’ve said that I’d rather walk into a well-child visit with a young child without my stethoscope than without a book – I learn a lot more from the book!). 

I then comment on what I see to the parents and use that as a springboard to discuss home reading, bedtime, school and the like. I then print out a “prescription to read” on their after-visit summaries to highlight the point.

What can youth services librarians learn from medicine / medical practice?

What you do is critically important. I think too many librarians think that they “only do” something “nice” but not “important”. You are so much of the education and health care infrastructure that I rely on to help ensure my patients develop well. I trust and rely on your core values of public service, privacy, and being non-judgemental.

You’re a bulwark of what makes our society great, and you directly work with and influence the lives of children. Start acting like it, and start asking for what you need to fulfill that mission.

JUST FOR FUN

You can have any superpower; what would it be?

Almost-infinite persuasion. With careful advocacy, we collectively can accomplish virtually anything. (And I say “almost” because there should always be checks on anything.)


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Betsy Bird

I've been a children's librarian with New York Public Library (NYPL) for the last nine years or so. I am currently NYPL's Youth Materials Specialist.

My blog A Fuse #8 Production is hosted by School Library Journal (SLJ). I review for Kirkus and sometimes the New York Times and I've written the ALA Editions title Children's Literature Gems: Choosing and Using Them in Your Library Career. My picture book Giant Dance Party is out with HarperCollins this April 23rd and I've a book with Candlewick in the Fall of 2013 on the true stories behind your favorite children's books.

ABOUT YOUR JOB

What would surprise most people about your current job?

Well, in my current position, I'm one of two people who purchase all the materials for kids and teens in the NYPL system. One thing that tends to surprise folks is that a system as large as NYPL has centralized ordering, but that just makes sense when you're buying for 86 branches. Other people are unaware that Brooklyn has its own library system and Queens another. I only buy for Manhattan, Staten Island, and the Bronx, but there's more than enough to keep me busy.

What are your top three responsibilities?

I suppose those would be the actual purchasing of materials and managing requests from my librarians in the branches. I also make a lot of site visits to the aforementioned 86 branches to help with the collections, get a sense of what neighborhoods are reading, and generally support the people who work with New York's youth. Finally, I help to make the lists that make NYPL great - everything from our annual "100 Titles for Reading and Sharing" (a list we've made since 1911) to the summer reading list.

Betsy Bird (Photograph by Sonya Sones)

How do you stay current?

To keep up with pop culture I subscribe to Cynopsis Kids which is a daily media newsletter which encapsulates all the wheelings and dealings in the industry (as well as a sense of what the top watched television shows are and what future shows and movies for kids will be). 

To keep up with instruction my library system does a slambang job at providing training for all its employees. Going to library conferences also helps a great deal.

Keeping up with technology is, to a certain extent, a case of letting the folks with the new projects approach us as a library system.

And keeping up with literature is a breeze when you read the best children's literary blogs out there (bookshelves of doom, 100 Scope Notes, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, etc.). I also read my SLJ and Kirkus cover to cover each month, subscribe to listservs like child_lit and ccbc-net, and when I have time I attend publisher previews provided here in NYC for the local librarians, which gives me a sense of the upcoming seasons. Plus I read and review quite a lot.

ADVICE

What's the best piece of professional advice you've been given?

Pick your battles. Granted, I got that advice from an episode of That 70s Show, but I figure it still stands. Generally speaking, you have to get the lay of the land before you start kvetching about things that are wrong here and there. Complain about a dinky little squabble and you may find yourself out in the cold when the real battle comes and is worth fighting.

What's worth fighting for? Why?

It comes down to two things for me: the staff and the young patrons. You fight for the staff, the ones who go above and beyond the call of duty as well as the ones who do their best and fill the necessary seats. You also have to fight for the kids, supporting them and making it clear that our child and teen patrons deserve only the rarest kind of best in their literature and the programs we provide.

What's something you wish you had known when you started out in this profession?

Find a way to remember names and faces. I had no idea it would become such a huge part of my job. Remember not only the regular patrons who come through the door, but also the other librarians, information assistants, managers, and clerks in your system. A good memory is worth its weight in gold so if you're not good at this particular skill, find ways to improve it.

How do you respond when someone asks you, "Isn't everything online?"

Oh yeah. That happened to me once. A hedge fund manager at a literary gala.

First I mentioned that even if everything was online there are huge swaths of the public that can't go there whenever they want to since they simply can't afford it. 

Then when they start to mention the death of the printed book (and they will) you point out the statistics that show that in point of fact sales of ebooks have not affected the sales of print materials any more than the arrival of television destroyed movie theaters. 

We've patrons coming into my libraries asking for library cards for the first time because they realized we had ebooks. So it's a new segment of the reading public that's benefitting the most here.

And finally, have you ever tried to read a gorgeous picture book on a tablet? Dude, until they make a juice proof bit of handheld machinery that can stand up to a sippy cup full of Welch's grape juice, children's books are in no danger of disappearing print-wise.

JUST FOR FUN

How do you defy the librarian stereotypes?

Be funny. Weirdly enough this is the number one way I end up surprising people. Apparently we are humorless old harridans without so much as a droplet of amusement in our bones. Crack a joke and it does wonders for the occupation's image, I tell ya.

Email Betsy at Fusenumber8@gmail.com


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Like and Kids Win!

As I write this post, our Facebook page is at 99 "likes." Who will be out 100th like?! Better yet, who will be our 200th like? Spread the word, get your friends to like this page, and when we reach 200 likes, I'll make a donation to Reading is Fundamental (RIF)! Ready, set, go...

Annette Curtis Klause

Posting this interview is a special treat for me - and I hope reading it is a treat for you. Annette Curtis Klause is one of an intrepid cadre of youth services librarians who also writes for young people (other members include Beverly Cleary, Patrick Jones, and Ellen Wittlinger). Cheers!

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I have worked for the Montgomery County Public Libraries in Maryland for thirty years, many of them as head of a children’s department. During that time I have also had four novels for young readers published, and various short stories.

ABOUT YOUR JOB

Currently I work in Collection Management. I select the children’s fiction, picture books, DVDs, and Spanish books for 21 libraries, as well as graphic novels for the children’s, young adult, and adult collections.

What would most surprise people about your current job?

I get to keep hermit crabs in my office.

How do you manage your time?


Lots and lots of Outlook pop-up reminders. LOL. Also, a written yearly plan, divided by month.

Who is your greatest ally and why?


My co-worker who buys the other children’s materials, because she makes me laugh when things get tough, and she keeps candy in her office.

What are the most challenging aspects of your job?

Trying to please everyone on a limited budget.

ADVICE

What's worth fighting for?


Intellectual Freedom. Kids deserve to find the information they need without others getting in their way. Young people have the right to decide what they are ready for and find their own level. Ignorance stunts society.

What's something you wish you had known when you started out in this profession?


There’s a lot more to working in a public library than what you learn in Library School. Coping with difficult people (both the public and staff) should be a core curriculum class.

How do you respond when someone asks you, “You need a degree for that?”


I have a certain little gesture. Well, okay, I’m politer than that, but I do have a look that can stun.


How do you respond when someone asks you, “Isn’t everything online?”

I tell them no it isn’t and explain what the library can help them find in our databases and from the services we subscribe to.

JUST FOR FUN


What fictional character would you most like to be for a day?


Lucy when she was one of the queens of Narnia. I always wanted to go there and meet Reepicheep among others.

Email Annette at annette.klause@montgomerycountymd.gov