From: Susan Daugherty <kdaugherty>
Date: Sun, 20 Sep 1998 19:26:17 -0500

The teachers who look at this list are probably great readers or they wouldn't be looking at it. I have had the same experience over about 20 years in school libraries as Michele; most of the teachers weren't readers and didn't want to take their precious free time reading kids' books. Of course most librarians love books so much that they spend most of the free time reading kids' books, adult books when possible, and review journals are a duty but also a pleasure.

On the other hand, in my first job, one of my best library users was a reading teacher who grabbed every book I showed her and was the most wonderful person to work with ever. Her name is Barbara Plaisted.

In my current school in Madison, the teachers read much more than anywhere else I've worked, but I think time constraints would keep them from reading many book reviews. I myself am always way behind and have to go on binges to get caught up.

Looking at the "average" books on my list of considerations at the CCBC has been invaluable, for the reasons Ginny stated, but I don't always take the time to hunt them all down. Yes, of course, I have bought a fair number of books that have been a disappointment, but I don't think that there is any way around this.

I also buy all the books that teachers ask me to buy. My teachers do a lot of book selection for their units at the public library and at bookstores, even though we own 18,000 items in our school library.

Susan








Susan Daugherty Librarian Franklin Elementary School Madison, WI 53505

kdaugherty at madison.k12.wi.us
Received on Sun 20 Sep 1998 07:26:17 PM CDT