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[CCBC-Net] Life-changing librarians
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From: Kathy Johnson <kmquimby>
Date: Wed, 24 May 2006 18:08:47 -0400
My life-changing librarian was Sue O'Brien. Back in the days before confidentiality, in our small town library the circulation cards from the books, dated, went into a pocket with your name on it. The pockets stood in upright ranks in a deep drawer that was divided into two sections, one for children and one for adults. One day, when I was in sixth grade, Mrs. O'Brien announced, with a certain sense of occasion, "I think you belong in the adult section now." She lifted my pocket and transferred it over. I've always thought it was significant that the first time I felt grown up happened in a library.
Kathy Quimby
At 05:15 PM 5/24/2006, Linda Leopold Strauss wrote:
>I have loved this topic. I, too, had a life-changing librarian--in Melrose
>Park, Pennsylvania, some sixty years ago. I learned to read very early, and
>when my parents took me to get a library card, the librarian said I couldn't
>get a card till I went to school. When my parents explained that I could
>read, she agreed to test me: my father sat me up on the high circular
>check-out desk (which was taller than I was) and I managed to read a sheet
>of paper on which were written the library rules. Victory! I don't remember
>if there was an actual written rule on that sheet of paper about not getting
>a card till one was in school, but if there was, that wonderful librarian
>broke it. She also broke other rules for me: first graders could take out
>one book at a time; second graders, two; etc. I always got to take out as
>many books as I wanted, and I remember going home with piles of the
>"colored" fairytale books, Red, Blue, Green, Silver. I can still remember
>exactly where they were on the library shelves. What bliss!
>
>
>
>Thank you, librarians everywhere!
>
>
>
>Linda Strauss
>
>
>
>
>
>Linda Leopold Strauss
>
>
>
>A Fairy Called Hilary (Holiday House, 1999)
>
>Really, Truly, Everything's Fine (Marshall Cavendish, 2004)
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>CCBC-Net mailing list
>CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
>Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
>http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
Received on Wed 24 May 2006 05:08:47 PM CDT
Date: Wed, 24 May 2006 18:08:47 -0400
My life-changing librarian was Sue O'Brien. Back in the days before confidentiality, in our small town library the circulation cards from the books, dated, went into a pocket with your name on it. The pockets stood in upright ranks in a deep drawer that was divided into two sections, one for children and one for adults. One day, when I was in sixth grade, Mrs. O'Brien announced, with a certain sense of occasion, "I think you belong in the adult section now." She lifted my pocket and transferred it over. I've always thought it was significant that the first time I felt grown up happened in a library.
Kathy Quimby
At 05:15 PM 5/24/2006, Linda Leopold Strauss wrote:
>I have loved this topic. I, too, had a life-changing librarian--in Melrose
>Park, Pennsylvania, some sixty years ago. I learned to read very early, and
>when my parents took me to get a library card, the librarian said I couldn't
>get a card till I went to school. When my parents explained that I could
>read, she agreed to test me: my father sat me up on the high circular
>check-out desk (which was taller than I was) and I managed to read a sheet
>of paper on which were written the library rules. Victory! I don't remember
>if there was an actual written rule on that sheet of paper about not getting
>a card till one was in school, but if there was, that wonderful librarian
>broke it. She also broke other rules for me: first graders could take out
>one book at a time; second graders, two; etc. I always got to take out as
>many books as I wanted, and I remember going home with piles of the
>"colored" fairytale books, Red, Blue, Green, Silver. I can still remember
>exactly where they were on the library shelves. What bliss!
>
>
>
>Thank you, librarians everywhere!
>
>
>
>Linda Strauss
>
>
>
>
>
>Linda Leopold Strauss
>
>
>
>A Fairy Called Hilary (Holiday House, 1999)
>
>Really, Truly, Everything's Fine (Marshall Cavendish, 2004)
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>CCBC-Net mailing list
>CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
>Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
>http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
Received on Wed 24 May 2006 05:08:47 PM CDT
