From: Killeen, Erlene <Erlene.Killeen_at_Stoughton.K12.WI.US>
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2010 08:27:42 -0500

I'll share an interesting story from my long ago past ---



In the 80's I worked in an elementary library in Northern Virginia, a schoo l filled with kids from military families, families that hunted and target shot on weekends, etc. Each school in our district was offerred a free subscription to a little mo nthly magazine put out by the National Rifle Association and they sent us t he latest monthly issue with a card to return if we would accept the subscr iption.

I looked it over. It was full of 10year olds and an up kids hunting with t heir dads, boy scouts doing their thing, campers of all kinds, boys and gir ls, lots about gun safety, gear, animals, etc. at a decent reading level fo r 4-6th graders. I felt like it would appeal to my students and filled a n eed in my magazine collection as well so I said thank you and took the subs cription.

At the next librarians meeting (42 of us from all across the county -- big school district) others were just outraged about it. Seriously, yelling an d screaming about how awful guns are and how it was full of propaganda!! It was quite a scene. As I remember there were only two of us that were supp orting the acceptance of the subscription. The other librarian became my d ear friend, Nancy Zimmerman, who went on to be Dr. Zimmerman, serve as AASL President, and teaches at the U of S. Carolina now. It was the beginning of our friendship!

I share this because the real lesson I learned was that we need to be caref ul of our own personal prejudices. I may not like military machines, but m y second grade boys love to learn about the army, spies, and icky goo!! I t ry to get the best and most accurate information I can for them! READ on!!

Erlene Bishop Killeen erlene.killeen_at_stoughton.k12.wi.us Stoughton Area Schools 1601 West South Street Stoughton, WI 53589 608-877-5181
Received on Wed 22 Sep 2010 08:27:42 AM CDT