Librarian Pride

A blog about why we love librarianship, and what makes us proud to be librarians (or library staff, or archivists, or information specialists...). Submit your pride! (Avatar courtesy of thewordblog.)

[iworkatapubliclibrary]

Rhymes, Action

I was doing an action rhyme during story time

[ ♪ the itsy bitsy spider ♪ ]

when I glanced out the window and saw a patron running from the building 

[ ♪ climbed up the waterspout ♪ ]

with one of the library’s shopping baskets in his hand. 

[ ♪ down came the rain and washed the spider out ♪ ] 

I then saw our security guard run out the front door after him, 

[ ♪ out came the sun and dried up all the rain ♪ ]

motioning and shouting to the thief 

[ ♪ and the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again ♪ ]

who then put the basket over his head and pedaled away.

I didn’t miss a beat.

[oracleanne]

That’s a professional, right there.

[lez-brarian]

There are generally a few teens in the Teen Space when I leave for the day. Often they are hanging out and drawing, with help from some books and using some of the teen supplies. 

Lately, they’ve taken to neatly stacking the books/rulers/paper/art supplies on my desk when they leave, so I have less to clean up in the morning.

Without even being asked.

They give me hope for the future.

[infoneer-pulse]

Digital-lock vendors will tell you that their wares aren’t perfect, but they’re “better than nothing.” But the evidence is that digital locks are much worse than nothing. Industries that make widespread use of digital locks see market power shifting from creators and investors to intermediaries. They don’t reduce piracy. And customers who run into frustrations with digital locks are given an incentive to learn how to rip off the whole supply chain. If you’re a publisher, label, or studio, the answer is simple: don’t let companies sell your goods with digital locks on them. And if a company refuses to sell your goods unless they can put their locks on your products? Well, you can be pretty sure that those locks aren’t there for your benefit.

Cory Doctorow: Information Doesn’t Want To Be Free | TechCrunch (via infoneer-pulse)

[iworkatapubliclibrary]

Trippin, Road

A man approached the desk to ask for audiobook suggestions for an upcoming road trip. We talked for several minutes and he ended up with a few books to take home.

Me: “Okay, have a great trip!”

Man: “Thanks. I wonder if I’ll have nice weather for it…”

Me [typing the query into Google]: “Let’s look up the forecast right now.”

Man: “Wow, you can do anything. You’re a wizard!”

[englishproblems]

I deeply appreciate the live blogging of English Major Drunkenness. It's a trend I enjoyed during my undergrad. (I found a way to continue the fun: librarianship! More nerds who like drinking and unleashing our years of attention to detail!)

YO WHATTUP NEW FRIEND! I love that you love it. Also, thanks for being a librarian. I love libraries. FREE BOOKS!

[ananiujitha]

Petition: remove child-specific antipersonnel device from Welsh library

The Port Authority in the Welsh town of Milford has installed a “Mosquito” — a sonic weapon that produces tones that are mostly perceptible to children and teenagers — at the library, where it has been used during opening hours.

Hi, I can’t sign because I don’t live in the UK, but I have severe hyperacusis. I don’t think people should be subjected to sonic pain devices.

[clatterbane]

I’m an adult who can hear the fake mosquito whine obnoxiousness. I was also a kid who spent a decent bit of time in libraries.

The sonic pest deterrent approach specifically aimed at kids is nasty enough in general. This is the kind of respect and esteem too many people show for young human beings.

But, trying to run kids away from a LIBRARY? Plus anyone else with sensitive hearing? Whoever though that one up should have to listen to a sonic weapon they can hear, 24/7, for at least a month. I wouldn’t want them hanging around my building, either. :-|

[andreashettle]

Signal boosting.  I can’t sign it either (same reason, not in UK).  And I’m deaf so even if I were sitting in one of those libraries, I would be oblivious and would still have been just as oblivious even as a child.  But, yeah, I don’t have to know what it’s like to be annoyed by certain sounds (though I DO sorta know since I’m not completely deaf!) to see that this is really unfair to kids who may NEED a quiet space away from school or home to study or do research or just settle down with a good book.  If they’re worried about kids being rowdy or something, surely there are other approaches they could take to address that problem that doesn’t involve penalizing all kids for something only some of them are doing.

All this even before considering that people should be ENCOURAGING kids to go to the library, not chasing them away :-(

Hope this petition succeeds.

[tales-from-the-childrens-room]

We use this little card so much that it went from being being waaaaaay down in the bottom of my wallet to, like, right after my license and debit card.

a regular dad, handing over his library card to put his son’s favorite Steve Jenkins book on hold. (via tales-from-the-childrens-room)

[marissathelibrarian]

"Librarians’ values are as sound as Girl Scouts’: truth, free speech, and universal literacy. And, like Scouts, they possess a quality that I think makes librarians invaluable and indispensable: they want to help. They want to help us. They want to be of service. And they’re not trying to sell us anything."

Marilyn Johnson- This Book is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All (via marissathelibrarian)

[fandomforward]

Maybe our world doesn’t have magical owls that bring you invitations to go on adventures, but it does have libraries.

Andrew Slack – co-founder and Executive Director of the Harry Potter Alliance – in his keynote at the American Library Association’s Midwinter Meeting (via tcplteen)

[whenalibrarian]

I’m speaking today on behalf of the children’s services at our libraries. When my daughter, who has Asperger’s syndrome, participated in a reading group last summer, the other children were completely mystified by her behavior. Two young librarians in particular, [Names], made every effort to include her using the same activities. They read the same books. Each question, no matter how off-topic or randomly thrown, was answered with true compassion. The kids began to see her enjoyment for Frozen, her sadness over any dog who passed away in any chapter book, and how much she loves the color blue. At the beginning, she was called a Freak, Retarded, Stupid. At the end the words were Funny. Loves the movies. Has a cute dog. For the first time, my daughter wrote letters about making friends while she was at the program in the library. Sirs and madam, this is a woman who will grow up in your community. It is because of your public librarians that the people who will be her neighbors, her high school classmates, and her co-workers are beginning to know and like her… just as she is. Why do you want to cut funding for public libraries in our community? These are the people who are helping create our community.

When a librarian has to take out the tissues at one young mother’s speech during the referendum on closing two suburban branches of the public library. (via whenalibrarian)

[baeddelshinsgirl]

I support libraries with every fiber of my being, because in my past is a queer kid who survived because she found herself in a book.

[silencewhippersnapper]

So today was my first day back at work after the 4th holiday and my Austin vacation, and I really wasn’t looking forward to it because I’m still really congested and stuffy and gross.

But toward the end of my shift, one of our regulars approached the desk and asked for movie recommendations. She...

[porschelikethecar]

My hobbies include unconsciously but aggressively bringing up public libraries in everyday conversation and trying to convince people to visit more often.

Talking about our hobbies? HEY HAVE YOU SEEN THE EVENTS CALENDAR I KNOW...

[living-stories-living-libraries]

As a child I struggled with learning how to read. I was diagnosed with Dyslexia at an early age, and it showed. I couldn’t achieve the same reading speed as my classmates. This drove me crazy. It frustrated me to the point where I didn’t even want to touch a book anymore. It discouraged me from wanting to learn. 

One teacher took an interest in me. She sat me down in her office and took out a book on tape. Before she pressed play, she opened a paper copy of that book up to the first page. She handed it to me and told me to follow along. I struggled at first, but I got it, and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed reading again. 

Now this is where libraries came into the equation. Books on tape are awesome, but expensive. Other than occasionally splurging on the newest Harry Potter book on tape, I didn’t have the money to get the materials I needed. My teacher directed me to a section in my local library completely filled with books on tape for all ages. From then on I was hooked. I began reading more and more. With every book my speed improved. My local library ended up providing me with the materials I needed to excel.

This past May I graduated from The George Washington University with cum laude status. Without a caring teacher and a local library, I never would have gotten to far. Support you local libraries and please, donate any books on tape you may have lying around. You never know how much they might help a struggling child. 

[womanking91]

[joys-r-us]

[fatanarchy]

THIS IS WHAT ANARCHY LOOKS LIKE.

[atalantapendrag]

Hope for the future.

[gehayi]

This kid is incredible.

[whenalibrarian]

One day I’m going to be….. a pirate. Or a librarian. They both run around, like, doing strange things that nobody else can see, until suddenly [screams and flails arms wildly] AHA!!!!….. and then you know. Either a pirate or a librarian has been here, and it’s good. So good. Better. I like that. That’s what I want to be.

When a librarian overhears a rather innocent question from a parent to a child, which evolves into a complete validation of his career choice (via whenalibrarian)