The beginning of the school year is one of my favorite times. Amongst all the new student confusion – where do I go for this, what do I need for that – appears the readers for the year. Without help from the staff, they search the online catalog and begin to read book spines to find a certain book. The reader then strolls confidently to the circulation desk with a couple of fictions in hand and a shy smile on her face.
I like imagining why the little smile accompanies the patron. I pretend I am them, seeing the library for the first time, and finding that great book to read. It is common for the latest in a series or current bestsellers to sit on our shelves waiting for readers while at the public library one has to wait in line for the same books. Naturally, all books are due at the end of the semester and sit ready to read by the beginning of the next.
I like to think the students have found favorite authors that afford the library some sort of cool points. Yes, it is my pipe dream to see them smiling because they are happy with our collection.
Unfortunately, there are only a handful of students who come to the library as recreational readers. More often I stand in front of a group of students during orientation who are just realizing our college has a library. I want desperately to place a book in the hands of these students that they will enjoy. How do you make the average student fall in love with books?
This is the question facing more and more librarians in the state of Mississippi. In an article in The Commercial Appeal by Dorothy Johnson, executive director of Shelby County Books from Birth, titled “Reading is powerful fuel for child's growth” she cites facts that make me excited. One such fact I now use during orientations. “Children exposed to books and reading during preschool years enters kindergarten with a listening vocabulary of 20,000 words, versus 3,000 words for those who don't have this exposure.”
Imagine the change our great state of Mississippi would undergo if we placed books in the hands of our kids before they ever hit kindergarten. Imagine my joy if I got 20 more readers at the beginning of a semester then 20 more the following semester.
Okay citizens of Mississippi. Gather your young ones in the car and head for the nearest public library. Go, get out there and celebrate Library Card Sign-Up Month in September. We need more readers!
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Library Card Sign-Up (copy)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
11 comments:
Amen - for every state and country int he world! That is a remarkable difference between listening vocabulary.
Is that not amazing! When I say it during the orientations I mostly get crickets and one hupf in the group. :)
How's the running program going? Sorry, I haven't been by to check. I'm doing 8:2 for 30 mins and one extra 5 minute run. Yay!
Oops! That bottom message is for BookFool! Hubby was teasing me about bifocs, but looks like he might be right cos I missed this up!
You make me feel guilty and wanting to hunt up my library card. We have a nice library, but the interlibrary loan isn't nearly as good as I'd like (I was spoiled when living in a university town out west). It seems most of what I want from the library, I have to get via ILL.
I love this post! You definitely see different reader attitudes at the different types of libraries.
I know! I think they should have a type of eHarmony site for books. Potential readers list various likes and dislikes and it "hooks" them up with books they may like. I'm always amazed how many people don't realize how many different types of books are out there. There really is something for everyone.
I'm sorry Sage. I do not wish to make you feel guilty. How 'bout I exempt you from having to dust off your library card. ;)
Oh, I have always wanted to live in a university town, Sage. What a luck dog you were! Maybe one day you will move back.
While I was librarian in Como I modeled my book buying on the public library in Oxford, MS. You might have been happy in our little town with the latest literature and nonfiction, but I stayed away from the political books. ;D
Oh, Tiffany, I miss the uniqueness of the public. These students aren't as needy as I like. I'm I sick?!? :D
Yes Amanda! What about an eHarmony for singles who love books? Would peeps be able to hook-up or would the computer do an "opposite attracts" logarithm?!? Guys are thinking, "stay away from the self-help aisle," and women walk fast pass the sci-fi area in bookstores. Might be interesting to see who completes me fictional/nonfictional-ly! :)
My boyfriend works in a high school library and he is on cloud 9 when students ask him for recommendations. And totally agree--it's adorable to hear stories of students who stroll through the stacks on their own and end up checking out an armful.
Yes, Rosemary! I also noticed while working at the Como Public Library (9 yrs) there was an ebb and flow of circulation, but it stayed in a 50 book range. When a stack totin' patron moved or died we thought the circ would suffer, but within a month someone new walked through the doors to take their place - kinda like they knew there was an opening. Cool, huh? :)
Post a Comment