Category Archives: librarians

April 29, 2015   Stacey   fun, fundraising, inspiration, librarians, libraries, Stacey  
5

My small town wins big!

I live in a small town in New Jersey called Haworth (pronounced Haaworth). Like just over 3,000 people small. 1,100 households small. Most people have never heard of it, even people who grew up in NJ. I love my little town. Even more so because they recently raised almost $300,000 for a major library expansion that was facing a large funding deficit. Of course, I did my share. I donated money to buy a brick that will decorate a patio outside the entrance. And I offered to give a literary consultation to an aspiring author for a library fundraiser. But I was blown away when I saw this article about the fundraising efforts in a local paper, northjersey.com.

The time and energy these women put forth to creatively raise money for the library is nothing short of astounding. They started sending letters far and wide to anyone that had even a remote connection to Haworth.

They came up with a plan to contact the town of Haworth in England, home of the Brontë sisters, and the inspiration for our town’s name, who responded positively by buying a brick.

They got Anne Tyler and Ann Patchett, one of my favorite authors, to donate $700 between them.

Brooke Shields was raised in Haworth and bought a brick.

The SF Giants donated $500 because one of their early team members lived in Haworth.

Of course not all of their efforts were successful, but in the end they raised enough money for the expansion to go through. It was recently finished and looks amazing.

All I have to say is next time I have an author of mine in town, I am going to encourage them to come to the library for an event and get these ladies on board to sell books! If you have any great small town library stories to share, like my colleague, Eric, did last week on our blog, we’d love to hear them. This story makes me smile every time I think of it.

January 07, 2014   mhoogland   dialogue, fun, librarians, libraries, lists, Mike H, opinion, reading  
0

“Why are librarians so lonely?”

“They’re always by them shelves…”

Sorry about that. I thought I’d start this blog off with a little joke to break the ice, because what I’m about to write is a little nerdy—and to be honest, I’m a little nervous.

I love libraries.

Some people can read anywhere. In the subway. Walking down the street. Even at the gym while taking a stroll on the treadmill. I can’t. Or to be more accurate, I can—I just prefer not to.

Reading can be a powerful thing. Stories have the ability to transport us to a different place, a different time, allow us to experience life through the eyes of another and make us see the world in a whole new way.

And where we read has an impact as well. The world around us influences everything we experience, and in some of the more beautiful libraries, surrounded by rich mahogany and windows that let the sunlight of the world beyond slip through, in that quiet stillness, we are at peace and can truly absorb the words on the page in front of us.

Here are some snapshots of that type of elegant serenity I’m talking about:

 

 

 

Some more of the world’s most beautiful libraries: http://www.lovethiscitytv.com/top-10-most-amazing-libraries-in-the-world/

 

Oh, and on a lighter note, some more jokes for your reading pleasure: 

“Want to hear a joke about a library?”

“Sur-”

“SHHHH!”

 

“Why did the librarian slip and fall?”

“Because she was in the non-friction section.”

 

So, I was working in a library and this guy comes up to me and asks, “Do you have a bookmark?”

I said, “Yes, we have hundreds…but my name’s Mike.”

June 21, 2012   Michael   ALA, librarians, libraries, Michael  
6

Librarians

As a kid, the library was a huge part of my life. During the summer, my mom would take me every week to check out new books and return the old ones. I loved going. In the unbearably muggy Illinois summer, the cool library (imagine a time when everything wasn’t air conditioned) was a welcome respite, and the seemingly endless supply of books meant hours of entertainment during those long, hot days. My favorite part of the trip was always story time, when we’d sit on the colorful carpet and listen quietly as the librarian brought a picture book to life. Even writing this, I can smell the old books and hear the crinkle of the cellophane covers. It was a magical time for me.

So I’m excited to set off for the beautiful town (I’m psyching myself up!) of Anaheim for my first ALA. In the children’s book world, librarians are some of the most important people around–and I’m proud to be a part of a world that recognizes them as such. With kids’ books, “gatekeepers” like librarians and educators aren’t seen as the enemy, but rather as allies. They’re the front line in getting kids interested in the books that are being published, and when they love a book, stand back: they will hand sell it to any kid who’ll listen. Librarians often champion the books that aren’t the biggest, loudest and most commercial; they’re often the first to recognize under-read talent. When they bestow their awards, like the Printz, Caldecott, Newbery and others, they literally change lives overnight. And when they get excited, they get excited. These are some of the most passionate book people around, and knowing how poorly most of them are paid, you know they’re in it for the love of books.

It’ll be great to spend the next few days with my authors, publishing colleagues, and the great unsung heroes of the book world, librarians. Do any of you have great librarian memories?