Weeding Books: Getting Your Hands Dirty in the Name of Progress

Before you panic- this is NOT a picture from HHS!

Any good library will update its book collection periodically. We call this weeding. Here at HHS we are beginning the lengthy process of weeding the Non-Fiction section. There are a variety of reasons we take books out of the collection-

• Outdated (happens often in Science & Technology sections)
• Damage beyond repair (sad but true, backpacks are often unkind to books)
• Low circulation (due largely to curriculum changes over the years)

As an avid reader and writer, it pains me to see books go, but when we clear space, the good materials we have remaining get more use.

Libraries are still fighting against the image of our services and offerings as being out-dated and unnecessary in the digital age.  To talk about weeding books appears, on the surface, to only perpetuate that image. Dynamic environments are in constant states of evaluation and adaptation. These processes move with more accuracy and speed when they're directed by trained and dedicated library staff. (I could name a couple people off the top of my head.)   

Even with budget cuts, I honestly believe this is an exciting time to work in a library.  Here at HHS, we're expanding our collection to include e-books for the first time. Our fiction section is the most current in the district and will be growing when our Spring book order arrives.  By far the most exciting news is that our reading-for-pleasure population continues to grow.

In addition to improving our collection, we're redecorating the LMC. The first wave of new furniture has arrived and hopefully by the end of February we'll be done with our beautification process. Please come by and visit us!

All of this just goes to show you, if you build it with teens in mind, they will come!

Banned Books: In the Hand of the Beholder

Welcome to the American Library Association's annual Banned Book week where we celebrate what it means to read in the United States!

In preparing for this post I looked up the 2012 Top Ten Challenged Books and was surprised to discover Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants series at the top of the list. With titles like Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy Part 1: The Night of the Nasty Nostril Nuggets (Pt.1) I can't fault people for being skeptical or concerned but given that the first book came out in 1997, I expected a more current title, with more graphic content (as compelling as nasal secretions are, we all know stickier situations exist).

Confession time- this librarian banned Captain Underpants in our home. Back in the day (early 2000's) when I read to my boys every night, I brought home one of the books because I knew they were popular, especially with boys. (Boogers!) I read one chapter and stopped. It wasn't that I minded the potty humor (As the mom of two boys how could I not?) but I hated the way the adults and kids spoke to one another. Neither side had respect for the other and that's what I wanted banned from the house.

Pilkey is a hugely successful author both commercially and critically, his picture book The Paperboy was a Caldecott Honor Book. His books continue to be favorites of school-age readers which shows me that had I been willing to finish reading an entire book of his, I might have read more. You could call what I did censorship, but I'd prefer to call it parenting.

The books that continue to be challenged (like The Hunger Games, To Kill A Mockingbird and most recently Ralph Ellison's classic Invisible Man) are as popular and relevant as ever. Why? It's quite simple- people connect to the characters and story. As a writer it's my job to create characters that readers can relate to and root for. It's the level of connection that creates bestsellers or classics. Captain Underpants makes kids laugh and gets reluctant readers to enjoy, perhaps for the first time, a chapter book. Is that a bad thing?

Books are a form of art and art is subjective, but all art tells a story. Sadly many of the stories about the human condition involve pain, war, death and a host of other upsetting topics. Keep in mind that where there's darkness, light will follow.

Parents should feel comfortable being informed and involved in  media choices for their own children. Just remember, the book that offends you might very well be a life-saver for someone else.

So Long, Farewell

August 2013 was a rough month in the book world with the passing of Elizabeth Peters on August 8 and Elmore Leonard on August 20. While they aren't necessarily household names for high school library patrons, I guarantee you they are for many adult readers and writers of all levels.

 

I've spent the past twenty-four years reading Elizabeth Peters' books. Her Amelia Peabody mystery series is my favorite of all. Set in the late 1880's, the books follow the hijinks of the Emerson family who are Victorian Egyptologists. The books combined my love of historical fiction, Egypt and memorable characters. I'm actually not a big mystery fan, believe it or not, I just like to show up to see what crazy shenanigans will occur.(I am never disappointed on this front.)

All writers are avid readers themselves. There are times when I read for fun and times when I read for the study of craft, but any time I read I pay attention to how drawn I feel to the characters. There's nothing better than when books feel like friends. Series books, so popular in Young Adult fiction now, are the best at evoking that level of intimacy.

Speaking of drawing in readers, everyone who has taken a creative writing class in the last twenty years has read Elmore Leonard's famous 10 Rules for Writing. Writers like to joke that there aren't any rules for writing, but Leonard knew differently. His tips are the ones I most often see quoted and referenced by writers of all genres. They are-

1.  Never open a book with weather.
2.  Avoid prologues.
3.  Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue.
4.  Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said”…he admonished gravely.
5.  Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose. 
6.  Never use the words "suddenly" or "all hell broke loose."
7.  Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly.
8.  Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.
9.  Don't go into great detail describing places and things.
10.  Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.

I've never read Leonard's crime fiction, but his words influence me as a writer. I suspect that many YA authors whose work sits on the shelves were likewise mentored by Leonard.

The way we're reading is changing, but the end product, the words on the page, is still the same. Only the right words will keep us engaged.

That's the power of great writing- words never die.

Tales From A Reluctant E-Reader

I have bonded with my iPad Mini and thus have begun bonding with the Kindle app and e-reading. As I've said before, I'm not an e-reading hater, I've just always preferred real books. I still do. But the time has come for me to venture a bit further out of my comfort zone for two reasons- access and portability.

In terms of access, more authors are releasing e-content. Short stories and novellas are making a comeback. Authors are enjoying writing short pieces, readers are thrilled to get new content of any length between book releases, so it's a win/win. I'm also noticing e-content for tie-ins to movie and TV shows. This year marks the 50th. Anniversary of Doctor Who and to help celebrate, the BBC has commissioned popular YA authors to pen stories about each of the eleven doctors. A new story is e-published each month until November when the entire collection will be offered in  book form. E-content makes giving readers samples or early access cost effective and simple for authors and publishers.

Before Spring Break I was forced to purchase an e-book from one of my favorite authors because Barnes and Noble ordered such a small quantity of her new release,  it was sold out when I went to buy it. My heart was set on starting the book that night, so I downloaded it. Did I enjoy the book more or less? Not really, but I can't say that I feel like I own it. If I can't grab it off a shelf  or have it autographed is it really a book?

I am the type of reader who travels with books. For a vacation longer than seven days I will take at least five books with me and likely purchase one or two if I happen upon a bookstore. With airfare baggage charges and weight limits, I realize e-books make traveling much easier.

As I add to my e-book collection I have decided to purchase some favorite books that I enjoy rereading more than once- everything by Jane Austen for example. I know I want to reread the entire Harry Potter series as well as the Game of Thrones series. These books are huge and heavy and seem perfect for e-reading except for one catch- I'd need to repurchase them. I own two of all the Harry Potter books already and all of the Game of Thrones titles. E-copies would set me back about $120 total. To be honest, I'd rather spend that money on new books.

Remember how we all had to replace records with CDs and then CDs with digital downloads? Tough choices!

The one aspect of e-reading that still concerns me is how it affects the discovery process. Avid readers love to walk through the stacks at a bookstore or library. If you've reduced your entire reading existence to what you download from a recliner in your family room, I guarantee you'll be missing out on discovering a new author despite Amazon's "readers who bought this, also bought-" feature.

Reading is still a multi-sensory  experience. I've seen students who got e-readers for Christmas spend less time looking at books in the LMC because they now just shop in the Kindle store. Yes they're finding some good books, but that seems like such a passive way to treasure hunt. Book covers and titles are designed to be enticing. A flat screen doesn't capture that in quite the same way in my opinion.

I know reading isn't dying but I can't help but feel that small parts of it are nearing THE END.

 

Go Ahead, Judge a Book By Its Cover- Or Title!

This is about a girl changing who she is to fit in at her high school.

On Tuesday, January 29, 2013 the LMC hosted our first ever Book Spine Poetry Slam with the juniors from Mr. Kluch and Ms. Harris' classes.

Poetry frightens most people, including me. All that figurative language and evocative imagery can intimidate the most confident person. But poetry is really just a different form of story telling not unlike a novel or a painting.

The idea behind Book Spine Poetry is to let students participate in creating verse in a friendly, fast and fun way. Classes were divided into groups of 3-5 and given six books. They could exchange the books with others from the book bank, but could only work with six at a time. They were given five minutes to create a poem using the titles of six books, read top to bottom. No add-in phrases allowed. Each group read their poem aloud and explained its meaning and themes.

To say that Ms. Orest, Ms. Harris, Mr. Kluch and I were blown away is an understatement. We had no idea what to expect from the students, this being our first time using the activity. As is often the case when you work with youth, you end up learning more from those you serve than the other way around!

Not only were the students energetic in their approach to the challenge, they rose above our meager expectations and drew a few tears with their poems. (Not ashamed!)

At risk of beating a dead horse, I can't stress enough how an activity like this wouldn't be possible without books in the Library Media Center! Students touched books, moved about the LMC, engaged with other classmates in their randomly assigned groups and created stories where there were none. (Like magic!) Not one item used for this assignment involved a device, a battery or access to WiFi. Technology is wonderful, but hands-on physical materials are just as valuable for meaningful learning.

So sit back and enjoy the genius of our HHS students!

   

This is one of my favorites from third hour.

A soldier's battlefield message to his wife. (Yeah, got to me too.)

They went with Faulkner for the theme and look at all the titles they found to connect to that last book.

All about feeling like you don't belong, but knowing there is a place that you do.

 Down Under, but not Australia, if you know what I mean. 

Isn't this one beautiful?

Checked Out on Checking Out Books

A library without books. Looks a bit sterile doesn't it?

Last fall I watched an episode of MTV's  sitcom "The Inbetweeners." The show chronicles the lives of four high school boys who reside on the outskirts of all social circles at their public high school. This particular episode featured an energy drink company sponsoring a makeover of the school library. When the new library was unveiled, the students and distraught librarian discovered that all the books had been removed. In their place were vending machines for the energy drinks, video game monitors and a bunch of Art Deco furniture.

I certainly had a few laughs when I watched the show and felt especially proud that some of the students protested the absence of the books. Then I forgot all about it.

Well I'm not laughing today.

This week the library world is a-buzz talking about a high school that has in fact removed its print collection from the space. It's now a learning center with tables, chairs and computers. The few print books that remain on campus have been distributed to classrooms for teacher supervised lending libraries. You can read the details here.

When I Google searched to find the article again for this post, I was shocked at how long it took me to find it because this bookless library thing is happening in several places.  Rather than being seen as a cause for public concern, this new model is heralded as progressive.  The word thriving is thrown around a lot.

I'll spare you a rant here (you can read my thoughts in the comments section of the article) but I will show you what isn't happening in these libraries but is happening here in the HHS LMC.

One English class has begun their poetry unit. Every day this week we've had students coming in looking for a poet to read and study. Because we are a full service LMC I was able to do this on Monday-

First I asked the student what type of fiction she enjoyed. Using that information I suggested a contemporary poet, Lucille Clifton.  I handed the young lady a copy of Ms. Clifton's work and then referred her to You Tube, where she could view video clips of Ms. Clifton reading her work. The student sat down at a computer and fifteen minutes later she return to the circulation desk and declared, "I really want to read this book now!"

And I was able to let her take it with her that very moment.

Yesterday a boy came in with an list of classic novels. He needed to pick one to read and did not appear too happy about it. He admitted that he rarely read for pleasure. The only descriptive word I could get out him to describe the type of book he might enjoy was adventure. So I took him to the stacks (where the books are) and we wandered up and down the Classics section. At first I wasn't sure what to recommend, but being near the books immediately put ideas in my head and within a few moments I had four suggestions. He took home a copy of Frankenstein.

A school library is a gathering place, an information source and a support center. We would be half a library if we offered only digital materials or print materials. I was able to give my students exactly what they needed because we have integrated all platforms for materials here in the LMC.

So why care about what's happening in a Catholic school library in the Midwest? Because if we don't pay attention to trends in libraries, if we don't advocate for the services and materials to make students successful, the people who make decisions will make one without all the facts.

If I Could Turn Back Time

Most adults say they'd never want to relive their high school years. It feels funny saying that considering where I work, but I think we all understand where the sentiment comes from. The teen years are a time of enormous change and development as you struggle to find your passion and identity. You survive by having good friends and something, a sport or hobby, that means everything to you.

For many of us that something was (often still is) reading. The transformative properties of literature are well documented. You can go anywhere, see anything, move about time and space and discover characters who feel more like friends than fiction. As a writer my main goal is to create characters people can relate to. When readers believe in and root for the characters, the reading experience reaches its zenith.

When I graduated from high school in blahblahblah19blahblah85blahblah the Young Adult book market had just started to take off. Children's Literature and Classics dominated the library back then. I was too old for Nancy Drew and too young for say, Jacqueline Susann. I devoured everything I could find from Paula Danzinger to Lois Duncan. There never was enough.

Well times have changed. If anything would tempt me to turn back time, it would be for the books. I can't believe the choices the kids have today. I don't think reading ever became unpopular, but if I had to pin-point when it became visibly popular again, I'd go with when the second or third Harry Potter came out. And it hasn't slowed down since.

The YA Holy Trinity of publishing success are the Harry Potter series, the Twilight series and, more recently, The Hunger Games trilogy. In between these are thousands of other series or single titles that cover everything from Greek heroes (Percy Jackson series), more wizards (Nickolas Flamel series), fallen angels (Hush, Hush and Fallen series) to engaging realistic fiction titles (by John Green, Sarah Dessen and Gordon Korman) and more dystopian societies than you can shake a stick at (Maze Runner trilogy, Matched trilogy and don't forget all the zombie apocalypse books). 

Maybe it's a good thing I didn't have this many choices when I was young; I never would have left the house. To focus on quantity isn't the right approach however. The quality of the writing and the complexity of the narratives can stand up to many adult novels. You certainly don't have to be a teen to enjoy these books, which is the good news.

The bad news? At my age, I lack the stamina to pull off a reading all-nighter. It will take years for me to catch up on all the hot titles our HHS students love.

Better get started!

***A big thank you to the students, parents and faculty who generously donated books in our Second Annual Amazon Book Drive. We received about 40 titles, many of which have already been checked out, returned and checked out again. We couldn't do what we do (and have as much fun doing it) without your support. ***

Beating the Books Blahs

 Have you ever looked inside your closet and thought you had nothing to wear even though the closet was full of items? You start trying on clothes and putting together outfits but nothing fits, looks right, feels right or makes you appear 10 lbs. lighter? At this point your body temperature begins to rise, signaling an imminent meltdown. Shouting occurs, perhaps a throwing of the offending garments across the room and most certainly the gnashing of teeth. It isn't pretty.

It might surprise you to know that the same thing happens to book lovers. While there's no official name for this malady, I like to call it Transition Trouble.  

Transition Trouble is a dangerous affliction that affects your ability to dive into a new book after recently finishing an engaging one. In my case, I read new novels from my favorite authors all summer and then became stuck in the middle of a second book in a trilogy that seemed to be limping along. I decided to take a break from it (something I rarely do) and discovered two new fiction titles that I had trouble putting down.

It's been about ten days since I finished that last book and now I'm the one limping along. Everything I pick up feels wrong. I even requested two books with Jane Austen themes from the public library, but unfortunately they both centered on Mansfield Park, my least favorite of her work.

I've discussed this problem with other book lovers and found that it happens to everyone at some point. And we all appear to have the same fix- the palette cleanser. This is a favorite book, reread many times, that serves to clear your head and settle anxiety (because now you're worried you'll never find another new book you want to read). My palette cleanser is Pride & Prejudice. I can open it to any page and immediately begin to relax. After two or three days I've calmed down enough to pick up something new.

So last night I grabbed my worn copy of P&P (I own several) and waited for it to work its magic on me.

And I waited.

Nothing.

I'm now in four-alarm crisis mode. I HAVE NO BOOKS!

Yes I realize this is a gross exaggeration considering I work in a library and own at least 1,500 books but believe me, I have no books right now. Nothing is appealing to me and I'm getting worried.

The first thing I did this morning was log into Amazon and look up the titles I'd read recently and loved. Amazon's "Customers Who Bought____ Also Bought ______" feature is a fabulous way to discover new authors.  I searched and searched, then opened a new tab for the Scottsdale Public Library. As I found potential good reads, I requested them from the library or, if they weren't available, added them to my Amazon cart. In the end I requested 8 titles, ordered 3 and will stop by the library on my way home from work today to pick up one book that was on shelf and waiting to go home with an avid reader.

I'd like to think that between 14 books coming my way in the next week, at least one of them can rescue me from this malaise.

Has this ever happened to you? What's your favorite palette cleanser? I might need some suggestions!

Out With the Old & In With the New- Students That Is!

I remember what a let down the first day of my senior year in high school was. Until I walked on campus that morning I hadn't realized how many of my good, dear friends graduated. The campus felt odd without them and I don't think I ever quite recovered; my senior year was my least favorite.

Such is the dilemma at the start of a new school year.  In the first weeks of school many of the grads visit campus to say goodbye before they leave for college, so we almost feel like they haven't left. But now, as the holiday weekend approaches and we're past the beginning of school it hits me that some of my favorite peeps aren't here anymore.

On of the great joys of working in the LMC is that 99% of the students who come in want to be here.  It's rare when we have an issue with a student beyond showing up without a pass or getting caught with an handful of food. Ms. Orest and I get to know the kids quite well and enjoy all the tidbits they share about their lives and activities.

The first few days without some of our regulars can be quite jarring because in their places are these new faces who don't seem to know anything about the LMC (yet). They need help with everything it seems- Where's the printer? How can I use a computer? What do you mean I can't eat my lunch in here-it's lunch!

When I'm just about ready to pull my hair out, one new freshmen will approach the circulation desk and utter the magic words, "Do you have (random book title)?"

And in an instant I'm not seeing a stranger but instead a fellow book lover.  

Our schedule in the LMC is so busy now I don't have time to lament over which students have graduated and left the building. I've memorized the faces and reading habits of many new students thus far. I have a wonderful young man who comes in every morning to check out a new book. I hope we can keep him well supplied during his HHS years!

I believe that those of us drawn to careers in education need the renewal that comes from the start of a school year. It's a new beginning, a fresh opportunity and a wonderful time to get to know some incredible students.