Except, as a general rule of thumb, the last place you would be if you were worth checking out, is in a Middle School Library; and, if you did somehow end up in a Middle School library, the Librarian and her assistant would make it as difficult as possible to find you, check you out, and keep you long enough to actually read. Additionally, they would make sure the library hours were set at time that make it the hardest to find you, they would then fine you, and if you did not pay them, they would have your report card until you did, and have your English teacher hound you to death over it even if your Mom and dad had no money for food. They would be sure to tell you that "They have rules," but they would be sure to show you that they really were not there to help you find any joy in reading. No, if I found you in a Middle School library, I would definitely know that I should not try to check you out.
LOL! If I was not happily married, I might have used a pick up line like this. However, the point of this Blog is a serious issue and thank you for stating it so clearly. Libraries are not places that middle school students enjoy. I teach at an inner-city school and there are no books in the library that my students can relate too. What happened to the joy of going to the library and leafing through books especially the new ones? Don’t you just love the smell of a new book? I have always wondered why middle school libraries have tables. Who sits in a hard wooden chair at a creaky old table to read and enjoy a book? Not I, how about sofas or bean bag chairs, or just a comfortable chair. Fines are usually for the books that students forgot in their lockers for three weeks and never actually read. What harm is there in keeping a book for an extra week? If libraries want to exist in our future there needs to be some changes.
So how then, does a librarian (who by the way loves kids, and loves to have them in the library) get books returned for the kids that are waiting for those books so that they may read them? This year I had students checking every day to see if the Stephanie Meyer books were turned in yet. Do I not have a responsibility to them as well?
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Except, as a general rule of thumb, the last place you would be if you were worth checking out, is in a Middle School Library; and, if you did somehow end up in a Middle School library, the Librarian and her assistant would make it as difficult as possible to find you, check you out, and keep you long enough to actually read. Additionally, they would make sure the library hours were set at time that make it the hardest to find you, they would then fine you, and if you did not pay them, they would have your report card until you did, and have your English teacher hound you to death over it even if your Mom and dad had no money for food. They would be sure to tell you that "They have rules," but they would be sure to show you that they really were not there to help you find any joy in reading. No, if I found you in a Middle School library, I would definitely know that I should not try to check you out.
that is so funny!
LOL! If I was not happily married, I might have used a pick up line like this. However, the point of this Blog is a serious issue and thank you for stating it so clearly. Libraries are not places that middle school students enjoy. I teach at an inner-city school and there are no books in the library that my students can relate too. What happened to the joy of going to the library and leafing through books especially the new ones? Don’t you just love the smell of a new book? I have always wondered why middle school libraries have tables. Who sits in a hard wooden chair at a creaky old table to read and enjoy a book? Not I, how about sofas or bean bag chairs, or just a comfortable chair. Fines are usually for the books that students forgot in their lockers for three weeks and never actually read. What harm is there in keeping a book for an extra week? If libraries want to exist in our future there needs to be some changes.
So how then, does a librarian (who by the way loves kids, and loves to have them in the library) get books returned for the kids that are waiting for those books so that they may read them? This year I had students checking every day to see if the Stephanie Meyer books were turned in yet. Do I not have a responsibility to them as well?
What I did was buy more books. They're kids. If they keep a book it's a good thing.
By the way, whatisup with
Anonymous?
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