January Reflections

Gayle Edelen January 30, 2017, 5 comments

Reflections January 2017

After the abundance of information received in Atlanta, there has been much to reflect upon. For starters, I was not expecting to be in the presence of folks who are so like-minded, at least not to the degree that I experienced.  I don’t have the language to express my gratitude that I didn’t hear anyone say, “At what point did it become the responsibility of the library to prepare kids for college”? Instead I was surrounded by folks who want the best for teens and want to be part of preparing our young people for college and career. 

Although the days in Atlanta may not have clarified the exact nature of my project, the time invested did reinforce the need for such projects and headed me in the right direction.

Since being in Atlanta I have read to eight elementary school classes, provided library instruction to four more classes, helped a group of students with a research paper, scheduled performers for Summer Reading Program 2017, sent out my “begging letters” for sponsors of performers, ordered books, cataloged, cleaned up after teens having snacks and hanging out in the community room worked on crafts with little people and added a few anecdotes to a journal I keep for when I get around to writing a book about my life in the library.  But something is different……..the lens has changed a bit.

Today in my library some middle school students were being a bit noisy while playing on the computers.  A staff member suggested that I speak to these young people and request that they quiet down a bit.  Before Atlanta I would have asked the young people to quiet down. Today, I declined. These young people had spent the day in school where they had to be structured, quiet, etc.  I asked the staff member if she remembered what she was like when she was in middle school.  Her expression was priceless! I promised her that the students wouldn’t be allowed to wreak havoc upon the library and I’m certain they have no intention of doing so.

I am honored to be in this position.  I am grateful for the opportunity, for the support, for the wealth of information provided in Atlanta and for the company of the cohort members. And I am a bit overwhelmed at the prospect of all that is to be accomplished in the next months.

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