The Future of Reading

As a librarian it pains me to think that the end is near...well for the physical, made from paper books anyway. I love the feel, smell and texture of a book. I love turning the pages, reading and rereading the back cover, and looking at the picture on the front cover. However, is it a very real possibility. In the 8 years that I have been a librarian I have seen Non-fiction books, that used to be the staple of every library, fall to the computer database and , God forbid, Google. I have seen newspaper circulation drop significantly because people can get it on the website. Rather than flee from the ever changing technology, I have chosen to embrace it. I have cut my Non-fiction collection in half and all but eliminated the Reference collection. I have purchased the online databases instead of books. I still get newspapers, but that is more for the staff that refuse to read online. And I have focused and spent a lot of money on the Fiction collection. Not because I was told to by the state, but because that is what students wanted to read. I even purchased graphic novels, manga and comics. I may have to rethink this approach in the near future.


In the last two years, Amazon has reported that its number one selling item has been the Kindle. What is that? It's an eReader. In just minutes you can order, download and start reading books. Earlier this year, Barnes and Noble launched it's version of the Kindle, the NOOK. Both of these new technologies use an eInk screen that prevents eyestrain from your typical computer (backlit) screen. And of course there is the Apple iPad. It is so much more than an eReader, but it does have that capability. Just announced last week, Barnes and Noble announced the new NOOKcolor. It is a full color, touch screen eReader that you can download interactive children's books, graphic novels and browse the Internet. It is not quite as sophisticated as the iPad, but it is pretty cool either way. It seems like every few days I hear about a new eReader. Sony has one, Border's has a Kobo, and Sprint is coming out with one. This is obviously the wave of the future. So do I, as a librarian, buy in to all the hype? Do I devote some my library budget to these new fangled devices? You bet!

Many universities are moving to eReaders for textbooks. Northwest Missouri State University was testing this very option a couple years ago with the Sony eReader. One of the biggest draw for NWMSU was the cost. The eReaders themselves were under $200, but the books are much cheaper. For a bestselling novel, eBooks are usually right around $9.99. The hardback version can be as much as $25. Can you imagine the difference in a $100 textbook? That alone was a selling point for me. Now all I need to do is sell my principal…..

On a personal note, I have asked my husband for the NOOK for Christmas. I researched for a couple weeks both the NOOK and the Kindle and decided that the NOOK was a better fit for me. I liked the ability to lend books to my friends (assuming they have a NOOK). Public libraries are moving to a lending eBook system and most of them work with NOOK. As of now, none work with Kindle. I also liked that the NOOK can use several different file formats and the Kindle can only use one that is pretty much exclusive to Amazon. Right now, I am getting to the point where I don’t want to wait until Christmas. I really want it now. I’ve even started “buying” books on my Barnes and Noble account so I can read them when I get it. One feature that is really cool for both the NOOK and Kindle is you can set up an account and read your books on your phone or computer. Technically I can read the books now, but reading on my phone or computer doesn’t really appeal to me. Someday it may….

New School Year

It has been a while since my last post. To be specific, it has been four months. It's hard to write about the goings on in the library during summer break. However, a new school year is just about to start. That inspired me to think about my job. This is not the first time I have done this. The first 7 years of my career were as a classroom teacher. I used to teach science. This is the 8th year as a school librarian. While I miss the classroom at times, I love being a school librarian. I love having a group of new students every day. I love managing the library; ordering books and supplies, finding new technologies to share with teachers, and thinking of ways to increase circulation. And most of all I love the freedom to go to the bathroom whenever I want.


So what is new about this year? Besides the race to get kids to read more books and the challenge of putting together the best possible education for the smallest amount of money, not much. Although, this year marks the half way point in my career. It doesn’t seem possible that I have been in the business of education for 15 years. This seems to be a huge milestone, and yet there will not be a party or any way to mark this momentous occasion. No one has a half way to retirement party. So, I will do my job the best I can. I will help students, teachers, and administrators. I will do more than is asked of me. Why, because I love my job. I love summer vacation, but I am always eager to get back. I like getting up in the morning and going to work. I love the people I work with. And for the most part, I love the students I work with. I can’t wait to watch the first football game. I can’t wait to cheer for the basketball teams.

I am mentally holding up my glass and toasting to another new school year. May 2010/2011 be as rewarding as the last 14.

Mistress of Rome

There has rarely been a time that I have read a book and thought it was one of the best books I have ever read. I told you before that I usually have 2 categories for books. Well, I just read an OMG, I can’t put this down, book. It is by a new author in her debut novel. Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn is definitely the best book I’ve read this year. And that includes some pretty stiff competition from Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games and Kristin Cashore’s Graceling.

Mistress of Rome is the love story of a slave girl and a gladiator in Rome during the reign of Emperor Domitian Flavius. If you are a guy, don’t cast aside this book just because I used the words love story. Kate paints a pretty good picture of the violence and blood of the coliseum and the plotting of an Emperor’s assassination. If you are a fan of movies like 300, Gladiator, or the Starz TV series Spartacus: Blood and Sand. This is right up your alley. Not only does it have the violence of the coliseum, but the blatant promiscuity during the height of the Roman Empire.

The story centers around several main characters. Thea is a slave girl. She was captured as a child in Judea (yep, she’s Jewish) and made a slave. When the story starts up she is fourteen and has just been purchased to be the slave of a spoiled, rich fourteen year old girl. Thea is casually used by the father for sex, as are all slaves, and abused by the daughter for fun. Lepida is the spoiled, rich girl. Her father is in charge of the gladiatorial games. She has her father wrapped around her little finger and is an ambitious, conniving bitch. Arius is a slave and gladiator. He was also captured as a boy in Britania, and forced into slavery. He becomes the greatest gladiator for some time. As you can imagine, gladiators do not have a long life span, but Arius (also known as The Barbarian) manages to survive longer than most. He and Thea meet when Lepida decides that she wants him and forces Thea to deliver messages to him. Over the course of some time, they fall in love. Marcus Norbanus is an older senator. He is a powerful voice for the people and becomes the husband of Lepida. He has a son Paulinus that is only a couple years older than Lepida. Paulinus is a praetorian guard and will eventually become the Prefect (right-hand man) to the Emperor. The story unfolds between these characters view points. The Roman history is compellingly woven in with the fictitious life of these characters.

I have never been a fast reader. What may take some people a few hours to read takes me a few days. Keeping in mind that I had to work, take care of my family and sleep, I finished this 466 page book in 3 days. This is probably the first book since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows that I had a hard time putting down. I was actually mad yesterday that I couldn’t take any time at work to read because I was too busy with classes. At about 10:30pm last night I had 100 pages left. I decided that I didn’t care if I was tired today or not, I had to find out what happened. At midnight, I turned that last page. I am so glad that I stayed up. What a great book. And the best part….there looks to be a sequel. I can’t wait to crack open the next book by Kate.

The knocking girl

So I have this student, let's call her Student A. She is quite possibly the most rude girl I've met. Don't get me wrong, I like her. She is one of my "library kids". This refers to the kids that hang out in the library whenever possible. But she has this really bad habit. When she is ready for service, not that I am in the service industry, she knocks on the desk until I pay attention to her. So here I am, working at my desk. A lot of the time I am typing or obviously reading something and instead of waiting patiently at the desk for either me or my assistant to help her she starts knocking. And she doesn't stop. She keeps doing it until a) we look up and aknowledge her or b) get up to help her. I'm not quite sure why she is in such a hurry, but it never fails. She comes up at lunch and "knock, knock, knock". She comes up before school and "knock, knock, knock". I wonder if she has any idea how rude or annoying this is? Either way, my assistant and I are sure to NOT jump up and help her. In fact, we take our sweet time just to watch her squirm. Does she get the hint? Oh no. So until she figures it out OR I throw a book at her, she will be "the knocking girl".

I Am Library!!!

I stole this line from the movie 300. When Leonidas yells “I am Sparta”, he is saying that he lives and breaths everything Sparta. He is the physical embodiment of the land, culture and its people. Well, that’s how I feel about my library. For the past 7 years, I have picked every book that goes on its shelves. I have added computers for the betterment of the students that come through here. I have painted the walls so they are a more pleasing color. I have hung pictures that reflect the theme of this library. I have rearranged the furniture to better accommodate the classes that come up here. I take personal pride in how this library looks when you walk in. What I don’t have any control of is the thermostat.

Today, it is 82 degrees outside. The thermostat is set at 73 degrees. You may think to yourself, that’s not too bad. Well, my library sits on top of the cafeteria. Between 10:45am and 12:55pm, 1500 students eat lunch. In addition, 12 cafeteria workers make lunch. So the actual temperature is more like 78 degrees. Needless to say, it is hot. By 1:00 in the afternoon it is downright warm up here.

During the winter, the opposite is true. I think they set the thermostat to 60 degrees at night. It is supposed to kick on at 6:30 every morning and heat it up to 70 degrees. The problem here is, my thermostat sits right behind a computer monitor. Do you know how much heat a monitor can give off? Some days we are lucky to get to 68 degrees even sitting on top of the cafeteria. Which means most of the time we are usually hovering around 65 degrees all day. To this red-head libraians, it is downright cold. So during the winter I wear both a jacket and gloves. I could really use a nose warmer too, but I don't want to look too silly.

So while I may be in control of the look and ascetic feel of the library, I have no control over the temperature.

What do I read?

I get a lot of people who ask me what I read. As a school librarian, people assume I am an expert on all things literature. So the funny thing is, I am not a good critic. To me there are 3 categories of books; 1) Awesome, 2) Pretty good, or 3) Not so good. Every year I read the state nominated books. Usually there are two or three in the "awesome" category, one or two in the "not so good" category, and the rest fall in the middle. This is typical of everything I read. So what am I trying to say???? I am by no means an expert. I love to read. But just because I like something, doesn't mean you will. And vice-versa.  So continue at your own risk!



So mostly I read young adult novels. My favorites are sci-fi or fantasy. That is evident in my two favorite books from the 2010-2011 state award nominee books. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Graceling by Kristin Cashore. Both of these are great reads and are the first book in a series. Did I mention that I love series? Well, I do! I also just finished reading a book called Skinned by Elizabeth Wasserman. Again another sci-fi book and the first book in a series.

So what about books that aren't sci-fi/fantasy? My favorite book of all time is Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. It is a retelling of the book of Hosea from the Bible. If you are at all familiar with this story, this is a beautiful books. Are you looking for something a little more realistic? How about Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak? Lifetime made a move of this book. And unlike most books that are made into movies, it stays pretty true to the book. Everything by this author is good. Another great author to try out is Sarah Dessen.

What are your favorite?

Librarian title

So in my last blog I mentioned that the ALA has a title for the professionals in charge at a school library. Well, this was a huge controversy. A couple months ago the ALA made an OFFICIAL statement that this professional will be called a "School Librarian". The ensuing fire storm from school librarians was amazing.

So here are the schools of thought. The first school says that our jobs entail so much more than what the term librarian evokes. It is antiquated and makes our jobs look so much simpler than they really are. This side thinks that the title "School Library Media Specialist" is more appropriate. It encompasses the entire scope of what our job entails. Ironically enough, that is what my teaching certificate says.

The second school of thought is that our title should be "Teacher/Librarian". This sides says that we are still teachers and should be treated with the same respect as a classroom teacher. It also still lets people know that you work in the library or media center (again another controversy). There is actually a professional journal that is titles "Teacher Librarian". They think the teacher part of the title is the most important.

In my opinion, School Library Media Specialist is too much of a mouthful. No student will call me that, nor do I care if they do. I'm pretty happy if they just call me Mrs. Erickson. I get a lot of Mrs. Library Lady, hey you or Miss????. Because most students don't have contact with me on a daily basis, they may or may not know my name. What they do know is if they need to find a book, that I will help them. If their computer is acting up, I can help them. If they have a project due tomorrow and they haven't started on it, I can help. To me, that is what is important. My title does not define me as a professional. How well I do my job does.

Hello from your friendly high school librarian

No one wants to follow the blog of a librarian. At least that's what I think. But I've been encouraged to try it anyway. So here goes.

My name is Paula. I am a Library Media Specialist at a high school in the Kansas City area. So Library Media Specialist is kind of a long title. That's what my teacher's certificate says. I can also be called, according to the ALA (American Library Association) a school librarian. Or more commonly just called a librarian. To be completely honest, the title has never been that important to me. What is important is that the students in my school have some vague idea of what I do. I am not a book Nazi. I am not the shhhhhhh lady. I am most certainly not old, with gray hair in a bun, glasses on a chain around my neck, cardigan-sweater sensible-shoe wearing, old bitty. I am actually in my mid-thirties. I have bright red hear. I am about 5'11". And, I usually wear a zip-up hoodie. My shoes are kind of sensible, but that's only because I have huge feet and it's hard to find fashionable shoes in my size.

So what is it I do? Well, obviously, I maintain books. I select them, order them and then get them in our catalog to be put on the shelf. In my case, I have about 15,000 books. And just to clarify, I have not read them all. I actually really dislike non-fiction, so that takes the number of books that I would read down to about 3500. I'm not sure how many of those I've read, but it is probably not as many as you might think. I also teach, yep, you read that right, I teach research skills. I am also the technology guru. Which means I teach and troubleshoot a lot of things dealing with technology. When I was in library school, someone came up with the title "Information Goddess". I think that works....