The Bittersweet Librarian: Full Saturation
You know, I thought I would be happy to see this day.
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The day when, if a student asked for this book, I could stride over to the shelf, heroically pull it from its place, and make a kid’s day, instead of what I usually have to do: tell them “I think it’s checked out. Let’s look. Yep, checked out.” Then, weakly, “You can put it on hold. Here are some other books you might like.” Repeat.
But I’m not all that happy. When a high-demand book reaches the saturation point, it’s more of a (dramatic pause) bittersweet feeling.
Look, I know the reason we have copies on the shelf is because it’s already been read by just about everyone at my school. That’s a good thing. But it means there won’t be as many kids experiencing a great book for the first time.
I’m glad they’re there. But a bit sad too.
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About Travis Jonker
Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.
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Yet another reason to love the Babymouse, Squid, and Lunch Lady books. Even though they’ve been checked out at rates higher than the school’s population, they’re still never on the shelf because of their everyone wants to read them for again for the upteenth time.
What’s interesting for me is to look at my shelf of Harry Potter books. I always have several on the shelf and several checked out. I did a poll of my 6th graders this week and discovered that many of them had never read Harry Potter which is the prime reason that it is on NC’s Battle of the Books list for next year. I’m really looking forward to watching kids read it for the first time!
The beauty of a middle school library is the three year turn-over of the student body. It’s also one of the saddest things, when those students who matured so much in three years are leaving you behind. But we do get to introduce incoming sixth graders to a host of new books! I’d expect them to have read Wonder in elementary school, but all 30 copies we own are checked out, all the time! (I bought a class set for check-out with a grant, but also make them available for student check-out, too.)
You slayed me with the Gregory Peck GIF. I’ve seen the move 20 plus times, and every time, I hope for a different ending!