Interfaith Nunnery

2005-08-09T11:20:00.000-04:00

Moving On

I've decided that I need a new blog entirely to really focus on what I've been blabbing about for many posts.. library issues. The nunnery will probably be empty for a while, as I move to new digs, Paperback Girl.

The title is a work in progress. ;)

2005-08-09T10:17:00.000-04:00

Librarian action rises to a new level.

Just as a tide of ignorance swells up and threatens to engulf the world, out of the ashes of the Great Library of Alexandria arises a hero, an educated fellow with fists of steel and a mind as sharp as a tack: public librarian Rex Libris.

2005-07-22T23:24:00.000-04:00

Best. Band. EVAH.

Update: I just bought Harry and the Potters two major albums, one self titled, the other titled, "Voldemort Can't Stop the Rock." I am currently swooning over the song, Save Ginny Weasley. Favorite lines: "Are you Petrified of being Petrified" and of course, "We've Got to Save Ginny Weasley from the Basilisk/ we've got to save the school from that unseen horror."

2005-07-19T21:45:00.000-04:00

My Heart is Broken

I finished Potter.. hate to say it, but I'm more broken up about finishing Potter than anything else at the moment.

Give me time.. this will pass.

2005-06-27T16:35:00.000-04:00

Parents Gone Wild--and the kids pay for it

Laurie Taylor took it upon herself to excorcise the Fayetteville School District of books that might lead to fornication or bad thoughts. After what she termed a personal "audit," she filed 70 complaints against books like Rainbow Boys and Doing It. Oh yeah, and Forever, because puritanical witch-hunts aren't complete without the traditional attack on Judy Blume.

Usually censorship nuts go for well known books that have a lot written about them and are easy to attack without having to read them. To my mind a truly dangerous breed of book burner has emerged, one with a singly minded obsession with parental control. By making "naughty" books unavailable in school libaries, kids would no longer have access to books without parental assistance, either in taking them to the public library, or buying the books.

What is particularly problematic about this book restriction is that while Taylor believes that these books promote sexual promiscuity, they in fact are cautionary tales which may help curious students understand the risks of sexual associations, and give them better a undestanding of their feelings. If there was ever a book to warn girls away from flinging themselves at adolescent boys, "Doing It," would be a good choice.

Taylor seems to have been bolstered in her efforts by a timid school board who decided to move three books she had complained about earlier in the year to a parent shelf, where students wouldn't be able to get at them. I think she really wanted them publicly shredded, but that placing them in a restricted area was an "acceptable compromise."

2005-06-27T16:17:00.000-04:00

Letter From Andrea

I recieved this missive from Sister Andrea only a few days ago, and I thought it might be of interest. I will soon be joining her in England, where she is studying ancient (and important) texts with the help of a lovely grant.

Who just got to spend a day transcribing a Latin song about a prior and an abbot getting completely drunk and puking all over the flowers? I did!

Man, I love my job.

Libraries like the one I visited today do give me a chance to practice some of my more unusual hobbies, like staring at other people's books. A woman behind me was looking at a lovely one with huge full-page full-color fifteenth-century heraldic signs. I didn't have a chance to gawk at that one very long, though, because then I noticed a man about my age who was looking back and forth between the manuscript on foam pads on his desk and two modern printed copies of The Book of Margery Kempe. (Margery Kempe is a famous fifteenth-century woman mystic, and there's only one copy of her manuscript in existence. I think I was three feet from it this afternoon.) Fortunately I managed to contain my enthusiasm. A scholarly reading room was just not the place for it.

London's lovely, even if much warmer than advertised. It's good to be back.

All's well,
Andrea

2005-06-10T16:18:00.000-04:00

Jon Scieszka on Boy Fic.. Sorry, Guy Fic

Scieszka, famous for such amazing reads as The True Story of the Three Little Pigs has a new title out called Guys Write for Guys Read. Its an anthology of guy authors writing about and for guys.. boys really, but we won't say that too loud.

Along with the book, Scieszka is unveiling an awesome new website, Guys Read which features book recommendations for boys. Hooray! Boys are by far the toughest to pitch books to, as a lady librarian. Some guys don't believe I would know a good book if it poked me in the eye, because after all, I'm a girl.

One problem with the site is that its sectioning of age groups (Young Guys, Middle Guys, Older Guys) lumps books like The Beast by Walter Dean Myers, with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in one age group (Middle). That is really no help to anyone not already familiar with titles and authors.

Bookslut has the interview.

2005-06-10T15:21:00.000-04:00

Library Board decides against labeling "mature" materials in Teen section

From Albany, N.Y. :

GUILDERLAND -- Town library trustees soundly rejected a controversial proposal Thursday night that would have flagged sexually explicit books in the library's teen section, ending several weeks of ethical discomfort for some library workers over the implications of labeling books.

"Since we put the books there ... we have an obligation to help the parents," said trustee John Daly, the proposal's sponsor and the only trustee to vote for it.

He added later, "I'm a strong believer in intellectual freedom, in the democratic process, in the give-and-take of ideas. I'm hopeful that at least raising this discussion is going to be helpful."

I hope its helpful at getting John Daly kicked off the board.

2005-06-10T14:43:00.000-04:00

Imagine Going to Jail over a Book
In Italy, a librarian is being prosecuted for having lent a book with an offensive title to a minor. The book was recommended by the Ministry of Social Affairs. The librarian was found guilty, and is facing social condemnation and persecution from her neighbors.

2005-06-10T14:15:00.000-04:00

California is SCARY

Bill AB 756 Prohibits schools from buying any "instructional materials" i.e. books that exceed 200 pages in length.

This bizarre and frighteningly short sighted regulation Encourages the use of technology and multimedia materials to create higher interest and more up-to-date information from varied sources.

The Orange County Register published this commentary by Hugh Glenn, Anaheim resident and online editor:

Efforts to dumb down California public schools continue unabated. The most recent action is the Assembly passing AB 756, a bill by Assemblywoman Jackie Gold- berg that would prevent school districts from using any instructional material that exceeds 200 pages. Assemblyman Keith Richman calls it "ridiculous" and "the epitome of micromanagement." Jack O'Connell, state superintendent of public instruction, surprisingly, has remained silent. Astoundingly, 42 legislators (including Orange County's Tom Umberg) approved AB 756 - a vote so dumb that Gov. Schwarzenegger now looks like Socrates and Solomon rolled into one.

According to Goldberg, today's students have no need to read classic works of American history and literature, the majority of which exceed 200 pages; e.g., "The Federalist Papers," "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," "The Grapes of Wrath," "Treasure Island," "Farewell to Arms" or "Moby-Dick." No more classroom dictionaries or encyclopedias could be purchased. Forget books by Lemony Snicket and J. K. Rowling, authors of books children actually want to read.

Do legislators really believe that in order to promote technology, you have to take away books?

Some news sources hint at environmentalists being involved who want to save trees. Sadly, this conspiracy theory is not half as crazy as the actual bill.

2005-06-08T08:56:00.000-04:00

What if Amazon, Google, Blogger, and TiVo created a media hegemony?

2005-06-07T13:34:00.000-04:00

More about the bill

I can't help myself.. Reading the drivel about H.R. 2295 on the website of the congressman who introduced the legislation makes me feel soft and sick inside.

Congressman Jones has introduced H.R. 2295 to empower parents at a local level and shine a light on controversial books before they are purchased. This legislation ensures parents that these books are not available to their children without their knowledge and consent.

The congressman, Walter Jones, is in fact the same guy who wanted the French fries in Capital Hill cafeterias renamed "freedom fries."

From the SIECUS website, I have a clearer picture of the reason this legislation was created:

Children's Book About Two Gay Princes Causes Parents' Uproar
Wilmington, NC

The parents of a first-grader at Freeman Elementary School in Wilmington, NC, filed a complaint with the school after they read a book their 7-year-old daughter had brought home from the school library. The book entitled King and King tells the story of a character named Prince Bertie who falls in love with a character named Prince Lee. The book is written by two Dutch authors and the publisher says it is for ages 6 and up. It ends with the two princes falling in love and kissing, their lips obscured by a picture of a heart.

The father said his daughter is "not old enough to understand something like that, especially when it is not in our beliefs." The father also said he felt that, "If this book is going to be allowed, I believe it ought to be allowed on more of a high school level."5 The school principal countered by saying "We have a lot of diversity in our schools… What might be inappropriate for one family, in another family is a totally acceptable thing."

Due to the families' complaint and an additional compliant filed by another family, a school committee, made up of parents, teachers, and community members, held a meeting in late March about the book. The school committee voted 8-3 to put the book under lock and key so that only adults, including parents and teachers, are allowed to check it out.

The parents said they were happy with the decision, but not everyone agreed with the ruling. One committee member said, "I feel like it's my responsibility to make it clear that these things exist. It doesn't mean we have to agree with it. It's not about right or wrong…It's just different."

Due to the widespread media about the controversy, people from around the country donated additional copies of the book to the school. If fact, the attention has prompted a second printing of the book and a sequel is expected later this spring.

2005-06-07T09:43:00.000-04:00

Parental Controls, Or Parental Patrols?

More about that misbegotten proposal to 'create local review boards of five to 15 parents who would have the authority to review and make recommendations on elementary school library and classroom materials before they could be purchased. Under the law, introduced May 11, states that failed to put the parental panels in place would lose all federal education funding.'
See ALA's statement on the legislation.

Christopher Harris, on his Infomancy blog explains that "This bill presumes that the "highly qualified" teachers and librarians mandated under NCLB are, in fact, incompetent. It assumes, as with filtering software discussed before, that students are incapable of making decisions on their own. This creates an environment where information is driven underground. Information literacy cannot be learned in a controlled environment. Students learn to evaluate the crush of information sources they will face in the world only by encountering examples of good and bad."

Thanks to Alice in Infoland (More voices of reason are showing up my my listservs!) for this excellent information.

2005-06-04T16:45:00.000-04:00

Oh my lord, an erection!

A school board banned and then unbanned Buffalo Tree in Muhlenberg, PA. A book that was being used in a junior year English classroom. A book that is recommended to for children ages 12 and older. Because of an erection.

The article paints a sad picture of the bible thumping good girl Brittany Hunsicker calling the book "junk," while overweight, spectacled Mary Isamoyer asks the board not to "insult our intelligence."

Bookslut's Michael Schuab writes: "Poor Mary, cursed with perspective, intelligence and logic. She'll have to settle for going to college and having a fulfilling career while lucky Brittany gets to tote her seven bitter children to Bible study class. Teenagers, it's not too late to learn a lesson: Don't question authority. That's the key to happiness. Trust me."

Personally, I'm worried about Brittany's next year as a student at the school. She's probably going to be remembered for her phallophobia.

Should juniors in high school be forced to have discussions about erections? Should there be a limit on discussions of any kind that make girls like the daughter of Tammy Hahn(another voice for banning) uncomfortable? TBogg, another blogger concerned for the children of the school, writes: "Congratulations Tammy, you've just opened the door to making your daughter the Erection Queen of Muhlenberg High School. When she slams her door on you while screaming "I hate you! I hate you! You fat drunken cow!" you can look back on this moment and be proud. "

I wonder if the shower scene is a really important part of the book, if its something that needs a lot of discussion. If I get around to reading the book, I'll let you know.

2005-05-22T09:12:00.000-04:00

The Congressional Auxilliary of the Ladies' Sewing Circle and Book Burning Society

On May 11, 2005, Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) introduced the Parental Empowerment Act of 2005 in the House. This legislation would create parent-based advisory boards to review at the local level material eyed for school libraries and classrooms. It would let parents, in blocks of five to 15, decide whether the country's youngest children are ready for controversial themes.

Jones' proposal would restrict federal education funds for states that fail to adopt guidelines for elementary-school book purchases.

This is the result of a constituent's complaint about the controversial book King&King, about two princes who meet and fall in love.

Go here for the story.

The actual bill from the THOMAS website

2005-04-24T17:51:00.000-04:00

More from the Ladies' Sewing Circle and Book Burning Society

Eric Carle's Draw Me A Star Seems to freak some parents and librarians out because there are flesh colored outlines of the human form in it. If anyone knows Eric Carle's work, it is obvious that the pieces are artistically rendered, and not offensive at all. Again, a librarian seeking help with the book goes to the LSCBBS, only to be told,

"I think the poetry is really more mature than elementary. IMHO."

What is wrong with these people?!!

2005-04-24T17:30:00.000-04:00

Our Own Worst Enemy

Now that I have a little free time on my hands, I've been going back over the listserv emails that I haven't had a chance to get to in the past could weeks. What I have seem on a particular listserv for School Library Media Specialists both surprised and disgusted me.

In almost every conversation where a popular book is brought up, some women who call themselves librarians swat it down as unacceptable for whatever age group is suggested. For example, a librarian/teacher sought help with discussion for a sixth grade class for Lois Lowry's The Giver, another woman wrote a long-winded diatribe about using such a dark, dangerous novel with such "young" children. She said the book was better for High School Students!

Now there is another poor naive librarian asking for help with A Series of Unfortunate events, and the vultures have resurfaced, screaming foul play at having fourth graders.. fourth graders! Read the series.

Some of the more lamentable comments can be found below:

"I know that these books are extremely popular, but I personally took
exception to parts of The Bad Beginning. My position has been that it's
a great series for individual kids, but not a whole class project or
read-aloud due to the controversial issues. I know this isn't what you
asked but I wanted to add my two cents..."

"I have a real problem with this 'one size fits all' approach to
books that has been mentioned in a few other posts. First, not everyone
will have the ability to read these books (they are at 1-2 levels above
4th grade level), nor be even interested in reading them. "

"Don't get me wrong, I would love to have this kind
of program available for students, but unless you are fortunate enough
to have a very elite group of 4th graders this will probably do more
harm than good!"

"Although I don't push the series until 5th grade, I have to say I am surprised that anyone thought "the objectionable" parts were handled well in the movie. Am I the only one who found the movie more objectionable?"

Heaven help us, only children who have been thoroughly tested for to make sure they are mature should be let near Lemony Snicket!

2005-04-24T10:25:00.000-04:00

Classes ended last week, hurrah! I also finished a truly wretched take-home exam. I hope I didn't fail.

Due to the three inches of snow outside my window, I am not going to comment on the lovely spring weather, but I will say that working Saturday morning at the library, even after a late night of "school's out" celebration, was very satisfying. I found ghost stories for a girl that wasn't expecting me to understand her interests, helps several little boys find new chapter book series' to read, and working on my new Storytime poster, which hangs on the story room door and advertises the times and dates. This year its a Spring wildlife theme, with three types of wildflowers: hepatica, snake-head fritillary, and spring beauties. I added ants and a ladybug, as well as several butterflies for insect life, and for animals I placed a fat bull frog on a rock, a mouse sniffing around the flowers and a deer drinking from the stream. In the corner by the cattails, I put a nest with a couple of colorful eggs that blend into the their surroundings so you don't see them immediately. I will try to post a picture at some point, or at least a link to one..

2005-04-15T09:45:00.000-04:00

Storytime Finale

The final storytime for spring was last night, and I finally had the chance to tell a story for older children. The evening's audience was made up entirely of girls, ranging from a very adept kindergartner to a fourth grader. Storylady and I had of course planned for three year olds, that being our median age group for evening storytimes. Thankfully, she and I are good at doing things "on the fly."

Storylady started off with a story titled "Big Man Drum," about a poor sharecropper who tricks monkeys into taking him back to their cave by holding very still when they surround him as he is taking a nap. They poke and prod, even jam their digits up his nose, but he only makes a sound when one of the monkeys slaps him on the belly. "Ugh!"

Anyway, the monkey take him home across a narrow vine bridge over a waterfall, and decorate him with flowers and jewels. After the monkeys go to sleep, the man sneaks off quietly with his newfound riches and buys himself a farm. His former employer finds out what he did, and decides to try it himself. Sadly, he gets frighened on the bridge and yells, "don't drop me!" Of course, they drop him.

After some silly rhyme dances, I told the story of The Singing Chick using stuffed animal puppets for a chick, a fox, a wolf, and a bear. Instead of telling the story straight, as I would for young kids, I made it more elaborate, and it went something like this:

Do you remember when you first arrived at your new school in first grade, how exciting it was, how you had NO IDEA what you were in for? Well that's just how little chick felt when he cracked open his shell. He was all alone in the big forest, but he was so happy he danced about and sang, "The sky is so blue! The sun is so yellow! The trees are so green! And I'm a happy fellow." (I used my best warbly voice for this) He danced and sang (as I did, coming from behind the felt board to dance in front of the kids, and then back around, circling the easle) and danced... and woke up fox in his den.

Fox took one look at the happy chick and said. "Hellooooo lunch!" Chick sang his little song, "The sky is so blue, the sun is so--!" (Gobbling noises made and the fox puppet leaps on the chick and devours him behind the felt board). Fox was pleased with his meal, he gave a great big burp (braaap) and suddenly began to sing the same silly song. And dance. "What is going on here? I look ridiculous!" Fox thought, but nevertheless he danced and sang (circling around the board again) and danced-- (Wolf appears and grabs fox by the neck) "Hey, fox I've got a migraine like a ten ton truck roaring through my head. Keep it down!" Fox started singing again. (wolf grabs him by the tail, shakes him over the felt board. Now I have a free hand!) "One more peep out of you and I'll eat you!"

"Peep!"

Wolf gobbles him up, and complains that now he has to go find an antacid (food and migraines don't mix). But of course he sings and dances (the puppet is just a head, but it has a long felt tongue and wiggle when wolf sings, so the kids are laughing by this point at my silly song) and wakes up hibernating bear, who is very grumpy and with a great gruff voice makes the eating threat again, and of course, wolf just peeps at him, like a pea-goose. Bear eats wolf, and decides to go take a nap on a nice sunny hill.. but he is rudely inturrupted by the urge to sing and dance. Bear is still bleary eye-ed from his long sleep and his dancing (the bear puppet dances and jiggles) runs him right into a tree! (Story lady bangs a drum at this point). Bear bounces down the hill (bear puppet flies over the easle to lay in front of the kids) and out pops wolf (kids love it when you throw stuffed animals during storytime, so more flying puppets) then fox, and then little chick. And the singing and dancing stops!

Well little chick looks around and says, "Wow, first I'm singing and dancing, and then I'm in a dark place like my egg, and now I'm back! Isn't this the best of all possible worlds?!"

Fox says, "I lost my lunch, but somehow, I feel full."

Wolf says, "My migraine is gone!"

And Bear says, "I would appreciate it if we all forgot this ever happened."

And fox carried chick back through the forest to the hen house on a nearby farm, and chick saw a hen singing, "The sky is so blue! The sun is so yellow-- Hey! is that my chick?" The End

After storytime, I took the kids out to the garden and we decorated pots with self adhesive foam cutouts and planted marigold seeds. It was an enjoyable evening.

2005-04-09T18:44:00.000-04:00

The Labyrinth

If you find that you are bored, or nostalgic for a simpler, more David Bowie-filled time, you can read the novel based on the movie, "The Labyrinth" courtesy of Walter D. Pullen.

2005-04-08T18:36:00.000-04:00

I'm busy patching in new links that I think are worthy and useful, but bear with the terrible disorder.. I know some of them don't make sense where I put them.

I really just wanted to tell you about a fantastic new read by M.T. Anderson called The Game of Sunken Places. Its a mix of fantasy, science fiction, mystery and nearly terrifying adventure that's good for kids from fourth or fifth grade on up. Anderson introduces lovely plot twists and gives readers a heart pumping, creepy ending, even though everything is okay.

In Storytime news, this week I read a story that is sadly out of print about a little wooly bear that meets other insects on its way along to becoming a tiger moth. It was pretty cute, and I encouraged the kids to make the insect noises with me. The Storylady acted out the story of The Very Lazy Ladybug using plush puppets, and that was a great hit, because she is so adept at making the puppets move in lively funny ways.

2005-03-30T18:18:00.000-05:00

New Look
Do you like it? I don't know yet how to put comments in.. we'll see.

(Sorry Andrea, lost all the old comments)

2005-03-29T21:38:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry its been such a long time since I last wrote. I have been recovering from surgery, and have as a result become one of those boring people who thinks about aches and pains and talks about side affects of medicines all the time. I listen to myself, and I think, "how did I get this way?"

I would like to note that during last Thursday's storytime I read a delightful children's book entitled Alvie Eats Soup and while I am not sure I recommend it for picky eaters (it doesn't have a reassuring ending like Gregory, the Terrible Eater) it is very funny. Sadly, due to Easter weekend, our usual crowd was not there, I and found myself telling the story to four children, which quickly dwindled to three because one child would not listen to her mother. Even with tiny crowds, though, the show must go on.

For Terri, Who Knows Not What She Has Begun
I want to say a very short rant about Terri Schaivo. I feel terrible for the family, but at the same time, I am enraged by their self-indulgent behavior as they get photo ops with Jeb and Delay and inspire congress to get involved in personal issues and other branches of government. Terri's parents are creating precedents that may make other people's lives miserable, and they are not doing anything that would help their daughter.

Furthermore, what kind of life are they attempting to save? Twelve years of lying in bed, being rolled around regularly to prevent the body from developing bed sores, and seeing a loved one for an hour or so every few days, tops? Not talking, not eating, not communicating. Even when the flat brain activity is taken out of the equation, and you actually believe that her movements on the video were a sign of mental awareness, her life SUCKS.

In my opinion, Terri S. has been treated like a beloved pet, not a family member. Terri's family can make believe what they want about her thoughts, and she always seems happy for them to be there. When they leave, she is fed and cared for by others, with other people's money, namely her husband's. They must be honestly confused why Terri's husband would want to take the feeding tube away from their daughter, but that gives them no right do destroy the legal system for their personal benefit.

2005-02-20T13:49:00.000-05:00

Storytime

Well, you asked for storytime stories, so I will try to give you a few. Last Thursday night's storytime theme was the rainbow, a fitting ending to a series of storytimes we (the librarian and I) had put together usings stories about colors. In our little act, I first bring out a finger puppet fairy named Tinkerteller, and she whispers things into my ear, and generally acts shy while we sing the opening nonsense song. At the beginning out this story session six weeks ago I introduced Tinkerteller as a very sad little flower fairy I met while shopping at Krogers. She was sitting in one of the flower refridgerators next to some bedraggled roses feeling sorry for herself, so I invited her to come tell stories with me at the library. Every week now I come in and parents ask their kids, " where did Tinkerteller come from, do you remember?" I didn't realize the families would like my creation story so much.

After silly songs the story lady, as our librarian is referred to, opens the box with some object that represents the theme. In this case it was a bunch of colorful plush rings of various colors, which were piled on my head it a tottering crown ( the kids loved it, especially when they fell off). Then I read Alice the Fairy by David Shannon. Very cute story about a little girl who believes herself to be a Temporary Fairy, and gets into lots of mischief as a result. Then the storylady told a story (Don't let the tiger eat you) and then I presented The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Pinkwater using a fantastic felt board put together by another librarian. I started the story, "A long long time ago, like, in the 1970s" and that parents thought that was pretty funny. If you don't know this story, it involves a seagull carrying a bucket of paint. If I say anymore I'll ruin it.

2005-02-09T11:48:00.000-05:00

Gosh, where did February come from? I didn't think this semester could possibly be crazier than last semester, but of course I was proven wrong. Medical problems have made it difficult for me to find time to post, but I should at least up date once in a while.

In the happy news front, I have been having a wonderful time working at the library, and I should really post more about my experiences there. Minor successes like organizing the implementation of the art table and finding the perfect soft cloth tea set keep me happy, and my storytimes are something I just love to do. Its so rewarding to watch children and adults having a good time with something you put together yourself.

In the serious news front, I am becoming more involved in my class work. I have become more passionate about youth library issues and research, and I think I may do a PhD when I finish my masters.

I have go again, but I will try to post more in the future.