Library Conversation #3

This is with the same child as conversation #2.

"What are you doing?"

"Same thing I was doing yesterday."

"I could help you stamp the books."

"Okay."

[We set up shop at a table, me with my Sharpie in hand and her with the "DiscardeD" stamp.]

"So," she says. "Do you like working here?" [She asked me at least 5 variations of that question in about an hour. I think she was making polite conversation.]

"Yes, I do."

"Working is good. You make money." [I didn't have the stamina to explain to her that, because I am in a practicum, I actually have to pay for the privilege of working there.]

"Yeah, making money is good."

"I lost 3 tooth-es. How many tooth-es did you lose when you were a kid?"

"I don't know. All of my baby teeth."

[This went on for over an hour. She was delightful. At the end I let her choose a bunch of the books to keep. I thanked her for the help and for being good company.]

"Yeah, 'cause you get lonely, right?"

[I told the librarian that tomorrow we'll put her to work cataloging.]

Update on child from conversation #1. She came in all smiles today and announced, "I loved Hank the Cowdog!" Then she went and got another book I had recommended: My Father's Dragon.

I love working in the library (even if I'm not making any money.)

Library Conversation #2

It's summer school, and some kids have to hang out in the library waiting for siblings, especially if the classes get out at different times. One girl -- going into first grade -- has to wait for a good hour and a half for her brother, and she comes up frequently to ask me "When is it going to be time?"

One of my projects has been weeding old, ugly, unpopular, or duplicate books from the collection. Then they get deleted from the system, and all of the identifying library stamps get crossed out with a magic marker. That's what I was doing today when the aforementioned bored little girl came up to me.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm taking old books out of the library, so there will be room for new books."

"Do you like writing in books?" [I could tell she was somewhat scandalized.]

"I'll bet it looks weird to see someone writing in a book, because you've probably always been told not to, right?"

"Yeah."

"You know what? It feels kind of weird to be writing in a book too, because I learned the same thing as you."

Library Conversation #1

I am spending 4 weeks this summer practice teaching in an elementary school library. The following is a real life conversation I had with a little girl today.

"Can I help you find something?"

"Well, do you have anything here that's interesting?"

"Interesting? Hmmm. What are you interested in?"

"Pretty much everything."

"Wow, everything. That should be easy to find something. Have you read any of the Geronimo Stilton books?"

"Yeah, my sister has a lot of them."

"What about Ramona?"

"Uh huh. Read it."

"Junie B. Jones?"

"Uh huh."

"Boxcar Children?"

"My sister has those, but I didn't really, you know, like them."

"The Littles?"

"My mom liked those, but I didn't really."

"How about Nancy Drew? She's a teenager who is a detective. [It would be more accurate for me to have said "sleuth", but she wouldn't have known what the heck I was talking about.]

I walk her over to show her the Nancy Drew books.

"Oh yeah, I've read those!"

"What about Catwings? It's about little cats with wings who have adventures." [Brilliant synopsis, eh?]

"Oh, the cats really do have wings!"

"Do you like cats?"

"No. I like dogs."

"O-kay. Dogs. [Lightbulb appears above my head.] Have you read Hank the Cowdog? He's a dog detective who thinks he's really smart but really he's pretty dumb.

"Ooh, these look good. I think I'll get these."

[Yay! Success at last.]