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Tuesday, November 25, 2008

From the Elementary School Library

On Tuesday mornings I play librarian over at my son's elementary school. I check books in and out, shelve the returned books and try to direct the students to the books they are looking for. Sometimes this is easy.

Animal books? See the shelf where the rest of your classmates are standing. That's where they are.

Books about airplanes? look for the number 629

Joke books? Right here on this table - I've learned not to bother shelving them because as soon as I do someone else wants them

Thanksgiving books? All up on top of the shelves for easy picking.

But there were two questions today that I just didn't have an answer for.

1) Where's the whale book that Cainan was holding last week?

(note, not the one he took out - because then I might remember checking it in, but one he had in his hand - last week.)

2) Why is there no color inside this book?

This was from a little girl who after taking out a pretty pink book about Valentine's Day opened it up and discovered that the illustrations were all in black and white. She was so disappointed that the book had no color she returned it and found another book.

So - thank you to all the librarians out there who deal with this kind of thing all day, every day. I tip my hat to you.

7 comments:

Sarah Rettger said...

How much do you want to bet even Cainan wouldn't have been able to answer #1?

Barb Szyszkiewicz said...

LOL, I play librarian on Mondays and have the same kind of questions to answer! I love it :)

Vivian Mahoney said...

I love volunteering over at the school library. Our school librarian is wonderful. How she manages to understand all the questions and get even the reluctant children so pumped up about both fiction and non-fiction is truly a marvel to watch.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

christine M said...

Sarah - I'm sure Cainan wouldn't know.

Barb - aren't the questions mind-blowing sometimes?

Vivian - I'm there alone when I'm there - we share the librarian with another school.

I think one of the best questions I have got was for a "good book". There are just so many good books - it's hard to know where to start.

PJ Hoover said...

I laughed with my librarians recently that it's like Sisyphus. Check in the books. Shelve them. Check them out. Check in the books. Shelve them. Check them out.
But yeah, it is fun!

PJ Hoover said...

And might I suggest The Emerald Tablet as a good book for kids to check out. :)
What! The library doesn't have it. They must order it soon!

christine M said...

PJ - I'll have to suggest they order that wonderful book you mentioned!