This was our first week back from Spring Break, and while I could have used some warmer temperatures (seriously – where are you spring???), it was a great week in the library.
The big project this week comes from the 10th grade English classes, who are studying magical realism as part of their global literature curriculum. We got to help kids find novels or collections of short stories from the genre, which they will use as part of their larger research project. I think it’s going to blow some of their minds; magical realism is (to me) one of the most challenging, but interesting, genres since what’s real is always in question. I did realize, though, that we have a couple of gaps in our collection, even though we purchased a number of titles for this project. In particular, one comment from a student sticks out in my mind – “I just want short stories by an Asian author.” We’ve got Haruki Murakami, but that’s it – and his were checked out when her class came. So I’m on a hunt now.
Other highlights of the weekend included daily library trivia, which has taken off in popularity. Questions this week included “What actor portrayed James Bond in the first movie?” and “What country was the first to use paper money?” I also got to help with a session at the AIMS Diversity Conference on elevating underrepresented voices using primary sources and literature. AND I was able to talk with the amazing librarians at the Key School in Annapolis about the work they do around diversity in their libraries. They’ve got a great thing going there.
Book, Line, and Sinker 