A bright faced year seven boy brandishes the latest Skulduggery Pleasant book (book 3) at me: "Miss, this was SO GOOD I've just finished it and I've started reading it all over again!"
Ah, the happy life of teacher librarians.
Later that day, a year 9 girl comes in during an afternoon class time. "Miss, do you have the second book in the Private series?" We establish it's by Kate Brian, and that we only have book 1. A small amount of googling and amazoning establishes that there are nine more.
"NINE?" I say in mock horror.
"That's great," she says enthusiastically. "You'll need to get the rest then, Miss, won't you?"
"What sort of teacher librarian do you think I am, a sucker who will buy eight more books for you?"
She is unperturbed by my tone and says cheerfully, grinning at me, "Yes, Miss, of course you're one of those."
"You're an expensive reader, you are," I mutter as I ring up my favourite local independent bookshop, and put them on speakerphone. Yes, they can get me the rest of the series. "X thinks we need all of them," I say glumly.
The bookseller, having also picked up the tone of this conversation, says, "We love X."
"Love you too," says X, and I hang up. "When will they be in?" she enquires.
"Come and see me next term." I write out a post it note for my Reservations noticeboard, with her name and the series name.
"Thanks, Miss! That's great! I love it that you'll buy any book I want."
"I'm not quite sure it works exactly like that..."
"It did today!"
To tide her over, we find Moby Clique, and a couple more, and she heads off well pleased with her visit to the library.
The happy life of teacher librarians: being a sucker may not be a bad thing....
Cheers, Ruth
PS. They weren't vastly expensive books, I should add - will cost under $100, I think. And I was fortunate to receive some funds from the P&C earlier this term. Sometimes I couldn't do this quite as lavishly, but when you can... I'd only bought the first in the series to suss out how popular it was, and it's finding friends...
.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Is listening to an audiobook 'reading'?
I listen to audiobooks every day in the car while commuting (weekdays) or going from here to there and back again (as can happen any day of the week). Favourites include the Diana Gabaldon Outlander series, the Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse series, Derek Landy's Skulduggery Pleasant books as read by Rupert Degas, William Hope and Laurel Lefkow's brilliant reading of Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife. Robin McKinley's Sunshine. Bill Bryson travel books.
So, mostly popular fiction/nonfiction (well, I am driving) and favourites have been listened to more than once. I've pretty much given up listening to the radio (it was ABC702) in favour of stories/audiobooks. I've come across a few duds, too - whether the narrator just didn't rock my socks, or the book just didn't grab me.... Mostly, but not always, they are books I've already read in 'book' aka print form.
In my waiting list is Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and I think the very respectable English lady narrator (you can hear a sample of it over on Audible.com) will add a delicious po-faced layer to this mashup of Austen. And I haven't read the print book yet.
Enough about me. Except to say, it didn't occur to me that this isn't 'reading'. Then I read this literary agent's blog entry, and saw the poll results (pretty much even when I saw it) and read through the many comments. Lots of folks saying yes, but lots saying no: although I'm not sure all the reasons they put forward are sufficient to confirm their case.
Setting aside the issues related to the disabled (eg. the blind, and even then there seems to be a braille vs audio argument going on) and abridged/unabridged (I generally go for unabridged, for myself) the comments range over an interesting assortment of interpretations of what 'reading' is, how it works, and how listening and reading may be perceived as different things. Certainly, when I'm listening to a book, I'm aware that the narrator is adding in voice/tone/pausing that may vary from what my eyes give my brain if I'm reading the print book. On the other hand, William Hope's worldweary "It was a routine day in October..", or Laurel Lefkow's interpretation of Clare from The Time Traveler's Wife have both given me these characters as characters, and told me the story in a way that is every bit as rich as reading the print book - not the same, but not a lesser experience. There is an immediacy given to you by the voice.
Another line of argument agin is that reading a print book is a single-focus activity, while audiobooks are often (but not necessarily always) listened to in a multi-tasking environment - driving, housework, exercise etc which may involve divided attention and therefore less attention to the text. Although anyone who's plodded/strode/jogged away on a treadmill, for example, is unlikely to have too much of their brain space being occupied by that activity, leaving plenty to attend to the text.
There are free audiobooks around on the net, of varying quality, but they are a resource to which I can point the kids at school for another 'take' on those books (usually classics/out of copyright). I'm still thinking out how to make audiobooks more available to my students, because I'd like to. Certainly, there are schools with audiobooks in their school library collections (cost and management are two issues that need solving). Some lend students with learning problems the audiobook and print book together, so they can read it more effectively. With player options so cheap, at entry level, and player possibilities (including mobile phones and MP3 players) so very often in the possession of students, and so portable, it's an area for investigation.
For now, I'm still puzzling over the idea that the transformation of reading, eyes-words-brain, is to so many people a 'better' thing than hearing the same words, spoken words-brain. Isn't it just the same, but different?
Final note: my audiobook experience has been marred by the problem with rights (and I'm sure this will be an e-book issue, too). The range available here in Australia is smaller than overseas, and a lot more expensive. In the area of digital downloads, many many popular works seem to be 'unavailable to this geographic area' - I've had to get hold of a couple of faves through overseas contacts, or laboriously upload the CDs I can buy, when I can't buy a digital download. As a consumer, I'm bewildered by the idea that when there IS an EXISTING audio recording of a book, authors/agents/publishers are not acting to make these available to consumers so we can buy them and they can make an income. Search Audible.com when logged in and identified as being from Australia, and you have far fewer choices than if you're not logged in and are just searching as though you were, say, an American reader. Digital downloads make so much sense - no postage, directly installed, cheaper than CDs - and yet there are titles where you can buy a CD, but not a digital download. And plenty of titles where you can't buy either.
So, mostly popular fiction/nonfiction (well, I am driving) and favourites have been listened to more than once. I've pretty much given up listening to the radio (it was ABC702) in favour of stories/audiobooks. I've come across a few duds, too - whether the narrator just didn't rock my socks, or the book just didn't grab me.... Mostly, but not always, they are books I've already read in 'book' aka print form.
In my waiting list is Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and I think the very respectable English lady narrator (you can hear a sample of it over on Audible.com) will add a delicious po-faced layer to this mashup of Austen. And I haven't read the print book yet.
Enough about me. Except to say, it didn't occur to me that this isn't 'reading'. Then I read this literary agent's blog entry, and saw the poll results (pretty much even when I saw it) and read through the many comments. Lots of folks saying yes, but lots saying no: although I'm not sure all the reasons they put forward are sufficient to confirm their case.
Setting aside the issues related to the disabled (eg. the blind, and even then there seems to be a braille vs audio argument going on) and abridged/unabridged (I generally go for unabridged, for myself) the comments range over an interesting assortment of interpretations of what 'reading' is, how it works, and how listening and reading may be perceived as different things. Certainly, when I'm listening to a book, I'm aware that the narrator is adding in voice/tone/pausing that may vary from what my eyes give my brain if I'm reading the print book. On the other hand, William Hope's worldweary "It was a routine day in October..", or Laurel Lefkow's interpretation of Clare from The Time Traveler's Wife have both given me these characters as characters, and told me the story in a way that is every bit as rich as reading the print book - not the same, but not a lesser experience. There is an immediacy given to you by the voice.
Another line of argument agin is that reading a print book is a single-focus activity, while audiobooks are often (but not necessarily always) listened to in a multi-tasking environment - driving, housework, exercise etc which may involve divided attention and therefore less attention to the text. Although anyone who's plodded/strode/jogged away on a treadmill, for example, is unlikely to have too much of their brain space being occupied by that activity, leaving plenty to attend to the text.
There are free audiobooks around on the net, of varying quality, but they are a resource to which I can point the kids at school for another 'take' on those books (usually classics/out of copyright). I'm still thinking out how to make audiobooks more available to my students, because I'd like to. Certainly, there are schools with audiobooks in their school library collections (cost and management are two issues that need solving). Some lend students with learning problems the audiobook and print book together, so they can read it more effectively. With player options so cheap, at entry level, and player possibilities (including mobile phones and MP3 players) so very often in the possession of students, and so portable, it's an area for investigation.
For now, I'm still puzzling over the idea that the transformation of reading, eyes-words-brain, is to so many people a 'better' thing than hearing the same words, spoken words-brain. Isn't it just the same, but different?
Final note: my audiobook experience has been marred by the problem with rights (and I'm sure this will be an e-book issue, too). The range available here in Australia is smaller than overseas, and a lot more expensive. In the area of digital downloads, many many popular works seem to be 'unavailable to this geographic area' - I've had to get hold of a couple of faves through overseas contacts, or laboriously upload the CDs I can buy, when I can't buy a digital download. As a consumer, I'm bewildered by the idea that when there IS an EXISTING audio recording of a book, authors/agents/publishers are not acting to make these available to consumers so we can buy them and they can make an income. Search Audible.com when logged in and identified as being from Australia, and you have far fewer choices than if you're not logged in and are just searching as though you were, say, an American reader. Digital downloads make so much sense - no postage, directly installed, cheaper than CDs - and yet there are titles where you can buy a CD, but not a digital download. And plenty of titles where you can't buy either.
Monday, July 6, 2009
The human strengths of libraries
From this wise, thought-provoking blog entry by Kathryn Greenhill:
I think our strengths over large ubiquitous sites like Amazon, Google and Wikipedia are – or should be:
I love how blog entries like this one from Kathryn Greenhill help me to think about my work, and how to do it better. Go read the whole thing.
Cheers
Ruth
I think our strengths over large ubiquitous sites like Amazon, Google and Wikipedia are – or should be:
- our deep, human knowledge of the people in our community who use us
- our deep, human knowledge of people in our community who do not use us
- our deep, human knowledge of the specific information resources needed by our community
- our deep, human knowledge of how our community wants to find and discover information
- our deep, human knowledge of locally produced information
- our human ability to provide many different services to the same individual by our knowledge of them as people
- our human ability to anticipate desires and to delight our local community
- our buildings as a social hub for our local community
I love how blog entries like this one from Kathryn Greenhill help me to think about my work, and how to do it better. Go read the whole thing.
Cheers
Ruth
Sunday, July 5, 2009
School Library Annual Report
Given that there are inevitable differences between a private school in another country and a government school in Oz, nevertheless there is food for thought in Dianne McKenzie's annual report for her school in Hong Kong. Blog entry is here, including a ten point rationale; link to the annual report is here. Whether or not you launch full-fledged into this, just going through the thinking/writing process for yourself would be a useful exercise and a way to begin.
Right now, we're in the middle of our school year: not, perhaps, a bad time at all to take stock of progress so far and make plans for the second half of the school year. I know we've achieved some things we planned, AND some things we didn't plan but ran with anyway (flexible is good); and still have things to do. It's good to reflect on achievements, consider the things that didn't work so well, and move on forward.
Cheers
Ruth
Right now, we're in the middle of our school year: not, perhaps, a bad time at all to take stock of progress so far and make plans for the second half of the school year. I know we've achieved some things we planned, AND some things we didn't plan but ran with anyway (flexible is good); and still have things to do. It's good to reflect on achievements, consider the things that didn't work so well, and move on forward.
Cheers
Ruth
Friday, July 3, 2009
The happy life of teacher librarians: lunchtime today
WHEN IT'S WINDY AND COLD OUTSIDE AND THE LIBRARY HAS WHAT FEELS LIKE 150 MAYBE 200 STUDENTS IN IT WITH A TL AND A CLERICAL AND YOU ARE HOLIDAY BORROWING AND FINDING BOOKS AND ISSUING DOUBLE BORROWING PASSES AND YOU'RE SAYING, "George, don't do that*" EVERY COUPLE OF MINUTES AND DID I MENTION THE WIND THAT SETS THE KIDS OFF INTO LALA LAND BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WIND DOES TO CHILDREN AND YOU HOPE THEY'RE NOT DOING THE WRONG THING ON THE COMPUTERS BUT WHEN YOU HAVE A CHOICE TO HELP THE KID WHO WANTS A BOOK TO READ OR NEEDS INFORMATION FOR AN ASSIGNMENT OR GO DEAL WITH THE 'NAUGHTIES BUT NOT UTTERLY APPALLING AND MAYBE THEY'RE NOT DOING THE WRONG THING' ONES...AND SO YOU CHOOSE VIRTUE OVER POSSIBLE EVIL BUT THERE ARE KIDS EVERYWHERE AND ONE WHO NEEDS NURTURING NEEDS A CUP OF HOT CHOCOLATE BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THAT'S ALL YOU CAN PRESCRIBE AND THEN THAT ONE + THEIR SYMPATHETIC FRIENDS SIT ON THE FLOOR ON AND JUST OUTSIDE YOUR OFFICE BECAUSE MAYBE IT REPRESENTS SOME KIND OF SAFETY OR COMFORT BUT HEY, MAYBE IT'S CONVENIENCE AND ANYWAY THE HOT CHOCOLATE SEEMS TO BE WORKING WHEN YOU HAVE A MOMENT TO GLANCE OVER THERE AND MISS, I'VE READ TWILIGHT AND LIKE ADVENTURY THINGS, WHAT CAN YOU SUGGEST, I'LL BE ON A LONG LONG PLANE FLIGHT TO ITALY NEXT WEEK AND WANT TO READ AND SO YOU TRY NOT TO BE JEALOUS AND TO FIND GOOD THINGS THAT YOU HAVE IN STOCK AS OPPOSED TO THE MANY GOOD THINGS YOU'VE ALREADY SOLD/LENT TO OTHER STUDENTS AND ONE OF HER PALS COMES ALONG AND ADDS RECOMMENDATIONS TOO SOME OF WHICH ARE OUT BUT THANKS BE YOU FIND SOME PROSPECTS AND SHE HAPPILY GETS A DOUBLE BORROWING CARD AND BORROWS SEVEN BOOKS AND YOU HOPE THEY COME BACK FROM ITALY AND IS THAT TRIUMVIRATE OF (A) INTERMITTENTLY OBNOXIOUS AND (B)INTERMITTENTLY CHARMING YEAR 10 BOYS BEING (A) OR (B) TODAY AND IF THEY'RE BEING (A), WELL THEN ARE YOU GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT OR IS IT NOT QUITE APPALLING ENOUGH GIVEN WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON, AND MORE KIDS COME TO BORROW SO BOTH OF YOU ARE RUNNING HOT WITH THAT AND HANDING OUT HOLIDAY BORROWING BOOKMARKS AND MISS CAN YOU FIND THE FIRST BOOK IN THIS VAMPIRE SERIES AND WHERE IS THIS OTHER BOOK AND DO YOU HAVE THAT AND CAN I BORROW SOME SCRAP PAPER AND MAY I BORROW A TISSUE PLEASE (NO NO, YOU MAY HAVE EVERY TISSUE YOU NEED) AND I NEED TO BORROW SOME SCISSORS AND MISS WHY IS MY COMPUTER BEEPING AND BEEPING AND MISS DID I SHOW YOU THE MANGA PICTURE MY BOY DREW OF ME AND HIM BUT IT'S ON MY MOBILE PHONE AND THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED BUT CAN I SHOW YOU LOOK HE'S GOTH TOO AND THAT'S A GUINEA PIG ON HIS SHOULDER BECAUSE HE HAS THREE AND THAT'S HOW HE DRAWS ME I THINK IT'S A HEART THERE TOO MISS AND A HEAD TEACHER COMES IN TO BORROW A DVD AND REMARKS THAT IT SEEMS QUITE BUSY IN HERE AND OFF SHE GOES AND YOU CHECK TO SEE THAT THE HOT CHOCOLATE STILL SEEMS TO BE WORKING BUT YOU'D RATHER NOT HAVE TO STEP QUITE SO CAREFULLY OVER THOSE KIDS TO ANSWER YOUR PHONE WHICH IS RINGING AGAIN AND DID I MENTION THE DOZENS OR HUNDREDS OF KIDS IN THE LIBRARY AND THE WIND?
Some days, you know for sure that you've earned your salary. Don't you? My clerical assistant earned hers too, for sure and certain.
My first lunchtime at this school, two timid kids came to the library during the entire forty minute lunch break. The next day, not many more. Nah. I don't want the old days back. Just enough of me to survive lunchtimes like today's!
The happy life of teacher librarians!
Cheers, Ruth
PS. It is now the weekend.
*see this blog entry for the Joyce Grenfell monologue...
Some days, you know for sure that you've earned your salary. Don't you? My clerical assistant earned hers too, for sure and certain.
My first lunchtime at this school, two timid kids came to the library during the entire forty minute lunch break. The next day, not many more. Nah. I don't want the old days back. Just enough of me to survive lunchtimes like today's!
The happy life of teacher librarians!
Cheers, Ruth
PS. It is now the weekend.
*see this blog entry for the Joyce Grenfell monologue...
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
The future of libraries
While it's written from the point of view of academic and public libraries more than school ones, Kathryn Greenhill's blog entry here has a lot of food for thought on the future of libraries, synthesizing input from a number of sources. (She's one of the authors of the Darien Statements I blogged about a few days ago).
If you don't follow her blog, Librarians Matter, I'd recommend it - it's over on the right in my blog roll, so when you come by to read Skerricks, you can check out what's on other blogs of related interest too.
Cheers, Ruth
If you don't follow her blog, Librarians Matter, I'd recommend it - it's over on the right in my blog roll, so when you come by to read Skerricks, you can check out what's on other blogs of related interest too.
Cheers, Ruth
2009 ABIA Awards
As helpfully posted to one of the teacher librarian email lists to which I belong, the 2009 ABIA (Australian Book Industry Awards).
Shaun Tan's Tales from Outer Suburbia was among the winners. Gad I love that book! (follow that link to read more AND go to an extract). It's been great sharing it with kids during our roll call class reading visits this term. Hope it wins the CBCA book of the year award (it's a nominee).
Cheers, Ruth
Shaun Tan's Tales from Outer Suburbia was among the winners. Gad I love that book! (follow that link to read more AND go to an extract). It's been great sharing it with kids during our roll call class reading visits this term. Hope it wins the CBCA book of the year award (it's a nominee).
Cheers, Ruth
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