Yeah, I'm a Dealer

This morning, I enjoyed a delicious breakfast made by the boys, played a few rounds of UNO, prepped instructional slides for the week, participated in a Twitter chat, changed the sheets, did some laundry, crocheted after crying through the SNL intro, and am now in the crafty nook taking down February decor, excavating my desk and craft table, and getting ready to finish up thank-you notes and update my planner.

I still have to figure out clothes for the week. The Sneetch tee that I made (and remade) and started wearing y-e-a-r-s ago has to have marabou trim re-added to its hem because Buck (our more rambunctious cat) has loved it and chewed on it and pulled it and destroyed it multiple times. Perhaps this is the year that I'll remember to hang the shirt on the upper rod in the closet and not the lower.

Yesterday was my one-weekend-day-per-month spent at work. I recognized Seuss' birthday in the glass display case while also putting my own spin on Read Across America for our hallway bulletin board by identifying books/stories in our library that are set in each state. Our students will live all over our country and in others, so simply focusing on one American author's story seems a bit shortsighted to me. I seriously doubt Ted Geisel would mind.

I've finally been asked to help select and pull books before guest readers arrive to read to students after my initial offer of help was politely-ish refused. Not sure exactly who I think I am, but I was under the impression that my Master's degree and license imply that I'm supposed to be the school's most recognizable literacy partner, advocate, book and content dealer. That's right, I'm a dealer, I supply readers with the good stuff, the facts, the fiction, the genres, the cliffhangers, the laughter, the suspense, the empathy, the mirrors, and I'm trying to do all I can to see that students and staff get hooked on reading. If you don't like the word "dealer," it's really okay to call me... a librarian. It frustrates me to no end when my skill and intentions are ignored and underutilized.

Organizers for Read Across America didn't include me as a guest reader, but thankfully pre-k and some other individual teachers didn't forget about me. Bless them. Needless to say, this first year as a librarian has been eye-opening, and I now have a much clearer vision of the work that is cut out for me. I'll be requesting inclusion for all future reading promotions. I can make it sound like a demand if need be.

By the way, if your child's or niece's or nephew's or grandchild's or godchild's or neighbor's kid's school is celebrating Read Across America without the involvement of their school librarian, point out the error to administrators and teachers. Raise a stink. If the school doesn't have a librarian period, raise an even bigger one.