Pandemic Library, Episode 4: Bitterroot Book Talks (Originally Posted April 15)
In these pandemic days, the middle school library - indeed, any library - is a sad place. Sure, I can check out books, to students who email ahead, but they pick up the books on the other side of a closed door. If I happen to look up when a student grabs his or her books, we wave briefly and I resist the urge to get up and let them in the door.
I am aware of the irony. In what now feels like the good old days of just a month ago, I often chased students away when they knocked on the doors that open to the outside. We keep those doors locked as a security measure, and I am not interested in jumping up from my desk to let in every kid trying to get in. There used to be signs that clearly stated that those doors were not a student entrance.
Who knew that we had more to worry about from a virus than a human intruder?
These days, I would welcome a whole flock of fifth graders, even a gaggle of eighth graders, if we could hang out in the library and talk about books. Or about anything, really.
As it is, my wife, Toni, who works at North Valley Public Library in Stevensville, perfectly describes what it is lie to be in our libraries now: we feel like trespassers.
Still, we do what we can. On Tuesday of this eek, that meant recruiting a couple of English teachers - Mariah Purcell and Jessica Lewis - to hlep me start a book talk podcast. I did something wrong with the podcast app I am trying out, but Ms. Purcell set up a Google meet and saved the day.
It was reat to talk about books with a couple of English teachers, and I hope that I can recruit a lot of CMS students to join me in book discussions in future episodes of what will become a library podcast: Bitterroot Book Talks. Yes, I welcome suggestions for a better title.
Meanwhile, check out episode one of Bitterroot Book Talks
I am aware of the irony. In what now feels like the good old days of just a month ago, I often chased students away when they knocked on the doors that open to the outside. We keep those doors locked as a security measure, and I am not interested in jumping up from my desk to let in every kid trying to get in. There used to be signs that clearly stated that those doors were not a student entrance.
Who knew that we had more to worry about from a virus than a human intruder?
These days, I would welcome a whole flock of fifth graders, even a gaggle of eighth graders, if we could hang out in the library and talk about books. Or about anything, really.
As it is, my wife, Toni, who works at North Valley Public Library in Stevensville, perfectly describes what it is lie to be in our libraries now: we feel like trespassers.
Still, we do what we can. On Tuesday of this eek, that meant recruiting a couple of English teachers - Mariah Purcell and Jessica Lewis - to hlep me start a book talk podcast. I did something wrong with the podcast app I am trying out, but Ms. Purcell set up a Google meet and saved the day.
It was reat to talk about books with a couple of English teachers, and I hope that I can recruit a lot of CMS students to join me in book discussions in future episodes of what will become a library podcast: Bitterroot Book Talks. Yes, I welcome suggestions for a better title.
Meanwhile, check out episode one of Bitterroot Book Talks
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