Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Library as School
tarasine
Ned wrote:
understanding that the patron is seeking information, and the purpose
of the employee is to help the patron find it. No questions asked. No
mention of the patron being too young or not being dressed properly;
no discussion about the appropriateness of the information or the
"readiness" of the patron to learn it; no mention of testing or
judging, no timetables, no hall passes, no arbitrary rules, no need to
ask permission to go pee. The library attitude is benevolence and service.
nightmarish memory involving the librarian in the small town where I
grew up. It happened when I was 7 years old. I had read C.S. Lewis'
"The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," and wanted to read the other
books in the Chronicles of Narnia series. For some unfathomable
reason, those books happened to be behind the librarians desk. While
my mother was in the "children's room" helping my little brothers find
some books, I timidly approached the librarian and asked her if she
would hand me the book I wanted. She smiled indulgently and asked,
"How old
are you?" When I told her, she smiled again and said (in one of those
sickeningly sweet voices some adults use with children), "Maybe you
should look for a book in there [pointing to the children's room]
instead."
I was so shy at the time that, even though I KNEW she was wrong, I
just went in and stood by my mother, miserable. I can't BELIEVE I
didn't tell my mother what happened. I know she would have had
something to say to that woman! I've imagined many different scenarios
involving what I should have said and done, but the respect for
authority had been so ingrained in me that I wasn't confident enough
to act on my feelings.
Fortunately, although this memory is quite painful to me even today,
the experience didn't have any effect on my love or ability for
reading. (Interestingly, though, it wasn't until I was in my twenties
when I finally read the other books in the Narnia series!)
Anyway, I really hope this was a unique experience, and that no other
child has been treated in this way at a public library.
Tarasine
>In libraries, the attitude is ALWAYS, "How can I help you?" There is an
understanding that the patron is seeking information, and the purpose
of the employee is to help the patron find it. No questions asked. No
mention of the patron being too young or not being dressed properly;
no discussion about the appropriateness of the information or the
"readiness" of the patron to learn it; no mention of testing or
judging, no timetables, no hall passes, no arbitrary rules, no need to
ask permission to go pee. The library attitude is benevolence and service.
>Unfortunately, this isn't always the case. I have one particularly
nightmarish memory involving the librarian in the small town where I
grew up. It happened when I was 7 years old. I had read C.S. Lewis'
"The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," and wanted to read the other
books in the Chronicles of Narnia series. For some unfathomable
reason, those books happened to be behind the librarians desk. While
my mother was in the "children's room" helping my little brothers find
some books, I timidly approached the librarian and asked her if she
would hand me the book I wanted. She smiled indulgently and asked,
"How old
are you?" When I told her, she smiled again and said (in one of those
sickeningly sweet voices some adults use with children), "Maybe you
should look for a book in there [pointing to the children's room]
instead."
I was so shy at the time that, even though I KNEW she was wrong, I
just went in and stood by my mother, miserable. I can't BELIEVE I
didn't tell my mother what happened. I know she would have had
something to say to that woman! I've imagined many different scenarios
involving what I should have said and done, but the respect for
authority had been so ingrained in me that I wasn't confident enough
to act on my feelings.
Fortunately, although this memory is quite painful to me even today,
the experience didn't have any effect on my love or ability for
reading. (Interestingly, though, it wasn't until I was in my twenties
when I finally read the other books in the Narnia series!)
Anyway, I really hope this was a unique experience, and that no other
child has been treated in this way at a public library.
Tarasine