Libraries and Learning

I've done a lot of different jobs over the years. Recently, I substituted for a middle-school librarian at the year of the school year.

An inventory confirmed her worst fear. Over 10% of the books were unaccountable. I almost wished that hundreds of books had simply disappeared, because knowing they were purposefully stolen and/or damaged irks me. They are free to signout for everyone, what possible gain is there to stealing. The only reason I can think of is to affect some negative reaction on the part of the school administration.

Kids were suspended from a Toronto high school last week for posting teacher 'hate' on website. For some reason, a few hundred kids thought that moral support should include throwing things at police officers.

I wonder who is learning what. I wonder why we are so prone to destructive tendencies when frustrated. I wonder what my children will be exposed to as they age. I wonder how to fix it.

And then I realize...

By starting. It doesn't matter if the first step is big or small, or the second. The important thing is moving forward.

So, I joined the Library Advisory Board this past week. It's another small step. But the more small steps I take, the further I've travelled. And it's the journey, not the destination that makes us who we are.