Linda Greene is one of the library's crown jewels. How do I know that? For fourteen years at least she shelved books in the Children's Department and then one day last week her doctor said "No More!". A problem with her back that could be really serious if she continues to bend, stoop, and lift heavy things. Because she was gone so suddenly, other staff members have had to try to take up the slack and I have been shelving books in the Children's Department for the past few days. This was Linda's main responsibility and she took it seriously. Every book in its place standing up straight and tall just waiting for little hands to come along and choose it. I am no match for Linda. It takes me all morning to shelve what Linda could probably do in an hour. But it is interesting the things you learn.
For instance, in the nonfiction 300s (fairy tales), 500s (space, planets, dinosaurs, insects, animals), 700s (hobbies & crafts, drawing & painting and sports) and 900s (history and geography) seem to be the most popular.
When children start to read chapter books such as Junie B. Jones, they don't just check out one such book but a whole stack. (The same is true with Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew, Goose Bumps, Boxcar Children, etc.) I was introduced to Junie by my granddaughter heather who was 6 or 7 at the time, but I have to say I was a little surprised when my grandson Carson, who will enter first grade soon, asked me to read him a Junie B. Jones book. He said his teacher, Ms. Haynes, read one to them at school and he liked it. Some of Junie's traits I would prefer Carson not pick up but Junie is a very unique little girl and kids seem to love her. But back to the shelving, it sure makes it easier when I get to put a whole stack on the shelf under PARK, KEENE, or WARNER! Clears my book cart much faster.
One thing I wondered: why do children always seem to choose the books from the bottom shelf where I have to bend way over or get on my knees to put them away? (Bless you Linda, I can see why your back hurts!) Could it be because they can see those easier? I also noticed that you have to pull the books on the top shelves right to the edge or children can't see the titles. We didn't used to put books on the top shelves until we started to run out of space.
Yesterday while I was shelving, I became aware of four little girls searching for books. What first caught my attention was the language they were speaking-certainly not English. When I asked if they were finding what they needed, one of them smiling said "Yes, we are" in perfect English. Here was a child who was obviously fluent in two languages and I especially had to admire that since I had been on the library's Rosetta Stone trying to learn Spanish. Not an easy thing! (Is a young child a nino or a nina?) Do you know about Rosetta Stone? It's an online language course that teaches you a language in a very easy way. Just go the library's web site www.decatur.lib.al.us and click on Rosetta Stone and start learning any one of several languages. Before you know it you'll be reading a whole sentence in Spanish and picking out the picture it describes! Rosetta Stone is also audio so you learn how to say the words as you go. But I still can't roll my r's. Just in case you don't know about the real Rosetta Stone, there's a book in the Children's Department about it.
Another thing about shelving, you get to help kids find things. They think because you are in there working that you must know where things are. Wrong! But I did enjoy trying to find things, like books on snakes, that's 597.96 just in case you need to know. I tried to help a grandmother who was looking for books that her granddaughter needed to read before school started but most of them were checked out. However, Kimberly came to the rescue and found her several. I found a joke book. "What did the football coach say when he learned his piggy bank was stolen? I want my quarter back!" That's J818 Ris if you're interested. (Okay, these jokes are for kids!)
Other than the physical thing, you might think shelving would be easy and for some it probably is. But when the number goes out to 533.0712, I have to pay careful attention to get it in the right place. Sometimes the 7 looks like a 1 or vice versa. It is so important to put the book in the right place; if you don't, the next person who shelves might find that book and match theirs to it and you end up with a row of 504.5 and somewhere in the next range there might be another row of 504.5. so you have to check the books before and the books after. I admire Linda more every day that I shelve! The shelver must also be on the lookout for books that need replaced or repaired. Yesterday I pulled two that still had the green magic marker stripe on them from where we first added books to an online catalog back in the early 80s. Today a paperback Garfield had to go because it was worn out from use. It will probably be replaced if still available because it was obviously popular.
Thank you Linda for all your faithful years of work. I'm sorry you came to the 999.999s so much sooner than we expected. We miss you and wish you well!
Patricia
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