Adventures in my School Library

By Maria P. D’Orsi

I’m Nobody! Who are you?

Are you Nobody too?

Then there’s a pair of us!

I hope there’s more than a pair reading this article! Since it is April – poetry month - I thought I’d begin with a few words from Emily Dickinson, which speaks to me of the times when I feel overworked and under appreciated. I’ll bet there are more than a few of you important nobodies out there as well! As Hillary Clinton said of her new presidential campaign, I’d like to begin a “conversation” with my colleagues, especially those of you who work alone or who got a late start like me, beginning with my journey and life as a school librarian, and maybe my unique perspective and experiences will resonate, or at least amuse, some of you.

I am a library teacher in an elementary school, a second career that began when I volunteered in my own children’s school library in the early nineties. I did not come from an education background, but I’m certainly one of those “detail oriented” types as well as a voracious reader, prerequisites for librarianship! I never entertained the idea of being a teacher, but being an involved parent (in fact, a P.T.O. president), and an active supporter of education, I volunteered to run my children’s school library and thought, “this is for me!!” I moved on to a paid position as library coordinator, and after a few years my community qualified for a grant to build new schools, which promised professionally staffed school libraries. My principal, who knew how much I loved the position, advised me to get my licensure or I would lose my job to a certified library media specialist.

Well, I really hated to spend the money!! And the time!! And especially, how long it would take to pay off the loan on a new teacher’s salary. But I truly loved the children, the books, the organization, and my colleagues as well, and decided to go for it. After the shock of discovering most of the credits from my incomplete 1970s undergrad program wouldn’t transfer, I “bit the bullet” for four years to finish my undergrad and master’s degrees and teaching certification, and the good news is the loan will be paid just five years after I retire!

I loved my undergrad program at Cambridge College and what a joy it has been to go to school as an adult. There were times when I wished I could make my career as a student! Then I began the library teacher coursework, and past MSLA president Dr. Joseph (Joe) Angelo, director of the Library Teacher program at that time, taught my very first course, “Overview of the School Library”. He talked about print resources vs. online, fixed schedules vs. flexible, collaboration and frameworks and standardized testing. He warned us about the dangers of being warehousers, keepers of the books, professional organizers. Joe also stated emphatically that the job of a library teacher was to be a teacher first. Library Teacher? Who changed the name? I wanted to be a library media specialist. I never wanted to be a teacher.

I have always believed that teaching is the hardest job in the world; trying to keep 20 or 25 kids busily engaged and well-behaved, self esteem intact, parents placated, curriculum covered, room attractive, etc., etc. I just signed my loan (did I mention it will be paid five years after I retire?) and now I find out I have to let someone else do the cataloging and organizing and covering (I LOVE covering books), and all the wonderful things we bibliophiles do. I have to write lesson plans? What’s this curriculum mapping? When am I going to have time to read the Follett catalog, my professional magazines, or order books? What was I getting myself into? The more Joe talked, the more depressed I became. Well, after a few deep breaths, I decided to finish my first semester coursework that was already paid by loan anyway, and then reevaluate.

I also completed Children’s Literature, References Resources, and Evaluation, Selection and Management that summer and in time came to realize I was exactly where I belonged. It also occurred to me that teaching was what I had been doing all along and the skills Joe taught were the guideposts that gave my position as a library teacher meaning and value. It made me a professional. I had been so respectful and even intimidated by the wonderful teachers I had known that I felt unsure of myself, as if I couldn’t measure up to their level of expertise. Now I proudly call myself a teacher and still feel a thrill when I get a chance to state my occupation. On occasion I cover books and love it when I’m asked to solve a cataloging dilemma, and once in a while I’ll even go to the shelves and straighten and fuss, checking the call numbers and copyright dates and the condition of well-used materials…and get it out of my system.

Several months ago I had the opportunity to have lunch with the staff of this newsletter and was pleased that (now past) MSLA President, Kathy Lowe, would be joining us. She is every bit the powerhouse and wealth of information I suspected by the numerous articles she has written and the wonderful job she did representing us nationally. Even her lunch contribution wowed me…a delicious bleu cheese salad! I asked many questions and hung on her every word, and when the subject came up about the professional name change to library teacher and how I was confused at first, Kathy said she goes by…librarian. Librarian??? She stopped fighting it a long time ago. No matter how important we are, or what we call ourselves, in the school library we go with the flow!!

Little Gem: Chalk this one up to too much TV. One of my first graders is a very well behaved, bright, and caring little boy. One day a student asked for a dinosaur book and A.J., who was beside the boy, turned and said, “I’ll show him, Mrs. D’Orsi.” He said to his classmate, “Follow me. The dinosaur books are in the erectile section.”

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See you next issue!