The Book Charmer

Boy I would kill to work at Scholastic! Who wouldn't, right? I'm actually going to apply for their summer 2012 internship program. Even though I don't have the connections and I'm pretty much against living in NYC (ever), it'll be my last chance to be eligible for most internships, so why not?
Oh, the seductive craft of making books...If only I was a good enough copy editor!
(Video discovered on Mr. Schu Reads)

The past few days have been filled with runny noses and tissues, but I haven't been this happy since I went to Maui. Volunteering really does make you feel good.

I started at Edison Elementary last Friday. The day wasn't off to a great start. I was still pretty sick, missed my first class, failed my Econ quiz, and had to haul my ass over in 15 minutes after missing the bus.

Patti had me start shelf reading the most popular section of non-fiction: animals. It was calming and involving - until the kids came in. I tried not to make eye contact with the group of kids attacking the origami section nearby. As a college student, I stand out like a sore thumb, and I didn't want to frighten anyone. (I'm pretty sure all of the other volunteers are parents/moms.) (Kids actually frighten me.)

But before the class left, their teacher came over and gave Patti and I a project. She wanted 28 fiction books that featured animals for all reading levels.

I thought this was a dog when I picked it out...

We were thrilled! Selecting books is one of a librarian's most important jobs. And this way, I can learn what works and what doesn't without the pressure of helping a kid face-to-face.

I also volunteered today and met a very enthusiastic mother. Edison is in this interesting situation where their librarian also works in classrooms, so she's actually barely ever there. That's where the parents come in. They have made it their project to make the environment more user-friendly. As far as I know, none of them have previous library experience, which...makes for a very interesting experiment indeed. They have tons of great ideas, don't get me wrong, but this setup makes me a tad concerned about their changes and perhaps how the children view the role of a librarian. Does too much parental involvement make the librarian's job less professional in others' eyes? "If a mom can do it, why do we need to pay a librarian?" Obviously, that's a little extremist, but some governments do seem to think volunteers can run a library.

(Thoughts for a future post brewing...)

Anyway, the mother suggested another fun project: booklists, or creating lists of books by genre for children and teachers alike. It may sound like tedious work, but I love the idea of doing stuff like this. Not only will I become familiar with the library through these projects, but I'll also learn about children's books themselves. I haven't read the majority of classics, and if I have, I don't remember why they're classics.

So while I'm bullshitting communications papers, I'll really be thinking about my side education in Charlotte's Web and Ramona.

(Patti actually side-hugged me when I told her I'd finished Charlotte over the weekend and loved it. Hilarious!)

My name is Charmaine Ng. I do not claim to be a "book charmer," but I thought it was an appropriate trying-hard-to-be-clever pun. Forgive me.

I'm a senior at the University of Oregon, but I was born and raised in San Francisco. I read about and consume a lot of entertainment, mostly TV and movies. My preferred medium is magazine. My dad raised me on subscriptions as much as weekly trips to the local library. I'm kind of odd and have a tendency to be too blunt. I dream of being capable at photography, designing, and event planning someday. I also would like to own a Scottish Terrier or Corgi.

So why I'm here...

by Gerald Pereira

I love writing and reading and believe very strongly in the power of both. And I am beginning to believe that my post-graduation path (official next June) lies with books. I will be graduating with a degree in journalism, but by no means am I leaving that or my passion for social media behind. I hope to utilize all of these skills and more - just in an often overlooked setting.

You see, I'm still passionate about story. I just want to tell a new one.

But I'm not pursuing a career in books because I love them. In fact, I've barely touched a book in the past four years (I've been catching up!). I see the innovations coming and am completely inspired by the profession as a whole. The future of bookstores and libraries lie in the community. They act as resources, share information, and take the knowledge out of the books. They are the "other space," your second home where you can work, study, and relax. Why wouldn't you want to be part of that?

Honestly, I am flat-out intimidated by librarianship. Handling information and research is not my forte. It is single-handedly holding me back from jumping in (and don't get me started on cataloging!). But I'm hoping that volunteering and job shadowing will help me gather a more informed look at what the job entails.

I tend to have a lot of faith in "dying" industries. See: journalism degree. But people are indeed fighting for change and will lead the way. Librarians are not going to go quietly. And I refuse to let my dreams die.

So here's to a new blog, goal, and adventure! I hope you'll join me.