Libraries--what are your thoughts?? :)

[Lizzy Bennet]

Ok, this is a topic I'm scared, yet excited to bring up! I only hope SOMEONE responds!

As I am now working in a library (as the Children's Librarian, though I do some work all over...reference, circulation, etc.), I am curious...do you use the library? If so, why? If not, why not? What do you like about the library? What do you dislike? How could it be better? Have you ever volunteered in a library? If so, what kind of supervisor do you most like? My questions may seem obscure, but what I'm trying to learn is what the "public's" view on libraries is and how I can best make mine a fabulous one to go to. Also, as my position is of a supervisory nature (I have a Children's Library Assistant, in addition to overseeing a host of volunteers, both young and old), I want to be the best supervisor I can be...getting things done the way they need to be done, yet being approachable, friendly, and fair.

Any thoughts you can give me on libraries would be great...though, silly as it may sound, if you don't like libraries, I do hope you'll refrain from being too harsh or stereotypical...I do apologize, on behalf of my profession, if you've run up against 'dinosaur librarians'...the ones I work with (and the one I try to be!) are technology-oriented, proud to be VERY customer service oriented, fun, friendly, helpful, resourceful, and passionate about their careers. I work hard, and it's tough at times, but it's super-enjoyable and wonderful to get people, of all ages, hooked on reading! YAY FOR BOOKS!


~ Lizzy

P.S.--Bonus points if you can tell me any titles of recent (published recently with series going back no further than the late 90s [1998 and later]) of any great children's books or young adult books (i.e. Harry Poter [obviously!], Lemony Snicket, books by Nicolas Sparks, the Junie B. series), that would be fab ...I know I'll probably get more juvenille/young adult titles out of you, but any non-adult fiction (or even non-fiction) titles you can give me will help me when I go to order for the library...I need to know what's out there that kids and teens like!

[Devinci]

I used to use the public library...but I stopped about two years ago...I can't really remember why. It was so fun as a child...perhaps I should renew my membership...

[HuffleDuck]

Yeah, my public library have manga which i liked the best. I stopped going to the library since 9 grade.1st cause nobody have time to take me anywhere. 2nd Need to renew my membership. 3rd I'm baby-sitting, for i'm jailed in my house the whole summer.

[June]

I use the library a lot, since I love reading... and since I was a University student studying History... that meant research, research and research... =P

What I like about the library? Well, I live in Singapore, so the libraries here might be different from the ones in America. I like it because it's air-conditioned, carpeted, and quiet (most of the time... children's section might be a bit rowdier though...) I like the wide selection of books there and prompt updates on new books. I like the internet aspect, so that I can check online whether there are books I want in the library and which library contains such books, and also to reserve it online or have it sent to the nearest library near my house. I like the automated system of self-borrowing and returning... so no more long queues like there used to be, since there are usually many machines to use. In fact, there's really nothing much I dislike about the library. ^_~ It's one of my favourite haunts.

[Ju-DedoH]

well I love libraries (english ones, probaly cos' my father was a librarian) nice old wooden furniture and all but here in france (especially where I live) they aren't that good sort of 70's buildings, with a not so good selection, unfriendly staff, so I don't go there very often ... But next year I will be studying in LONDON, so I suppose i'll get back to using libraries .
Anyway here are some titles that I think could be good for the younger (although you may already have some) :
Tamora Pierce - Wild Magic (first of a series)
Terry Pratchett - The Bromeliad (Truckers + Diggers + Wings)
Terry Pratchett - The Carpet people

[gecko]

Well, our library in the village where I live is so terrible, the only few times I went there is when I found out they had certain comics I liked (that's about 5 or 6 or 7 years ago). The people that work there are old grannies (not that old grannies are bad, but these old grannies just aren't friendly or helpful or anything you'd like in a librarian), so that doesn't work in their advantage. I do like reading more than even coming to this board, well maybe not that much , but as my parents have got soo many books, and books can be bought for not too much money on the internet (we have something here where you can order your books, and you have to pay later with something called a cheque, don't know if they are used in a lot of other places, anyhow, one orders, and you can pay whenever you want, because you get warnings at first, like 'you haven't payed yet, please pay in 2 weeks' (most of the times I just pay on time, don't worry)). So in all, if our library was nicer, with better and newer books and nicer people working there, then I would go, but now, noo..

Oh, the schoolyear after the next one, I'll be going to university, which means I'll be living in a different place, probably Leiden or Delft, and university(cities) always have much better libraries, so my guess is, that I'll go more often then!

[Barry Trotter]

urrm
i didn't used to go to the library but the old one was done up about 3 years ago so i go there a fair bit now. ( i can't afford books to buy at the moment!!)

when i was younger i loved the books by.. john Marsdon ( i think)

it was the world on fire
or the wind on fire
or maybie i'm thinking of something totally random
but the series was about a group of kids who got caught in a war and stuff..

and another AMAZING book is i carried you on eagles wings
by Sue Mayfield.
its sad but nice. i liked it a lot when i was younger and i still like it now.

[Marcus Baker]

Well, the english library in Sao paulo is in my school...so thats the one I go to..but its in school.......................but its a good place to study and do work

[AccioNiffler]

I love the library, I go there a few times a month. I love fantasy books, and a lot of time it's hit or miss when it comes to that genre (IMO) so it's better to go to the library to get a book than to spend my money on one and not like it!

I think that other than HP, my favorite young adult books are by K.A. Applegate. She wrote those animorphs books, but those arent what I'm thinking of, I actually cant stand those books. But she writes the Everworld series, and I love it so much. I've read the 12 book series like four time! If you need a passionate and in depth summary on the books, please, PM me and I'll talk about them for days! The books that my sister read though are by Louise Rennison, they're a four book set (Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging, On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a s*x God, Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas, and Dancing in My Nuddy Pants) I think that the titles are racy than the books actually are though, lol

So that's all I can think of to say. Good luck at your new job Lizzy!

[gecko]

Oh, just remembered that I really liked 'The wind in the willows.' Little mole was soo cute! Haven't read any other English children books (except HP of course), I think, but my memory might be failing, in which case I'll post about those books later on !

Oh what exactly are the Everworld-books about, Accio? You've gotten me curious!

[han lin]

Librarys are gooooood.

( except when you get kicked out )

* lizzy woul i get kicked out of your library if my jacket was wet?*

urrm books
series
the animals of farthing wood by colin dan
GREAT

and also 1his dark materials trilogy1 by phillip pullman is good

so is the wind on fire series by urrn someone else its about a wind singer anyway!.

[AccioNiffler]

Oh what exactly are the Everworld-books about, Accio? You've gotten me curious!

Well, let me tell you, gecko!

The story is about these four Chicago teenagers (David- the boyfriend and hero, Christoper- the ex and the joker *and my favorite character ^_^*, Jalil- the thinker, and April- the sister and the voice of reson) that are all drawn down to the water front by this girl named Senna. When they all get there it's like the sky rips open and this giant wolf swallows Senna up. The four of them run towards her (it's not like they can actually do anything against a giant wolf though!) and yell and shout.

Something happens and the world turns inside out. When the world goes back to normal they find themselves hanging by chains around their wrists. They are on like a 500 ft tall cliff. When they finally get pulled up (by trolls) they are dragged to this palace. They find out that it is the palace of Loki, the Norse God of chaos. He's really angry because he's lost his "witch" They all find out soon enough that Senna is the witch. They find a way to escape Loki and find a boat, a Viking long boat. It of course makes no sense, because they dont think that Loki is real, and Vikings are long gone, and why does it look like they are in Norway or something?! They get on the boat and have to lie and say that they are minstrals so that they dont get themselves killed. They are brought to Olaf Ironfoot and have to perform for him.

As the books progress, we find out that the place that the four find themselves in is called Everworld. It's a world created by all the major gods of the "old world" like Zeus, Loki, Isis, etc. They all got together and decided to start their own world. It's like a quilt, each God has his own little square. They all brought some of their own followers, because you know, they all need to be worshiped. This world also includes legends like King Arthur type stuff, and Merlin. As things go on, we learn more about the connections between the four and Senna. Also, you find out the Senna is a gateway between Everworld and the Real world. That is why she was kidnapped from the real world. She escaped though, but now there are a bunch of crazy gods after, including Ka Anor, an alien god that eats other gods. When they finally get some sleep, they get some disturbing news. When they sleep over in Everworld, they suddenly find themselves back in the real world, but with the memories of what was happening in Everworld. When they wake back up in Everworld they are, well, back in Everworld. So it's like there are two of them, one in everworld and one in the real world that gets updates whenever the other one falls asleep.

The kids get dragged into battles constantly. The weird part is that the battles are against the Aztecs and their god Huitzilopoctli (he eats human hearts) or Ka Anor and his weird bug-like alien forces. They wander throughout everworld encountering the Greek gods, a god named Hel (guess what she rules over), leprachauns, fairies, trolls, elves, magicians, centaurs, satyrs, nymphs, vikings, Dragons, aztecs, merpeople, and giants. They visit places like Africa, hell, Greece, England, Fairy Land, and Atlantis.

Eventually they realize that Everworld isnt their enemy, the power hungry Senna is. They have to decide to fight her or not. They have to pick Everworld or the real world.

It's easy to think about HP when reading these books (but I read this series first, I can just see it now that I have read both books). They talk about Merlin, the philosopher's stone, fairies, trolls, and lot's of other stuff. Other thn that the books aren't that similar at all. Also, these aren't written at the same level as HP, but they're still great!

[gecko]

Loads of stuff

Wow! Thanks for that explination! They sound mighty interesting! But as you've kind of told the major plot (or haven't you?), do you think it's still worth to buy (I don't think the library here has these books, though I could go to Eindhoven's library (nearest big city)) them?

I'll check out my internet bookstore (www.bol.com), let's see if they sell 'm.

[Blaise Zabini]

Ooh, I love my library! Could be because I work there, but it is a fantastic place. I'm currently a page, which I suppose is some wierd metonymy relating to the actual pages of books. Anyway, I take the books from the circulation desk and put them back on the shelves where they belong. I also help with reference, showing patrons where books are and the like.

But anyway, I ladore Lemony Snicket. With a name like that, the books have to be good. Reading them as someone older than the target audience, I'm able to pick up so much more, and there's some brilliant stuff in there! Hm, definitely Junie B Jones. I've never read it, myself, but I'm constantly putting those books away, meaning they're checked out quite a lot. Anything by Dr. Suess. Maurice Sendak, as well. Where the Wild Things Are was one of my favourites as a child. Eric Carle is great (I believe that he just wrote a new book, btw.) The there's the Berenstein Bears, Arthur, Clifford, and the like. Oh, and the Madeline books are always going in and out. As for the more J/YA books, everyone seems to be taking out the Babysitter's Club books and Mary Kate & Ashley seem to have a series, as well. Accio mentioned Everworld, and people seem to enjoy those, along with Animorphs and a few of the other series books. Oh, and Brian Jacques. He writes the Mossflower series (I think that's what it's called,) which I've just started reading, and it's quite good! Hm, I hope that that was of some help!

[AccioNiffler]

Wow! Thanks for that explination! They sound mighty interesting! But as you've kind of told the major plot (or haven't you?), do you think it's still worth to buy

No, no, no, I didn't give away the plot. There's still so much that I didn't talk about. I just didn't want to give too much away in case anyone decided to read it. It's just so long because it's a twelve book series and the idea of what's happening is a little confusing to explain. Are you sure that your library doesnt have them, becuase I know that both of my near by one have them.