A New Way of Seeing Things

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” - Henry Miller

More than forty years ago, I celebrated Independence Day in Oxford, England.

I had never been outside of the United States before, but when the opportunity to study at the University of Oxford, during the summer between my junior and senior years in college, presented itself, I didn't hesitate.

In many ways, it was a life-altering experience.

Although computers were in existence during the '60s, they were not commonly available. Learning about other countries meant books or travel; the printed word or physical contact.

During my trip, I interacted with American students from all over the U.S. We found that our lives were quite different, our ideas of home, family, religion, politics often amazingly dissimilar.

There were numerous chances to travel - we saw London, Stonehenge, Stratford-on-Avon. Our group crossed the Channel to explore Paris, Bruges, Amsterdam, Trier, Cologne. I can still see in my mind's eye, even after all these years, the bright Impressionist paintings, majestic Rembrandts portraits, postcards pasted on the wall by Anne Frank in the Secret Annex.

Our students today have an unparalleled opportunity to connect with their peers in other states and other nations, to explore the riches of museums, galleries, and historic sites, to step outside of their local communities and join the global community.

Restricting access to resources by blocking and filtering imposes limits that may not always be in the best interests of the children and young adults in our educational system.

“Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken.” - Frank Herbert




"ChristChurch.3" by Lamees.(L.Y.S)

365 Project: June

The month of June brought many changes, not the least of which was my retirement.

Knowing that my career as a teacher/librarian was drawing to a close, I decided to include more pictures of students and school life. Flowers and holidays also appeared in some of the daily photos.

By far the most viewed image was Good Bye! As buses pulled out of the parking lot on the last day of school, elementary teachers gathered to give their students a rousing send off


I decided to include two "bonus" photos, one from my college yearbook


the other from a staff picnic/retirement celebration


since both images are associated with major changes in my life.

My favorite photos this month were The Visitor, because it was totally unplanned and unexpected (I didn't even SEE the insect until I cropped the photo!)


and A Grand Old Flag. This little girl is the first member of our extended family born in the 21st Century


I hope her life is as interesting and full of adventures as mine has been... and I'm not done yet!




You can see a slideshow of the 30 June photos (plus 2 "bonus" pix) here or view all of my 2009 photos to date here.

The two groups to which I contribute are 365/2009 and 2009/365.

New Steps of Change

"The horizon leans forward, offering you space to place new steps of change." - Maya Angelou

Today was my last day as the K-12 Library Media Specialist in Fort Ann, NY. Yesterday, I said good bye to students; this afternoon, I bid farewell to teaching colleagues and staff members.

Teaching was not my first career, nor will it be my last. I've been a social worker, day care provider, bookstore clerk, and librarian in both academic and public libraries. Now, I'm an online editor and facilitator. If life offers me any other opportunities, I'll accept them gladly.

Forty years ago, this photo of me appeared on the last page of my college yearbook.



Now, as I did then, I'm walking away from one world to enter another. Exits are also entrances. Doors and gates open to new possibilities.

I think I'm ready for the next Journey.

A Single Small Globe Against the Stars

Yesterday, I watched a 2-hour parade that honored Flag Day. There were bands, floats, fire engines, clowns, a princess, even an Elvis tribute artist. Little children scrambled for candy under the watchful eyes of parents, while their younger siblings slumbered in strollers.

The crowd spontaneously applauded as men and women in uniform marched by. Hats off, hands on hearts: flags were saluted with obvious emotion visible on many faces.

There is still room in our flattening world for love of country:

"What do we mean by patriotism in the context of our times? I venture to suggest that what we mean is a sense of national responsibility... a patriotism which is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime." - Adlai E. Stevenson

combined with a broader world view:

“It is not easy to see how the more extreme forms of nationalism can long survive when men have seen the Earth in its true perspective as a single small globe against the stars.” -Arthur C. Clarke

In the end

"A man's feet must be planted in his country, but his eyes should survey the world." -George Santayana

*A Flickr slideshow of the Saratoga, NY Flag Day Parade can be seen here.




"Town Meeting Crowd" by redjar
"space" by Jram23

Eyes to See

"I have eyes to see now what I have never seen before." -Anonymous

The above quote was written in the late 1870s by a correspondence student of American chemist and educator, Ellen H. Richards. The student was learning through the Society to Encourage Studies at Home, founded in 1873 by Anna Eliot Ticknor.

Paul C, of quoteflections, has issued an invitation:

For the month of June could anyone so inclined go on an interesting personal journey for good quotations and include some reflections?...You could select one a day, or skip some days and do twenty...or ten for the month. It is entirely up to you.

Since these are our final, crazy weeks of school here in upstate New York, I've decided that weekly quote/reflections would best fit my schedule.

The anonymous quote I've chosen appeals to me for a few reasons.

It was written by a correspondence student, a female who chose to further her education in a non-traditional manner. If this woman were alive today, I am certain that she would be exploring the rich diversity of digital learning opportunities, just as I am.

These words might also describe my growing love affair with photography. I've been contributing a daily photo to two Flickr groups, 365/2009 and 2009/365, and my attention to detail and appreciation of the world around me has increased exponentially.

I now have "eyes to see."

"Me, Myself, and Eye" by Clearly Ambiguous

365 Project: May

With warmer weather comes more time spent out-of-doors, and my photos are starting to reflect that change of focus. Sometimes the "perfect shot" was no further than my own backyard.

Most viewed image was The View from Stark's Knob


The largest numbers of comments were generated by Lilies of the Valley


and Morels


A personal favorite has to be Sentimental Journey: Saint Brigid's School, since that building is where I received my (formal) education from Kindergarten through 8th grade.


It was the beginning of quite a Journey, one that won't end any time soon, I hope!


You can see a slideshow of the 31 May photos here or view all of my 2009 photos to date here.

The two groups to which I contribute are 365/2009 and 2009/365.

For Cathy, On the Occasion of her Birthday

"Friendship consists in forgetting what one gives, and remembering what one receives." -Alexandre Dumas, fils

"You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what's a life, anyway? We're born, we live a little while, we die. A spider's life can't help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone's life can stand a little of that." -E.B. White, Charlotte's Web

"Friends are the sunshine of life." -John Hay

Happy Birthday, Cathy!

Remembering

Although it began as a day to remember those who died in the American Civil War, Memorial Day (once know as "Decoration Day") now honors all U.S. men and women who died while in the military service.

I thought this would be an appropriate time to visit one of our local cemeteries, where grave markers and flags indicate the final resting place of those who served in our armed forces.

Some of these men and women returned home to finish lives interrupted by war. They are recognized on Veterans Day.

Others died in faraway places, fighting for the country that they loved. These are the honorees on Memorial Day.


The peace of the morning was briefly disturbed by the sound of a parade on a neighboring street. There were to be patriotic songs played and heartfelt speeches given at a war memorial in the city park.


I preferred to linger a while with the dead.



"Blow out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!
There's none of these so lonely and poor of old,
But, dying, has made us rarer gifts than gold."
-Rupert Brooke


"We who are left how shall we look again
Happily on the sun or feel the rain
Without remembering how they who went
Ungrudgingly and spent
Their lives for us loved, too, the sun and rain?"
-Wilfred Wilson Gibson




"United States Flag" by tomsaint11

Job Description

Our 8th grade students are required to complete a career project. If one of them had done a keyword search for Librarian - Job Description, they might have read this:

Maintains collections of books, serial publications, documents, audiovisual, and other materials, and assists groups and individuals in locating and obtaining materials: Furnishes information on library activities, facilities, rules, and services. Explains and assists in use of reference sources, such as card or book catalog or book and periodical indexes to locate information. Describes or demonstrates procedures for searching catalog files. Searches catalog files and shelves to locate information. Issues and receives materials for circulation or for use in library. Assembles and arranges displays of books and other library materials. Maintains reference and circulation materials. Answers correspondence on special reference subjects. May compile list of library materials according to subject or interests, using computer. May select, order, catalog, and classify materials. May prepare or assist in preparation of budget. May plan and direct or carry out special projects involving library promotion and outreach activity... -Career Planner

Although the above profile might have been accurate when I received my MLS - in 1973 - it hardly reflects the nature and scope of our profession in today's world.

There has been a lot of discussion lately about libraries and librarians.

Doug Johnson explores The Essential Question on his Blue Skunk Blog: "Does a school need a library when information can be accessed from the classroom using Internet connected laptops?" He offers no easy solutions, reminding library professionals that "The new question is uncomfortable, messy, and incredibly important and not restricted by any means to one particular school. It is one to which all library people need a clear and compelling answer."

In Manifesto for 21st Century School Librarians, Joyce Valenza asks "What does a 21st Century librarian look like?" then draws the portrait of an effective education leader who models modern information tools and techniques for both students and staff members.

Which brings me to a discussion that's been occurring in my area of New York State. Some of my fellow School Library Media Specialists view library skills as separate from technology. They advocate teaching a foundation of "basic literacy skills" before utilizing "extras" like blogs, social networking sites, etc.

They know my viewpoint:

"As Information Specialists, we MUST be familiar with new tools so that we can help our students and staff communicate, collaborate, and create in our increasingly connected world. Library walls are coming down. We need to keep up or we'll become obsolete."

Few of them share it.

Karl Fisch, Darren Draper, and a number of other interested parties recently conducted a Twitter conversation about the role of librarians. The question was asked, "What's the point of having a media specialist if they aren't specialists in the media forms of the day?"

As school districts look to trim budgets in a time of reduced funding, the answer to this query becomes increasingly important. Library Media Specials who can't articulate their value and relevance may find their careers in jeopardy, their positions "covered" by technology teachers and clerks.

There is a social technographics ladder, shared by Cathy Nelson. She asks, "Where are you on this ladder?"

Joyce Valenza puts it bluntly, "In my mind, if you are not an expert in new information and communication tools, you are NOT a media specialist for today."

Carolyn Foote advises "as we each sort out the answers to those 'essential questions,' as Doug calls them, we should post our answers on our doors and windows for the school to see... We should let everyone know what we consider our core mission to be in simple, concise terms. And then we should live that mission daily in our policies and practices and purchases."

It's time to update that job description.


"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything." -George Bernard Shaw





"ARCHIMBOLDO, Guiseppe The Librarian c. 1566" by carulmare

Those Were the Days

My friend and fellow librarian, Cathy Nelson, tagged me with a meme. It’s called “Those were the days” and it began over at the Books, Bytes, and Grocery Store Feet Blog.

Since I've been around for quite a few years now, I have a LOT of memories to share. In the interest of brevity (and to highlight some previous posts), I'm responding with selected photos and blog links.



Children of my era were expected to spend a lot of time outdoors. We all had bikes, wagons, dolls and/or trucks...and big imaginations. A favorite game was the very non-PC "Cowboys and Indians," inspired by Saturday morning TV shows and Saturday afternoon matinees. My first heroes were cowboys, and that larger-than-life frontiersman, Davy Crockett.



School and church were a key element in our lives then, and, along with most of my friends, I sang in the choir. We gave two concerts a year, with a mixed program of show tunes and religious hymns. As a special treat one year, we were all taken to see The Sound of Music performed on Broadway, with Mary Martin as an unforgettable Maria. I'm not sure if I could still read Gregorian chant, but my choir experience gave me a wonderful heads up when I studied Latin in high school.



Every home I've ever lived in had a yard with lilac bushes. Their scent brings back memories of ragged childhood bouquets for mom and shady spots for playing, reading, and dreaming.


Birthdays were a special occasion, and we celebrated with fancy parties in our homes. Little girls wore their best dresses and shiny patent leather shoes. Frilly little baskets held nuts and sweets; cake and ice cream were served on the dining room table, with lemonade or, a rare treat, soda. We played games, and gifted the birthday child with paper dolls, board games, and outdoor toys. Sometimes there was a shiny new bike; children's books were only available in hardcover, and were treasured accordingly.



Ah, yes...books! Although they didn't have a lot of money when starting out married life, my parents always made sure there were books in our house. A voracious reader, I worked my way through the great illustrated children's classics: The Brothers Grimm, Pinocchio, Robin Hood, Heidi. Some of the stories were difficult to comprehend (Collodi's Pinocchio is quite different from Disney!) but I devoured them all. When I was in the upper elementary grades, I biked to the local public library with friends; during my high school years, the Troy Public Library provided an interesting assortment of novels and short stories, usually from the adult section, since YA literature was not yet a real literary genre. My love of reading began early; it has never left me.

That's a sampler of memories, enough, I think, for a meme response. I invite any who stop here to contribute bits of their personal history. We could create an interesting memory quilt, an everyman's history book.