Thursday, December 07, 2006

Heavy library lifting

When I volunteered to head up an elementary school library, I don't think I ever imagined just how many books I'd carry and cart and lug and haul (let alone read!). Our collection has grown to 10,000 books, but if I count the number of times I've moved each of them around... well, you'd think I'd have bigger biceps.

Once again, we've been rejiggering... adding shelves... bringing in new books... moving the dead-weight reference section just ONE more time. Yet finally, for the first time this school year, things are starting to look more like the library of old. And once again, it's thanks to a hearty crew of volunteers who never cease to amaze. Of course at the end of the day, I don't know who's luckier in all this... we parents who volunteer or the kids we volunteer for. But then again, it probably doesn't matter.

Some of what we've been reading in the library:

Not a Box -- Antoinette Portis
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly -- Simms Toback
The Big Brag -- Dr. Seuss
The 39 Apartments of Ludwig van Beethoven -- Jonah Winter; illus. by Barry Blitt
The Peace Book -- Todd Parr
The Secret Knowledge of Grown-ups -- David Wiesniewski (and yes, it's as big a hit this year as last)
The Three Questions -- Jon J. Muth

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

My husband read "The 39 Apartments" to my son's 2nd grade class & they liked it a lot. That book is a big hit here at home, too.