From an innovative school librarian:
He said the image of a school library as a “mausoleum” of people reading books “by dead white guys” is long past.
Read the whole story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal about a library that features many displays of comics at a local high school.
ok, comics are written by “living” white guys.
and from what I remember, Tony Stark (Iron Man) is white, and Bruce Banner (Hulk) is white and these are the first 2 examples of comics in the story.
if your school library is filled with only books by “dead white guys” then your librarian hasn’t bought a new book in over 25 years. this is already an advanced school that doesn’t need to teach kids about reading, so this former Blockbuster manager can have fun with his “library.”
stick his ass in an F-rated school and see how soon his comfortable recliners are set on fire.
“Reading is considered
“Reading is considered reading”?
I hope the journalist misquoted him here. Otherwise he just sounds, well, like an idiot.
Mind Candy
According to the article, the librarian gives the students what they want, but not what they need. I’m afraid the students will be in for a big surprise when they get to college and find out that real scholars need authoritative content and rich literature, rather than comic book editions of the classics.
And where are the teachers? If they don’t give assignments that require reading classics and age appropriate literature from the library collection, then there is no wonder the kids devour empty calories from mind candy instead of devouring good intellectual nutrition.
I’m also suspicious of the librarian purchasing som many used books and comics with his own money. If he is recompensed by the school when he gives this stuff to the library, then he should really have a talk with the county treasurer and keep really good receipts. If he donates all this stuff, then perhaps he is seeking popularity with the students rather than having a professional teacher-student relationship. I’ll always presume innocense, but it does make my antennae wave around somewhat.
R. Lee Hadden (These are my own opinions!)