Month: July 2019

In reviewing Last Week

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So last week’s post had a lot of views. And that is awesome! My Muslim friends liked it! My Christian friends liked it! My Agnostic friends liked it! Great! I’m glad people like it.

But it made me think about the sad reality that is our world. It makes me sad that the kids growing up in today’s world are growing up somewhere where a post like last week’s is necessary.

A post discussing the importance of different cultures shouldn’t be necessary. A post encouraging empathy shouldn’t be necessary. This should be what we do! As basic humans, we should understand that people are different and that we would all rather be loved and heard than hated.

I grew up in a household where people that were different than me were a constant. This was not because I grew up in a home where multiculturalism was a focus but because I grew up in a home where hate was never preached.

I grew up in a home where people from lower income families were my friends. I grew up in a home where people who had a lot more money than my family were my friends. I grew up in a home where race wasn’t discussed. I just knew we loved people. When they talked about things like the KKK in school, my parents told me why it was wrong and how important people are. They made sure I knew that skin color didn’t matter.

This didn’t happen because they preached against it. It happened because they demonstrated love in everything they did.

I understand that back in the early 90s hate crimes were not as abundant on TV news as they are now. The lack of social media may attribute to some of the devious ways in which hate is preached today, and I didn’t have that when I was young. I understand that conversations about why these things are wrong are conversations that need to happen with children today. I get that! But it still makes me sad that we’re at a point that elementary students are so often exposed to these things.

When I was in college I saw an abounding of hate crimes against LGBTQA+ people. This sickened my heart for a number of reasons. 1) Because everyone is important. 2) Judging people instead of loving them is never the answer. 3) Because I saw the way it personally effected my LGBTQA+ friends. I can’t say that I can cite any specific hate crime against my personal friends, (But only because they didn’t share those stories with me) but I saw the way it hurt them emotionally.

Our world continues to abound in emotional and physical abuse. I don’t care what your religion, sexual orientation, political affiliation, nationality, or past is. I care that you are a human being and that you matter.

So maybe take some time this month to read a book about someone different than you. Don’t go into it ready to judge the characters for being different, go into it ready to learn from someone else’s experiences. Wanna take it a step further? What if you actually became friends with someone who has a different religion, sexual orientation, political affiliation, nationality, or past than you?

I believe in your ability to go love people!

Keep Sparkling,

B

Muslim Representation in Literature

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Let’s get this started off right. I’m not Pro-Muslim. I’m not Anti-Muslim. I’m not Pro-Hindu or Anti-Hindu. I’m not Pro-Religion or Con-Religion. I’m Pro-People. That’s what matters. The rest of it doesn’t even make sense to discuss so let’s start off on the right foot. I love People.

In our current societal climate in the U.S. Islamophobia is running rampant. There has been an influx of Muslims coming as refugees and for some unknown reason (okay I know the reason. It’s haters) Americans are being more and more fearful and less and less gracious. Are there Muslims who shoot people? Yes. Are there Christians who shoot people? Yes. Are there Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims who are kind and caring people- YES! So let’s step back from judging people for their religious beliefs.

In college I had the incredible privilege of meeting some Muslims for the first time. They became dear friends. This woman and her husband had come from Saudi Arabia so he could study Engineering. She spoke very little English and had no friends. We began having coffee to help her with her English. She shared about her family with me. She invited me into her home. She was amazing.

Shortly after that I met the most amazing Tunisian woman! She was incredibly different from my Saudi Arabian friend. This woman was much more outspoken and came out of her shell much quicker but she was so similar to my Saudi friend. They both were kind and compassionate. They both wanted to see the world become a better place.

I am passionate about fighting Islamophobia. In my small Midwestern town, there isn’t much exposure to Muslim life apart from what the news shows or the occasional International Exchange Student at our high school. I am extremely careful in choosing what books to recommend for purchase at the library when it deals with Islam because I want to make sure I am giving an accurate portrayal to my patrons and teaching kids empathy- not hate.

Here are a my top five books that I would recommend that portray Muslim life in a realistic way that I have recently read.

PICTURE BOOK Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan. Culture clash is a real thing! Misunderstandings will abound! In this picture book Rubina is going to her first ever Birthday party and her mother does not understand why Rubina does not want to bring along her little sister. Misunderstandings about her sister’s behavior abound and grace is required.

MIDDLE SCHOOL Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed. Amal knows what she wants. She knows who she is. She is strong and independent and she has more ability for learning than anyone else in her village in Pakistan. When Amal stands up to a man trying to take her pomegranate, she quickly finds herself in Indentured Servitude. Can she find a way to expose what is really going on in the village and save herself? Showing real life issues, this book shows some of the diversity there is within Islam itself.

MIDDLE SCHOOL Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan. Amina has never wanted the spotlight. That has never been her desire but suddenly everything is changing since she has entered Middle School. Her best friend is “Americanizing” and thinks Amina should too. When Amina’s mosque is vandalized, can she find the courage to speak up and stand up for what she believes?(Check out my Instagram to see what the author had to say when I posted about this book!)

TEEN Darius the Great is not Okay by Adib Khorram. Darius has only ever known life in America but for the first time in his life he is going to Iran. Darius doesn’t have any friends in his town and since his sister was born, his father has become distant. Now he’s traveling to meet his Grandfather, who has cancer, in person for the first time. Navigating the minefield that is culture clash and his desire to make friends, Darius may just find out what it actually means to be “okay”.

TEEN Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card by Sara Saedi. In this memoir Saedi recounts her life as an illegal immigrant and her process to get legal residency. Saedi shows how she really was just a teenage girl and how fear of being found out often interrupted her life. Find out the desperate measures her family went to in order to stay together and to remain true to themselves.

Each of these books is beautiful. Each of these books is important. If you want to help your kids learn empathy for Muslims, if you want to show your kids what another religion looks like, if you want to show your kids how important people are, pick up one of these books.

Keep Sparkling,

B

What do you do with a BA in English?

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I only know one song from the Musical Avenue Q. The rest of it doesn’t really appeal to me. But the opening line. The hook. “What do you do with a BA in English?”

I switched from High School English to another degree and I was considering English, but that question haunted me. Let’s look at the next lyrics.

“What is my life going to be? Four years of college and plenty of knowledge have earned me this useless degree. I can’t pay the bills yet, cause I have no skills yet. The world is a big scary place. But somehow I can’t shake the feeling I might make a difference to the human race!”

That’s what we all want isn’t it? To make a difference? To find something important to do.

I know quite a few people who got their degree in English. Heck I even know a medievalist (yes I went and double checked that spelling).

And I’ll be honest- I did not get a BA in English. I got a minor in English and Linguistics though so- close but no cigar. But, I think I have the heart of a English major. I loved my professors for English classes in College. These men and women delved deep into language! Whether it was through looking at how language changes, shapes society, the history of the language, or literature- these men and women showed me the importance of words.

Part of the reason I can be a Librarian is because of what I learned from all of these extraordinary men and women. These people who chose to be unashamed of their deep love for the English language and the things that have shaped it.

So what are you pursuing? Are you pursuing a BA in knowledge of any and every kind? Are you getting your degree in travel? In life experience? In meeting people? What do you love?

If it takes trying 45 different things, that’s fine! Whatever it is, find it and pursue it relentlessly. Pursue it unapologetically. Love whatever nerdy wonderful thing you love! Enjoy it!

Keep Sparkling,

-B

Problematic Programming

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Programming. Problems.

That’s a big way to start a post isn’t it?

Maybe I should have started this way-

“Programming causes problems” or “Problematic Programs” or maybe just, “Programs. AHHHHHH!!!!!”

Programming is the cornerstone of Libraries. It’s how we get people through the door but it’s also SO. MUCH. WORK.

The patron may attend a half hour story time that includes songs, stories, and a craft. Sounds simple right? But each of those crafts have to be prepped. Each of those books have to be found on the shelves and picked. Each of those songs that match the themes of those books has to be practiced, written, or discovered. And that’s just for a “simple storytime”!

We’ve not even delved into the depths of “Evening Programming” or (Insert Horror Music) “Summer Reading”. Hours of activities. Unknown number of crafts to be prepped. Clever Snacks to pick, buy, and possibly create. Songs to go with the themes. Books a plenty. PLUS! Most patrons will want to check out books before they leave….. Welcome to crazy town.

No matter what you do, it is crazy. You can plan for everything and have ideas ready to go any time but things will ­still go wrong.

So I present to you a list of ways to survive programming! My fellow Children’s Librarian and I jokingly came up with most of this list recently and I thought I would share with all of you.

Top 10 Ways to Survive your Programs

1. Have something special at home to celebrate when you survive. (I suggest cake)

2. Never expect the food to stay in the designated area. People are terrible at following your guidelines

3. Plan for everything to go horribly wrong. Then when something goes right, you are pleasantly surprised!

4. Don’t clean up the food before the program is over! Communicate this well to your volunteers. Your volunteers may think they’re being helpful but experience shows that people will be late and will be upset if they miss out on food.

5. Protect appendages when children are cutting crafts. I have been in danger of almost losing fingers on more than one occasion. Someone asks you a question while you are helping a different child and all the sudden the kid you were helping has cut your finger.

6. Don’t expect non-children’s department employees to get your vision. If they’re not part of the children’s department their ideas of how things should go will be very different. For example, they may expect quiet.

7. Designate someone to make your Santa, Elf, Speaker, etc. presentable. People very rarely realize what they actually look like and having someone there specifically to help them be where they need to be and looking how they need to look is very helpful!

8.People will congregate in the doorway. No matter how you set up a room, people will congregate in the doorway. If possible, set up the room so the doorway is in the back so when people come in late, or try to congregate there, they won’t be distracting during the program.

9. Enjoy singing at the Children, this is the only time it is socially acceptable to do so.

10. More Cake. You’ll need it!

I hope you laughed during this, if you’re a Librarian, because I’m sure you’ve probably experienced all of this at one point or another. You’re doing great friend! Keep going!

Keep Sparkling,

B