#children in library

[newyorkthegoldenage]

Two young readers in the Seward Park Public Library on the Lower East Side, ca. 1925.

Photo: NYPL

[elodieunderglass]

hi. what do you mean

[booksinmythorax]

My dear friends: When a librarian or teacher says "Audiobooks count as reading", we do not literally mean that audiobooks are the same as decoding visual meaning via symbols representing sounds. We mean, among other things:

Audiobooks can expose listeners to new vocabulary and forms of syntax.

Audiobooks can present listeners with long-form fictional narratives with engaging characters, interesting literary devices, and poetic turns of phrase.

Audiobooks can teach listeners new information in a long-form manner that goes into depth or wide breadth on a particular subject or subjects.

Audiobooks can help listeners' verbal comprehension skills.

Audiobooks can do all these things without presenting the same difficulties to blind, low vision, partially sighted, visually impaired, or dyslexic listeners; listeners with ADHD; listeners who experience physical difficulty with holding a book or e-reader; or listeners who are disabled in a host of other ways that a physical book or e-reader might present.

The written word is not specially imbued with magical noble worth above the spoken word, and if you think it is, you may have some ableism and/or racism to deconstruct.

[thehmn]

I just visited a library for the first time in, I dunno, seven years and oh my god the childhood memories.

If at all possible take the children in your life to a library once a month if not more. It will give them such a special view of the world. I felt so calm walking around, smelling the old books and looking at the people. Young students, immigrants studying up on their tests, old people chatting, women in their 30’s hunkering down with books on sewing. It probably also helped that this library is an extension to the social services building so you literally get people from all walks of life who need to register stuff or renew their passports and whatnot.

As an adult I’ve realized I grew up pretty poor and the library must have been a lifesaver for my parents. Our mom is a bookworm and would take us there regularly and while she looked for novels in the boring adult part of the library my brother and I dug through the children’s library where we could get comics, movies and games. And it was the one place we could get anything we wanted because it was all free. Now as an adult I realized it also accustomed me to all sorts of people that I wouldn’t necessarily have met as a child.

It’s just a really good and cool place y’all.

[yeehawpim]

have a happy memory as hanukkah is starting on dec 7! I've been frantically searching for a copy of this book in libraries since I remembered it.

here is a video I found of the author Eric Kimmel reading it aloud

[bisexualhobgadling]

Dream of the Endless would be a great professor, but you know what else he'd be amazing at?

Children's Librarian

Kids are full of stories. He would absolutely love to hear them and help nurture that creativity. The really young ones could be read to and have nap time. Parents would love him. Kids would love him. Hob would love him.

also it would just be really cute 😌

[aysekadinfasulyesi]

[intothestacks]

As a children's librarian, people who harass fans of Harry Potter indiscriminately really worry me.

Here's why.

1. The majority of Harry Potter fans are children.

I've had people call me disgusting and scum and an embarrassment to my disabled community. I've been suicide baited and have received death threats. All of this can be heavy enough stuff for an adult to deal with.

And then I think of how most of my 700+ elementary-aged students are huge Harry Potter fans. Because, you know, Harry Potter is a children's series. And they also have access to the internet and social media like TikTok and YouTube.

Now imagine the stuff that's been said to me being said to a kid. Because Harry Potter's main audience are KIDS.

2. This black-and-white mentality isn't healthy.

Very few things in life are cut-and-dry good vs bad. And if you employ this kind of thinking in one area of your life, odds are you'll apply it to other areas too(more on that in a moment).

And people who go out of their way to harass people who like Harry Potter don't seem to particularly care about any context beyond "If you like Harry Potter in any way whatsoever you're scum".

It hasn't mattered when I've pointed out that I absolutely and unequivocally think Rowling's TERF views are awful and scummy and wrong. It hasn't mattered that I try my best to consume the content only in ways that won't monetarily support her, (which kids typically can't do, btw). It hasn't mattered that it's literally in my job description to keep up with children's media to procure content for my patrons as well as to be able to hold conversations with them.

3. Saying "You're not allowed to read this without being harassed" is no different from saying a book should be banned.

This is ironic, seeing as the people doing the harassing are also often up in arms about queerphobic and racist book bans (as they should be) while demanding book bans of their own.

Because in their all-or-nothing way of thinking, book bans are only bad when the "bad" people do it.

No. Book bans are always bad, no exceptions.

Book bans aren't bad because they're banning the "good" books, they're bad because banning access to different ideas is always bad. Because every book has a lesson to teach us (perhaps not the lesson intended by the author, but a lesson nonetheless).

[nmoroder]

traumatized siblings. here's to finally finishing library of ruina (playthrough playlist)

[librarianproblems]

When you’re at the desk and a large children’s summer program releases

[lacnunga]

Theres something about big booktoker/booktuber shelves that really heebies my jeebies

[sovietpostcards]

In the reading hall of the House of the Children's Book. Photo by M. Ozersky (Moscow, 1962).

[thatsbelievable]

Not only were these two books an unforgettable part of my childhood, but they heavily influenced the writing of The Monstrous Adventures of Mummy Man and Waffles!

Movie Monsters by Alan Ormsby offers a glimpse at each of the classic movie monsters like Dracula, the Wolfman, and (of course) the Mummy. This is followed by illustrated pages that teach you how to do your own monster makeup. There’s even a script for a monster play you can perform with friends!

Meanwhile, How to Care For Your Monster by Norman Bridwell gives you pointers on exactly that, so you can make your very own vampire, Frankenstein Monster, werewolf, or mummy happy.

As a kid, I loved these books to death. As an adult, I still do. They made me who I am, and I’m happy to do my part in keeping the love of monsters alive.

If you or someone in your life enjoys monsters, spooky stuff, goofy humor, and fun, please give The Monstrous Adventures of Mummy Man and Waffles a try. You can order it by clicking on the book title here, or ask for it at your local library!

[reverberation-ensemble]

erm .. what .. the scallop

[pomegranateandhoney]

PJ Library sends free high-quality Jewish children’s books to families every month. These stories spark conversations that inspire the whole family to explore and celebrate what they love about Jewish life.

The program was created by the nonprofit Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) in keeping with its mission to help people connect to Jewish values, traditions, and culture while building vibrant Jewish communities. The HGF partners with local Jewish organizations to fund PJ Library and make it available in their community.

PJ Library programs are now offered in 40 countries. That’s over seven million children’s books a year being enjoyed by families around the globe. But PJ Library doesn’t just send books — it helps families to connect to, experience, and strengthen Jewish community.

See their international directory for information about PJ Library programs around the world.

[newyorkthegoldenage]

A children's class at the Harlem Art Workshop, at the 135th Street branch of the public library. Susan McIver is teaching in the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project, ca. 1933-34.

Photo: Posterazzi