The "Yes" Librarian

Photo by Baim Hanif on Unsplash You started out in fifth grade. You came through our doors a child. Running around at recess Carefree, breathless, wild. You were small but you were growing With baby teeth you’d yet to lose. Life seemed much simpler then. There was so much less to choose. You were innocent and silly With the exuberance of youth. You loved your friends and teachers. Our fond memories are the proof. We watched you grow. We saw you change You seemed to need us less and less. You were slipping  from our grasp Though we knew that it was best. When you were small we had the answers. The questions seemed so easy then. But how do we explain the tough stuff? Like heartbreak, loss and friends? In truth it wasn’t easy. All the projects and the tests The late nights, the teenage fights There was drama.

Photo by  Olga Pogodina  on  Unsplash I have always loved books, which should come as no surprise. I’m a school librarian. If I didn’t love reading, I would be in the wrong occupation. But why? What is so special about books? I think human beings want to be entertained. Hello, Netflix anyone? But what makes a book different from a movie? I think we have all heard someone say, “The book was better than the movie. The movie left out a lot of things that happened in the book.” The reason is that movies have limits.  The story needs to be told in about two hours. There are production costs to consider. I don’t know much about making movies, but I do know a little bit about making books, because I’ve had the privilege of meeting some really great authors over the years. I know authors will stay up late, wake up early, persist for years and years, and do whatever it takes to make sure that their story is told. I know that authors don’t need to worry about CGI technology,