Month: June 2016

Library Book Haul: ‘Professional Development’

Posted 28 June 2016 in Uncategorized /0 Comments

Recent trips to the library have seen me checking out books related to librarianship and ESL education. I aspire to become a children’s librarian. I want to learn more about the actualities of the profession. Happily, my library has a well-stocked section of up-to-date books about librarianship. I think I will find lots to read there. I limited myself to four books on this round because I was on my bike 😛

  • So You Want to Be a Librarian by Lauren Pressley –  This is a slim volume that I’ve already finished and returned. It purposes to answer all your questions about becoming and working as a librarian, but a lot of it is basic common sense and repetitive information if you’ve already attended university or given some thought to the profession. I did learn a bit about the various types of librarians and what their jobs might entail. I think this book would be a more helpful read perhaps for someone who’s just had the fleeting thought ‘Maybe I could be a librarian…’ or for people who have no idea what it is that their friends who are librarians do.
  • Book Bridges for ESL Students: Using Young Adult and Children’s Literature to Teach ESL by Suzanne Reid – Currently reading. This is a topic I hope I can explore further in my studies and integrate into my future work as a librarian. 
  • The Portable MLIS: Insights from the Experts edited by Ken Haycock and Brooke E. Sheldon – I plan to be studying for an MLIS next fall (2017)! In the meanwhile, I hope I can learn some things from this book 😛 The articles look interesting and relevant, with titles such as “Professional Ethics and Values in a Changing World” and “Readers Advisory Services: How to Help Users Find a ‘Good Book'”. I think I have a solid understanding of the basic tasks and responsibilities librarians may have, so I hope this book will fill in some details.
  • Managing Children’s Services in Libraries by Adele M. Fasick and Leslie Edmonds Holt – This book caught my eye because of its detailed table of contents, covering the practicalities of the job that I would like to learn more about. This book is the most textbook-y of the four, but it’s tone, formatting, and size lead me to think it’ll be a good read.

Librarians and fellow enthusiasts, do you have any recommended reads about the field? 


Review: 438 Days by Jonathan Franklin

20 June 2016 / review / 0 Comments
Review: 438 Days by Jonathan Franklin

Format/Source: Hardcover/Library Published: November 2015 Publisher: Atria Books Length: 269 pagesGenre: Non-fictionWhy I Read: Intriguing subject matterRead If You: Like stories about people who overcome the impossibleRating:  ★★★★Links: GoodReads | IndieBound | Chapters | Amazon  Since reading In the Heart of the Sea, I’ve been interested in reading more stories about 19th century sea exploration and survival tales. 438 Days describes one man’s survival lost at sea for over a year. This […]

Response: What Does the Term Diverse Mean to You?

17 June 2016 / response / 0 Comments
Response: What Does the Term Diverse Mean to You?

On Wednesday, Naz @ Read Diverse Books posted “What Does the Term Diverse Mean to You?”. I’m bumping the review I had scheduled today to write a response to his post, as I’ve been thinking about it a lot these past two days. I highly recommend you read his original post if you haven’t done so already. He breaks down what he means when he uses diverse, a popular word […]

What is Speculative Fiction? Some Thoughts on Genre

16 June 2016 / discussion / 1 Comment
What is Speculative Fiction? Some Thoughts on Genre

I drafted this post back in January when I was trying to add a genre label to Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day. I didn’t know what to tag it, so I took to Google and came across the term specfic, short for speculative fiction. I thought, “Aha, yes, that must be right! Wait, what about the other books I’ve labelled scifi? Is spec fiction a better label? What’s […]

Review: What is Not Yours is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi

13 June 2016 / review / 1 Comment
Review: What is Not Yours is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi

Format/Source: Paperback/Purchased Published: March 2016Publisher: Hamish Hamilton Length: 325 pagesGenre: Short stories (literary/magical realism)Why I Read: Favourite authorRead If You: Like new and fresh short stories, with a hint of the surreal about themRating:  ★★★★½ Links: GoodReads | IndieBound | Chapters | Amazon  What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours is Helen Oyeyemi’s debut short story collection. The book contains a number of excellent tales that demonstrate her maturing talent. Her prose exemplifies this […]