Letters

Come, come, Mr. Editor. In the same May 2003 issue with a cover story decrying the endangered species status of young librarians ("The Only Young School Librarian?" pp. 52–55), your news headlines read "E-rate Program Under Fire," "Libraries Feel the Pain, Again," "Quebec Library Funding in Doubt," "L.A. Schools May Slash Library Hours," and "New ALA Web Site Frustrates Users." Is it surprising that young, intelligent, forward-thinking people are not lining up to purchase deck chairs on the Titanic?
--Kathleen Whalin Children's Librarian York Public Library York, ME

I took a bit of offense when I read the cover of your latest magazine. I am a 30-year-old media specialist in Michigan and would hardly consider myself old. I became a media specialist at the ripe old age of 27. Michigan does not have an undergraduate library school that I am aware of, so we must get a master's degree in order to become a media specialist. Therefore, most of us teach while we work toward the degree necessary for becoming a media specialist.

I must add that I think it is a great idea to be a teacher for a few years before becoming a media specialist. Having been a teacher prior to becoming a media specialist has helped me to better understand the needs of teachers and students, than if I never had classroom experience. I worry about a media specialist who has no classroom experience; he/she cannot fully comprehend what a teacher goes through on a daily basis, so they cannot anticipate teachers' needs. Also, the media specialist will find collaboration more difficult because he/she will not have the understanding of classroom management and curriculum development that a former classroom teacher would have.
--Melissa Robertson Media Specialist Waldon middle School Lake Orion, MI

I thought "The only young school Librarian? " was a great article, and it made me think about what's happening in my school district. This is my second year as a library media specialist and I stumbled on this position by accident. In Newport News and Hampton, VA, school officials realized that most of their media specialists could retire, but they had no one applying for the positions. Seeing that they were going to have a problem, they decided to train regular classroom teachers and get them certified. Longwood University in Farmville is three hours away from Newport News, so the professors come to us to teach library science courses. I started taking courses in 2001 and will be finished July 12! Twenty people started in the program—17 already have positions and the remaining three appear to have jobs lined up for this coming fall.

Prior to becoming a library media specialist, I taught 7th-,11th-, and 12th-grade English (I have a master's degree in reading), and I was the reading specialist at an elementary school and an alternative high school. I have also taught at the university level as an adjunct professor in humanities. Out of all of my experiences, I have found this current position to be the most satisfying. I get to put all of my skills together and bring something different to the library. Since I have taught for 10 years prior to obtaining this position, I can really assist my coworkers because I've been there and I have lots to offer.
--Gina Powell Library Media Specialist Hidenwood Elementary School Newport News, VA

This letter is a response to Jimmy Allen, who wrote in the April 2003 issue that "ALA-accredited library school graduates don't need to go to a teacher's college to run a school library or to teach bibliographic instruction…" (Letters , p. 15). I beg to differ—and then some. First of all, has Mr. Allen ever worked in a school library?

If he has worked as a library media specialist or if has visited any school library he would find that library media specialists do, indeed, need that teaching degree. How else would you know how to create lesson plans (yes, Mr. Allen, we most certainly do prepare daily lesson plans) on everything from instructing students in online research to enjoying fantasy novels, as well as locate resources on the online catalog?

How can teachers trust you to help them locate a variety of materials to integrate into their daily instruction, supplement lesson plans with appropriate Web sites, or boost student achievement by encouraging them to read if you don't have any idea how to design instruction?

School library media centers are not "like all the other libraries in our country." They are libraries that serve schools, they are places where students learn to read, to love books, to do research, and to locate a variety of materials. And the library media specialist is right there—guiding, helping, encouraging, and yes, TEACHING.
--Jan Ross Library media Specialist Dixie Elementary Magnet School Lexington, KY Dixie Elementary Magnet School Lexington, KY

Since Mr. Allen advocates ending teacher certification requirements for school librarians, I am assuming that he would agree to end restrictions that prevent school librarians from working in public libraries without the benefit of an ALA degree. There is a shortage of librarians nationwide in all categories, not just school librarians. Yet ALA and the business community have consistently refused to recognize the validity of a school library degree when filling business and public library positions. However, the business community seems to think that teaching and education experience are not necessary for a librarian in a school setting. If ALA-accredited librarians "don't need to go to a teacher's college" to run a school library or teach information access skills, then surely it must follow that an ALA degree is not needed for a nonschool library position.

I wish I had more time to write an extensive editorial, but I don't. I am planning tomorrow's lesson for a class in ancient civilizations and a lesson for a U.S. history class next week. Yes, I will be teaching and that is why I have a teaching degree, so that I know how to teach and understand the curriculum process. While many of my library science courses have been valuable to me in my work, no one has ever asked me if I graduated from an ALA-accredited school. Rather, my administrators want to know what skills I have been teaching to students and how I am supporting teachers to implement the curriculum. Because I wanted to be a leader in the school library media field, I have also completed a degree in educational administration. I encourage Mr. Allen to read Information Power to see where the real emphasis is placed within the role of school library media specialist. Professionals around the state are losing their jobs due to budget cuts. What could possibly save their jobs is to show their involvement in teaching classes and collaboration with teachers, not an ALA-accredited diploma.
--Vonna J. Pitel Library/Media Specialist, District Media Coordinator Cedarburg School District Cedarburg, WI

As a High School Sophomore, my perspective on the controversial issue raised in Daniel L. Darigan and Michael O. Tunnell's "Time Travel Makes It Real " (May 2003, pp. 50–51) is important: Should English teachers be assigning books in class for the sole purpose of entertaining students? As the article explains, the concern of teachers who assign numerous books about time travel to high school students is: "Our primary goal is developing lifelong readers." While this is admirable, I would say the primary goal should be education.

There's a reason why classics are classics. In classic novels, generations of scholars have found themes and portrayals of the human condition that outlive their authors. These also cover a wide range of vocabulary and concepts that prepare students to be critical thinkers. Of course, lesser-known books can be valuable also: so long as they are selected on the basis of their qualities.

When I read, I seek exposure to new ideas or literary techniques. If I were only interested in being lead through an exciting story, I would watch a movie. A teacher cannot expect that one book chosen for light entertainment will convert a nonreader to an avid one or "lure students into [reading]—even those who are reluctant to set aside a video game or turn off a sitcom."

The solution is simple: literature, (not necessarily the classic or renowned), must be chosen for its quality and not for its suspected competition with short attention spans. Students (even those not academically inclined) do not need teachers to create for them a new genre of "interesting" books.

While English teachers might dream of a nation full of young bookworms, they must awaken to reality. Pausing to read about the latest celebrity affair in the National Enquirer does not inevitably spark an interest in Faulkner.
--Lucy Novick Carver Center for the Arts and Technology Towson, MD

While reading our recently purchased Pam Munoz Ryan's When Marian Sang (Scholastic, 2002; Nov., p. 147), I was disappointed and dismayed by some critical facts that were either omitted or played down. My assistant suggested that perhaps the publisher placed restrictions on the author (for whom I have great respect), but whatever the reason, young people need to know the full truth, even in picture biographies.

It is important, especially in these times, when some are promoting war and racial hatred and discrimination, that young people be respected and trusted enough to be told that "...the manager of the hall..." was in fact the Daughters of the American Revolution. I shudder to think that someone may have left that fact out of this beautiful book in the mistaken belief that since we are determined to make war on a third world nation, history must be altered or clouded instead of being boldly brought forward so that young people can make their own informed decision. Whatever the reason behind this omission, it shows a lack of confidence in young people and their ability to think and learn.

The fact that it was this preeminent patriotic organization from which First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt resigned makes her protest even more poignant and historic. She was extremely brave and a hero for doing so.

Young people need help to deal with the world around them, not a blindfold to be "protected" from it. Those mistakes were made with those of us in the post-World War II generation, leading to the virulently divisive "generation gap." Young people are stronger than we think, and sometimes smarter. We need to trust them more.
--Lester Scafidi Children's Librarian Wheeler Memorial Library Orance, MA

Concerning the material in question in the review of Bernard Wolf's Coming to America (Lee & Low, 2003; May, p. 143), we have been in contact with Ghazi Y. Khankan, Director of Communications at the Islamic Center of Long Island. We have also done further research on the Net. It turns out that the copy in Coming to America is indeed not accurate about why Muslims face Mecca when they pray, and we will make note of the correction for the reprint.

However, part of what the SLJ reviewer says is not correct either. Muslims do not pray toward Mecca because they believe God's house is there. (They wouldn't use the word "God" either; Muslims would refer to the supreme being as Allah.) Muslims pray toward Mecca because that is where the ka'bah is located. The ka'bah is a building in which the sacred Black Stone of Islam is located. Muslims believe it was on this site that the prophet Abraham and his son, Ishmael, built their house in ancient times.

As for the part where we say Muhammad "wrote" the Qur'an, it is true that he did not physically put pen to paper (or papyrus), but in a broader sense Muhammad did write it since he dictated what was revealed to him, which scribes would then write down. (In our modern sense we would consider a dictated book to be written by the person who dictated it.) However, to keep things simple, we will just delete this reference about Muhammad "writing" the Qur'an from Coming to America. Since this occurs in the section where the family is visiting the mosque to pray, it would be a distraction to get into the explanation about how the Qur'an came to appear in written form.
--Louise E. May Executive Editor Lee & Low Books New York, NY

I appreciate very much the comments from the publisher and especially the sense of give-and-take within it. As a non-Muslim I feel that I continually run the risk of making errors regarding belief or fact when I am reviewing material that deals with Islam, and I apologize for the inaccuracy. In the specific case mentioned here—that of Mecca being the house of God or Allah—I accepted the advice of a Muslim co-worker, and it may be that she represents a minority viewpoint within the faith, something a book dealing with the very basics of belief and practice will not generally want to deal with. Coming to America is a fine book, and I am pleased to know that its publishers want to make it finer yet.
--Coop Renner Librarian Fairmeadows Elementary School Duncanville, TX

As the Editor of Chester Gillis's Catholic Faith in America (Facts On File 2003, April, p. 182), I was disappointed to find an error in the review and would like to correction this information for the record. The reviewer states "There is…a problem with the index. Supposedly, information on Dorothy Day can be found on pages 94–95, but thoses pages show a uncaptioned picture of a woman serving soup to what appears to be a couple of men in cassocks and the text includes information about John Carroll." The index refers readers to pages 94–95 for an illustration of Dorothy Day, and these pages, in fact, show a photo of Dorothy Day serving soup to Franciscan monks. The caption for the photo, displayed on the following page, describes the picture. Per series style, captions for images at the beginning of a chapter are displayed on the following pages. This is true for all chapter openers throughout the book and the series.
--Claudia Schaab Facts On File New York, NY

Thank you for Walter Minkel's excellent article on Linux ("Linux at the Right Price ," April 2003, pp. 32–33). Linux-based thin client systems are a wonderful choice for schools and libraries. Not only do they save money but they are also reliable, incorruptible, and use much less electricity than standard PCs. Typically, they also take up far less tabletop space, so you can squeeze more machines into both your workspace and your budget. Readers looking for more information should check out Schoolforge (www.schoolforge.net) and its journal (opensourceschools.org). There is also an organization devoted to the use of open source software in libraries located at oss4lib.org. In this period of shrinking budgets, it's good to know that schools and libraries have some affordable alternatives to typical PC networks.
--Diane Romm Librarian Mamaroneck High School Mamaroneck, NY

Update: Minfong Ho's Gathering the Dew (March 2003, p. 233) has a new title and publication date. It is now called The Stone Goddess and will be published in October 2003 by Orchard Books.

SLJ welcomes letters up to 300 words. They may be edited for clarity and length. Please include a daytime telephone number. Write to the Editor, School Library Journal , 360 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010; fax (646) 746-6689; e-mail slj@reedbusiness.com.