What Works-Talkin' the Night Away

It's 6 p.m. and I'm curled up on a sofa, still in my work clothes, but with my shoes kicked off and some crackers and cheese in my hands. Around me sit several children's librarians, all colleagues and friends. On the coffee table lie small piles of recently published books for children and young adults. We will talk about them in a while, but for now we are unwinding, complaining about work, and laughing.

We are Bookdates, a book discussion group for children's librarians in the Albany, NY, area. And frankly, this kind of evening is pretty close to my idea of heaven. I get to relax with intelligent, friendly companions who all share a knowledge and enthusiasm about children's literature. I get food, drink, comfort, and conversation. Most of all, I am reminded that what we do for young people is important and that the art form we support is beautiful.

How did we get to this point? As every children's librarian knows, in order to do our jobs, we have to keep reading the books in our field. But we also need to talk to each other about what we read. The problem is that during the workday, few of us have the time—or colleagues on hand—for a book discussion. Back in the 1980s, the Upper Hudson Library System youth services consultant organized monthly selection meetings. She would distribute one or two review copies to each librarian in the system and ask us to critique them at the next meeting. No one had to read all the books, and we had an opportunity to discuss them with each other. When our ordering procedures changed, and each librarian had to order in isolation, some of us decided to meet on our own time. Somehow, we've kept meeting for the last 13 years.

At first, our Bookdates were held in a branch library right after its 6 p.m. closing and finished no later than 7:30. That way, no one had to suffer hostess anxiety, and the early night meant we'd all be more likely to come to the next meeting. We'd chip in for a platter of sandwiches or a pizza and each talk about one book of our own choosing for children in grades four to 12. Every year, we would set the dates for September through May, alternating weeknights to allow for different work schedules. In June we would go out for pizza and beer, then take the summer off.

At our first meetings we could fit around one library table, but it wasn't long before we grew to be a dozen or more. The original meetings had been for public librarians only, but since so many of us move back and forth between public and school library jobs, there are now many media specialists on our invitation list. Once a Bookdates member, always a Bookdates member!

After a few years, we started meeting at one another's homes. We've also found ourselves staying later and talking about more than one book each. We are certainly more comfortable, and the food is better, but recently we've decided to try out some new rules. The reason is that with attendance and spirits so high, sometimes we run out of time for everyone to talk. Also, we noticed a conflict of styles between those who enjoy free-flowing conversation and those who prefer to give more formal presentations. So now, after some initial schmoozing, we set a timer. Each person gets to speak for five minutes without being interrupted. Then the timer gets reset for a period of discussion. Not everyone is comfortable with this format, and we may soon give it up. But it's been a good reminder that we need to listen better and to encourage quieter members.

Bookdates has been important for many reasons. We have learned things about ourselves, our colleagues, and the range of possible responses to literature. Often we are forced to challenge our assumptions about, say, what boys or girls or children of various ages like to read. To some members, the emotional support and networking is key. To others, it is the intellectual stimulation. We give each other ideas and suggestions. We talk about public and school library politics and new trends in youth services. We introduce new librarians to veterans. Sometimes we get on each other's nerves. More often, we are reminded that we are not alone in our jobs and that we love being librarians.