Maggie Bush: Librarian Extraordinaire
RSSBy Rocco Staino
Beginning as a children's librarian at the New York Public Library, Maggie Bush has devoted almost 50 years to providing exceptional library service to children. Last June, she became Professor Emeritus at Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science, which created a youth services scholarship in her honor. And now she's heading to the American Library Association's (ALA) annual conference in Washington, DC, to receive the Association for Library Services to Children's (ALSC) Distinguished Service Award, given annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to library service to children and ALSC.
How long have you been a member of ALSC?
This is my 48th year as a member.
Who were your mentors in the association?
Though mentoring has been practiced for a long, long time, it's become a much more prevalent idea than it was when I joined ALA and ALSC. I sometimes wish I'd had a bit of it, but really I didn't have much. There were surely many leaders in ALSC who set fine examples. Priscilla Moulton was the first ALSC president I really got to work with back in 1974/75, and she was subsequently a special colleague in my work life, too. I served a long spell on the ALSC board, and I had wonderful associations with all the presidents between Priscilla's and my own presidency in 1984/85.
What's been your most rewarding ALSC experience?
There were many! I've always been very satisfied with an ALSC document-"Competencies for Children's Librarians"-now in its third edition, as a strong definition of fully developed children's services. I chaired the committee that developed that.
My most rewarding experience was probably a very special conversation-way back in 1986-with a newly retired children's librarian in Southern California, Winifred Ragsdale. She was on the program committee that had invited me to be a key note speaker at the 3rd Pacific Rim Conference on Children's Literature, held in Los Angeles. Though I didn't really know her, I had appointed her to an ALSC committee when I was vice president of the division, and I had wondered about her. She so reminded me of the children's librarian back in the Northern California library, where I got my first library card at age six. At that fine conference, I affirmed that she was indeed that very librarian. When I sat her down to tell her that she was so thrilled, and we had a truly wonderful conversation. We were both moved by this discovery, and she told me some great stories about serving children with very meager resources during those bustling World War II years.
What's the benefit of joining ALSC?
The great web of experiences, friendships, and ideas one encounters in one's national professional organization are both very enjoyable and feed one's personal as well as professional growth.
What advice do you have for new ALSC members?
Get really involved-go to lots of programs, talk to the people sitting next to you, and volunteer for committee work.
You've reviewed for SLJ for more than 25 years. Why take on the added responsibility and for so long?
I've actually reviewed for way over 25 years for SLJ and have done reviewing for many years for other publications, as well. In my early years with SLJ I did films as well as children's books. I reviewed science books for Appraisal for a very long time until its demise. I was a Horn Book reviewer for 20 years. And I was an evaluator of science materials in many forms for more than 10 biennial editions of The Elementary School Library Collection until it ceased publication in 2000. I also served on the selection committee (and chaired it once) for two editions of Children's Catalog. When I became a children's librarian, way back in 1960, in The New York Public Library, all of us were trained to review and did it all the time as part of the library's book selection process. I guess we can say it just became a way of life. Mostly, I get some really nice books from SLJ, and it's fun to keep up with what people are creating.
What was your most controversial review?
I don't know that any--out of hundreds by now--have truly been controversial, though at times I've certainly differed with other reviewers of a book. There have definitely been some awkward times when I've been given not-such-good work by usually acclaimed writers or by someone whom I actually know.
Were there awkward moments?
One of the most awkward was a long ago book written by a children's book editor at a big publishing company who was annoyed at my not flattering review As far as I know she has not written more children's books, but she has now long had her own imprint at the company, editing many nice books. Every once in awhile I find that SLJ sends me one of these problematic things-they don't stick me with them too often, though.
