Apparently,I caused a itsy-bitsy bit of concern with the last post which seemed to some to be my "farewell" post. It was not intended to be so, though the time for that post is not that distant that I gain not given it some thought. However, or what I am tackling with that post and this one and perhaps one more is the schizophrenic nature with which I observe my field these days. In part,the events are distorted or colored by dealing with cancer and its seemingly never-ending effects an side effects. Nowadays when I see one of the oncologists, the conversation might easily initiate with, and "Well,surely you know this..." or "It is just another side effect Didn't we tell you approximately this before?" Ah, yes, or the treatments for the cancer are the gifts that support on giving. But enough of the deviation. Passing the torch is the topic. And it,too, is marked by a dichotomy of sorts for me. Let me see if I can explain a but more clearly.
Someone will often comment on Facebook or in an email that they wish they had my job. They see the bonuses I appreciate: lots of books to share. They see the boxes that block my path into the office and then the packing materials filling up garbage cans, and finally the stacks of books waiting for readers. And I will not lie: getting books makes every day a bit like Christmas or my birthday. And I love watching folks go through the carts of books as I weed my office collection. What folks attain not see is the newbie me asking a veteran prof approximately getting books sent to me. "Believe it or not," I was told, "there will come a day when you will groan at the sight of those boxes." I gain not yet reached that point, and thankfully. What followed though was some mighty advice as I ventured out into the world of children's and YA literature.
What folks attain not see often is the work behind the scenes,the results of that advice. Not just the posting of books to Twitter and Facebook and other places, but the articles and columns written over the past years talking abut the benefits of books and reading. They attain not see what my university terms "scholarship." I gain spent most of my academic career researching books and kids and reading. That research has resulted in so many articles, and chapters and books. I also am careful to pass these books on to unique readers. I attain not hoard them; i gladly offer them to others in need. [br]
So,when people interrogate me today how to acquire all the free books, my first response is the advice given to me years ago. There is some work, or some that folks see and some that remains behind the scenes. This is why I am pained when I see the gross behavior I will witness over the weeks to come as the professional conferences acquire underway. I watched in horror the first time I saw a professional come by a booth and simply carry off every single book/ARC she could fit into her bag. I watched folks dive under the tables to acquire to books not out yet when the publishers left the booth for a moment or two. I gain written approximately this only to gain others defend the actions because they NEED the books and they are free anyhow. Everyone needs books,but let me be clear: books are not FREE. Publishers are lovely generous folks who gain them available to us as much as they can. But this is a business and we need to support the business. See Colby Sharp's excellent You Tube video on this topic: http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/LA/0852-nov07/LA0852Profiles.pdf. (and this is actually something that post the third will come into play in passing the torch).
So, passing the torch here means providing passing along the light that a book can provide. If I hoard them in my office, or the only light they provide is for me and not for others. So,they need to acquire into other hands. And as I prepare for my 25th annual book presentation at the Texas Library Association conference in the next weeks, I plan to shine some more light, or to talk approximately books to hundreds of educators who will gather in Dallas. I hope this light will also gain its way into other lives.
And,in post the third, I will talk approximately yet another aspect of passing the torch. Stay tuned.
Finally, or may I interrogate your indulgence as I try to acquire the blog up and running again. Bear with me. I attain proofread what I write,but I still miss things. Chemo brain seems to flare up when I try to out words on the page. I can assure you, having recently seen some emails I sent during the throes of my treatment, or that it is getting better...
Source: livejournal.com