Class 12

I have read some great blog posts in response to last week's class!  There's a lot of re-verifying the school librarian profession.  Folks have been discouraged about the future - finding a job, and keeping a job.  It is great to not only hear some optimism, but to read some fiery posts about passionately pursuing this career.  It is also wonderful to hear some great encouragement from fellow classmates.

In class last week we had an SI alum come speak with us, who is now working as a school librarian.  She was really upbeat, and had a great sense of humor.  I think our class really appreciated what she had to say, and that what she said was positive.  It has struck me that all the librarians we've visited have told us that we need to be flexible.  This visit was no exception, yet the spin was much more positive.  I think everyone left feeling better.

We also talked about intellectual freedom.  I think that while some schools may have no choice but to place filters on the internet based on certain restrictions, schools should try to keep their internet access as available as possible.  This way, teachers can teach their students how to deal with iffy online sites, and then the students will be prepared when they encounter other iffy material while outside school.  Also, if teachers respect the students' ability to decide for themselves whether content is acceptable or not, students will be more likely to take this responsibility upon themselves, especially if trusted when younger.