You already know that I believe libraries are magical places. The sense of awe and wonder I felt as a child has never left me, and entering any library—even one I’ve never been in before—feels like coming home.
Book fairs give me that same giddy feeling.
My daughter had her first book fair this week. Until I walked in and saw the stacks of books, I had forgotten all about book fairs. But the moment I entered the library at her school, it all came rushing back. The books—sleek, shiny, new. The covers calling out, “Pick me! Pick me!” The overwhelming desire to plop down on the floor and read forever.
Ahhhh…
I picked the books for my daughter this year—largely because she, like me, would want EVERY BOOK THERE. Next year I will let her pick her own. By then I hope to have taught her how to read the book jacket and the first page to see if she would really want it. This year, I told her to write down the books she was interested in, and we would get them out of the library to read.
Aside from the sheer magic of the book fair, all the money raised goes to support the school library. It is a major part of their budget, so when you buy a little magic, you enable the library to buy some more magic for their permanent shelves. Buy books to buy more books! It’s like a magic spell all of its own.
Libraries are magic.
Book fairs are magic.
Words are magic.
Go make some magic.
School Library Time! How books get from bought to shelved
My daughter starts school next week. I spent the day today in the school library, helping the librarian get everything ready.
Books towers swayed on the circulation desk. Books crammed onto carts. They lay in boxes, ready to be unpacked. And all around us a sea of books filled the shelves.
It was heaven.
For those who don’t know, stocking a library isn’t as easy as buying books and then sticking them on the shelf. Here are the steps that have to be taken:
Only when all those steps are completed, can put the book on the shelf.
I got about 20 books on the shelves today (considering my on-going war with contact paper covers, that’s pretty good). The librarian got some more. Many other books sit waiting only for the final step of covering. The librarian is planning a “covering party” after school starts to get us caught up.
I love working in the school library. It suits my skills and my interests, and there is nothing more satisfying than seeing kids hugging their books, with glowing smiles on their faces.
I think I am more excited to go back to school than my daughter!