Librarians, need to feel better about our career choice? Check out this story from Wednesday's Seattle Post-Intelligencer that indicates young people (12-18) are reading and buying books in record numbers, and that they are taking advantage of libraries to feed their reading habits. Some of this is attributed to the post-Harry Potter afterglow, some to the vast array of new, well-written books for teens.
I don't know why any of this would surprise us (although it sure is nice to have some outside validation). Thirty-plus years ago, Charlie Robinson (one of my library heroes) was urging public librarians to "give 'em what they want." Why would teens be any different? As we build collections of materials for users instead of critics, and we include a diversity of formats, the momentum builds.
Enjoy your weekend. The long-suffering Joyce and I are headed to Los Angeles for the weekend, and I'll be teaming up with Joan Frye Williams for a presentation at the Buena Vista Branch of the Burbank Public Library on Tuesday, sponsored by MCLS, the Metropolitan Cooperative Library System.
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Bring your summer clothes and your sunscreen!! It is supposed to be in the 90s on Sunday.
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