Thanks to Zoo To You

Zoo To You was ready for everyone when the library opened the doors this morning.  As usual, it was set up in the children's section of the library and it was three steps from the vestibule to the animals, artifacts and poster displays.  This year Zoo To You brought a three banded armadillo from Brazil; a galah, or rose breasted cockatoo in Australia;  a tiger salamander; a western box turtle; a corn snake; and an alligator.  The artifacts, which are often confiscated items, included pelts, skins, a mounted skeleton of a viper, a stuffed sea turtle, feathers, eggs affected by environmental poisons and other items.

It's safe to say that the armadillo was the star of the show.  Much smaller than the armadillos found in Texas, this little fellow zipped around his large cage, going in and out of his house, exiting by pushing it up from the inside and crawling out, attempting an unsuccessful jail break or two, eating with his specialized tongue and entertaining all the adults and children.  An armadillo's shell is formed from keratin, which is what human fingernails and mammalian hooves are made of.  This particular species of armadillo is the only one that can roll itself entirely into a ball.

 The rose breasted cockatoo was a beautifully plumaged bird.  Shades of pink on the head and breast contrasted with shades of gray elsewhere.  In Australia these birds are common and can be found on lawns just like sparrows are found here. In fact, large flocks are nuisances to farmers, as they will descend on young wheat fields and decimate them.  Still, this  bird was like nothing I've ever seen and he seemed to know it, preening for everyone.

Corn snakes are found in New Mexico and are usually referred to as gray rat snakes.  They subdue their prey by constriction, just like a boa constrictor (although not that large), and are not poisonous.  The western box turtle and tiger salamander are also native to our country.
 
The alligator was about 18 inches long.  Every now and then he made little  "Ar! Ar!" noises, which the docents say alligators make as both territorial and danger signals in the wild. The Albuquerque Biological Park has three alligators now, all released illegally into the community in Albuquerque by former owners who no longer wanted them.  Alligators grow about a foot a year and can reach 300 pounds in ten years.  This small alligator is fed once a week.  In their natural habitat, alligators can go as long as two months without feeding, provided their last meal was a hearty one.
 
Well over 100 people attended this program and filed through, listening to docents Mary Ramsey and Sandy Ligon, who handled the animals to show off their various points and were a fund of information and encouragement when it came to examining all the creatures.  All the docents who travel with the Albuquerque Biological Park Zoo To You exhibits are volunteers.  Sponsors provide the funding for the program, which makes this one of the few traveling zoo exhibits that visits the public for free.

 Everyone who came seemed to find something of interest - but even if that had not been the case, the program would still have been a success simply because one little girl took her mother back home to bring library books to return so she could check out two books on display on armadillos and alligators.  She came back with a camera and took so many pictures of both of those animals, as well asthe  salamander. . .and the cockatoo. . .and the empty armadillo shell. . .and the docents, that her mother said they were going to be redecorating the walls of her room.

Someone is going to be dreaming about Zoo To You.

Dog Day of Summer

Two Mondays ago patrons were waiting outside before 1:00 p.m. for us to open.  It was hot.  Instead of standing under the shade of the trees on the walk, people were waiting on the steps by the front doors where the heat was radiating off the marble.  It was definitely summer.

Most Mondays are like this, unless it's in the middle of the winter and there is a raging blizzard. Then people who are waiting for us to open sit in their cars.  People come early throughout the morning every Monday, despite the fact we have only opened for half a day for several years, and didn't open on Mondays at all for several years before that.  They yank on the door, pause, yank again, then read the hours posted before leaving to do something else.  But the patrons who come every Monday know when we open and they wait by the door, almost as though it's a race and the first person in wins a prize.

The moment we opened the doors on this particular Monday, half a dozen people streamed in.  I thought, "It will settle down now, they are all in."  It didn't.  With hardly enough time to sign up one person on the Internet and start checking in DVDs, more people started following each other inside. About that time I had to help a gentleman determine what kind of book he wanted to read and where to find it.  We were just going through the process when I spotted a dog.

It was a medium sized brown short haired dog with perky ears and a collar and tags.  It was trotting past the desk, looking around and headed for the back of the building.

I said, "Whose dog is that?"

Of the dozen or so people standing in line or milling around up front, not one claimed the dog.  They looked at it and didn't seem to be disturbed.  But I was facing a dilemma.  Did I desert my patron and race after the dog (we have a 'no pets' policy that certainly covered a visiting dog sans owner), or did I zip through the interview and then go after the dog?  I glanced around.  Everyone was going about their business, apparently uninterested in the fact that we had a dog inspecting the premises.  So I did my best to compress 4 minutes of chat and questions into thirty seconds and headed to the back with the patron in tow where I expected to find the dog as well.

But I didn't spot it.  I showed the patron the shelves that might interest him and walked back to the front of the building.

"Where's the dog?" I asked the people still up front.  A boy said, "Maybe he went upstairs."

Really?  Seriously?  Of course the dog probably went upstairs.  Just what I needed, a major hunt for a dog on two floors with two staircases for the dog to go up and down while patrons were waiting for service and the only other staff person was getting overwhelmed.  It was time to make another choice. Spend who knew how long hunting all over the building for the dog or help the next person waiting for service?  Just as I was in the middle of running a fax and listening anxiously for a shriek or bark, the dog came trotting silently into view, still apparently interested in his surroundings.

I had pushed my luck far enough and was about to drop everything when a young man called the dog to him, and headed to the front doors.  (I silently blessed him for the help.)  The dog came willingly, meeting a woman and two girls as they were coming in the library.  There was a mild pile up, then the young man called the dog to the other side of the vestibule and escorted him outside.

And that was that.  A strange dog had noticed the people piling in the door, followed them in to see what it was all about, seen the sights (except for those on the second floor), and left the building.  And all the human patrons didn't seem to see anything much out of the ordinary about it.

It's at times like these that I love this library and its patrons.  Including the one on four legs.

In Memory

Richard H. Azar was the Library Director of the Arthur Johnson Memorial Library from 1993 - 1998.  He began working at the library at the age of 15. At that time the library was located in Ripley Park and named the Carnegie Library.  Richard worked at the library off and on for decades, both before and after its relocation to the present location, and took the Director's position in 1993 when Librarian Betty Lloyd retired.

While working under Mrs. Lloyd, Richard brought the first public computers into the library and the community.  Under his guidance and computer expertise the library moved from checking books out by hand to an automated system. The Arthur Johnson Memorial Library was the first library in the state to have Internet access.  The Friends of the Library purchased the first public access computer and Richard constructed the library's computer network which grew from one check out computer and one public access computer to a system that expanded as the community's needs grew.

 During his tenure as Library Director, Richard expanded the usable space in the library in 1995-1996 through the use of the Library Building Fund and an LSTA Grant.  Before renovation, the entire check out collection with the exception of the back issues of magazines and the basement collection was housed entirely on the first floor.  After the renovation, a full second floor, a periodical room, a microfilm/computer room, a  meeting room, an elevator, a new staircase, the revelation of architectural features and the repainting of the first and second floors provided Raton with a special, spacious library to use. Most librarians would have closed the library during this time of reconstruction.  Richard surprised everyone by providing library services during the entire period. Staff met patrons at the doors, took their books, brought them new books and materials, and conducted reference work in the midst of construction while the patrons waited in safely in the tiny front vestibule.  Staff wore hard hats and dust masks provided by their director, and the library served the public regardless of noise; ladders and tools everywhere; windows, ceilings, walls and floors removed; dirt; the smell of paint; and moving every shelf, book, piece of furniture and all the equipment a full four times before the job was done.

Richard began hiring teenagers as part time employees in the early 1990s.  The first two hired, Aimee Maldonado Feldman and Angie Manfredi, are professional librarians today.  This teen employee program lasted until it was no longer possible to hire them due to lack of funds.  As as result, some truly excellent young employees got their first on-the-job experience at the library because of the program instituted by Richard Azar.

If there was any one thing Richard's staff believed, it was that he knew just about everything.  Need a certain book?  Need to know how to locate a certain fact? Need trained on the computer or any aspect of library work? He was the repository of knowledge and expertise that everyone leaned on and learned from.  I personally owe him a debt of gratitude for providing me with a career in library service.  He hired me, trained me and provided me with the ability to do a job that I have enjoyed for almost two decades.

 Even though he resigned in 1998, he still worked for the library as a computer consultant, most often on a volunteer basis. More than that, he helped individuals and businesses as well.  His generosity with his time and expertise in many areas was a clear sign of his character.  His honesty, intelligence, fearlessness, and kindness will not be forgotten.

Thayla Wright,  Library Director

Fast Forward New Mexico FREE Computer Classes

Residents and small businesses in the Raton area will soon have the opportunity to improve their computer and Internet skills when the award-winning "Fast Forward New Mexico" training program comes to the Arthur Johnson Memorial Library in April, May and June.

The mission of Fast Forward New Mexico is to increase statewide broadband adoption and promote computer literacy and Internet proficiency in order to better prepare residents to participate in economic development and educational opportunities. The initiative also reaches out to entrepreneurs, artists and small businesses.

The eight Fast Forward New Mexico hands-on training courses are divided into two types of classes. The Basic Skills Series covers topics such as email, online job applications, and Internet searches and also educates people about taking online courses and purchasing the right computer. The Small Business Success Series teaches entrepreneurs and small businesses how to increase their profitability by using Internet tools to reduce costs and increase sales through e-commerce, e-marketing, and social media. Each class is 6 hours long and will be given three times in one week. Each class is 6 hours and is spread over two days: Thursday and Friday morning, or Thursday and Friday afternoon. The third time the class is given will be on Saturday morning and afternoon.

Basic Courses will begin on April 12 and are for people who have always wanted to learn how to use a computer and had difficulty finding someone to teach them. Students can learn how to set up a computer, search the Internet and use email.

Small Business Success Series classes will start May 3. Instructors will introduce students to new ways to improve and manage their business with technology, sell their products online and reach customers everywhere.

An Open House/Kick Off event to introduce the community to the training program will be held from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm on Saturday, March 31, at the library located at 244 Cook Ave. The public is invited to come and learn more about the free training and get assistance registering for classes. Refreshments will be provided by FFNM.

More information and registration for training classes is available at the library. You can also call the library at 445-9711. Registration can be done in advance of the Kick-Off event. People should try to register as soon as possible to ensure they have a spot in these popular classes.

Playaway Audio and Visual Story Books for Children

Audio and visual Playways are a new feature at our library. Picture books and chapter books in these new formats are available for checkout. Playaways are small, hand held audio and visual materials that come with ear buds. Each case holding a Playaway has instructions for use on the left inside cover of the case. They are simple enough to use that even I can figure it out, which means that your children will have them mastered after one use.

Audio books have been a part of our collection for some time, but have always required the use of a cassette or CD player. A Playaway is a small self-enclosed system that travels easily wherever you and your child may go. They are a convenient way to keep children happy and occupied with no external noise and little adult help needed except for very young children.
The library has purchased a selection of picture book Playaways with multiple picture books on audio Playaways and visual Playaways, and audio chapter books for children.

Playaways use ear buds for quiet use while traveling in the car, when adults are busy and children are waiting, times when noise is not appreciated, or just for drawing a child into the private world of books. The audio Playaways use rechargeable batteries which are checked out with the Playaway and must be returned in the case with the Playaway. The video Playaways use an internal rechargeable battery and are checked out with a charger that must also be returned. Ear buds will be sold at the desk for $1.00 each and will become the property of the person purchasing them. They can then be used by that person with any Playaway checked out thereafter. (Selling ear buds individually will prevent the spread of colds and flu.)

Adult audio Playaways are also available for purchase by the library, but due to the cost of each Playaway, the library has decided to begin with children's materials. The selection of Playaways available is displayed on laminated sheets so that parents and children can see what each Playaway holds and choose what they would like to check out. Desk staff will be happy to check out your choice after our Playaway Policy has been read and signed by the child's parent and notes stating this has been done have been placed on both parent's and child's computer record. A demonstration on how to use the Playaways will be given at your request.

Come in and see what we are talking about. Any child raised in this era of technology and gadgets will love to give a Playaway a try, and we will be interested in your opinion when you bring them back!

Learning to Read

I have heard and read a lot lately concerning children and teens with problems reading. This is not a new issue. In 1955, Rudolph Flesh wrote a book titled "Why Johnny Can't Read" (available at the library). That book was a best seller and is still in print today. Flesh addressed a problem that cropped up when the 'whole word' method of teaching took over the educational system. Instead of phonics (teaching the sounds of not only individual letters, but short vowel sounds, consonants and combinations spelled with two or three letters, vowels and vowel combinations spelled with two or three letters, the five long vowel sounds, and irregular spellings), children were taught to recognize words as a whole. Phonics was all but eliminated for a period, and eventually a generation of children grew up who did not have the tools to recognize that 'not' and 'knot' and 'bought' all had the same vowel sound but different spellings.

Reading is meant to be a smooth experience. With the right skills taught from the beginning, the eye will eventually recognize whole words without having to sound them out and a sentence will run smoothly together, its meaning clear because pauses to puzzle out a word are not happening every few words.

I know a couple in which the husband was taught by 'whole word' method and still has some difficulty reading and certainly has difficulty spelling; while the wife was taught from the beginning by a combination of 'whole word' with simple words such as 'a', 'the', 'it', 'Mom', 'cat', 'dog', etc., and with phonics to decipher all the consonant, vowel, and combination sounds that happen regularly. She reads well, spells well, and writes well.

So today's problem with children who are passed from grade to grade and read so haltingly that it translates into poor to non-existent spelling and writing skills is nothing new. But it is a larger issue as more and more children and teens seem to have this difficulty. The problem hasn't gone away - it has gotten much bigger. Part of the reason is not just the lack of phonics (because phonics did make a partial comeback), but with other factors that weren't identified in the 50s.

One issue was the way information dissemination changed. In the day, there was the printed word. If you lived at a distance from Washington, D.C., you read about what the government was doing in the newspapers. You read about what was happening with distant family in letters. There was no telephone. There was no radio. There was no television. And there was certainly no texting or tweeting with its own non-standard method of spelling. Reading was an extremely important skill and treated as such by teachers, parents and therefore, students. Spelling and writing naturally followed, since non-verbal communication was also a written skill.

With the development of technology and the spreading of news and communication by the spoken word, illiteracy was not such a severe problem. You could find out what was going on without having to depend on what you heard other people discussing. You could call your relatives. You could 'watch' the news.

So over the decades, functional illiteracy has increased. It often happens in family groups, from generation. Children whose parents don't read well or do not read regularly, and who see that it is possible to survive without reading, spelling and writing skills are much less likely to read well themselves. No matter what the teacher attempts to teach in the classroom (and math skills are vanishing as well with the invention of calculators and cash registers that figure totals automatically), unless the importance of these skills are on display in the home or are emphasized and proficiency encouraged by family adults, many children will not reach the level of their own individual ability, the level that almost any child who went to school a hundred years ago automatically achieved.

My parents were readers. They read for pleasure, they read for knowledge, and they read to their children. I remember learning to read myself and wondering impatiently in the first grade when I would be good enough to get past "See Spot run", and read the good stuff for myself. No more waiting for someone to read an interesting story to me. I wanted to do it on my own.

Perhaps that is what children, from a very young age, need to learn. Reading is fun. Books are hilarious or amazing or engrossing. Reading is cool. And while school might not be a child's first priority, because they love reading at least it won't be hard. Reading time will be fun, writing a paragraph easy, understanding the textbooks possible. Reading has a very important place in learning the skills necessary to get passing grades, earn a diploma, get a good job that you might actually enjoy, and of course, entertain yourself when there is nothing good on TV - or even when there is.

Reading to children who are still too young to read to themselves is a first crucial step to engaging them directly with the printed word. DVDs and video games are fun, but they will not help anyone learn to read, spell or write. Pick books, especially ones with pictures for young children, that interest your child. Not every child wants to hear about Cinderella. They might want to read about Scooby-Doo or trapdoor spiders or lightning or horses or dinosaurs or giant digging machines. We have books for young children on all of those subjects and many more, including wordless books where you and your child can make up the story to suit yourselves. To a little child, making up a story to go with pictures in a book is reading and it will introduce them to the concept of a story to be 'read'.

This library makes an effort to select and purchase books to entertain, interest, and aid children from birth through high school. Throughout the year pre-school story hour, summer story hour, and now Nature Tales are programs where children can be read to by adults and have a good time. Children can come to these programs at the library in Raton and get a head start on learning to read themselves. We invite you to bring them in.

Preschool Story Hour - Every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.
Nature Tales - Twice a month on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. (Call 445-9711 for the next date.)
Summer Story Hour - Every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. during the summer.

"For Their Children, Many E-Book Fans Insist on Paper"

The New York Times reported on November 21, 2011, that parents who use E-Books all the time have a very odd double standard - they want their children to read 'real' books, not e-books. They laud the smell, the reality of turning a page, the intimacy of holding and sharing a book when it comes to what their children read. They had that growing up, and now they want it for their children.

Well, this is good news of course. Although the reporter uses the term 'dead tree' books at least twice (and I wonder what he calls furniture made of wood - 'dead tree' tables and chairs?), the journalist treats these inconsistent parents gently. According to the article, publishers say that children's books are on the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to E-book purchases. These publishers report converting more picture books, even though it takes longer, is harder, and is more expensive. But when the parents laugh at their own inconsistency on what they read and what they want their children to read, the reporter laughs along with them. He even reports what one parent has to say about an E-book at bedtime - it becomes less about reading together and more about the device. If a child can play a game on the same device they can read a book on, well, it seems that they will probably choose to play the game. So these parents prefer books to technological devices for their children.

This raises some interesting questions. What do these parents read on the Kindles and I-Pods? Newspapers and magazines? Work related material and books? Probably some fiction? And where do they use these devices? Does it work under the covers as well, before you go to sleep? Is it as good as a book when cuddled up under an afghan in a chair with a cup of hot chocolate on a cold snowy day? Or is it a convenient device for reading in the car or on the subway or at lunch time during a work day? Do they get caught up with a game instead of a book on the I-Pod themselves?

It is still less expensive to purchase an E-book than it is a regular printed volume, although from the sound of what the publishers had to say about picture books, those won't necessarily be cheap, and the price of simple text E-books has already risen. But if the Kindle dies, what happens to all those downloaded books? At the very least, it means purchasing another reading device instead of going to your bookshelf.

E-books are not a bad invention. They can be extremely convenient, they are easy to take along on a plane or wherever else you go, and for people who read a lot, that counts for something. They are the new hot thing that ties 'books' together with technology, and so they are fun and popular and very, very up-to-date. In a world where the newest hot thing is blazoned everywhere, from your latest tech device to TVs to billboards, it's not just convenient and cheaper to own an E-book reader, it's cool. Who wants to be left behind on the latest craze?

But obviously they don't fulfill all needs. Parents who insist on books for their children are saying, in essence, "My children won't learn to read as well with an E-reader. They won't learn to love a book, they won't learn to focus on the printed page, enjoy the illustrations as much and get lost in a story on an E-reader. I want real books for my children."

Adults who love to read have those needs, too. E-books will not vanish, although the devices will (and already have) change. But the niche they fill will not eliminate the desire and the pleasure to be had from printed, bound books. There is both the need and the room for both in this world.

Thankgiving at the Library

What are we thankful for? For you. There are lots of reasons to be thankful for our patrons, so I thought I would list some:

1. Without the public, there would be no reason for this library to exist.
2. We have two new groups using our free meeting room. Thank you!
3. People who haven't ever been in the library before have come to "Nature Tales". . . how exciting!
4. Thank you for telling us when you have a new grandchild, get engaged, are taking a wonderful trip, stories about your pets, whether or not you have your Christmas shopping done, and the fact that you appreciate us - not just the library, but us, as individuals.
5. Our two book clubs - one formed by adults this year, and one brand new one started by grade schooler, Ginger Baird. Good job!
6. Those who bring us fun things, like the holiday donations Daniel Hicks gives us all the time. Thank you, Daniel!
7. Noticing the effort we go to to decorate the library for special times.
8. Checking out books in special displays.
9. Using our movie collection since we don't really have a special place to rent DVD's in town any more.
10. Telling us jokes, asking how we are, giving us the kind of 'hard time' that means you like us.
11. Donating books, movies, audio books, magazines and furniture.
12. For so many coming to "Zoo To You" last August that the line snaked out the door, down the front steps and down the sidewalk. What a turnout!
13. Showing up in droves on Monday afternoon, after we have been closed on Sunday.
14. Using the book drops so your books won't be late.
15. Paying overdue fines without fussing.
16. Telling us which are your favorite paintings in the library.
17. Being just as amazed as we are the "Little House on the Prairie" was once a banned book.
18. Using our computers all the time. . .ALL THE TIME.
19. Showing patience when we are short handed and you have to wait in line.
20. Understanding when we make a mistake.
21. Coming to the library, using the library, appreciating the library.

THANK YOU!

A big Thank You!

The library staff was surprised to find a scarecrow made by Mrs. Aragon's class at Columbian Elementary School in front of the library, ready to greet everyone who comes in. We would like to thank Mrs. Aragon's class and the Raton Main Street organization for this great seasonal decoration. We love it!

Print vs Electronics

There is a video on Yahoo today showing a one year old baby with a magazine. She is pushing non-existent buttons and trying to make it work like an IPad. Needless to say, she's a little confused.
So the question is: is the next generation of readers even going to know what a book is?
Oh, yes.
Saying that children who learn how to use electronic devices will never use a book is like saying that using a dishwasher means you have no idea how to wash a dish in a sink. It's like saying watching TV means you can't figure out how to turn on a radio. It's like insisting the invention of the car eliminated bicycles from the face of the earth.
From the the wheel to the cell phone, man has developed and invented innumerable items that have enabled humanity to do a lot of things they never did before. It's true that some of these inventions have more or less swept away certain things. For example, most households don't make dip candles any more - they flip a switch for light. But many inventions that have stood for progress in the history of mankind still live side by side with what came next. Remember when computers were first gaining popularity in businesses and homes? They were supposed to do away with the reams of paperwork considered necessary to function in the 20th century. I don't know about you, but I am sitting in an office with a stuffed file cabinet and files on the counters, just full of all that paper that was going to be eliminated.
Libraries move with the times. That's why you find public access computers for patrons, books on CD, movies to check out and Ebooks. But you also find newspapers and magazines and upstanding files holding clippings and old photographs - and, of course, books. Lots and lots of books, purchased thoughtfully to try and meet the needs of everyone the library serves, from the smallest baby to the most elderly patron.
Given the current economic realities, I think it is safe to say that if hardly anyone checked out a book, there wouldn't be very many left in public libraries. When it comes to money, librarians are realists. They have to be. They are there to provide information, entertainment and education for the public, and there is only a certain amount of money each year to meet those needs. If reading print that you hold in your hands was a vanishing need, you wouldn't find new bestsellers, new picture books, new Chilton's manuals and the local newspaper on the shelves.
People still want and desire actual books. Many of us it find that it satisfies some sort of need that is buried deep in our psyche. Access to books was something the ordinary people did not have for millenniums. The ability to read was non-existent, it was a need that was not even recognized when survival took all their waking hours. That began to change with the invention of the printing press, the beginning of formal education for everyone, the other inventions that freed up time for things like, well, reading. This need has been passed along from generation to generation, and books were the basis upon which past generations gained knowledge and skills, improved their lives, and gave an immeasurable amount of pleasure. Reading a book is hardwired into us all, and it was there long before Steve Jobs gave us the IPad.
Electronic devices also have needs that books don't have. They have to be recharged. They don't work if you drop them often enough (and who hasn't dropped their cell phone before?). They can be disabled with viruses. Computers need operating systems and those don't come cheap. Devices and apps may use signals from satellites. Some may need to be plugged in to an electrical source.
A book, on the other hand, just has to be picked up and opened. If the electricity goes out, you can still light a candle and read a good book.
As for the baby girl trying to push buttons on a magazine, she just doesn't know what a magazine is for yet. My children didn't either, but instead of trying to push buttons, they tore out the pages and had a great time. They grew up to know what books are all about, and so will the babies of today.