Looking back on this, it seems absurd, right? And it is. The inherent danger, though, is in the fact that law enforcement agencies were so quick to begin passing out warnings when they had no evidence that anyone had ever actually experienced this. Zero investigatory work was done and while Google may not have been possible back then, it can't have been that hard to try to get to the bottom of this. But they didn't.
Finding Equity Through Connected Learning
But what if we could turn that into a learning experience that's fun and inclusive and enriching and provides access to materials and ideas that they wouldn't normally be able to access? If we could do that, we could help them understand that they deserve a good education just as much as anyone else and that their circumstances don't define their worth or their ability to become whatever it is they want to be.
#FairytaleTuesday: The Fisherman and His Wife
Unlike some of the stories that I've covered before, the lesson here is clear and easy to understand. There's appears to be no deeper analysis then the simple concept that your wants shouldn't outstrip your means. You got the nice house now be happy with it instead of demanding more. Having said that, and now that I think about it, perhaps there is a deeper, less pleasant lesson here, about how the poor should be happy with whatever bits of largess they receive and not entertain dreams of rising above their station.
#FolkloreThursday: Sing a Song of Sixpence…
Most of us are familiar with this nursery rhyme, right? It's one of those rhymes that you just seem to know, and maybe you wondered why there were birds in a pie but it didn't take up too much of your thought, right? Well, it should have been taking up your thoughts because depending on what source you look at, there are layers upon layers of suspected meaning here.
Redefining and Redesigning the Practice of the Reader’s Advisory
Libraries exist in a unique place in our culture and they have the ability to set cultural standards simply by the books that they offer and display, and the ways in which they speak with their patrons about their reading choices. Due to the implied authority of librarians, young readers especially will be influenced by the suggestions that are being made. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. It really just depends on the librarian.
#FairytaleTuesday: The Journey of the Straw, the Coal, and the Bean
A straw, a coal, and a bean came together and wanted to take a great journey. They had already gone through many countries when they reached a brook without a bridge and couldn’t cross. Finally, straw came up with a good idea.
#FolkloreThursday: Headless Horsemen
The dominant spirit, however, that haunts this enchanted region, and seems to be commander-in-chief of all the powers of the air, is the apparition of a figure on horseback, without a head. It is said by some to be the ghost of a Hessian trooper, whose head had been carried away by a cannon-ball, in some nameless battle during the Revolutionary War...
Seriously, Y’all… Get Out of the Library
So, the policies, services, and collections are in place, but that isn't enough. As we've discussed before, not everyone that you are trying to reach is a library patron, yet. They need to know that these services and collections are there for them so how do we do it?
#FairytaleTuesday: The White Snake
Intention is what matters and we can't allow ourselves to think beyond our intentions in the moment, even if our intention is to buy a princess and improve our own social standing. And really, no one is ever completely altruistic in their actions. We will all, at some point, act in our own self-interests. It's just a matter of the compromises you're willing to make to get what you want.
#FolkloreThursday: Goatman’s Bridge
In the 1930s there was an Black goat farmer named Oscar Washburn who lived in the Denton, Texas area, near Old Alton Bridge. Washburn was an incredibly successful and popular farmer who was known for miles around for the quality of the meat, milk, cheese, and hides that his farm produced. Washburn became so well know, in fact, that he hung a sign near the bridge that said "This way to the Goatman," the better to direct people to his farm.
