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.
Addressing the Problematic Nature of Cataloging and Collection Development
Weirdly enough--or maybe not so weird--the specific use of "illegal immigrants," a term used to dehumanize and deny agency, was a very large sticking point and on July 10, 2016, the LOC was ordered to continue using that subject heading. Many libraries across the country began creating their own subject headings to bypass this and, as of today, right now, the term is still very much in use within the LC Catalog.
#FairytaleTuesday: Herr Fix-It-Up
Fix-It-Up had been a soldier for a long time. When the war came to an end, however, and there was nothing but the same old things to do every day, he resigned from the army and decided to become a servant for a great lord. There would be clothes trimmed with gold, a lot to do, and always new things happening
#FolkloreThursday: Hekate
It was Hekate and her torch that assisted Demeter in her search for Persephone, and it is Hekate who leads Persephone back and forth on her yearly journey between life and death. Hekate's transformation into the patron of witches arose out of this chthonic and nocturnal nature and she became heavily associated with herb-lore and the use of poisonous plants. It was written that Hekate was the patron of the witch Medea, which helped to further her reputation as the Goddess of Witches.
Sometimes You Have to Step Out of the Library
But, the only way for libraries to be a place where the entirety of the community is welcome, is to understand the community in its entirety. And this isn’t something that’s necessarily going to be easy. Librarians have to get to know the people in their communities. All of the people. They have to understand their patrons, and potential patrons and make sure that the library is a place where everyone feels that their needs are being met.
