Dylan T
A. RiveraThis is the kind of librarian I work to be every day. From the Unshelved comic strip.
"I love the sound policy makes when I break it."
Likely Jan LukasFabulous. I was livid and shocked when one of my kids was prevented from taking out a school library book on the assumption that it would be too hard based on grade/age. 😡
Was only slightly less horrified when I learned the school doesn't have an actual librarian, so it was some other staff member being foolish.
If a non-reference book is in the school library, then one expects that students are allowed to borrow them.
This did not occur a second time. 😂
verity@bloodravenlib "what if I can't reach it?" "then I'll reach it for you" 💚 💚
Tim Ward ⭐🇪🇺🔶 #FBPE@verity @bloodravenlib My parents kept some books quite high up. I didn't read them until I was old enough to reach that high. Things like Kama Sutra.
PJ "Vote Green" Coffey@bloodravenlib I miss this strip so much. The Sunday recommendations also had some great reads.
Who by avalanche who by powder@bloodravenlib #alt4You
11-panel comic. Location: Library. Panel 1: child holding a book asks adult: Can I check out this book? Adult: Yes. You can check out any book.
2: Child: *Any* book? Adult: If you can reach it, you can check it out.
3. Child: What if I can't reach it? Adult: Then I'll do it for you.
4. Child: My teacher says I need to return this book. It's above my reading level. Adult: So? 1/3
11-panel comic. Location: Library. Panel 1: child holding a book asks adult: Can I check out this book? Adult: Yes. You can check out any book.
2: Child: *Any* book? Adult: If you can reach it, you can check it out.
3. Child: What if I can't reach it? Adult: Then I'll do it for you.
4. Child: My teacher says I need to return this book. It's above my reading level. Adult: So? 1/3
@bloodravenlib #alt4You
Panel 5.
Child: So I can't read it.
Adult: Maybe you can, maybe you can't. Maybe you can read part of it. Maybe you just want to look at the pictures.
6. Adult: You can still keep it. Child: Forever? Adult: No. Child: Worth a shot.
7. Another Adult and the same child approach the first adult. Second adult: Did you tell this student he could check out this book. 1st adult: Yes.
8: 2nd adult: Are you aware that it's well above his reading level? 1st adult: Don't care. 2/3
Panel 5.
Child: So I can't read it.
Adult: Maybe you can, maybe you can't. Maybe you can read part of it. Maybe you just want to look at the pictures.
6. Adult: You can still keep it. Child: Forever? Adult: No. Child: Worth a shot.
7. Another Adult and the same child approach the first adult. Second adult: Did you tell this student he could check out this book. 1st adult: Yes.
8: 2nd adult: Are you aware that it's well above his reading level? 1st adult: Don't care. 2/3
@bloodravenlib #alt4You
Panel 9. 2nd adult: We have a policy. 1st adult: I love the sound policy makes when I break it.
10. 2nd adult: I'm very disappointed you let kids check out just any book. 1st adult: Why. Which books did you want to censor?
11: 2nd adult: What? No! I just want to make sure they read within their capabilities. 1st adult: And I want them to know that they have no limits. 3/3
Panel 9. 2nd adult: We have a policy. 1st adult: I love the sound policy makes when I break it.
10. 2nd adult: I'm very disappointed you let kids check out just any book. 1st adult: Why. Which books did you want to censor?
11: 2nd adult: What? No! I just want to make sure they read within their capabilities. 1st adult: And I want them to know that they have no limits. 3/3
apm77@bloodravenlib I've never seen this _exact_ policy in a school, but I've seen some that are close. Like the time when government bureaucrats mandated that students should be awarded credit according to the _number_ of books they read, effectively forcing them to read short ones. I was the rebel who refused on principle to put the pursuit of academic credit above what I knew was right.
Sarah Glassmeyer@bloodravenlib "I love the sound policy makes when I break it" ❤️❤️❤️
BensGreenGamingAc@bloodravenlib I'm very glad to have encountered your sort of librarian when I was young.
Richard RatheYou may have already seen this quote, but if not…
S. R. Ranganathan - Five Laws of Library Science
1) Books are for use.
2) Every reader their book.
3) Every book its reader.
4) Save the time of the reader.
5) A library is a growing organism.
Bob Wyman@bloodravenlib
When I was in the First Grade (1959) we had a box of SRA reading cards on which stories were written with progressively more difficult reading levels. We were supposed to read all the cards whose trim was a particular color and once everyone in the class had finished that color, we would move on to the next color.
One day, I was caught reading cards more difficult than the current color. I was punished by having to stand in the corner for an hour...
https://www.mheducation.com/prek-12/program/reading-laboratory-sra/MKTSP-UEC12M0.series-1.html
Lars Marowsky-Brée 😷@bloodravenlib Are reading levels a thing now? Truly? 🤯
I mean sure, some content was probably age restricted, but they didn't have that in the public library anyway ...
I mean sure, some content was probably age restricted, but they didn't have that in the public library anyway ...
SylvainMy daughter (10) returned a book to the library last week, she found it to be too hard to read. So yes, reading levels are a thing.
Reading limits shouldn't be though.
@axnxcamr Sure, I've been overwhelmed by books myself. And guidelines are useful to make sure readers experience joy and a lovely challenge rather than frustration!
Clearly that wasn't the point here though, but the policy restricting access to those levels :-)
I probably cut too short my previous message and came off a little blunt, that and English not being my usual language. Sorry about that.
What I meant is that reading level being experience-based rather than age-based, warning a young reader about a book he's about to check out is fine, but preventing him from borrowing the book based on his age alone, that shouldn't be a thing.
The Jack of Sandwich@larsmb @bloodravenlib it's not a content restriction thing. It's a judge of how difficult it is to read the book. Which is fine. It's good to avoid frustration by having a kid struggle and give up on a difficult book.
But if a kid wants to try something at a higher level, I can't imagine telling them no. Just would want to warn them that the book is denser and has more varied vocabulary than they're used to.
But if a kid wants to try something at a higher level, I can't imagine telling them no. Just would want to warn them that the book is denser and has more varied vocabulary than they're used to.
Zhi Zhu 🕸️What a great comic strip!
David S. Reed@bloodravenlib I am to this day disappointed with the librarian who many years ago would not let me check out The Radio Amateur's Handbook because it was not from the children's section. Showing her my amateur radio license did not persuade her.
The Lady Parabellum@bloodravenlib this is quite fabulous!
I got in trouble for trying to deliver a book report in second grade for "Lord of the Rings". Everyone knew I was an advanced reader. My teacher called my parents in for a conference when I said my mom gave it to me - I don't think that confrontation went the way she (the teacher) expected.
Regardless, the book report wasn't accepted, and I had to stand up and deliver another "age appropriate"
I'm 70 now and still read between one and three novels every day.
DEI Dungeon Explorers@ladyparabellum @bloodravenlib
Great story, sorry you didn't get to give your book report, glad your parents were there for you!
Great story, sorry you didn't get to give your book report, glad your parents were there for you!
@deidungeon @bloodravenlib Thanks! 60-something-years-later, I'm mostly recovered from the trauma. ;) My mom could get pretty explosive about education - my dad couldn't have cared less. I got the book-smarts from my mom, the mechanical and street-smarts from my dad. It worked out.
pompelon@bloodravenlib Oh my gosh, I absolutely loathe how some people think rigid age grading is, like, a moral imperative. It's spread so much since I was a kid
Donty@bloodravenlib Perfect. Love it.
Dan D.@bloodravenlib This is excellent. Just a reminder that alt text would make this more accessible.
Shredd Tone 
@bloodravenlib Well...it's supposed to be a free country, right? Why not check out any book they want, as long as it's not too mature for younger generations.
Who cares if it's above their reading level....or maybe it could be their reading level at such a age. I thought that was common sense
Jon 🇳🇿@bloodravenlib Keep being that librarian! In my day, they were scary and we were 'shush'-ed but I love seeing kids soaking up all that's on offer in my local library. A good library is a great example of democracy in action and vertical development without gatekeeping. Kia Kaha.
keke@bloodravenlib “Reading level” works both ways too! I was really interested in earth sciences as a kid, but our school library marked almost all of the nonfiction section as second grade or lower. So I was actually told multiple times I wouldn’t be allowed to check out those books because they were below my level. God forbid we let children learn and get excited about reading!
@keke @bloodravenlib And they didn't offer to get more advanced books on those subjects for you? No program to share books with other schools in the district?
RetroEnthusiast@bloodravenlib I still remember a librarian not letting me check out a book I wanted to read because it was "above my level" lol
Shadow D. Wolf 
🏳️🌈@bloodravenlib So what if a child wants to read a book that's "above their level?" By being exposed to more advanced grammar, they'll learn from it. If they encounter words they don't know, they'll use (or learn to use) a dictionary, AND expand their vocabulary. This is how students become lifelong learners, and any practice or policy designed to hold students back is both unethical and the literal opposite of what educators are supposed to do.
Suran 🦊Imagine no adults trying to read Shakespeare, because it's above their reading level. ;)
@bloodravenlib I had parents like this, I could read absolutely anything I wanted. Thanks, Mom & Dad!
sortius@bloodravenlib this is why I encourage my son, who's just starting to read, to have some "reading time". He looks at the pictures, can maybe pick out a word or two, but every time he gets better (and prouder of himself)
Morgana@bloodravenlib Beautiful and so true!!
Diane Magras@bloodravenlib I have always loved this comic so much.
Michael Sperberg-McQueen@bloodravenlib Thank you for reminding me of all the librarians who were, at various times, that librarian for me.
Jeppe Bundsgaard på Mastodon
Karl-Heinz ZimmerTalking about "breaking policies", let me please ask you to add an image description whenever you add an image to a post.
It its current state your post is not #inclusive. People using a #ScreenReader hear only one word:
"image"
msgbi
Giles GoatMy favourite of that kind is "customer service wolf".
https://customerservicewolf.com/
Makes me smile all the time :)
UndeadMedic@bloodravenlib If you always read within your ‘limits’ you’ll never exceed them.
OldBrushNewPaper@bloodravenlib The BEST payback for "the sound $OBJECT makes when..."!!
PixiePancake@bloodravenlib I began reading my parent’s books when I was nine. They never minded. Some vocabulary was unfamiliar, but I seemed to navigate pretty successfully with context clues. I was bored with juvenile content. Thank you for understanding and rejecting frustrating barriers.
miriam heddy@bloodravenlib Librarians helped me more than anyone become who I am today.
nyborg@bloodravenlib @sofakante Habe noch nie von Reading Level und Bibliothekspolicies dazu gehört - is this a thing? Why? O.o
Crochetcat@bloodravenlib Thank you. As someone who knew I wouldn’t be able to attend college, libraries functioned as a college.