Talk

For decades, librarians have worked with parents, teachers, and students to develop a love of reading. While classroom teachers might concentrate on the skill of reading, librarians try to work on interest, fun, involvement, and talking, talking, talking about what each of us likes and values.

Recently, librarians have broadened their purview to include not only reading, but also viewing, listening, speaking, writing, and creating. Alongside printed books, they guide patrons  to the power of story, conversation, and choice in all forms of media and across all forms of available technology.

Your professional librarian in both public and school libraries can be a mentor to you and your family to collaborate on literacy that is the foundation of individual, family, and community values.   Find out what services the libraries already provide and suggest others that might help your family.

Examples

• Share items that make us laugh, cry, inspire and build empathy.

• Share sacred or secular texts and think together about  their big ideas.

• Find a balance between reading and play: board games, sports, hikes, trips to the library.

• Capitalize on these benefits to work together on  keeping the house going, behaviors, organization, and other life chores.

• Most importantly and as a family, work on the idea that when we find something uncomfortable in books, movies, videos, podcasts, etc., we all know how to close the book, flip the channel, walk away,  be different and have each other's back.

• Remember that librarians can often offer alternatives to items "required" by the curriculum/teacher.