Liz Waltzman
MY TIMELINE TO BECOMING A LIBRARIAN AND A READER
In 1985, I received a BA in Art History from Mount Holyoke College and I still hated reading.
In 1988, I received an MA in Art History from American University and I still hated reading.
In 1990, I started an MS program in Early Childhood Education at Hunter College.
I was given an assignment to read a book that I remembered reading as a child/young adult. Well, the pickings were slim, so I consulted with my husband and he told me to read The Cay by Theodore Taylor and I FELL IN LOVE WITH READING!
In 1992, I took a job as a Library Teaching Assistant in Pelham, NY.
In 1994, I received my Master’s Degree and Certification in Teaching but continued to work in libraries.
In 1996, I was tenured as a Librarian at Lincoln Junior High School in Skokie, IL with 18 credits in Library Science.
In 1999, I moved to NY and became a Librarian at Scarsdale Middle School and received my Master's Degree in Library Science from Queen's College in 2001.
Since 1992, I have not stopped reading. I have a vast knowledge of Children’s and Young Adult Literature and a love of finding the right books for readers of all interest levels from the most resistant to the most avid fans. Getting kids to love reading and keeping them in love with it is my life's goal.
As a parent, it is vital that we do several things to instill a love of reading. (You will find all of my thoughts on that under the Tips page.) We must read to our children as much as possible and for as long as they’ll let us. Some kids like to be read to even in middle school! We must make reading an important part of our own lives so that it is part of the family culture. And of course, we MUST find the right books.
Every child is different, so our approach has to adapt to those differences. Two years ago, when my son was in 2nd grade, I’ll never forget what he said to me, “Mommy, I know you’re a librarian but no offense, I really don’t like reading.” He has proven to be somewhat of a challenge in this regard. I have to stay on top of him to make sure he takes the time out of his day/night to read and I have to find the right titles! He loves being read to and really enjoys a good story but the independent reading is an ongoing challenge. My almost 6-year-old daughter who is just starting to read is the antithesis of this. She loves books and will “read” just about anything. She plays story-time on her own. In fact, one day I was calling for her when she came out of her room in quite a huff and announced that she was in the middle of reading to her dolls and could not be interrupted!
I’m not sure what challenges my 16-month-old will bring but I figure since I gave my mother such a hard time - You know what they say - what goes around comes around. And as my mother told me way back when and more than once, “I can’t wait until you’re a parent. Then you’ll understand what you’ve put me through.” But, I’m armed and ready for the challenge and I want other parents to be, as well!
Cara Forray
in association with Amazon.com
I didn’t always love reading, especially if there was nothing in the book that I could relate to, and that was pretty much every book I had to read in school. But as an adult, all of my friends were in book clubs, and they served really good food with gossip that was equally juicy. So I joined. As we sat around, ate, talked (sometimes I had read the book, sometimes it was more of a skim) I saw that the books sparked conversations about life. The books caused us to question, dream,
and open our eyes to people from so many different cultures. That was the key for me. Books became about people, and people interest me. As soon as I got interested in a character I was immersed in the read. I learned to love to read by finding the right book.
As a teacher, inspiring a love of learning has always been my greatest goal. I have always been able to get kids excited about taking care of their bodies and minds as I am a middle school health teacher. However watching students sparkle at the prospect of a new book that was suggested by Liz, was awe inspiring. How were these young adults acquiring such a passion for reading? As previously pointed out, I was not an avid reader until my adult years.
So, I began to read young adult literature to see what all the hype was about. Liz led a class for teachers, “Trends in Young Adult Literature.” The class became a platform upon which I grew as a teacher, not just of health, but also, of reading. I wanted to know how children developed reading skills and how I could foster those skills. By the end of my second Master’s degree, this one in Literacy Education from Manhattanville College, and having fostered my own love for reading, I wanted to make a difference for students in their experiences with reading.
After many evenings discussing “Trends in Young Adult Literature,” Liz and I continue our discussions at lunch every Tuesday. I continue to eavesdrop as Liz recommends books to kids hungry for another good read. Don’t all students deserve that chance to escape into the life of a character, a story of another time, or become an expert in whatever they are passionate about? I have come to realize that it is not the book alone that gets kids excited, but it is the matching of a particular book to an individual student that works to pique a young adult’s interest in reading. BIBLIOTECHIES.COM is the result of a Tuesday lunch, and my continued hope of inspiring a love of learning through reading.
As a child, I was never a reader; in fact, I HATED reading. The worst fights I had with my parents were about my refusing to read. With the telephone so near by, not to mention the TV, who had the time or interest to read. In this day and age, the temptations are far more sophisticated and varied so I can imagine I would have been even more resistant to reading.
