Hi, Miss Julie

I have award fatigue right now. Trying to keep track of the Caudills, the Monarchs, the Cybills, the Lincolns, the Caldecotts, the Newberys, et al, has broken my brain. I realized today that I have no handle on the 2010 Monarch nominees. This is shameful. I begin reading in earnest tomorrow.

Speaking of reading (how’s THAT  for a transition, eh??) I started looking into the history of Summer Reading Programs just, you know, for a lark! Through wikipedia, I found a link to a 70 page paper someone wrote about it as part of her master’s degree in Library Science. I’ve only read a little bit of it, but I am interested so far. I am also so very, very glad that I no longer need to write scholarly papers.

Secret: Sometimes I think I am the only Children’s Librarian ever who really doesn’t like Summer Reading Programs. I mean, I don’t hate them; I’m not going to get all Grinchy and spirit away with all Summer Reading Programs…but nor am I as excited about them as I feel I should be. I like it when kids read, but something about Summer Reading Programs just doesn’t click with me, I guess.

I am also trying very, very hard to not use SRP, because I also sort of hate acronyms. Except for TARDIS. I LOVE that acronym. Am I the worst librarian ever, or what? Although, now that I consider it, SRP isn’t really an acronym, is it…unless people in other places run around saying SRP, like it is syrup without the “uh” sound in it. Because the crucial part of the acronym definition is that those initials form WORDS. So scuba–cool. Radar? Awesome! BLT? Wait a minute…that’s not a word!!

Don’t worry, BLT, you’re not alone (anything with bacon is never alone), there are tons of so-called acronyms that will never resemble actual words no matter  how you smush them together when saying them aloud (I’m looking at you, ALSC– both all four seven of you {wow, lots of ALSCesesss}! With much love, of course. Critical, judging love.) yet they are still considered acronyms. We can’t all be scuba, apparently.

In conclusion, I would like to say that you all should be glad you never had to read any of my scholarly work, because it was pretty much like the above…except…with footnotes. And not the fun, Thursday Next kind, either. The AWFUL kind. The kind with teeth.

With many fond regards,

Miss Julie.