School Library Media Coordinators promote reading as a foundational skill for learning (http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/dtl/standards/professional/rubric-slmc.pdf).
For me, this is the reason I became a children's librarian. I feel that I have become a role model in this area. I have learned so much from Donalyn Miller and John Schu. Our district threw off the chains of Accelerated Reader a few years back. As mentioned in Travis Jonker's School Library Journal Article, Postcards from Nerdcamp (http://www.slj.com/2015/08/standards/postcards-from-nerdcamp-pd-gets-fun-in-a-grassroots-unconference-on-literacy/), I felt empowered by attending in 2014 and implemented unlimited circulation in my school library.
We have to be very careful what we say to developing readers because what we teach them could become ingrained into their reading identity for life. That's more important than this year's state test scores.
I still have a hard time abandoning books, and there are still people shaming me for reading children's books! Just this summer, a relative asked what I was reading and remarked, "You're always reading kids' books." I usually mention I'm a children's librarian in response, like this is my profession and I have to read kids' books.
This past weekend, I was almost brought to tears in a video I made that mentioned the effect of a children's book that inspired me. Then the author responded with a Tweet of encouragement.
Children's books aren't obligations! They are special and wonderful. The authors are amazing people who care about children and educators. I am proud to say that I read them! I read them because I love them. The books are why I am a librarian, not the other way around.
And this whole double-shelved bookcase of adult books?
It is time to let most of them go to readers who will actually read them. I'm contacting the Friends of the Library in my teaching community who have a store off-site.
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