I LOVE magnetized letters. Maybe, well okay, I think I like the people who find the most hysterical phrases from the magnetized poetry – I think that it the real secret. The others.

As I was walking tonight with some contemplating hounds, I realized, how extremely reliant the profession of a certified librarian is on others – how much insight others have to truly liberate the possibilities for students, with the librarian as merely a conductor, yet almost a key maker (think The Matrix).

In the month of November, thanks to Senorita Moraima Reardon, a friend of hers, Nan Burns, discovered a dumpster in Maryland full of books for students, from kindergarten to high school – and I truly mean over 25 boxes FULL of books. The magnetized portion comes to play Ms. Reardon cam to me, the librarian NOT because she thought me superhuman and amazing – (though she gives me higher compliments than I deserve and have to tell ya, certified librarians and public librarians can be nothing short of superheroes) – but because we had done something before – found donated books and placed into the hands of those in need. We did that, and it served as a conduit, ultimately a magnet, that Ms Reardon found me and together we became stronger in making this tragedy of new books almost sent to the garbage, now into the hands of Sussex Montessori, The Nanticoke River Watershed Conservancy, and Read Aloud Delaware (Stacy!)

who in turn was able to get HUNDREDS of books into the hands of children in any different school districts!

I left some of the most important portions out – my Independent Study students–

took on sorting through over 25 boxes FULL of every age, grade, type of book, jumbled together – and sorted them ALL and into categories for various locations where they would go – they did this over a 2 week period – and never a complaint. They often found books they knew from growing up and expressed nostalgia over this or that book, but sorted them all expertly. It also was INCREDIBLY amazing to see such a diversity of books represent Native Americans, Middle Eastern locations, Latin American traditions, African American history and ancestry, Jewish heritage and so many more- HOW CAN IT BE OKAY for these texts to be going into the garbage? They represent the very essence of respecting an open mind versus a mind being thrown away.

Add to this the contribution of Ms Smith who connected me with Sarah who enabled a pipeline to get some of the most amazing books to the Sussex Montessori school as well.

Add to this the WHS neighbor who donated cases of blank books and stories that enable students to create their own stories and have their own hardcovers already started.

These individuals mentioned above, allowed the train of distribution to occur, and benefit the community at large around us – they magnetized. Each and every one, working together and yet never being all physically together? How does this happen? I have learned the discipline and training of a certified librarian depends on how you take a look at the community around us, assess the needs, and fill them. This could be residential communities, non-profit communities, school communities, youth communities, public library communities, adult communities, and so much more- the ability to get resources, connect resources – be that being people, supplies, projects, or more – the ability to network this goals and align them with curriculum that is being taught in school – welcome to the aims, goals, and objectives of the role a certified librarian plays in today’s world.

It is extremely enlightening and promising to see students take on and believe in a need so strongly that they will make sure a project as getting books once discarded, that are brand new, and get into the hands of youth that will benefit from them. It started with someone wanting to reuse and save something new, and ended with someone receiving someone new and able to reuse what another seemed worthless. So many similarities to the way people see the role of a certified librarian, see school, see classes, she expectations, we can all learn so much from each other – magnetized for supporting our immediate community!