I'm in the library with a kindergarten class; the kids are getting up to go, and I glance at one kid who is staring dreamily into space. Then he picks his picture book out of his lap, sticks his tongue out, and LICKS IT aaaaaall along the spine.

Eeeeeeeeewwwww!!!!!

"What are you doing!!!!???!!!" I shriek, almost up to the range where only doggies can hear. He looks at me, startled. "Don't ever do that!! Don't lick the books!!! They're germy!!"

I'm always reminding the kids to keep their books off the wet grass, or out of the hands of crayon-wielding toddlers, but I never thought I would have to tell them to NOT LICK THE BOOKS.

Gah.

Maybe he just loved it sooooo much.

Hee, maybe. Next time I hope he expresses his ardor with a friendly hug.

Always good to read your adventures, Duds.

Licking books is a bit odd, even for the young ones.

Icky foo!

Having met you, Dudlers, I have to say: I think you shrieking at me would freak me out a little bit, and make me never lick a book spine... again. (Hard to envision myself licking one once, let alone twice.)

Well, I hope it had that effect, Highwaters. Because I touch nearly every book when I shelf them, and the thought of where they have been.... *shudder.*

Good to see you, Highwaters!

Ah, shelving. At the library where I volunteer, I have been promoted! We have a room designated for teens and I basically just sit there for two hours "hosting" it. It is still in a fledging state, so no one has really come in to use it yet (we still need to get stuff for it anyway).

And I think I really want to be a librarian.

Oh, that last post was me by the way (formerly sunset). Logging in is weird at the school library.

childhood library geek, here.

Dudley, I would gladly have you yell at me not to lick a book, just to have a face-too-=face wiht you ;)

Speaking of strange but true tales involving schools, a misbehaving child, and parts of the mouth, here's one: Teacher Fired After Allegedly Biting Boy

If you don't feel like reading the whole article, here's all you really need:

Garrick Hudsons mother, Cassandra Hicks, said the incident occurred Jan. 11 when her son disobeyed Kolbs order to spit out some candy. Kolb told him to stand in the hallway, but he returned to get his books, she said.

As Kolb and Garrick struggled over the books, he fell and hit his head and she "started biting him on his left upper shoulder."

Garrick was treated at Kosair Childrens Hospital for a bite wound, according to court records. He also had a small knot on his head.

According to Kolbs termination letter, two students said they saw her bite him, and several staff members said they later heard Kolb admit doing so.

"You denied biting the student, but admitted that you found fabric in your mouth during the incident," the letter stated.

WHAT THE FUCK?

I am always mystified by cases like this. Teaching is so hard, and the pay is not great, so why would someone who is obviously not cut out for the job stick with it (and get to the point where she is biting a student)? Don't get it.

A second-grade class is leaving, and I see that the DK Incredibles book is still on the ground.

Me: "Hey, who was reading The Incredibles book? It needs to go back on the shelf."

Miya: "Kaitlyn was reading it."

Me: "Kaitlyn, please come put The Incredibles back."

Kaitlyn picks up the book and puts it back.

Miya, to me: "You might not want to touch that book. Kaitlyn picked her nose and wiped the booger on it."

And the thing is? I've gotten so used to kiddy-book-grossness I didn't even bother to get out my wipes to look for the booger.

Dudlers, you are sooooo NOT Adrian Monk. Congratulations on that.

Ew. I think I'd have to find the wipes first. You're a better woman than I!

So. Here in Tucson. And I'm trying verrrry hard to not buy books right now, because as you know I'm in recovery, so I am getting my Tucson- Pima Public Library card today. I'm kind of excited. And a big dork. Ha.

Seriously, I've scoured Bookman's (like Changing Hands of Tempe, but it has way more music, DVD, etc. -- notes on that forthcoming, sit tight), for this book called Mad Cowboy (about a cattle rancher who is a vegetarian, and this explains why, oy), and haven't been able to find it.

Here's what I love about Tucson-Pima: Instead of the status for the book reading "SHELF", it gives the very uncommitted status of "CHECK SHELF." Hahahahaha. Finally! An honest online catalog that doesn't pretend to know if it's actually there! Love it.

So I was looking through the DVDs there. I found a copy of TLA (the blown-up version with MM and everyone) for $10. Since my dad never returned mine, I bought it. I took it to the counter and this college-aged kid goes, "Have you seen this yet?" I said, "Love it." He goes, "It's so damn funny. God!" I told him about my dad, and he asked if HE liked it, to which I replied, "That's the worst part. I don't think he ever watched it. I called him a Filipino Pirate and he didn't get it." To that, the dude laughed one of those internal-choking laughs and pointed at me for a minute while bobbing his head 'yes yes yes.' It was a good TLA interaction. I like those so much.

ALSO My neighbor here, Mirza, LOVES it. He heard my Seu Jorge coming from my kitchen one afternoon, and while we sat around drinkin' beers later he goes, "I heard the Bowie today. I love that shit." Mirza is Bosnian, so hang a groovy Slavic accent and enunce on that. He is the best neighbor I've ever had. In heaven down here.

Except that I still don't have a couch.

But I have found my bookstores and libraries, so it's homey enough down here for now.

ew! i would have thrown a fit. i'm worse than monk, and wet-wipes are my bestest friends. :)

anyways, just wanted to say that they closed the public library here til september. now the city has no public library. there's two more, but you can't get books out unless you're a student at the university they're attached to.

how can they close the bloody public library for 4 months? ppl have needs. ppl need to read.

and then they wonder ppl are so dumb!

I think I made a librarian painfully stub his toe the other day. My roommate was taking in nap in our room, so somehow I went to the science library to read because they have better reading nooks that the general library. It is finals week at my school, so the libraries are packed. I’m not sure why I bothered. So, failing to find a place to read, I had to leave the library. The book I had in tow to read was from the other library on campus, and from previous experience, I knew that such books make the sensors go off when you walk out of another library. Since a lot of people were studying and I knew the alarm would go off, I asked the librarian at the desk if he could hold my book as I walked through the sensor. He did, and while he walked toward the door to hand it back to me, he stubbed his toe on a cart or something! As I continued walking out, he had to sit on another chair and nurse his foot for a bit. I didn’t even ask him if he was okay or anything!