What book changed your life as a librarian?

[Joyce Valenza]

I saw this discussion on AASLForum and thought it might be fun to begin a New Year discussion here. We all need a bit of inspiration for the coming new decade!

Interpret this question loosely: What book changed your life as a librarian?

[Dana Woods]

I read Doug Johnson's "Machines are the easy part; people are the hard part after a busy semester of coursework and independent study projects in the schools. It was a breath of fresh air after a long entanglement with my instructional design theory text. The humor, the common sense and the down right practical wisdom on working with technology was a well timed and much needed read for me. I can't think of anyone who would not find at least a handful of good ideas from this afternoon read.

[Marianne Hunter]

Not a book exactly, but the biggest impact on my librarian life was the NBCT standards that guided me through the certification process. Eight years later, they still help me stay on course. A longer while ago, Doug Johnson's The Indispensible Librarian opened my eyes a bit. Hmm . . . 2 replies, 2 DJ books. A definite trend.

[susan mowery]

When I first read The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier I realized how excellent YA literature could be.

[bj neary]

I really thought this book was thoughtful as to how to shape the reluctant reader through technology....
Bringing the Outside In: Visual Ways to Engage Reluctant Readers by Sata Kajder----Sara Kajder did a great job of chronicling her use of Web 2.0 tools to engage reluctant high school readers. The introduction credits Kajder with inviting students in and teaching them as readers using the tools of technology. This book is about becoming a more effective reading teacher and challenges all teachers "to step into the twenty-first century along with our students. We need to catch up."
I loved all of her stories about the many students and the different ways she was able to slowly reach out to them and gives us student exemplars to further our understanding. Using 7 different chapters the author uses students and Personal Narrative, Digital Storytelling, Literacy Narrative, Marking a Path Through Text, Working with Words, The Visual Think Aloud and Making Meaning to engage the reluctant reader(s). Ultimately she invites us to "examine, play, invent, reinvent, and join in the conversation." A terrific read and resource, it has helped me with booktalking and digital booktalks.