Did you know I went to Cornell?

Read all about my history in the Ivy League!

Bridgeford Hardware

I will always remember the hardware store in my hometown, Greenwood Lake, N.Y. Despite the time of day, it always seemed like dusk inside and I can remember being fascinated by the uncountable bins filled with washers, nails, screws and other unnamed shiny metal things. On the hottest of summer days, the store emanated a mildly damp coolness that made walking the aisles a quiet treat and I don't remember ever complaining about it being my turn to run a hardware errand. 

That store is long gone, but in the DelSo we have Bridgeford Hardware, a throwback to those simpler times. Unlike the "big box" stores it is unnecessary to waste time searching for someone for assistance. Employees are readily available to help with practical suggestions and expert advice. Last week I finally decided to suck it up and replace the the screening in my sliding door to the deck. Now generally I'm not the worst person in the world in terms of home maintenance issues, but my hesitation was prompted by my experience the last time I replaced the screen a couple of years ago. On that particular day, the door was placed back on its slider and within an hour Cassidy Lilly (our family's sweet black lab) felt the need to open the door with her sharp claw creating a new puncture. A hole which naturally has been expanding ever since until it ultimately became an ad hoc doggie door. 

With the arrival of spring, and my desire to improve my homeowner maintenance capabilities, I called Bridgeford and asked what we could do to prevent another screen repair job from going awry. Was there plexiglass which could be screwed to the lower part of the door? Perhaps chicken wire (aesthetics are secondary to function in some instances) could be stapled over the screen to provide an extra layer of fortification from Cassidy's need to independently let herself out to the deck? It was explained that neither of these were an option as the plexiglass would crack when affixed by screws and chicken wire was not available. As an alternative, the patient man suggested using a flat sheet of metal, the type typically used when making covers for old school radiators. He did caution that they were expensive, probably close to $25, which would bring the cost of the repair up to about $50. I ended the call and considered my options. And then - I remembered that I already had one of those sheets of metal! I even knew where it was - bonus. I carried the door and the metal to my car and mere hours later, I was pleased to rehang the door that would let a breeze into my family room, yet keep the majority of pesky bugs out. 

Despite the additional labor and hardware involved with affixing the metal sheet, I wasn't charged anymore than the regular price for a screen repair of that size, $25. As for Cassidy, she hasn't even attempted to let herself out, so the solution has been a complete success. And my childhood love for hardware stores, like my sliding door's screen, remains intact.

Unassured

Last week I got a postcard in the mail touting a program my insurance company, I mean Health Plan, offers. There's some sort of rewards program that I can opt into earning points towards gift cards and other discounts if I register and then log my healthy choices. I went on line and registered already imagining how I would spend my "money" buying more running clothes. After I selected my user name and password, I prepared to begin logging all those runs and sculpting classes. Except...my brand new login and password didn't work. Hmmm. So I requested a new one. Which also didn't work. At this point, the process was proving to be more detrimental than beneficial to my health so I abandoned the task, for now.

Two days later I received a letter from CDPHP thanking me for enrolling in the program. Or, to be accurate, I received THREE identical letters all dated 2/9/12 saying exactly the same thing. Really??? I couldn't help but recall that each time my union made concessions to the contract we had agreed to, I watched my health insurance premiums continue to increase. I understand that companies are people and all, but why aren't these businesses being asked to toe the fiscal line? Is the company that is sending out an identical letter 3 times to me doing more effective, important work than the professionals teaching our children? I don't mind doing my part and I'm a practical person. I get it. My problem is that I'm sick of having to justify my existence professionally annually. As if being a librarian didn't already come with its own lack of educational street cred.

The governor has demanded a change to teacher evaluations and I'm now supposed to be rated on the same rubric as a classroom teacher. Which means that 40% of my annual performance should be based upon standardized tests. Thinking back on your time as a student (or what you have observed) do you recall taking any exams or filling in bubble sheets in the LMC? How about during your time in the guidance office or while in P.E.? Exactly.

From what I understand, folks are upset about the benefits teachers now possess, things like our "part time" status, excessive retirements and practically free insurance premiums. For the record, I didn't ask to discontinue contributing a mandatory percentage of my salary to my retirement. That decision was made by someone else, probably a financial expert. And, incidentally, I opened a 403B immediately after becoming "vested," to continue saving for my retirement, because I'm not, nor have I ever, asked for something for nothing.

I've invested - in my education, my profession and my future. Guess I'll just continue making healthy choices for myself and not count on my health insurance plan or my government to reward me for my efforts.

From one bossypants to another...

image from Barnes and Noble

Since finally finishing Jonathan Franzen's Freedom I have regained my own personal freedom in selecting reading material.  For the record, I will never again read another of Franzen's self-indulgent, over-sized volumes about some of the least likable people in the universe.  Screw you, Pulitzer and National Book Award conferrers - the appeal of his stories simply escapes me.

image from Barnes and Noble

There have been a couple of things, however, which I read this summer and thoroughly enjoyed.  The first was Sarah's Key, written by Tatiana de Rosnay.  This fictional work about the roundup of Jews in France during World War II was near impossible for me to put down.  I've always had an interest in Holocaust literature and have read many books about this topic (one of my favorites is the Book Thief by Marcus Zusak), however, I was completely unfamiliar with this dark part of French history.  A movie starring Kristin Scott Thomas has just been released and I sincerely hope the filmmakers did this great little book justice. 

image from Barnes and Noble

I must admit, I feel a connection to Tina Fey.  Like me, she wears smart girl glasses and her character on 30 Rock, Liz Lemon, has an old school card catalog in her home.  For sheer fun, I can't recommend Tina Fey's book, Bossypants,  enough.  She is one hilarious lady and her voice carries consistently throughout this book as she shares her personal and professional lives with the reader.  I can't remember the last time I literally laughed out loud when reading a book, but this autobiography cracked me up.  If only Bossypants was the same length as Freedom my summer reading would have been much more balanced between enjoyable and an endurance contest.

What was on your summer reading list?  Winners?  Losers?

On Being the Madonna of Librarians

Last week I went to a Librarians' Conference at Union College. As you're picturing this event in your mind's eye, please don't make the same mistake I did - it wasn't actually on the beautiful Union campus, but was instead in a former Sheraton Hotel beyond Union's ivy walls. Ok, I'm not really certain that the walls are ivy-covered but, who's story is this? Needless to say, I was borderline late as I drove around the perimeter of Union, with its ivy- covered walls, looking for the College Hall Building.

The conference was cool. No, really. I learned some new tricks and I always enjoy seeing librarians from other districts and talking about the challenges we all face in a profession that always seems to be marginalized by administrators, fellow faculty members and parents. As always, Polly Farrington's class provided me with the most applicable lessons - she is a rockstar. As am I, apparently. You see, a number of years ago at this same event, a colleague told me that she never knew what to expect when she saw me because my appearance changes constantly. I do like to play around with "my "look," I guess. Just trying to stay relevant. Anyway, she continued by saying "Silvia, you're the Madonna of librarians." Seriously - this is in my top 5 of best compliments ever received! Right up there with "you don't look like a librarian" and the time when I was 8 1/2 months pregnant and crossing Lark Street, and received a wolf-whistle from a passing car of college boys.

This is the Madonna she was talking about, right? If she really meant the Virgin Mother, please ignore everything I said. Other than the fact that Polly Farrington is a rock star and Union College may be surrounded by ivy-covered walls.

The Lorax speaks for the trees, the Lilly speaks for the librarians.

Unless you're living completely off the grid (in which case you probably won't be reading this), you know that these are some dark economic times. School districts are being asked to cut their budgets by millions of dollars and droves of faculty and staff are being laid off. I attended a school board meeting on Thursday and listened to dozens of residents speak in support of the district's nurse-teachers, music teachers, guidance counselors and the amazing dual language program offered at the Delaware Avenue Community School. Disturbingly enough, other than a group of Albany City School District librarians, no one spoke in defense of the elementary librarians who are slated to lose their jobs. Talk about invisible! Perhaps it has been a long time since you were in elementary school. Maybe you have forgotten the important role played by the person, probably a woman, who introduced you to libraries and taught you how to independently locate and use information. When I was in elementary student we moved frequently - I had been in 6 different buildings in 3 districts by the time I was in 5th grade. I met a lot of people and contended with being the new girl more often than I would have liked, but what I most remember about all of those different experiences, was which buildings had libraries. Pine Tree Elementary in Monroe, N.Y., had a library that was my favorite. The librarian was warm and welcoming and I remember feeling happy whenever I was in that space. I can't remember any specific lessons she taught other than how to competently select books, how to shelve materials in my role as student volunteer, and that the library was a place that was simultaneously safe and familiar yet absolutely boundless in opportunity for information and knowledge, but, my experiences in that library more than likely inspired me to eventually become a librarian.

Albany's children also move around a lot and it makes me sad to think of an already disadvantaged population being denied access to professional librarians. Without trained librarians, how will our children learn to access, evaluate and manipulate information in a world that has become information driven? Where will children learn how to navigate through the mountain of resources now available at the click of a button? And without librarians who will be providing Albany's children with a consistently safe and inviting place from which to explore, to absorb and to be inspired?

The text below is the statement I made to the board.

As a parent, school librarian and as a taxpayer, I'm here tonight as an advocate of elementary librarians and their libraries. I understand there is discussion about eliminating some, if not all, of the district's elementary librarians. You should know that I went to library school with one of these professional elementary librarians and I have tried to entice her to come to the suburban district where I work, on numerous occasions, to no avail. She was, and remains, committed to her students and her library. She wasn't tempted by the promise of clerical assistance or by a population seemingly less needy than the population she presently taught. I work in a district that families move to from Albany, often immediately following elementary school. I work with some terrific kids, however, our children attend Albany schools because we believe in providing our children with access. Access to diversity and opportunity and knowledge. No one in an elementary building knows more about teaching our children the 21st century skills necessary to access information and knowledge than their librarians. Diminishing librarians and library programs in this district, will perpetuate the disadvantages far too many of Albany's children already experience. Having a library without a librarian is akin to stocking a professional garage with expensive tools, parts and equipment and then leaving the doors open and allowing anyone to come in and fix your car. It doesn't work. Please think carefully before eliminating these vital positions.

Have you been to a school board meeting recently?