Expectation

In 1986 I went to graduate school for library science because I remembered how fortunate I felt in as an undergraduate work study in 1978 when I went from early mornings of unloading burning hot clean dishes off a dishwasher conveyer belt and serving dozens of eggs to large farm raised boys to afternoons behind the desk of the University of Iowa library reserve room serving books mostly to graduate students in literature and philosophy.

Thinking about how I enjoyed serving books instead of eggs started me on the path to a Master of Library Science degree. As a graduate student, I discovered that being a librarian was not completely about books. School Library Media Specialist required classes included media production. Fascinated, I signed up for a media production class and an Introduction to School Library Media Centers class. In the media production class I became so absorbed in creating slide shows, with sound and music, that I would lose my awareness of lunch time. The first slide show was about the life of Vincent Van Gogh using background music from The Penguin Cafe Orchestra and Brian Eno. Sticking with the artist theme, I created another slide show about three pop artists ending with a musical montage using the song “I'll Be Your Mirror” from the Andy Warhol managed group The Velvet Underground. My instructor liked my productions and I received good grades even though other students were making slides from children's books.

The Intro class was less hands on, right after lunch and required a large cup of coffee to stay awake and listen to the instructor who said he became a librarian because it was warm and dry. He encouraged field trips. A class friend and I would take turns driving each other to the different locations. The high school library media center, in a wealthy Connecticut school district, with it's own state of the art television studio was compelling. The glamorous media part was emphasized once again when we visited a company that animated picture book illustrations.

My friend and I then drove to an elementary school library media center to listen to a seasoned school library media specialist. We sat in the front row eager to absorb knowledge from an experienced professional. She was a handsome middle aged woman with dark hair pulled back in a bun showing turquoise earrings next to well preserved olive skin. The first thing she told us about was getting hit by a car while crossing the street. Her head hit the pavement causing a concussion and a “severe scrape to the cheek” that caused a scar.

“The doctors,” she explained, “were able to repair my cheek. She turned her head to the side.

“The skin is smooth because they took skin from another part of my body and grafted the skin to my cheek.” I wondered if she wore make-up to get the even skin tones.

I wasn't sure why she was telling us a story about her cheek but felt excited when she held up a copy of Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendek. She would, I thought, show us a felt story board, puppet show, animation or some other creative way to present this book to children. Instead, she opened up the book and showed us a torn page.

“This too can be grafted.”

The experienced school library media specialist then reached into a box and took out dispensers of different kinds of book tape and some book glue. She then demonstrated with her torn Sendek page and with a few other books with broken bindings and torn jackets.

Sitting in the front row, I made the mistake of looking over at my friend who cracked a smile. The remainder of the school library media class on book repair consisted of the experienced professional talking a great deal about different kinds of tape while I bit my lip and tried to think of sobering thoughts. With a hot face I imploded with laughter. The more she talked about tape, the less I was able to control myself hiding behind my hands.

Leaving the classroom, I felt embarrassed yet refreshingly unburdened. Later that week, I went out for pizza with my school media friend and another friend from library school. My friend from the class retold the story of the book tape lecture until we were all three hysterical over our pizza.

Now that I am older I have an appreciation for book repair and long for relaxing work with my hands that requires precision.