“Hello, my name is Mrs. Taylor. Grownups may call me Lisa.” A bit lengthy, but that’s how I introduce myself to new groups of kids.
I made a conscious decision when I became a children’s librarian to use “Mrs. Taylor,” rather than the more common, “Miss Lisa,” used by many public librarians. My rationale was this: I will have the same “customers” for many years – at least from birth to well, whatever we eventually decide. I’m not convinced that “Miss Lisa” is something kids will want to call me when they’re ‘tweens, teens and older. Moreover, once in school, they become accustomed to calling people by a title and surname. Mrs. Taylor, I thought, is a name that will work. Perfect!
So, on a recent visit to my local Head Start (where I’ve been visiting regularly for years), how was I greeted?
“Hi Libary!” “Hey! It’s the libarian!” “Miss Lisa’s here!” “It’s the library lady!”
And my personal favorite, “I love you, Miz Tyler.”
In the end, I don’t really care what they call me. I’m just so pleased that they’re glad to see me!
Abby
Yup, I get “Library Lady” pretty often. I also get Miss Amy sometimes (no one seems to be able to remember the name Abby…). And yesterday at an afterschool visit, I was called “Teacher”. I’ll answer to anything, especially when kids are excited about books!