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Dear ALSC Members, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many of us probably have fond memories of our favorite librarians who helped us choose books to read and use for school-related projects, delighted us with read-alouds and performances during storytime and puppet shows, and enrolled us in fun-themed summer reading programs. I grew up in the 1970s and 1980s in Macon, Georgia, a small town about an hour south of Atlanta. My local library was the Shurling Branch about a mile from my home. Mama took me and my sister, Jada, to the library on numerous occasions and especially made sure to take us when school had ended each year so we could participate in summer reading programs. One of the librarians who stood out to me and my sister was Mrs. Suzy McCullough. We still talk about her to this day, and we are both now in our 50s!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Mrs. McCullough stayed at the Shurling Branch Library for thirty years, and our interactions with her changed as we grew up and became professionals. After leaving Macon to attend the University of Florida, I returned home upon graduation and began teaching K\u20132 students at an elementary school in town. I lived at home with my parents while I taught, so the public library where Mrs. McCullough still worked became the place I went to check out books to support my work in the classroom. Each week, I conducted studies of some of my favorite authors and illustrators (e.g., Floyd Cooper, Eloise Greenfield, Lois Ehlert, Dav Pilkey) and made sure to have at least 10\u201315 books by these individuals each week to display and read from during storytime. Mrs. McCullough and the other librarians at the Shurling Branch helped me obtain books in advance. I would tell them which authors or illustrators I wanted to highlight for the next 2\u20133 weeks, and they would help me round up titles they didn\u2019t have from other branches so I could just make one stop at the Shurling Branch Library to pick them all up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After 5 years of teaching school, I moved away to pursue my PhD at The Ohio State University and later moved to South Carolina to teach at Clemson University, but when I came home for holidays, summer breaks, and weekend visits, I continued going to my local library where I would often touch base with Mrs. McCullough. I began giving her copies of my \u201cMirrors and Windows\u2026\u201d children\u2019s literature newsletter, which she would put out on display for patrons. Mrs. McCullough is now working at another branch in Macon, but I still keep in touch with her through my sister. Several years ago, Jada was studying to take an exam to become a licensed social worker, and Mrs. McCullough helped her locate materials and offered to purchase anything else she might need. In 2017, my sister posted the photo below on Facebook of her and Mrs. McCullough (who is holding one of my newsletters) with this message: \u201cWhen your childhood librarian still orders you books.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n