Confessions of a Job Hunter

Today I realized that it has been almost an entire month since I have posted a blog entry. The likelihood of anyone caring about that is slim, but it makes a huge difference to me: the time I spend putting into my writing is time spent de-stressing, and right now, I'll take as much of that as I can get.

My dilemma recently has been the idea that, as a professional, should I only opt and apply for "professional" library positions? The question arose early last week when I saw a "non-professional" job posting at a nearby library district. The position details are right up my alley, but I was concerned by the "para-professional" label of the job. In this economy, is it reasonable to disregard positions that don't carry the prestige of a "professional" label?

For me, this is an extremely important question. I spent two years earning a Master's degree, and even through school, I worked as a para-pro at a law library (where I have very fortunately been able to work for nearly three years.) This is probably the most professional setting I will ever encounter as far as clientele, as we serve a great number of very important people in the state. Although my job title implies that my job does NOT require a Master's degree, the level of work I perform and the people with whom I work are both extremely professional. It's starting to make me realize that "professional" can be part of a job title, but it can also be a state of mind--and really, it SHOULD be a state of mind, regardless of the job or the benefits or the prestige.

I have to admit: there are more desireable positions than others. My work at the Denver Public Library makes me want to make a professional investment there. At the same time, is it safe to wait for a more ideal position, or is it better to take what you can get, even if it's less than ideal in terms of advancement, compensation, and professional development?

I think any opportunity is a GOOD opportunity in this economy. Professional position or not, there is something to be learned from any job in any setting anywhere. In any case, I am excited to see where all of my most recent interviews will take me. Things may or may not change for me soon, but they will eventually--and I'm anxious to see where I might be able to venture.

summer reading round-up

In the whirlwind of the last several weeks, I haven't had as much time to read for pleasure. Time to change that! Getting a new (second) job, getting engaged, graduating, and going on vacation are not excuses for slacking in the RFP (Reading for Pleasure) department. Here are a few books I'm excited to read this summer!


A conversation about self-help books with a good friend reminded me of this classic from the early 1980s. Love it.



I've only read Amor en el tiempo de Colera in Spanish. My skills aren't up to speed, so I plan to read it in English.




My favorite comedian and writer of all time published this book about her life growing up as a "bossypants."


Inspired by Buddhist teachings, this book identifies all of the characteristics of true love.

this is what I'm talking about

Today while browsing my Twitter feed, I came across this great article about the crucial role of multicultural and multiethnic children's books. It goes a step further by explaining the role of positive artwork in children's picture book art and how children interpret visual material and integrate it into their overall understanding of ethnicity and culture. A very fascinating article indeed, and one that I hope to use in defense of my presentation at REFORMA IV: Juntos in the Mile High City in September!

You see, as some of you know (by "you" I mean the tiny, if not non-existent, number of people who actually pay any attention to this blog), I am trying to write a bilingual children's book. It's really hard. Luckily I know two artists who can hopefully collaborate on illustrations, but I still have A LONG WAY TO GO!

With that in mind, take a look at the article!

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/survey-finds-nearly-80-of-us-adults-believe-multicultural-picture-books-are-important-for-children-but-one-third-say-they-are-hard-to-find-123810464.html

like my blog? you might also like...

Happy Memorial Day! Today is a beautiful day in Denver, and since I don't have much going on at the moment, I thought I'd take a minute to share some other sites & blogs I love. Enjoy! ¡Saludos!

http://imaginenselibros.blogspot.com/
Imagínese Libros--By my favorite researcher, Dr. Jamie Naidoo, Professor @ University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa

http://public.csusm.edu/csb/english/
Barahona Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents

http://libguides.nl.edu/content.php?pid=20562&sid=1723506
National Louis University LibGuide for Latino/Spanish lIterature

http://creativity.denverartmuseum.org/
The Denver Art Museum's FREE lesson planning and image database filled with excellent educational resources for teachers and librarians

http://www.cincopuntos.com/
Cinco Puntos Press: Independent Publisher of Multicultural Children's & YA Literature

http://www.childrensbookpress.org/
Children's Book Press: NONPROFIT Publisher of multi-lingual, multiethnic and multicultural children's and YA Literature

http://reforma.membershipsoftware.org/content.asp?pl=59&sl=9&contentid=87
REFORMA's Children and YA Page

...And, speaking of REFORMA, I am super jealous of anyone attending ALA Annual this year!

today I'm grateful for the process.

Today was my last official day at the Denver Public Library--as an intern, that is. I am excited to begin my on-call library career with Denver Public Library next month! My internship provided me with an excellent introduction to DPL, so I think getting the ball rolling next month will be a breeze.

Today was an amazing day from start to finish. I arrived at the Woodbury early to find the entire staff waiting for me with a card, ice cream cake, an orchid, a potted plant, and Mexican candies! I was so honored to receive their thanks. In all honesty, I owe them everything for giving me such a wonderful experience, and for helping me secure the on-call job: I am indebted to them forever.

The day was busy with Summer of Reading sign-ups, last-day-of-school visits from neighboring elementary schools, and the general busy Friday reference desk schedule. I walked to 32nd and Lowell for a sandwich at bang!, where I enjoyed one of the best sandwiches ever (a BLT, to be exact.) I spent my lunch hour sitting at a table under a tree, writing thank-you cards to Beth and Pilar, my practicum supervisors.

As I sat there, I noticed two women at the neighboring table with Spanish dictionaries and worksheets. I couldn't help but overhear that they were practicing Spanish together. It made me realize that, four years ago, I never would have guessed that my Spanish skills would give me the opportunities that I've had since graduating college. Just as learning a second language has been a journey for me, so has this process of earning a Master's degree--and I am so very grateful for this life; my journey; the process.

I began volunteering at Woodbury in 2008, when I was an eager college graduate wanting to work in libraries, not knowing that, today, three years later, I would finish my graduate school internship at the very same library. I feel truly blessed today, and I dedicate this post to my classmates at the University of Denver, and all of my professional colleagues. The future will be bright for us if we believe in our dreams.

one door closes and many others open...

Tomorrow is the last day of my internship here at Denver Public Library. Although it is bittersweet, this experience has confirmed two things for me personally and professionally: 1) I am dedicated to building my career serving children and young adults in the bilingual English/Spanish area of librarianship, and 2) I really want to follow my dream of writing a bilingual children's book. It has also confirmed for me that I must maintain my relationship with services to Spanish speakers in any future job I am offered, and that the answer for me may be to ultimately earn another Master's in Bilingual/Linguistically Diverse Education or a Ph.D. in Multicultural Education. My internship and this MLIS degree have afforded me the opportunity to gain confidence to pursue my educational and professional goals, and have enriched me personally more than I ever could have dreamed.

That being said, last week was my last craft hour with the kids. I will miss them, but I have been invited back for the fall 2011 semester, so hopefully I will be able to see most of them again! The summer will give me time to develop more pre-planned activities and I also would like to incorporate a literacy componenet so that the kids are being exposed not only to art, but also to excellent bilingual literature.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the year!


Ponchos for Cinco de Mayo...


Fernanda...

art + literacy with bilingual children

One thing seriously lacking in LIS-based research and education, in my opinion, is the examination of quality multicultural and multiethnic children's literature. The education field in general has a good grip on research in this area (publishing research in publications such as Language Arts and the Multicultural Journal ,) but the LIS field is slow to focus on this area of study. It seems counter-intuitive to many children's librarians who often spend at least some time developing their multilingual and multicultural collections, suggesting literature to second-language speaking populations, and developing skills in other languages to effectively serve the needs of minority library users. Why don't more library-related publications publish more on the subject of multicultural children's literature? It has only been since the introduction of the Pura Belpre award that serious attention has been devoted to this subject.

This leads me to introduce one of my favorite articles: Art and Literacy with Bilingual Children by Chris Liska Carger. The article identifies ways in which bilingual and bicultural children identify art and design elements to relate to the literature presented to them, and at the same time, their own personal cultural and linguistic identities. Children learn to embrace their cultural and ethnic background through quality visual and narrative representations of culture.

Check it out:
Carger, C. (2004). Art and Literacy with Bilingual Children. Language Arts, 81(4), 283-292.

The author helpfully identifies excellent examples of bilingual and bicultural children's literature, as well as crafts to compliment each story. I have referenced this article many times over the course of my craft instructorship (yes, it's kind of a big deal ;). Tomorrow night--our last session--will focus on artists of the world and the creation of color--how color is made and can be applied to make a coherent composition.

The books I'll use for the program are...

Paris in the spring with Picasso / by Joan Yolleck ; pictures by Marjorie Priceman

My Papa Diego and Me/Mi papa Diego y yo: Memories of My Father and His Art/Recuerdos de mi padre y su arte

A Bird or 2: A Story About Henri Matisse

My name is Georgia / by Jeanette Winter.

Henri Matisse : drawing with scissors / by Jane O'Connor ; illustrated by Jessie Hartland (I’m not reading this one---just using it as an example for the art project)