Food For Thought...and Action

Food. Food. Food. All kinds of food. We each have our own personal favorites, don’t we? This past fall and winter at our house, my chef-husband kept our bowls brimming with warm comforting soups of all variety and kind. And now, with the arrival of spring and the advent of summer, he will be working his mealtime magic with an unending supply of delicious fresh produce.

Food. It nourishes us, comforts us and often, delights us. Everywhere we turn we encounter food. From advertisements in magazines to recipes on the internet. From the shelves of our refrigerators to the tables at our local farmers' markets. Food is everywhere and that is almost always a very good thing.

However, food is not a good thing when it comes to the library. And sadly, we have recently discovered just how pervasive food problems have become in terms of library materials. During our recent in-house work week, we had to discard hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of children’s books due to food damage of one kind or another. From actual pieces of food and candy stuck on book jackets and DVD discs to nasty food stains smeared across page after page, the effects have been nothing short of catastrophic. And we’re not even through all of the collections yet. Today alone I had to discard thirteen more children’s books due to food related damage and crayon scribblings.

The sad reality is we can’t replace the vast majority of these materials. Many of the books are no longer in print and for those materials that are available for purchase, we simply don’t have the budgetary means to replace them. The average price for a bound children’s book is twenty-two dollars and that price continues to increase every year. The more books and items we have to replace due to damage, the fewer new materials we can purchase for everyone’s enjoyment.

We desperately need YOUR help in taking good care of all library materials. I ask you to please talk with your children about the importance of caring for their library and their materials. This means keeping all foods (and drinks) away from books, DVDs and magazines. It means washing hands before reading a library book or putting a movie into the player. It also means letting us know if you find materials with damage of any kind so we can try and take care of the problem. And we ask that if you damage an item, to please let us know that as well. The only way this can work is for every one of us to take the necessary responsibility for this wonderful library and all of its beautiful materials.

And finally, we always appreciate your donations of new books and DVDs for children and teens. Your financial contributions for the purchase of new materials are also most welcome.

So, I hope I’ve shared some food for both thought and action. Together we can and must do what is necessary to keep your library and its materials attractive, vibrant and valued. Thank you and happy reading (without food, candy or drinks). 

by Children's Librarian Kathleen Ahern

published 5/1/10 in Moscow-Pullman Daily News