NLW ’19 | Lanier Theological Library
Starry Night Elf is celebrating American Library Association’s National Library Week ’19 by posting about Fave Libraries.
Today’s featured library is one of my faves – Lanier Theological Library (LTL) of Houston, Texas. LTL was opened to the public nearly a decade ago by Mark Lanier, an American trial lawyer and founder of the Lanier Law Firm. This special collection library possesses an almost overwhelming breadth of books, periodicals, historical documents and artifacts pertaining to Church History, Biblical Studies, Egyptology, and Linguistics (LTL site).
Founder Mark Lanier also hosts free lectures at LTL which are presented by world-renowned theologians and scholars such as Peter Williams, Alister McGrath, NT Wright, and late Judge Antonin Scalia. The depths library patrons can delve while at LTL without going to an academic and/or seminary library is nearly beyond belief. LTL is open to patrons of all ages, scholars, students, or laypersons alike. While LTL is a research library open to all, it does not let its outstanding collection circulate. Nonetheless, LTL has made this information publicly available.
Please stay tuned all week to be introduced, or perhaps, reintroduced to different libraries which hold special spots in our hearts. If you’re on social media, check out these hashtags:
- #NationalLibraryWeek
- #NLW19
- #LibrariesTransform
- #StarryNighElfFaveLibraries
- #StarryNightElf
National Library Week 2019
National Library Week is an annual celebration put on by the American Library Association. Here’s where you can learn about NLW 2019.
Starry Night Elf is joining in the festivities this week with posts featuring libraries which have transformed their communities.
In the meantime, can you think of a library that’s changed you, your neighborhood, your life?
Please stay tuned all week to be introduced, or perhaps, reintroduced to different libraries which hold special spots in our hearts. If you’re on social media, check out these hashtags:
- #NationalLibraryWeek
- #NLW19
- #LibrariesTransform
- #StarryNighElfFaveLibraries
- #StarryNightElf
RAA Childhood Fave Share #13 – Tony AKA spideylibrarian
This is the thirteenth post of Starry Night Elf’s RAA Childhood Fave Share.
Today’s reader is another fellow librarian and writer. Tony AKA
spideylibrarian joined our force at work a few years back and has provided Spidey reference since Day 1. This is from the horse’s mouth so to speak ”
Tony enjoys pop culture and comic books a lot, which has proven surprisingly useful in both his occupation as a Young Adult Services Librarian as well as his unofficial moonlighting as an intellectual freedom fighter. He probably plays more videogames than he reads these days, but he still loves a good graphic novel or young adult novel when he can free up his eyes. He also likes listening to audiobooks, particularly superhero fiction, urban fantasy, and horror.” You can find spideylibrarian online in these spots:
- spideylibrarian on YouTube
- spideylibrarian on Twitch
- spideylibrarian on Instagram
- spideylibrarian on Reddit
It seems rather fitting that his post is the #13 as his childhood memory is of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz (Author) & Stephen Gammell (Illustrator). Tony recalls “this book scared the heck out of [him] as a child, and [he] loved it for it. The accessible prose and nightmarishly surreal artwork of Stephen Gammell guaranteed these books would forever have a place in [his] psyche.”
As for me, StarryNightElf, I remember my classmates and I buying up all of the copies of Scary Stories… at each school book fair. The one story I most clearly recall would be the one about the “cute little chihuahua.” That might explain why I prefer Golden Retrievers and Labradors to smaller pups. Anyway, did you and your classmates crowd around any thrilling volume of this series? Did you get caught up in Scary Stories or any other work from the “Juvenile Horror Genre”?
Stay tuned to Starry Night Elf for my continued look back upon beloved books of readers’ childhoods which will culminate in a video of books many of reader friends and I recalled. Also, please share some of your Childhood Faves! Find Starry Night Elf online by clicking on these links:
RAA Childhood Fave Share #12 – Vernitra Jones
This is the twelvth post of Starry Night Elf’s RAA Childhood Fave Share.
Today’s reader is Vernitra Jones. Vernitra and I wear many of the same hats – writers, book bloggers, and public Adult Services Librarians. We both also have backgrounds in working in Children’s Services. Where I’ve yet to venture in vlogging, Vernitra is a BookTuber and has an amazing Instagram profile. Here’s where you can find her online:
Another thing Vernitra and I have in common is treasured memories of Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. While I got caught up in the red haired Anne Shirley’s Avonlea on the PBS Series, Vernitra was assigned this book by her English Language Arts teacher in fifth grade. At age 10, Vernitra was initially intimidated by the size of Anne of Green Gables. Yet, she was drawn into the narrative within the first few pages. With her pluck and sweetness, Anne had charmed Vernitra with “her pluck and sweetness.” Vernitra was all drawn into the Anne’s “world of rural farm life on Prince Edward Island.” Vernitra truly enjoyed her “first big literary read” and credits Anne of Green Gables with making her into the reader who loves and appreciates good literature.
Did you read any of Anne Shirley’s adventures, her journey going from orphan to beloved daughter? Do you recall any of her fun times with Diana Barry and Gilbert Blythe? I know I did!
Stay tuned to Starry Night Elf for my continued look back upon beloved books of readers’ childhoods. Also, please share some of your Childhood Faves! Find Starry Night Elf online by clicking on these links:
RAA Childhood Fave Share #11 – Mike Guardia
This is the eleventh post of Starry Night Elf’s RAA Childhood Fave Share.
Today’s reader is best-selling author and historian Mike Guardia. Mike has previously presented at the library where I work and many of his books are available for check out in my library. Keep up with the latest on Mike and his books online at:
I was already pleased when Mike was willing to participate in sharing his childhood faves; I was further impressed by the book he remembered – Scary, Scary Halloween, written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Jan Brett. As a boy, Mike especially enjoyed Bunting’s great rhyming scheme which was paired with Brett’s powerful illustrations.
Bunting and Brett were definitely darlings of my days leading Preschool Story Time in my previous job. These picture books were so popular among kids and adults alike and we were lucky when any of them were on the shelf at the library. Do you have any Bunting/Brett faves? What was a staple in your childhood story time days?
Stay tuned to Starry Night Elf for my continued look back upon beloved books of readers’ childhoods. Also, please share some of your Childhood Faves! Find Starry Night Elf online by clicking on these links:
RAA Childhood Fave Share #10 – Aleca
This is the tenth post of Starry Night Elf’s RAA Childhood Fave Share.
Today’s reader is another one of my terrific colleagues, Aleca. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Aleca for years. As she tells it, Aleca’s “a future-librarian library worker who only exists because her librarian parents met in library school!”
Like many readers, Aleca fondly recalls the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling. When Aleca was a third grader, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was released, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the last book, was released when she was a high school senior. Aleca grew up with the Harry Potter Series. Since she likes character driven works, Aleca has always considered the character of Harry Potter himself one of her absolute faves. That’s not the only thing that made her a Potter Head, though. Aleca loves “the magic, Hogwarts itself, the struggle between good and evil,
the power of love and loyalty.” Harry Potter himself, a boy from nothing, fights the good fight, and wins because he’s right.
Anyone else a Potter Head? Can you tell me your school and your patronus? Truth be told, I only learned I was a Hufflepuff Dolphin last summer but Aleca can usually tell what Hogwarts School they’d be in with ease. I must give it to her – Harry Potter has been so absorbed into our culture and it all began with the imaginative approach of a writer!
Stay tuned to Starry Night Elf for my continued look back upon beloved books of readers’ childhoods. Also, please share some of your Childhood Faves! Find Starry Night Elf online by clicking on these links:
RAA Childhood Fave Share #9 – Rosalind C.
This is the ninth post of Starry Night Elf’s RAA Childhood Fave Share.
My reader today is my colleague and librarian extraordinaire Rosalind C. As we’ve lived in the same town and the librarian community here is tightly knit, I’ve known of Rosalind but hadn’t really known her until she began working at my library last year. She’s been an outstanding coworker and is truly sought after by numerous library patrons … in a good, non-creepy way! Rosalind and I are contemporaries and often have memories of the same events.
It’s not surprising that one of Rosalind’s Fave Shares happens to be I also recall – Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry of The Logan Family Saga by Mildred D. Taylor. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is the 1977 Newbery Medal Winner. As Rosalind has described, the rest of The Logan Family Saga is “the 6-part series about a poor Black family trying to survive the Great Depression in the South are just as deserving to be read.” Taylor’s writing was so well done that Rosalind (among other young readers) were fully immersed in the experience of the 1930’s South. Rosalind was able to understand what it was like to walk in her grandparents’ shoes while reading this series. She was further intrigued by “how the relationships between neighbors of different races were forced to change over time due to growing up and societal pressures.”
Have you read anything by Mildred D. Taylor? Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and The Gold Cadillac, a picture book, were definitely resonate with me. Do you remember the first work of historical fiction you read?
Stay tuned to Starry Night Elf for my continued look back upon beloved books of readers’ childhoods. Also, please share some of your Childhood Faves! Find Starry Night Elf online by clicking on these links:
RAA Childhood Fave Share #8 – Janette
Starry Night Elf’s RAA Childhood Fave Share continues today with its eighth post.
Today’s reader is Janette, perhaps the colleague I’ve had the longest. As she says, Janette is the staff Bibliovore at our Library. She consumes books. Like many of us at the library, it’s a good thing Janette works at the Library and use it. Otherwise, she would go broke buying books. Take a look at an interview with her I posted on Jorie’s Reads in 2012 by clicking here.
Janette fondly recalls the Andrew Lang’s Fairy Books. She discovered these in elementary school and has since read all 25 volumes. They introduced her to Fantasy Genre around the world. Published 1989-1913, Andrew Lang’s Fairy Books are now available for download from Gutenberg.org. Click here to discover more!
I certainly enjoyed my share of fairy tales and I adored the feisty Merryweather in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. Lang’s Fairies Books, though, especially enchant me with their Alphonse Mucha-esque artwork. Do you remember reading books featuring fairies as a child?
Stay tuned to Starry Night Elf for my continued look back upon beloved books of readers’ childhoods. Also, please share some of your Childhood Faves! Find Starry Night Elf online by clicking on these links:
RAA Childhood Fave Share #7 – Chris M.
Starry Night Elf’s RAA Childhood Share continues today with its seventh post.
One of the perks of working in the library is having numerous colleagues who like to read. Such is the case with today’s reader – Chris M. As Chris can often be found reading history books, particularly books about World War II. Chris likes to read more about WWII since both of his grandfathers were in the war.
As a young boy, though, Chris truly enjoyed reading The Berenstain Bears books by Stan and Jan Berenstain. Chris thought these rather human-like bears were really funny. Brother and Sister Bear were doing things like Chris would’ve done. Like Brother Bear, Chris had sisters and had to deal with them being pains.
I, too, adored The Berenstain Bears. I liked the animated TV series as well. Do you have a fave Berenstain Bears Book? Fave character(s)? When did you read your first Berenstain Bears?
Stay tuned to Starry Night Elf for my continued look back upon beloved books of readers’ childhoods. Also, please share some of your Childhood Faves! Find Starry Night Elf online by clicking on these links:
RAA Childhood Fave Share #6 – Casey F.
Starry Night Elf’s RAA Childhood Share continues today with its sixth post.
The reader today is Casey F., one of my library colleagues. She’s a few short months away from getting my master’s and becoming a librarian. It will be a bittersweet moment for those of us who work with Casey if/when she leaves us.
One of Casey’s Childhood Fave Shares was a series of books called Abby Hayes Series. Casey said, “Even though I love to read now, when I first started out it was really difficult for me to focus on anything long enough to actually enjoy it.” The book that changed her feelings about reading was Anne Mazer’s
The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes. The book kept her attention and, as she put it, “… some of it was even printed in purple ink which was mind-blowing to me at the time.”
Did you enjoy the Abby Hayes Series as a child? What series could the author(s) not write fast enough to suit you? Better yet – was there a book that ignited your love of reading the way The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes did for Casey?
You can definitely see that Casey enjoys reading these days when you see her Goodreads account!
Tune in tomorrow to Starry Night Elf for my continued look back upon beloved books of readers’ childhoods. Also, please share some of your Childhood Faves! Find Starry Night Elf online by clicking on these links:
RAA CHILDHOOD FAVE SHARE POST #5 – Ryan
Starry Night Elf continues celebrating RAA.
The reader on my fifth edition is Ryan, one of my friends from college. Ryan has long enjoyed reading, particularly nonfiction. Ryan can be found online at Twitter and Instagram.
So, when he told me that one of his childhood faves were Arnold Lobel Frog and Toad stories, I was surprised. Yet, I can hardly blame him because Lobel’s Frog and Toad books capture the greatness of friendship, especially in Frog and Toad Are Friends. This series was the recipient of many awards, Newbery Honor (Frog and Toad Together), a Caldecott Honor (Frog and Toad are Friends), ALA Notable Children’s Book, Fanfare Honor List (The Horn Book), School Library Journal Best Children’s Book, and Library of Congress Children’s Book.
Have you read anything Arnold Lobel? How about books recognizing friendship?
Tune in tomorrow to Starry Night Elf for my continued look back upon beloved books of readers’ childhoods. Also, please share some of your Childhood Faves! Find Starry Night Elf online by clicking on these links: