2019-12-20 SPLAT Curiosity Report: Volume 4, Issue 8

Featured Story

Language Trends

Language trends are not a new trend in society; language has been here for a while. What is trending about language is how it changes. Language is always changing. Just look at all of the new words people are inventing and using that show up in the dictionary each year. So why talk about language and how it changes if it has been going on forever? I want to write about pronouns and how it is a big topic in today’s library life. Specific pronouns “they” and “them” refer to a nonbinary individual. At Libraries Futures Camp, Jenny Liebig from Meridian Public Library and Jax Perez from the Boise Public Library did a session on pronouns and privilege. I recently read the book A Quick and Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns by Archie Bongiovanni and Tristan Jimerson. I have shared this book with my coworkers and had discussions about the patrons we serve. These discussions brought up interesting thoughts when it comes to the patrons we serve. During these discussions, coworkers have brought up that “they” and “them” refers to plural rather than singular, and that it can be confusing to have a conversation when you are talking about one person and the person hearing the conversation is thinking it is a group. Another thought that came out of these discussions were that people are scared that we will be getting rid of he and she and we will only use they and them. There is the fear of messing up when talking to someone and using the incorrect pronouns. We as a staff and the library community have discussed how important it is to understand which pronouns people use to refer to themselves and acknowledge that. As we work these pronouns into everyday language it will begin to feel more natural. Language is always evolving and changing and it is interesting to see this shift first hand. It is interesting to see all trends come in to play and be an observer of them.

– Eric Hovey, Ada Community Libraries

Fail Forward

We’ve all been there. You pour your heart into a program, and no one shows up. You try something new, and you fall on your face. Sound familiar? Fail Forward is the place to share your failures, and give you the opportunity to share what you learned from them. Did you promote your program in a different way after no one showed up? Maybe you took a new approach to the new thing you were excited about? Awesome! Share your story via our online form so others can learn, and realize that failure is often part of the process.

Money is for spending

Having a budget is a good thing. No matter what my budget for the year is I am grateful for it, and I can usually put it to good use. However, sometimes I wait too long in the year to get it spent. When you work in an organization, spending money tends to not be very straightforward, and there have been years when I have missed out on getting a much needed item because I waited too long to start the process. So now I start early in the year evaluating my needs and spending what I have. As a school librarian that means as early in the school year as possible. My advice: be well-versed in the process. How do you find out how much money you have? What paperwork needs to be filed, and who does it go to? What do you need to turn in once you receive the item? You will also want to find out how much time it will take, from requisition to item received. If you need a month then make sure you give yourself plenty of time. Don’t miss out on getting something you truly need because you waited too long to start the process!

– Gretchen Perkins, Caldwell School District

Crush Corner

Is there a library you follow on social media who is always doing new and exciting things? How about a blog you follow that inspires you? What about a new idea, book, or resource that you want to share? Library Crush Corner is a place for those working in Idaho libraries to share what inspires them, and who or what they’re crushing on… in a professional sense. Share your story via our online form so we can publish it in a future issue!

Reading Time with the Queens

I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about a program that I am glad to have in my community. A group of local drag artists contacted our library, Marshall Public Library in Pocatello, about hosting a monthly story time that would promote diversity and inclusion in our community. I love that this story hour not only includes typical story time favorites like reading, music and art, but it also includes a sign language interpreter and stories specifically about loving and respecting all of the people in our community. You can check them out on either Instagram, @ReadingTimeWithTheQueens, or Facebook, facebook.com/ReadingTimeWithThe Queens.

– Jackie Wood, Marshall Public Library

SPLAT explores the ever-evolving library world and supports library folks as they adapt to meet the needs of their communities. Library folk throughout the state of Idaho volunteer to serve on the Special Projects Library Action Team (SPLAT). Learn more about SPLAT at splat.lili.org

SPLAT is brought to you by the Idaho Commission for Libraries and was made possible, in part, by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (LS-00-19-0013-19). The views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.