The little free library doors are open... I've loved reading since I learned how... As a child I often hid under covers at bedtime and read with a flashlight. When a bit older I would ride my bike to the Bookmobile and checkout as many books as I could carry. As an adult I became a school librarian (2nd career)... my 1st career was in photography. The little free library is a very cool way for people to exchange books for free. For more info: https://littlefreelibrary.org/
Our little free library at the shopping centre has closed during the pandemic, I hope it opens again soon. I love reading and have always got a book on the go.
I've never heard of a free library but I love the idea to encourage reading. I'm actually guilty of reading more books on my Kindle now. I used to vow that I wouldn't download books as there's nothing nicer than holding a book and having them on the bookshelves. I suppose it just became more convenient.
Great timing this is wonderful. We have these all over towns and I often stop and look to see if there is anything on my reading list at my fingertips!
@onewing Babs... hope your little library reopens soon... @ our public library they quarantine returned books for one week before check in and return to shelf.
@serendypyty There is absolutely nothing wrong with ebooks... if I am purchasing books this is my first choice. I love the feel and smell of a new book but love the convenience of ebooks.
@marlboromaam Thanks so much Maggie... I’ve seen quite a few of them in Georgia... always a welcome surprise.
@bubblequeen Thanks Melvina... I’ll be honest... while I stop and look at these little libraries and photograph them I have never borrowed a book there... I make heavy use of my nearby public libraries.
@ludwigsdiana Thanks for your kind remarks Diana... I feel the same about your shooting and editing skills. My photo career was in analog days and I spent the majority of that time in professional labs... wish I knew as much about digital editing but I’m learning.
@taffy Thanks Taffy... your comment put a big smile on my face!!!
jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous -- I have been coveting one of these Little Free Libraries! I am in the midst of giving away 15,000 books from my office -- all of them now heading to my home, I already gave away about that many from my husband's office in these past two years, and I have at least that many at home in my home library. So many kids and parents walk past my house on their way to/from the drug store and I always wish I had a Little Free LIbrary. I always give away books on Halloween, and this year I had particular fun talking to all the families from a distance while they perused the selection on the steps outside to select their Treat book. But I'm losing my mind and memory - did I already know you were a school librarian? I know that @allie912 is one . . . and we have little chats about Caldecott and Hans Christian Andersen jury work, etc.
Great photo of the free library. We actually have one in our small community begun by an insurance agent in front of her office.
...so I knew you were a librarian, but photography career? May I ask what you did?
@jyokota Junko...Wow... you have/had quite a huge collection of books... fiction or nonfiction? Were they work related? I’m very curious about a personal/professional? collection of that size. I’m not sure if your knew that I was a school librarian... I retired 6 years ago. So were you a librarian too?
@thewatersphotos I worked for NASA as a still photographer (co-op position) while I completed my BA in photojournalism... I didn’t get a permanent position @ NASA and then I worked in professional photo labs before everything went digital. I did a lot of high tech composites in the darkroom... it was quite intensive and our lab did a lot of work for ad agencies and corporate accounts like Coca Cola. At one point I was laid off due to lack of business and that is when I came up with the idea to pursue a Masters degree to become a school librarian.
@thewatersphotos You are most welcome... it was a lot of fun but when work was good I put in 60-80 hours a week... and when work was slow with changes in the economy my work hours could be cut to 30 hours without any forewarning... it was sort of crazy times then.
Since. you're curious -- I was a classroom teacher and School librarian for the first decade of my career. Then I became a professor of literacy education, focusing on children's literature. I'm very active in ALA and in USBBY/IBBY and do a lot of review work and writing -- six editions of a college textbook, a couple of columns, and various articles. In April this year I decided to photograph my home library but then after a couple of weeks I stopped because it was too challenging -- but I really should recommit and photograph it again. Here's a link: http://365project.org/tags/jy-home-library
And you would have retired the year before this: https://365project.org/jyokota/365/2015-06-29
But if you have been active in ALA perhaps we have passed each other at conferences and such!
@jyokota Thanks for sharing the pictures of your home library... how incredible... looks like an amazing collection and beautiful physical space too. You should definitely get back to photographing it. Junko... you are so accomplished with writing and service to our profession... chairing the Caldecott is no small feat and a huge honor too. It was also a huge amount of work on top of your teaching and writing/publishing work as a literacy professor. In my library career I worked in PreK-12 school libraries... but mostly in high schools and was active in Georgia in many different roles in our AASL affiliate, GLMA. I helped organize and plan our statewide conference and was also an advocate for funding and staffing school libraries in Georgia. In the five years prior to retirement I was involved with the Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers and in my final year on the committee I presented the award to the winners @ the Literature Conference for Children and Young Adults at Kennesaw State University. Now I understand how you have such a huge collection and I am so honored to meet you and share your passion for photography as well. Thanks for sharing all of this with me.
We have these little free libraries here in South Florida as well, but they are all closed and taped off since Covid. I love to read as well. I grew up living just 2 1/2 blocks from a public library. Even as a child, I would walk up to the library, return the stack of books I had checked out and leave for home with a whole new stack.
@kvphoto We've both been very engaged in our shared field -- my husband was also very active in ALA although he was much more active in ILA (he was president). State organizations are the ones that make the most direct impact, and I was active in Texas LIbrary Association when I was a school librarian. I sincerely hope our paths cross "live" some day. Taffy and I visited Daryl in Atlanta and had a very nice visit there. The three of us started 365 at the same time (Taffy and I were already friends and started together but we met Daryl on 365) and we've enjoyed visiting in each other's homes in Chicago as well. But our first meeting was a cabin we rented together in the Smoky Mountains for a photography trip. What a memorable time we had together! I've also met Caterina and Domenico and Francesca and Angelika when in Italy for the Bologna Bookfair. Have you ever attended that fair? It's just been rescheduled for June next year. I hope we figure out how to meet up in person! (as for the Caldecott event photo I shared with you, the three intense days of dress-making had been my all-consuming photography for the days leading up to the event so that's why I ended up posting it. So glad your photo introduced us to our professional connection!
@aikiuser Thanks Jenn... I just spotted a glass one in a very rural location on a very busy highway up in North Georgia. I wish I’d had time to pull over and photograph it... maybe next time I am up that way.
@chejja Thanks Caroline... so glad we share that passion for reading and thanks for taking the time to comment on my photo. I grew up in the Tampa Bay Area out past the airport.
@jyokota I’d love to meet in person some day. I do hope our paths cost. I knew that you and Taffy were friends since I’d seen comments that you had traveled together and it seems like a few moths ago you two both took traveled to and took photos at a nature conservancy. I’ve never attended a large book fair but I’ve heard colleagues talk about the one in NY and that always intrigued me. You are quite the international traveler as well... I just saw a shot that Taffy took in China when y’all were on a trip... stunning photo of a truly a beautiful place. It sounds like you have taken many extraordinary photo excursions and accomplished so much.
November 19th, 2020
Leave a Comment
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.
@milaniet Thanks so much Milanie.
@radiogirl Thanks Kathy... me too!
@serendypyty There is absolutely nothing wrong with ebooks... if I am purchasing books this is my first choice. I love the feel and smell of a new book but love the convenience of ebooks.
@marlboromaam Thanks so much Maggie... I’ve seen quite a few of them in Georgia... always a welcome surprise.
@moviegal1 Thanks Kerri.
@bubblequeen Thanks Melvina... I’ll be honest... while I stop and look at these little libraries and photograph them I have never borrowed a book there... I make heavy use of my nearby public libraries.
@dutchothotmailcom Thanks so much Esther!
@ludwigsdiana Thanks for your kind remarks Diana... I feel the same about your shooting and editing skills. My photo career was in analog days and I spent the majority of that time in professional labs... wish I knew as much about digital editing but I’m learning.
@taffy Thanks Taffy... your comment put a big smile on my face!!!
@monikozi Thanks Moni!
@gapandgain Thank you Van... I should take some my books and donate them.
@momamo Thanks Monique... most appreciated.
@wakelys Oh Susan you are too sweet... thinking of old phone boxes makes me think of the Tardis and Dr. Who... another fave of mine.
@k9photo Thanks Kate!!!
@johnfalconer Thanks John... most appreciated.
...so I knew you were a librarian, but photography career? May I ask what you did?
@pdulis Thanks Peter!
@thewatersphotos I worked for NASA as a still photographer (co-op position) while I completed my BA in photojournalism... I didn’t get a permanent position @ NASA and then I worked in professional photo labs before everything went digital. I did a lot of high tech composites in the darkroom... it was quite intensive and our lab did a lot of work for ad agencies and corporate accounts like Coca Cola. At one point I was laid off due to lack of business and that is when I came up with the idea to pursue a Masters degree to become a school librarian.
@jernst1779 Thanks so much Jean.
@haskar Thanks so much haskar.
And you would have retired the year before this: https://365project.org/jyokota/365/2015-06-29
But if you have been active in ALA perhaps we have passed each other at conferences and such!
@chejja Thanks Caroline... so glad we share that passion for reading and thanks for taking the time to comment on my photo. I grew up in the Tampa Bay Area out past the airport.