Libraries libraries libraries

I have not blogged in forever. I did not get a job this year...but am being kept relatively busy through substitute teaching. I'm getting better at it all the time. I no longer get very nervous about it. What is totally cool is that I am often called or requested to substitute for school librarians. In the past few weeks I have subbed in 6 different school libraries (some more than once). It has been interesting to observe the different moods of the different libraries I have been in. Some are relaxed and low key. Here are some of the things I have observed in those libraries:
-a group of students playing a game of "Jenga"
-students doing research on computers
-teachers stopping by to not only book the library for their classes, but to stop and engage in friendly conversation as well
-students coming up to the desk to find out if the sub can help them find a good article for their research paper (does she know her stuff?....and yes, I could!)
-laughter
-smiles
-joking
-a stash of chocolate
-middle school kids coming up to tell me how great the last book of a series was and how they need to put the next one on reserve.
-students saying, "Awww! Where's Mrs. ________?" (This is good...I'm the sub, but they love their librarian: which says a lot for her)

Sadly, I have been in a couple of libraries that seem to be the opposite. The adults who work there seem a little uptight to say the least. I was told by an aide that I really ought to go over and speak to a group of students who had come into the library to take pictures for a storyboard. Apparently, they were just having too much fun I guess. I noticed that no one seems to come to these libraries very much-teachers or students.

I just hope I never turn into an uptight librarian.