The Power of Children's Books, Part 1

How are we doing? I mean, really, how are we doing? Mask mandates are gone, and most of us are going about the library and other indoor spaces without masks. Inflation is the highest it's been in 40 years. There's a war going on between Russia and Ukraine--thousands have died, millions have fled to other countries, and gas prices have gone up. Are we hyperventilating yet?

We have a saying in the library--"sometimes you have to read a children's book." More adult books than not tend to be serious, while a number of teen books are rather depressing. I and my colleagues have discussed this topic on different occasions, and each time we've concluded that if you want to read something more uplifting and feel-good, choose a children's book.

The world in children's literature is not necessarily perfect. Harry Potter lost his parents, lives with an aunt and uncle who mistreat him, and has an evil wizard out to kill him. In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the Pevensie boys and girls must go to the countryside to stay with a professor, a stranger to them, to be safe from London air raids during World War II. Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit confronts various challenges in Middle Earth, including goblins, orcs, and a dragon who mean him harm. And these are just several examples.

Children's books are imaginative and entertaining to be sure. Their characters often face obstacles but overcome them at the end, which is usually happy and satisfying. Most importantly, children's books give us the hope that good will prevail and everything will be alright. They shape our world view and influence the adults we become, but more on that in the next post. Until then, why not re-read one of your favorite childhood books? 

Wishing you happy reading from the perch.

Are We Ready?

We've waited almost 2 years to ditch our masks, to breathe the air freely without any obstructions either indoors or out, but do we really feel ready?

Two years ago today, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 to be a global pandemic, and overnight we had to adjust to a new normal--if we weren't at home we had to wear masks practically everywhere in order to protect ourselves and others from contracting the virus. It was difficult to get used to breathing with something over our faces and dealing with sore ears from mask loops, but get used to masks we did.

Now after 2 years of wearing masks to the store, to work, to the gym, to school, and almost everywhere else, COVID-19 cases have gone down in Washington state to the point at which a mask mandate no longer seems necessary. Will it be odd, though, after the abnormal had become the normal, to go back to being mask-free again?

As the base is following CDC and DoD guidance, most places here (including the library) no longer require masks worn indoors as of March 1. Since then, many of our patrons have been coming in without masks, remarking how strange it feels to not wear a mask or to see the other half of people's faces. Some newer patrons who arrived on base during the pandemic have told me they're now seeing my entire face for the first time.

There are some who continue to wear masks for different reasons, but overall, most people coming into the library are ready to unmask. You can sense that the atmosphere has become a little lighter than before.

Wishing you good health and better times from the perch.