Dear Ms. Z: Literature and Lifelong Learning (1 of 2)

Teacher Twinkle Caro, a friend from PBBY and the teaching community sent me this questions a few months back. She was then preparing for a radio interview and I was in Singapore attending a workshop. Much of our conversation happened in Messenger so technology bridged the geographical distance.

How has being literate and being exposed to different forms of literature (books, newspapers, magazines, etc.) helped you in terms of your work and continuous lifelong learning?

This was my reply:

Reading helps me to be kind. When reading fact or fiction, I discover truths not only of my own beliefs but of others too. I realize I am not alone. There is the endless possibility to learn from others in reading.

Going back to our conversation now, I feel, and think, that I have not fully answered her question. There is an aspect of library work or librarianship I wish I had told her. Thanks to blogging, again - another format of technology, I can revisit and continue the process of thinking through such a question that matters to me and to my colleagues.

I will be posting part 2 of my reply to Teacher Twinkle. Continuing on this exercise has relevance in the way we use information and the formats of literature.