For INFO 5410, I am instructed to respond to a series of prompts regarding my lifelong feelings, interests, and experiences with reading. I am offered a variety of options to submit my reflections, and I choose to submit a blog-style response.
What do you remember about learning to read? How did you feel about books (e.g. intimidated, excited)?
I remember loving the days during Kindergarten and First Grade when we would go through a Hooked-on Phonics set. Being the late 1990s, my family did not have much in the form of entertainment aside from an old computer with dialup and an over-the -air antenna hooked to the family TV, so I would start taking my dad’s finished puzzles from the newspaper and read the comics. This spread to reading the whole sports page, then the whole paper. The only thing intimidating about reading during my primary or secondary schooling is that I would have to complete required reading, which turned it into a chore. As found out much later, I am afflicted with ADHD, and that was a primary contributing factor to some of my grade school outcomes.
What do you remember about reading from your childhood? Was it something pleasurable or was it a chore? How did you discover your next book to read?
Each time I read a book with a purpose, I felt like it was a chore. Most of them time, back then and now, I began by struggling to get through a first chunk, then I would get interested and excited about learning about the story. In childhood, my school district used the AR Program to make us read, so my efforts ebbed and flowed. Reading for AR points is a typical example of what I went through, and still do to an extent, as a reader: it felt like a chore until I become invested in the story. My grandmother read Dr. Seuss books to me when I was little, and I naturally read through my school library’s collection. Between running out of Dr. Seuss books and being tired of getting 0.5 points towards a goal of 12, I moved on to chapter books. I got interested in the Hardy Boys series, read through Nancy Drew even though I wished there were more Hardy Boys books, and then I moved on to the Cam Jansen series.
How did your relationship with reading change as you entered adolescence?
My school district’s middle school consisted of grades 5-8 during my time, and I found a brand-new set of books the first time I went to the library. The Harry Potter books had appealing covers, so I read through all that were available by the end of sixth grade, through the Goblet of Fire. I read through all of the Lord of the Rings books, the Dragonriders of Perth books, and a few others. I did find that when I revisited Harry Potter in 8th grade, I did not have any interest in it, so I gave up and returned Order of the Phoenix.
Do you remember making the transition into reading books written for adults? What sorts of books did you first enjoy? What kinds of books did/do you not like?
During the summer after 8th grade, right before high school, my uncle introduced me to Dune, by Frank Herbert. I rode my bicycle to the public library, used an internet computer to read up about it, then borrowed the book. I was hooked. In high school, I was not subjected to AR anymore, so most of my school-related reading was from assigned books in English and assigned textbook readings. I read through the entire Dune Universe, or what was available at my school library and public library combined, and then I moved on to the Ender’s Game series when by government teacher loaned me a copy of Ender’s Game. For some reason, my grandmother was interested in reading magazines, so I spent a great deal of time reading Popular Science (RIP) and Discovery, as well as her Readers’ Digests.
How has your relationship to reading changed as you move through the stages of adulthood?
I did not do much reading upon graduating high school. I gave a presentation on James A. Michener’s The Source upon the recommendation of my grandmother, and that was the last time I listened to her for suggested titles for assignments or leisure. Most of my undergraduate experience was spent socializing, in lieu of reading. During 2013, I stumbled upon Graham Hancock, and I read some of his works out of an interest in entertainment. This is only the second time I have publicly admitted to reading his works; the first time I admitted to reading Hancock was in my initial interview for a part-time position at Garland County Library. When I started at GCL, I shelved lots of books, and discovered Isaac Asimov, John Scalzi, Tom Clancy, and some nonfiction works like LBJ and Kingfish. I admit my time at GCL has absolutely contributed to my reading interests.
What do you most hope to gain from participating in INFO 5410: Adult Materials and Reading Interests?
I feel like I have a critical gap in my knowledge as Outreach Coordinator for GCL. I am tasked with various aspects of the GCL Bookmobile operations and general outreach efforts, and I do not feel confident in answering RA-style questions. I compensate by talking about what I like, or by looking at a resource like Novelist+ with a patron. I hope this class fills a gap in my knowledge, allows me to provide better customer service, and allows me to have a better impact on GCL’s Books by Mail service and other outreach programming.