Cognotes 2018 Midwinter Meeting Denver Highlights - 3

MIDWINTER MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

COGNOTES

DENVER

Libraries Represent Resistance and Regeneration
By Kacee Anderson/Northbrook Elementary

"Books help us make a way when there is
no way." Junot Díaz delivered an animated,
deeply powerful Auditorium Speaker presentation February 11, recounting the influence
of libraries in his own life as well as the role
of libraries in society. "Throughout my childhood, libraries were my one constant. How
could they not be?" Díaz said that no matter
what happened, he never turned away from
libraries.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The
Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao held
nothing back as he recounted how central libraries were to his childhood. As an immigrant
child, Díaz said nothing came close to the utter
desolation felt during the first few months in
America. He gave a nod to his elementary
school librarian for giving him a tour of the
library and making sure he understood that
the library was his. "I'd never seen a non-Bible
book before or a library. To be honest I didn't
even know a library existed. On a cold sunny
February day, a librarian gave me the gift of
libraries."
Díaz spoke on his own depression in high
school causing him to start skipping school.
While cutting school in his neighborhood
was endemic, "My ass cut school so I could
spend time at the library. Who in the world
does that?" Díaz made the four-mile trek to
the Old Bridge Public Library three to five
times per week. He buried his head in the

books, stating that reading was
his Olympic event.
'EACH OF US HAS OUR LIBRARY STORY'
Libraries and librarians know
about crises; it's no surprise that
people turn to them during their
own. Díaz stated that while we
are faced with a nation of exclusion and exclusivity, libraries are
doubling down on inclusivity.
"If it wasn't for librarians and the
fact that so many of us grew up in
libraries and were made by libraries, this shit would be a whole lot
worse." He likened libraries to
symbols of resistance as well as
powerful totems of regeneration.
Díaz received a standing ovation, followed with an enlightening
question-and-answer session. One
librarian recounted her struggles
with young boys getting into fights.
"Hyper-masculinity is alive and
well. It's an acquired culture. We
are addicted to the politics that
destroy us. We have to try; we have
to figure out a way to create a wedge
which we come. At the heart of decolonization to the ocean and never being permitted to put
to destroy it," replied Díaz.
your feet or any part of you near it. I always
is to remember."
Librarians are faced with a wide array of
Díaz' debut children's book, Islandborn, is wanted to be in that water. Islandborn is an
tough issues. "One cannot do any of this due out next month. "Those of us who have attempt to provide that for some readers."
alone. Find a team in your school or commu- been historically excluded from books through
Each of us, he said, has our own library
nity to engage in an issue." In addition, Díaz erasure or non-presence, know the pain of story. "We wouldn't be here if we didn't. Yours
recommended that every year we recognize the that is something we have not accounted for. is not an easy calling." No matter what struggle
history of segregation as it relates to libraries. We've only begun to express that pain." Díaz libraries face, "the work of the library lives on
"Every year, we must remind ourselves from compared the lack of diversity to "living next in the hearts of people like me."

Eggers Steps Forward with Her Right Foot
By Kacee Anderson/Northbrook Elementary

In his latest children's book Her Right
Foot, Eggers investigates a seemingly small
trait of America's most emblematic statue,
the Statue of Liberty. Sandra Farag, youth
material selector at New York Public Libraries and Brooklyn Public libraries, sat down
with Eggers to discuss his latest books and
nonprofit during a February 10 Auditorium
Speaker Series talk.
The seeds for Her Right Foot were planted
when Eggers visited Ellis Island with his family. He was struck by the fact that the statue
of liberty was in mid-stride. Not long after
their visit, anti-immigrant rhetoric come to
the front in the public sphere. Eggers first
wrote an op-ed about the topic, but decided
to aim his book at children. "We need to
remind the youngest readers who we are.
This is a message I hope we can impart to
our younger readers."
Her Right Foot is illustrated by Shawn
Harris, his first picture book. Eggers stressed
that Harris' illustrations elevated every
sentence.
Eggers and Harris are teaming up once
more for a nonfiction children's book, What
Can a Citizen Do. Eggers noticed a lack of
civics knowledge. "People often aren't aware
of what to do to try and make society better,"
Eggers said. "Both books have welcoming
others as a central theme. I'm most proud
as an American of our ability to take in and
lift up the most vulnerable people."
Eggers enjoys writing children books
from a different perspective. He noted that
children's books don't have to stop at 32

Award-winning author Dave Eggers discusses his book Her Right Foot during
his Auditorium Speaker Series presentation February 10.

pages. He strives to find a way to reach reluctant
readers and help them to get through a longer
book and feel a sense of accomplishment.
Eggers' latest work of nonfiction, The Monk
of Mokha, is a true story of a Yemeni American
man who sets off to become a coffee farmer. Eggers and Moktar Alkhanshali worked together
on the project for three years. Eggers believes
Alkhanshali embodies the American dream.
In addition to his writing, David Eggers
started a growing nonprofit movement for
children. After learning of an L.A. County
Library study which noted that 35 - 40 hours
of one-on-one attention can bring kids up to
grade level, Eggers decided to start his own
after-school tutoring center for kids.

Eggers opened 826 Valencia, a writing
and tutoring place for kids. The space was
zoned as retail, so Eggers came up with a creative solution. He opened The Pirate Supply
Store, which sells pirate supplies and accessories, while the writing and tutoring center
is located in the back. 826 Valencia has since
grown to literacy and writing nonprofits
across the country. Each nonprofit has its
own creative storefront, such as The Robot
Supply and Repair in Michigan and The
Superhero Supply Company in Brooklyn.
This series of literacy and writing nonprofits across the country works with kids and
provides them with a method of discovering
their own creative paths.

Closing Session
» from page 1

who "believed in women doing anything. She
was brazen and fearless, so that's the way I was
brought up. I wanted the girl character to be
that way."
Nye insisted that the book be realistic. "The
three things we want for the world are clean
water, reliable and renewably produced electricity, and reliable internet." These are the focus
of the storylines of the first three genius books.
Nye spoke about the absurdity of the flat
earth theory and how people challenge basic
scientific facts. "In the larger sphere, we want
Jack and the Geniuses to push back against the
anti-science movement," Nye said.
While writing the books, Nye set boundaries.
Mone and Nye agreed that the characters could
not violate the laws of physics. One rule Nye
carried over from the science guy show is that
entertainment comes first. But he wants kids to
work to understand the process of science. "When
you learn the process of science, it's empowering.
You grow faster. The risks you take are greater."
Both discussed the importance of libraries
in their own lives and the mission of libraries
today. Nye stated, "When I was growing up,
a librarian helped you learn to think. That
was an important skill and it was empowering. Sometimes grownups are not accurate. I
was really empowered to look things up in the
library." The library is a place to learn critical
thinking skills.
Nye said, "The big skill we need from librarians now, is how to sort out the bad information." He maintained that bad information can
be anywhere: online, published in magazines,
and even in books. Mone added, "It is so much
more challenging now. You have to teach how
to sort through the good and the bad."
» see video on page 12

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