Betsy Hearne - reviewer, professor emerita of GSLIS at Champaign-Urbana, writer and storyteller extraordinaire - wove a fascinating talk about the history of women librarians as storytellers, storykeepers and unsung she-roes in librarianship. Both erudite and compassionate, Hearne explored the many ways that stories surround the life and work of women. She spoke movingly of the early library school graduates who brought library services and stories out to remote areas of the west; how the collectors of traditional folk and fairy tales used material that had been gathered by and from women but never credited to them; and the great children's librarian storytellers of the 20th century like Shedlock, Sawyer and Baker who were marginalized in the revival of storytelling that took place later in the century. Her thoughtful talk ended on an upbeat note - how children's librarians open the world of storytelling and literature to children and the importance of our mission.
This was an inspiring program co-sponsored by both Wisconsin Women Library Workers and YSS.
Image: 'Candle light' http://www.flickr.com/photos/37989307@N08/3869366195 Found on flickrcc.net
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