Read All About It!

In my drawer of Things I Love But Can No Longer Carry With Me Each And Every Day Because I Know I Would Forget To Remove Them From My Bag Before Attempting To Board The Airplane (a list which, sadly, seems to grow ever larger) is a Leatherman Juice, the bright red multipurpose tool of a million wondrous uses. It includes a knife, pliers, a wire cutter, four (four!) screwdrivers, a corkscrew, and a bottle opener. Armed with such a device, a vast spectrum of glorious possibilities open up. In its own small fiery red way, it symbolizes the ability to compress all the vital parts and aspects into one compact package. And the reason I mention all this apparently irrelevant product placement is that today was the Leatherman Juice of Open Books days, putting a little part of everything we do into one perfect, colorful, and multifunctional 10-hour period.

Becca, Marilyn, and I started the day at the warehouse with a van full of books. The familiar experience of pulling heavy boxes off the van, loading them onto handcarts and into the freight elevator, and piling them neatly along the wall resulted in the usual joy and glee over wonderful titles, the inevitable spilled boxes as a result of insufficient cart momentum over the lip of the elevator, the traditional jammed fingers, and the treasured moment of hysterical laughter (thanks, in this case, to an unexpected item).

While we were hauling boxes, Erin was presenting the future to students at Lincoln Park HS. Over the course of the morning she spoke to four LPH classes as part Northwestern University alumni group’s career motivation day. Key points: get involved in your community now and don’t wait to start pursuing your dreams. (Do I look like I’m telling it like it is in that picture or what? Heh. – Erin)

Later that day, back in the warm office, we met with partner Karen Thomson from Literature For All Of Us. In her 11 years since founding the organization, Karen has brought reading groups and writing opportunities to over 4,000 teen mothers and other young people in underserved neighborhoods through more than 138 book groups. Talking to her was an inspiration; talking about what we can do together was a thrill. On December 17, we will be honored to host a Hot Chocolate Happy Hour with poetry reading by Literature For All Of Us poets to kick off our fundraising for a new group at Schiller Elementary School.

When Karen left, we raced out to pick up the free pizza generously donated by Pequod’s Pizza, Gino’s East, and Mona Lisa. We got back just in time to set it out for the more than 40 volunteers who came to meet each other and find out about outreach at our second Volunteer Orientation party. Lou Bank from the incredible StoryBus and Principal Sonja James from Schiller joined us to tell everyone about volunteering at their programs; to round out the menu, Erin talked about opportunities with the Neighborhood Writing Alliance and Chicago HOPES. And at the end of the evening, after covering the big signup posters for all four programs, we spilled out to the parking lot to climb all over the StoryBus and take more pictures.

It was a fabulous day full of fantastic people, and it reminded us again why we have not only the best job in the world, but the most fun doing it.

Okay folks….

I might have to just rant a little here.

Again the caveat: We LOVE our donors. We have recently gotten some amazing books from amazing donors, and we thank those people. But, as I have heard from someone wiser than me, “It only takes one bad apple to ruin the whole barrel.”

In this example, it’s not even so much a barrel being “ruined”….we just didn’t even have the words to question, wonder or explain a recent donation.

Yup! We got it. An unopened, factory sealed box of Clear NicoDerm CQ, STEP 2.

So in our heads we are always trying to give people the benefit of the doubt.

“Well maybe it was on the bookshelf…and it fell off into the bag of books being donated to us!”

For most random things we get that could be the case, or if it’s something found inside the book, it most likely was a “bookmark.”

But I must be honest, we are truly stumped on this one. Fortunately none of us in our office needs this item to try and quit smoking, so it will just sit on my desk, untouched as a mysterious reminder that “like a box of chocolates….” and in life, you never know what you’re going to get.

PS. Please do not give us things on purpose that are not books if you haven’t checked with us ahead of time. We are SO down with getting cool stuff.. if it’s cool….that we can use later in the store, or sell, (say it with me) TO SELL! TO RAISE MONEY! TO FUND LITERACY PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN.

The End

Back in October, I wrote a little about the outstanding literacy organizations we’ve met this fall in our quest to learn, grow, and connect with the community. The groups in that post continue to inspire the Open Books team as we work toward a more literate, book-loving Chicago. But it’s been a busy six weeks since that last post! It’s time to recognize several more awesome organizations. So, to the Rochelle Lee Fund, the Neighborhood Writing Alliance and Journal of Ordinary Thought, Urban Initiatives, Open Books Radio, Literacy Works, the Chicago Indie Radio Project, the University Community Service Center at the University of Chicago, and Printers Row Book Fair — thank you for sharing your ideas with Open Books, learning about us, and working hard in our communities!

Thanks also to new four-legged friend Shandy of Sit Stay Read for shaking paws with me and writing about it in her doggie blog.

Guest Post by Janel Possiel,
Mermaid And Volunteer

Once upon a time, not so long ago, there lived a mermaid who loved to spend her time splish-splashin’ in the ocean with kids- teaching and playing on the beaches of California- loving the warmth, sunshine, and company. Then one special day, a kind prince invited her to the big, curious city of Chicago to start a new life with him. Being someone always up for adventure, she decided to give the life on land and the hustle-bustle of a city a try. Deep down she knew that there were kids all around that could use some extra love and light and she hoped that the city could provide new opportunities to frolic and share. She traded some sea shells for a magic spell that transformed her lovely fin into legs and she hopped onto a bus that magically transported her to her prince in the midwest. Her heart fluttered with excitement as she walked through the streets and realized the potential of all that surrounded her. “The possibilities of adventures in a place like this are limitless,” she pondered, smiling to herself.

Now in all lovely tales, there is always some strife and this tale had its fair share. As the days grew colder and darker, her heart slowly sank with loneliness. So new to a big city, she became overcome with a homesickness that she had never felt before. She wanted laughter, friends, connection- an outlet for all the buzzing energy she felt inside. She missed teaching and playing. She missed sharing and caring. She had so much love to give and knew that sulking and fretting was not the way to make a difference at all. She knew there was a way and one night, sitting up on her rooftop, looking out to the sea of lights, she tapped upon the wonders of technology- seeking an outlet- and there her wishes were granted in the form of a colorful, inviting website, “Open-Books.org”. The happy birds in her heart began to sing again. There scrolled on the screen was an invitation to a gathering of bright beings who had time, love and light to share with the community via books and story telling. Now this mermaid loved a good story, helping others, meeting new people, AND the invitation promised pizza — pizza always brought a smile to her face. And so, on November the 14th, she marched right out of her grumpy cloud and headed over to the Open Books office for the Volunteer Party. “Maybe there is a happy ending in store for this tale, at least munch on some good pizza,’ she hoped, her belly grumbling.

As soon as she entered the office, she knew she had stepped through a magic portal — one that BIGGITY-BAM transformed an ‘office’ into a colorful vortex, a welcoming dimension of unlimited potential! Right away she knew that she had found her happy place and not just ‘her’ happy place, but the happiest of happy places: one that is for all who enter!! The Open Books vortex is such a welcoming place- full of laughter, great people, Nora Roberts mad libs, and not just any pizza, ORGANIC pizza from the hip CRUST- yum!! Everyone who entered was greeted with smiles and felt completely embraced as part of the energetic force that is taking over the city, through the wave of love and literacy that Open Books is promoting. Immediately, everyone felt part of a team that is putting out so much great volunteering possibilities and really sharing with the whole greater Chicago area. Abundant books and programs, for both kids and adults, and just a complete open and friendly willingness for new ideas and creative kookiness! Just being in that space, around all the new volunteers, laughing over great snacks, playing games, and hearing what the amazing Open Books team have in mind for the next few months, sharing their enthusiasm about all the projects and opportunities- our once lonely and lost mermaid, finally felt at ‘home’ and amongst ‘friends’…

She returned to her prince that afternoon, sparkling and shining with joy. Gushing with tales of her time at the Open Books cozy kingdom, he was so inspired that he too signed up for the next party!! Open Books is definitely something to get involved in. The whole energy of it is contagious and the mermaid’s heart has felt warm ever since she went to that Volunteer Party.. and for that, she is so grateful and so excited to get involved with the Book Buddy program and all the other activities! “This really is a never-ending story,” she realized, feeling complete.

The moral of the story: Get your book lovin’ booty to Open Books as a volunteer. Have a lot of fun and make a difference! The 53% of Chicago residents with low or limited literacy skills really could use a happy ending- or a NEW BEGINNING!!!

Hello readers of the Open Books Blog!
I am excited to share with you a cool website.

Part pen-pal, part time capsule, and part reflective journal.

http://www.futureme.org/

I think the stark simplicity of this site threw me at first, but then I got over it and REALLY got into it.

You can write yourself letters, and then send them to yourself via email into the future, to be read by a different and more future version of yourself!

Try it. It’s super addicting….and be sure to read the public entries on the site!

Fun.