So many books, so little time to read them all
Culver Academies' librarian finds
it difficult to decide what to read.
ANN LEONARD
Tribune Correspondent
Not every librarian gets to plan the move of a 55,000-volume library in a day.
Culver Academies head librarian Joan Bess did just that, back in 1993, with the help of students, faculty, staff and friends, and a great deal of preparation.
Today, Joan supervises her staff from her second-floor office in the magnificent Huffington Library on the Culver campus.
Since her job as a librarian involves selecting books for purchase, she and assistants Vicki Crossley and Blair Clark read a lot of book review journals, like "Choice."
It's difficult for Joan to decide what to read. "I come across so many books that I would like to read but don't have time for," she said."I don't always read the best- sellers, but tend to read those who get outstanding reviews."
One recent read was "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini. "It is so well-written that I felt as though I were there with the characters," she said. "However, it is the same reason I felt rather drained after reading it."
Joan has always loved children's literature.
"Although I do like some of the more recent children's books, I am fascinated with the classics," she said.
"'The Velveteen Rabbit' by Margery Williams is an all-time favorite. I like to give it to parents of new babies."I also love 'The Wind in the Willows' by Kenneth Grahame, 'The Secret Garden' by Frances Hodgson Burnett and 'Charlotte's Web' by E.B. White."
As with so many others, Joan loved reading the Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene and The Bobbsey Twins series by Laura Lee Hope.
On long trips, Joan enjoys listening to audio books.
"Recently, I listened to 'Seventeen Minutes: A Novel' by Jodi Picoult and the 'The Civil War' by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ric Burns and narrated by Ken Burns."
One book she preferred to listen to rather than read was "The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century" by Thomas L. Friedman."The various voices that are part of the book come to life with the narrator's appropriate accents," she said.
David Grossman's "The Yellow Wind" made a deep impression on Joan.
"It was published back in 1987 and is nonfiction that reads as fiction. The author interviewed many ordinary Palestinians and they told Grossman what happened to them -- taken from their homes. The way they tell their stories makes it so real.
"It's a kind of a Studs Terkel book. It is still pertinent today and really makes one aware of the deep issues that are on both sides of the Palestinian/Israeli problems."
Asked about favorite books, Joan mentioned these: "Snow Falling on Cedars" by David Guterson; "Shield of Three Lions: A Novel" by Pamela Kaufman; "Digging to America" by Anne Tyler, and "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston.Her ideal place to read is sitting on the beach listening to the sound of the ocean -- although this rarely happens.
Joan loves libraries, especially the one she works in.
"Someday when I no longer work, I will come and sit in one of the chairs in the library and read for a long period of time," she said. "Aside from sitting on the beach at the ocean, I think it is the ideal location for enjoying a good book."
Joan, born in Burt, Mich., lives in Culver with her husband, Larry Bess, who is retired from the U.S. Army. He serves as assistant director of admissions at the Academies.
Their son, Larry Bess Jr., lives with his wife and three children in Monroe, Mich.Daughter Angie Martin is a nurse and lives in Indianapolis with her husband and baby, and daughter Ginny Munroe lives with her husband in Culver and owns Deadline Driven Publishing.
"My family thinks I am a fanatic about cookbooks because I can look through them for hours," Joan said.
"I even purchased the 'Culver Cook Book' on eBay, which was published by the Culver family for those who bought their Farmers Cooking Stoves. The book is more nostalgic and historical than for current use."
One cookbook she uses, though, is "The Best of Cooking Light" edited by Holley Contri Johnson.
"The recipes are kind of low fat/low sugar, but not that strict and they are really great," she said. "My daughters use the book, too."
Photo provided
Joan Bess, head librarian at Culver Academies' Huffington Library,
can't begin to read all the great books she comes across.
| More Information |
Joan's choices
Favorite authors: Anne Tyler, Toni Morrison, John Steinbeck and
F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Keeping track: "I recently discovered that Google has a site where one can actually keep a personalized list (of books). I am looking into doing that. Another item on my to-do list waiting for me when I retire."
Children's literature: "The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis; classic fairy tales and Beatrix Potter stories.
Teen reading: "The Yellow Wind" by David Grossman; "A Yellow Raft in Blue Water" by Michael Dorris; "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns; "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck; and "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe.
Keeping track: "I recently discovered that Google has a site where one can actually keep a personalized list (of books). I am looking into doing that. Another item on my to-do list waiting for me when I retire."
Children's literature: "The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis; classic fairy tales and Beatrix Potter stories.
Teen reading: "The Yellow Wind" by David Grossman; "A Yellow Raft in Blue Water" by Michael Dorris; "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns; "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck; and "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe.