Librarian DiAnna Diaz
June 27, 2011 4:41 PM
First years' library orientation by Librarian DiAnna Diaz
Considering quite how frequently younger students tended to get lost in the numerous and winding library shelves in the first portion of term, it seemed like a logical idea to arrange an orientation. So instead of attending class following breakfast one morning during the second week of term, the first year students were required to meet in the library, at DiAnna's desk near the entrance from the main school (the entrance to the Aladren commons was also concealed within the library, but that would be one landmark she would keep quiet from the rest of the students).DiAnna herself was waiting to meet the students. Some of them - most notably the Aladrens - had probably seen her around already. Those who hadn't might not be prepared to discover their school librarian was a young woman of twenty-four years, who was perhaps the Muggle fairytale pictoral representation of a witch (minus the warts, of cause). DiAnna's long hair was dyed black, she always wore dark eye make-up, and further whitened her already pale skin. Her wardrobe was composed almost entirely of black, with occasional flashes of purple and red, and was largely made of velvet and lace. Her feet were encased in high-heeled boots, that helped to put her above the height of the younger students (though several of the older kids were still taller).
"Okay, everyone," DiAnna called attention to herself. She'd gotten a lot more confident with addressing large groups of people since she'd accidentally become divinations professor. "For those of you who don't know me, I'm Miss Diaz, the librarian. This morning we're just going to have a look round the library, because it can be quite daunting when you don't know what you're doing. Before we start, you can take out as many books as you like from the library, as long as you're being sensible. They need renewing after a week or they've been charmed to find their way back to the library." how they did this had never been very clear to DiAnna, but they somehow all ended up on her desk without the students' involvement. "Obviously, if you keep having overdue books, you'll be allowed to borrow fewer at one time than someone who returns books promptly, which could get you into trouble at the end of the year when you need to study for exams. That said, you can stay and study in the librry until ten minutes before curfew, and use any of the books without borrowing them. When you want to check a book out, just find me or one of the library monitors." That was something else she needed to explain.
"The library monitors are student volunteers - the sign-up sheet is just over here," she pointed to the noticeboard, "and first years are welcome to sign up, too, as monitors or assistants." That was the basics covered; now for the books. "Okay, so if you could all stay together for the tour, that would be great." Walking round with the first years, DiAnna showed them where they could find all their subject-relevant textbooks and some age-appropriate fiction. She also pointed out the restricted section, and made it very clear that students were not allowed to enter without staff permission. At the end of the tour, she addressed the group once more. "Okay, now you're free to have a look round properly, and if you want to come and check some books out, or if you have any questions, I'll be at my desk."
(OOC: Remember to stick to site rules when you post. You will earn House points for posting here, just as you would in a class.)
Subthreads: Books, lots of books by Jhonice Trevear with Cherry Bosko
*Yawn* Been there, done that. by David Kim [Aladren] with Kitty McLevy, David Kim
Lost in L-Space! Lost in L-Space! by Mellie Goodwin, Pecari with Michael Grosvenor
Disoriented. (Tag Miss Diaz) by Valerie Lennox, Crotalus with Miss Diaz, Renée Errant
Getting oriented by Paul Bennett, Crotalus with Linus Macaulay, Paul
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Librarian DiAnna Diaz
First years' library orientation
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Librarian DiAnna Diaz
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David Kim [Aladren]
June 29, 2011 8:42 PM
*Yawn* Been there, done that. by David Kim [Aladren]
David was not a stupid kid. He coudn't think of any time when he had ever been a stupid kid, and he found the 'library orientation' practically insulting. It was one thing to have required a preliminary tour to get used to the school's layout, but a tour of the library? David had been more than familiar with the Dewey Decimal system by the second grade, and that acclimation hadn't needed instruction either. He very much doubted that the magical folks could think up a system more convoluted or contrived than the DDS. His old librarian had tried to convince him of its efficiency and effectiveness, but David was still skeptical.He frowned and stared at his shoes, the brown leather having been polished the night before. Diaz, looking nothing like a librarian, continued on, pointing out a section she described as restricted; David's interest was forcibly piqued. He tuned out for the remainder of the orientation and instead slowly edged toward the area, not daring to break the rules exactly, but nevertheless curious as to what sort of books teachers would consider dangerous. He could think of no other reason to prevent students from their immediate access. Then again, schools often censored materials that, with a few years' worth of hindsight, just seemed silly. He wondered briefly what the chances were that he might get to see the titles on those books by the year's end.
His frown deepened; slim, he imagined, very slim indeed. Still, David's dark head of hair craned upward slightly, his heels lifting in an attempt to see past the barriers that prevented the books' easy viewing. He must have over-stretched, though, because his feet tipped and he stumbled forward, one hand catching heavily on a shelf and the other grazing the shoulder of a classmate.
"Sorry," he said reflexively, his tone lacking any real sincerity. "Lost my balance."
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David Kim [Aladren]
*Yawn* Been there, done that.
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David Kim [Aladren]
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Kitty McLevy
June 29, 2011 9:06 PM
A lovely maze of books by Kitty McLevy
Libraries were, for reasons unknown, exempt to the directionally inept Kitty. She always felt that it had more to do with the fact that it was books, and subjects, and groupings that made it not so much about direction but about knowing where things are that helped her. She’d already spent a few hours just walking the stacks and getting comfortable in the room. Because of her overly friendly nature and apparent inability to sensor her thoughts many people would think that Kitty was a dull witted girl. In truth she was quite intelligent, and one of the reasons she aggravated people was simply to satisfy her endless curiosity.She’d learned from a very young age that libraries were places that held many answers to the questions that were forever bouncing around in her head. And one of the few times that Kitty was ever really still was when she read. If Kitty wasn’t found outside playing, she could be found inside a library. This was the biggest library she’d ever been in before, Kitty still felt fairly comfortable in it already. She wasn’t bothered by doing an orientation though because then she’d get to know some more of her fellow first years.
A surprised grin lit Kitty’s face when she saw who the librarian was. She’d seen the gothic woman around but she hadn’t thought she was the librarian. It was interesting that the school would hire someone like her, she knew that in the regular world most Goths had a hard time getting jobs like that. She followed along, admiring the woman’s high heeled shoes, and feeling a bit jealous because she would have broken her ankle in about three steps if she’d tried to wear something like that.
Suddenly something brushed against Kitty’s shoulder and she turned to see a familiar face. A large smile lit her features as she recognized one of the people who had been unknowingly helping her find her way. This was one of the boys she preferred following, as he never seemed to lose his way. “No problem, I’m Kitty by the way. Have you ever seen a library this big?” She asked excitedly.
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Kitty McLevy
A lovely maze of books
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Kitty McLevy
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David Kim
July 01, 2011 11:07 PM
It's not a maze when you know the path! by David Kim
David knew who she was: another first year in his house, a girl who went by the name of Kitty instead of Katrina, which seemed like an altogether odd choice to David, but he supposed eccentricities were something expected of those sorted to Aladren. He had somehow managed to not trade any real words with his housemates, beyond that introductory encounter with Preston Stratford during the Welcoming Feast. But he couldn't help but notice that the dark-haired girl often seemed to trip after him. He had no real clues as to why, but had made it a point to not encourage conversation if she tried.He found, though, that he could not quite ignore this direct of a question. "David Kim," he said briefly, a lingering twinge of weariness to his tone. "And yeah, I've been in libraries bigger than this."
It was just a school library after all. Just about every library he had been to in Boston had been larger-- multiple stories even! And once, his father had taken him to Harvard's Law School, and the library there might have housed thousands of books. David was not about to be overly impressed by a slightly larger than normal school library. Even if it did carry the sorts of books he wasn't about to find on Harvard's many campuses.
A moment's curiosity struck him, and he turned slightly to consider his housemate. "You really think this is all that large? Haven't you ever been to city library, or at a university?"
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David Kim
It's not a maze when you know the path!
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David Kim
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Kitty
July 03, 2011 12:20 AM
Or know someone who does by Kitty
“Well, we live in a small valley outside of Reno, Nevada and yeah the school has a library. But, well its way smaller than this. Mom said it would be a waste of time to go all the way into city just to go to the library, so she got me a Nook instead. I can get as many books as I want on it, but it’s not really the same as all this, you know?” Kitty chatted excitedly as she waved at rows upon rows of books. “And that doesn’t even work here.” She pouted, remembering how she’d taken out her Nook the other night and found the screen dark, and not a single plug in to charge it with.“So you’re normal too? What do you think of all this? It’s pretty great, but I feel like I’m behind all the other people who knew about it sense they were born. It doesn’t seem fair that they get a leg up in everything, but I bet that it won’t take too long to catch up.” She said as she peered over at the restricted section that had caught the other Aladren’s attention earlier.
“What do you suppose they have in there? I bet it’s all sorts of black magic type stuff, or maybe books that are cursed.” Kitty stared at the forbidden area, her curiosity like a living thing demanding to know…why, why, why. Why were the books restricted, who decided that the material they contained was too dangerous for open access, who had access, when would she herself have access, what would happen if she tried to gain access before it was permitted.
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Kitty
Or know someone who does
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Kitty
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David Kim
July 11, 2011 7:16 PM
This is also true. by David Kim
David nodded at the mention of a Nook, a slight twinge of envy hidden beneath the gesture. He was lucky to have his laptop at home; his father was a technophobe, believing that the slow but steady digital replacement for the physical was undermining American culture and creating a generation of socially disconnected, instant-gratification-driven mindless drones. Despite the extravagence invested by his parents in David's home and the some-what avant-garde aesthetic employed, the only modern conveniences to be found were in David's room and in the kitchen, where the Kims' housekeeper had firm command and final say in every thing.David had his flat screen, a moderately sized 26 inch, his laptop, and his Xbox. When he had made overtures toward getting a digital reader as well, his father had thrown a fit, launching into a near hour long diatribe against the conspiracy of Amazon and its ilk to destroy the paper commodities. David hadn't asked a second time.
"Yeah, normal. . ." he answered, mouthing the words slowly, once the whirl-wind of rapid-fire questions/statements had finished. "I don't think it's called black magic, though. I overheard some seniors and they referred to it as 'dark' magic." David figured it was a progressive renaming of the term, most likely.
"But what you were saying before that--" David didn't want to lose the thread of thought, Kitty having brought up the very thing that had been pushing at his insecurities since the realization that 'Muggleborn' had certain social connotations depending upon the student spoken to. "-- just because they grew up around it, doesn't mean their magic is any better than ours. In fact, I would be surprised if we're more potent, kind of like an unpolluted source, yeah?"
OOC- Thanks for being patient! I'm back from the business trip!
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David Kim
This is also true.
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David Kim
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Kitty
July 11, 2011 11:45 PM
It’s good to have friends who know the way by Kitty
“But what you were saying before that, Just because they grew up around it, doesn’t mean their magic is any better than ours. In fact, I would be surprised if we’re more potent, kind of like an unpolluted source yeah?” David said. Kitty found it interesting that he didn’t have an accident. She gave a pleased smile at his statement.“True. It could even be like dogs you know? I mean, how many of these magic families could there be? I figure it might be like dog breeds, the more purebred the animal the more problems and the weaker the blood becomes. Unlike mutts, who are usually way more healthy and often more intelligent.” Kitty said with a little giggle. She hadn’t run into any mean magical people yet, in fact everyone had been pretty nice to her. Though they did seem to be rather touchy, kind of prickly people that you had to handle with care or they’d get all riled up.
Even though they’d all been pretty nice, Kitty had noticed that little look they got in their eyes when they figured out she didn’t have a magical background. “Everyone’s been nice to me so far, anyway. So they certainly aren’t all bad.” Kitty decided to add. “Eh, there’s good and bad in every group of people, so just take the good and toss out the bad.” She finished. But his comment did cause her to think about the situation further, and how she might respond if one of the magical students got nasty about it.
OOC - Welcome back, I hope everything went well!
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Kitty
It’s good to have friends who know the way
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Kitty
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David Kim
July 12, 2011 8:51 PM
Just keep turning right. I think. by David Kim
David felt a touch wistful at the ease with which Kitty dismissed his concerns about the Purebloods. Either she had been hugely sheltered all of her life, or she really hadn't met the sorts of people David knew existed in that small town of hers. His experiences in school had taught him differently. The world was full of people who thrived off of making you feel small. For all that his private school had celebrated its high tuition and years of excellence in creating 'the leaders of tomorrow,' it had done a finer job in honing the sharp edges of a generation of bullies and tyrants.He envied Kitty's seemingly matter-of-fact acceptance of this reality. He wasn't nearly so adaptable.
"That's good," he replied slowly, interest turning back toward the Restricted Section and the secrets hidden there. Perhaps there were books about dark magic in there; it would make sense. The school couldn't censor the material entirely, could it? But it could limit who had access, and through that same means, keep tabs on what was being read and by whom. David had a very healthy understanding of the way schools liked to think, and generally they took in loco parentis to mean 'censure and discriminate' when it came to knowledge. "I wonder if there's some other way to see what's in there. . ."
David considered the walls surrounding the Restricted Section. He had heard of hidden passageways, and after all, the entrances to the four houses were secreted away. Perhaps there was one such hidden entrance to the Restricted Section as well. He turned to Kitty. "The Gardens stretch on the other side of that wall, yeah? What are the chances, you think, that there's some other way to get into-" he lowered his voice, a finger pointed discretely toward the room in question, "-there from the Gardens?"
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David Kim
Just keep turning right. I think.
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David Kim
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Kitty
July 12, 2011 11:10 PM
Following the leader, in right turning circles by Kitty
Bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet as David spoke Kitty stared wide eyed at the restricted section. How in the world does he know where the Gardens are from in here? Kitty wondered in amazement. She’d really picked well when she’d decided that David was a great guide, she couldn’t even have pointed out the direction the Gardens were from in the library. They could have been on the far side of the moon, for all Kitty knew.A grin pulled at the small girl’s lips. “Oh my gosh! I bet you’re right. I mean this is a really old place and all, and magic besides. There’s probably a bunch of secret passageways, and hidden paths.” She somehow managed to keep her voice to a soft excited whisper. Bright blue eyes flashed with the promise of adventure as she looked from the restricted section back to David. If anyone could find a hidden passage it would be him.
The restricted section. Who ever thought that putting it somewhere out in the open like that was a good idea might need to have their minds checked. It was practically a sirens call to the curious girl. Putting it right there, and telling her she could not look was rather mean in Kitty’s mind. If they wanted to keep stuff like that they shouldn’t waive it in the students faces if they didn’t expect the kids to try and get into it. Maybe that’s the point! It is restricted, unless you are clever enough or determined enough to find the way in. Kitty thought with delight. “We should see if we can find the back way in."
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Kitty
Following the leader, in right turning circles
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Kitty
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