“Children’s literature shapes who people become as adults,” says Elena McVicar ’11MA/MS. “I’ve always loved children’s books and found them fascinating.”
After completing an undergraduate degree in English, McVicar knew she wanted to work in the field of children’s literature, but wasn’t interested in teaching. When she learned about the dual degree in Children's Literature (MA) + Library and Information Science (MS) offered at Simmons, she knew it was the program for her.
Now a Youth Collection Development Librarian at the Johnson County Library in Kansas, McVicar uses her expertise in children’s literature — including her previous experience as a youth librarian — to determine materials for youth in all 14 branches of the library. “It’s my dream job,” says McVicar. “I manage procurement, inventory, and weeding. It appeals to all of my interests.”
Her dual degree at Simmons later offered her a unique approach to assessing the 600 books in consideration for the Printz award. “Studying children’s literature, your focus is all about the book,” she says. “But studying library and information science, the focus is: who is this book for? How will this book help my community?”
Mock Printz at the Public Library
McVicar was able to apply her experience in the field as a member of the selection committee for the American Library Association’s 2021 Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature. Though the already-daunting project was further complicated by the pandemic, McVicar found herself uniquely prepared.
“[The Kansas libraries] used to do mock awards — mock Caldecott, Newbery, and Printz. That helped immensely when I served on the actual Printz committee!” she recalls. “The voting process is kind of a math game, so I was prepared for the format. I even had a voting rubric [a scoring guide and assessment tool] ready to go.”
The mock awards included librarians and retired librarians, local authors, and community members with an interest in children’s literature to vote on their favorite book. She notes that people “don’t necessarily know how to talk about books beyond, ‘I really liked it.’ The language we used at Simmons prepared me to pull more words out of people about what they mean.”
The mock awards were a popular project before the pandemic, and McVicar is determined to see it return. “It’s a way to share my love of children’s books, and to show others how you can love these books as literature,” she says.
Selecting the 2021 Printz Award Winner
When it came to the official Printz award process, the pandemic made a huge impact on how the process was done. “Everyone was still learning how to do everything on Zoom,” she notes, “and discussions are different online, which made it really difficult.” The committee meetings, and even the final awards presentation, were held entirely online. For her part, McVicar prefers to read hard copy books, which at least was easier to do from the comfort of her own home.
“I had thought of people on these committees as having specialized training, but that’s not always the case,” she notes. “We had intense discussions about these books, with people from all backgrounds. While it’s good to have a wide perspective, it could be challenging.”
In addition to McVicar, three other committee members were graduates of the Children’s Literature program at Simmons. “We had all had classes with Professor Cathryn Mercier, and we knew there was no room for sentimentality when you are critiquing. Whether you like the book, personally, isn’t the point. We read these for critique, not for enjoyment,” she says.
By the end of the process, each committee member likely had a list of five books they wanted as the winner and honor books. “We all learned very quickly that you can only fight for two of those titles really hard,” she recalls. “It was a really intense game of [choosing] which one to throw your energy behind, and watching everyone else make that decision in real time.”
McVicar and her fellow committee members read hundreds of books within a twelve month span. They ultimately selected Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri as the winner.
“I see the Printz as a great entry point for people who want to be on an awards committee,” says McVicar, who signed up for consideration to serve via a volunteer form on the Printz website. “However, people need to know what they are getting into!”
Reflecting on Her Time at Simmons
McVicar is still in touch with her peers from her time at Simmons, frequently emailing other collection development librarians about how to handle different work situations. The topic of book bans is frequently discussed.
“I love my community, and I love Kansas City! Like many libraries across the nation, we have faced some strong opinions about various items in our collection. We do get challenges occasionally and I use them as an opportunity to reflect on my purchasing practices. I often think of what I learned from Professor Amy Pattee regarding collection development. Johnson County Library also has a very strong collection development policy that is essential to guiding our decisions on the collection,” she says.
Her training is vital for remaining balanced during divisive times. “As someone who purchases books for the libraries, I have a lot of power. I’m cognizant of my position in the community, serving the entire county. There is ‘opinion me’ and ‘job me,’ and I can hold both of those perspectives.” She notes that the dual degree program capstone course, Critical Positionality (CHL 437), was vital in developing this perspective. “This was the only class I took where both the Literature side and the Librarian side were in the same room. We discussed 'positionality' a lot and while initially confusing, I now use what I learned from this term in my job quite frequently. It helped bring both sides together in my mind.”
“I’m so grateful that I went to Simmons for the dual degree,” she says. “There was something special that happened with that class and those people. Moving from Kansas to Boston [for the degree], I learned so much about myself, and the world, and academics.”
Elena McVicar’s Recommended Reading List:
- Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox
- Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox
- Dinosaur Kisses by David Ezra Stein
- The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
- Knight Owl by Christopher Denise
- Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
- Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz
- Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
- Dread Nation by Justina Ireland