Deanna Day, collector of books and professor of education at WSU Vancouver, says children’s books can inspire change in the world
When Deanna Day came to teach in the college of education at WSU Vancouver 15 years ago, she brought 8,000 books with her. She currently owns close to 16,000 children’s books, roughly 12,000 of which are stored on the third floor of the Undergraduate Building and 3,000 of which are in her own dining room. An additional 1,000 or so are kept in two other offices (in addition to her own) on campus.
Day learned to read in the fifth grade. “Typically, kids start learning to read in first grade, second grade, even now in kindergarten,” she explained. It was her difficulty learning to read and the help from her parents that ultimately inspired her to become a teacher.
“It was through children’s books, and that’s why I am such an advocate for children’s literature and young adult literature … that’s how I became a reader and why I love reading, and why I love literacy,” Day said. “And that’s why I then became a professor.”
Day explained, “30 years ago, I walked into a classroom, my very first year of teaching and I had nothing. I knew that if I was going to successfully teach reading and writing to my first graders, I had to start buying books.”
She added how back then, she would waitress and bartend in order to buy books for her classroom. “It started the obsession,” she said. “Probably by the end of the first year I had 500 books and it just has never stopped.”
Now, in her 31st year teaching public education, Day explained, “I teach teachers, how to teach reading.”
Day has taught elementary students, middle school students and one year of high school, but realized she could have a greater impact teaching college students. “I’ll have a class of 30 college students, who are going to be teachers … they’re all going to teach 30 kids each year … See how the impact is a little more?” Day added, “That’s why I did move into higher ed [education]. This is my passion. This is what I was meant to do.”
The College of Education used to be in the Library building, Day explained. “Fortunately, 10 years ago June Canty was our department director and when they were organizing this building [Undergraduate Building], she said ‘Oh Deanna, we’ll have some space for your books’ so they didn’t have to be in a closet anymore.” When the department moved to the Undergraduate Building, Day had nearly 10,000 books.
-Deanna Day
“Reading a real book, a children’s book or young adult book, that’s how we get inspired to change the world.”
According to Day, there has been some negative pushback regarding the amount of space her library requires. “We’re short of space on campus,” she said. “People need offices, grad students need offices and that’s been hard. But I have fought for it because it’s my research line.”
Day uses her books to teach and for her research. She said she usually brings a cart full of her children’s books with her to certain classes, adding that she also hosts library hours before and after her classes for her students to come and check out her books. “Some [students] borrow like crazy and others never even go upstairs and know that I have it,” Day explained.
Day’s research includes discussion based literature circles and reviews. “For the first 10 years I was here [at WSU Vancouver] my research was completely with children’s literature,” Day said. She noted that children’s books regarding social issues are what she is most passionate about.
A member of various committees, Day reviews children’s books and in doing so, receives roughly 3,000 books annually, for free.
“I can’t keep everything!” she said, explaining how she raffles books off to her students and donates to the Human Development preschool and the children’s book room in the library every year.
After pondering for a bit, Day decided that at the moment her favorite book is “Dreamers” by Yuyi (gu-gi) Morales. According to Day, the book is based on the author’s life as an immigrant to the United States. “Her story is beautiful because it talks about how difficult it was to adjust, to learn English, the mistakes she made … It was through children’s books and going to the public library that she [the author] became a reader and writer of English and books changed her life.”
Day said she will always turn to a children’s book to learn something. “Reading a real book, a children’s book or young adult book, that’s how we get inspired to change the world.”