With Labour Day fast approaching the FVRL has continued to assault literacy via the signs it displays to inform patrons of the day[s] libraries will be closed as a result of the holiday.
Closed, as in not open, therefore not operating and thus having NO Hours of Operation.
Furthermore using ‘Labour Day – Hours of Operation’ limits the sign to communicating information only about Labour Day which excludes [or should exclude] Saturday September 5 or Sunday September 6 from the sign.
The popularity of ‘Holiday Hours’ may be in large part due to the fact that its flexibility permits including the information that the Labour Day holiday will not affect Saturdays hours but will result in the libraries being in a state of non-operation on the Sunday as well as Labour Day Monday.
Actually, since the purpose of the signs is to inform patrons of days the library will be closed, rather than open for operation as usual, one could use ‘Hours of Non-operation’ should one distain the use of the more flexible and ubiquitous ‘Holiday Hours’.
It may seem picky but the FVRL claims to champion literacy and championing literacy is more than just encouraging people to read. Language, how you use language to express thoughts or feelings, is also a vital part of being literate. Language gives a depth to the written word, allows the writer to have layers to the ideas and thoughts they are sharing.
One of the earliest memories I have of the difference your reading ability, your command of language, has on what you are reading is ‘The Hardy Boys’. As my reading skills improved I found that in re-reading a Hardy Boys book it was almost as though I was reading a different book – which I was as I, the reader, was different.
Because of my experience with the Hardy Boys, when my nieces and nephews were at the age to begin mastering the art of reading, I searched out copies or the original Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew to gift to them.
Language, grammar, your choice of words, structure all add depth and complexity to the ideas and thoughts you express, that you can express.
If you champion literacy you need to watch you own language, especially the language you use on signs posted for the public.
When the library cannot be bothered to be careful of its language, it is no surprise to find a pickup truck in the library parking lot with a canopy whose rear window bears an indecipherable message.
Something happened that involved being riped. Riped? A vegetable ripens and having ripened it is ripe.
My supposition is that it was meant to be ripped. I base that on the word following ‘riped’ being of; ‘riped of’ or ‘ripped off’?
It seems obvious that something had happened that had upset someone to the point they wrote a message on the rear window of the truck canopy to share the incident with the public.. Unfortunately, substituting ripped off for riped of, it was still not possible to determine what had happened.
I did appreciate the Irony of a truck sitting in the library parking lot with an undecipherable message about being riped of while the door of the library displayed a sign informing the public that the library’s Hours of Operation on BC Day were CLOSED, that the library would ber in a state of non-operation on BC Day.
With literacy champions like the FVRL how long will it be before……..
……. all stores no longer sell bananas but sell long yellow things instead?