Kimm Walker: In praise of libraries

Libraries are so much more than dusty old book repositories. When I was housebound with my very young children in a remote village, the mobile library was a lifeline to the outside world. The friendly librarian would bring books especially for me and recommend new authors.

We moved to a larger village when my children were still pre-school age and regular visits to the little local library were a highlight in their week. Money is usually tight for young families and ours was no exception. The library meant we could satisfy our children’s voracious appetite for new stories. The holiday story-telling events were much enjoyed by them and the respite appreciated by me. The reading challenges, complete with prizes, encouraged my boys to keep reading, as they grew older and there was more competition for their time. The library system played no small part in helping them both to become university graduates.

I continue to use the libraries in my area for Internet access, which is unreliable where I live, to borrow books and for some of the many other services on offer. I belong to a readers’ group and a writers’ group, both of which meet and are supported by the library. They also hold many and varied events, such as author readings, workshops, a Christmas celebration and take part in the Arts Festivals in the area. They display and promote books and paintings by local people.

In short, libraries are an integral and vital part of our communities. Without them the gulf between rich and poor would be missing important bridges.

Kimm
http://www.kbwalkerwrites.co.uk/

Libraries, Ireland, and the Book of Kells

Hello! I’m LK Hunsaker and like my fellow authors here at Lindsay’s Romantics, I’m a library fanatic. As we’ve already heard inspirational stories and ways to help support your local library, I was trying to think of something different to add to the theme.

The library is indeed a magical place, and I often walked into town as a child to grab the next adventure. When you’re in a very small town in the middle of cornfields, you have two options for adventure (well, two safe and legal options): imagination and books. They work together.

Instead of regaling about my own hometown library, then or now (although I’m so proud of my local library that has just upgraded and spread with the community’s incredible help!), I thought I’d share an adventure in real life that includes both imagination and books: a trip to Dublin my husband and I took in 2008.

I have to say that overall, Dublin was not my favorite tourist spot. It’s very … well, touristy and packed full of university students who don’t exactly represent down-to-earth old-time Ireland. However, it was worth the time there just to find Trinity College’s library.

I wish I could have taken photos of the library itself. It’s not horribly large, but it is two stories and old-time with its dark wooden shelves and railing and flooring. And all of those books! What most people go to see, though, is what Trinity hosts:


The Book of Kells

This is not the actual book. It’s one of the very large posters in the (very crowded) room before you get in to see the book. Completed in 800 AD by Scottish and Irish Monks, The Book of Kells is actually quite small and thick. It holds the texts of the four gospels with gorgeous illustrations. In fact, only two of the pages, handwritten pages, are not illustrated.

The book, and a few other rare old texts, are carefully concealed in glass boxes in one of the library’s rooms where visitors can walk along and marvel at the artistry of the combined words and illustrations, and by how well preserved something so ancient can still be. For a writer-artist, this was an incredible view.

Unfortunately, no photos are allowed. That’s necessary, of course, since flash photography does degrade fragile materials, and the room itself is kept fairly dark for preservation. I may have to break down and order the  CD (or maybe the screensaver since it’s much less expensive!) so I can actually look through the book. As it’s in Latin, I won’t be able to do more with the text than marvel at it, but I guess sometimes that’s good enough.



Libraries do indeed hold treasures. Some of these, if not all, are rare and priceless.

A book need not be over 3,000 years old to be priceless, however. I consider my set of a few old copies of the Hardy Boys series priceless, although I found them rather cheap in an antique shop. There is something about being pulled into a story and characters that can’t replaced by any other feeling in the world. Visit your own library to find out.

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If you would like bookmarks for your local library for any of my books, contact me through http://www.elucidatepublishing.net with the library’s address and a contact name.
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Alas, I didn’t find any leprechauns, unless you count this little guy,  but there’s always next time.

Here’s to your own adventures!

sources:
http://www.tcd.ie/about/trinity/bookofkells/
http://www.thebookofkells.com

~~
LK Hunsaker
~Literary Romance with an Artsy Twist~
http://www.lkhunsaker.com
http://lkhunsaker.blogspot.com
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Being Chatty

In this time of economic uncertainty, public libraries can be a huge boon as a source of entertainment, knowledge and opportunity. One of the problems that libraries face is attracting “customers” – getting people in in order to show that their services are being utilized and funding, scarce in many places, is being put to good use.

When you think of a library you might envision just rows of books – but there is so much more. Several libraries also offer movies, crafts, classes, and book discussion clubs. As authors getting involved with a book discussion group at a local library is also a terrific way to publicize our latest works.

Rousing discussions can be created for each of your books – now – and then marketed to a local library as an author event. Residents are more likely to come to the library to meet a lesser known author when you tempt then with the promise of a lively interactive conversation. Show your local library that you can bring patrons in and they will be more anxious to schedule you for an event.

It’s easy to write up a discussion packet for each of your books, it doesn’t matter if they are fact or fiction. Direct your discussion to the age or interest group that you book is targeted for. Prepare a list of starter questions to get the conversation going – keep in mind that some questions are better suited for those who have already read the book.

Is your book about a subject that is relevant to a current news event or a local cause? How? What information can you offer about that topic? For example, my novel Bartlett’s Rule deals with a rape survivor – part of the discussion packet included dialogue and information from rape support groups.

Discuss the characters. Are they memorable, likeable , or evil? What are their careers, hobbies or special skills? You can offer information about an interesting career as part of your discussion packet. What about the setting of our book? Is it real? Is there any significant history to the location? If the setting is not real, why and how did you create it?

Your questions are merely to jumpstart the discussion - be prepared for readers to come prepared with their own questions and comments which will capture the audience’s interest.

Be sure to advertise the event – capitalize on the subject of your discussion and THEN link it to your book and you. If you wrote your book as an expert voice be sure to announce your qualifications for leading the discussion. Remember to keep the conversation interactive and flexible. Your role is to facilitate the chat, not to control it.

Publicize your book and maybe even sell a few copies - lure patrons into the library and it’s a win-win situation for all.

Happy Chatting!

~Chelle

http://ChelleCordero.com

I Love Libraries

Ever since I’ve been a kid, I’ve loved books. I remember going to the local library and taking out stacks of books. I loved the building, the quiet, and all those books. I would have taken out the entire library, if I could. I still would.

Nothing has changed since that long-ago time. In whatever town I’ve moved to, the first thing I did was get a library card. I’ve read lots of things. I’ve always liked fiction (real life is such a drag), but I read some non-fiction, too, mainly science books. As for the fiction, I read science fiction and fantasy for a while before I turned to romance.

The first romances I read were by Barbara Cartland. I loved her books. She introduced me to historicals, and I found my home in the past. Ms. Cartland wrote in several eras and I loved all her stories, but most of her novels were set in the Regency.

When I finally overdosed on Barbara Cartland (she wrote hundreds of books), I investigated other Regency authors. One of the first I found, and one who remains one of the best, is Mary Balogh. She’s still a superstar. Then there are the other stars--Mary Jo Putney and Loretta Chase.

My tastes have branched out in the past few years. I always read these three authors, but about five years ago, I went on a romance reading binge. I went to the library twice a week. I tried out author after author. Some I liked then and still like, some I’ve tired of.

Libraries are great places to vet romances. Like everyone else, I have limited time and money, and don’t want to waste either on books I don’t like. I just recently bought a loser based on the blurb and interview. Great blurbs and interviews can hide a clunker.

Here’s my system, starting at the bottom:

Level 5--After reading a few pages at the library, I decide the book isn't to my taste and return it to the shelves.
Level 4--These books' back cover blurb and excerpt interest me, so I take them home. But I don't like them and don’t finish them. Back to the library.
Level 3--Books I finished but shouldn't have. I just read one like this. The novel was all right, but I’ll never read another one by that author. New author. Hey, you gotta give 'em a try.
Level 2--I'll read this author again, but only the library copy.
Level 1--How wonderful to find a Level One. With these books, I read a few pages and run to the bookstore to buy my own copy and the author’s backlist. Some Regency finds in this category are Patricia Rice, Anne Gracie and Nicola Cornick. Authors like these are the ones who make me glad I suffered through those clunkers.

Now, when I was living at the library, I didn’t know e-books existed. So how to vet them? My system won’t work with e-books because my library has only a few e-book novels. I’m sorry they don’t have more. There are tons of great books available in e-format only, mine included (Shameless Promotion here).

So, for e-books, I read blurbs and excerpts. But e-books are the future, and when my library catches up, I'll be there online, again finding new authors and books.

Thank you all,
Linda
Enter My World of Historical Hilarity
http://www.lindabanche.com
Picture is the reading room at the Library of Congress from Wikipedia