The Readers and Writers are Coming

The Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival is happening next week, and so begins the take over of our shire with reading and writing addicts.

As a librarian, it's a little bit exciting for me because I will get to rub shoulders with some well-known and not so well-known authors, and share the excitement with fellow readers.

However, I was not always excited about meeting authors.  I thought it would be a bit like meeting your favourite actor and being disappointed because they were nothing like the character you fell in love with in which ever movie or television show they star in.

And sometimes it is like that.  Sometimes it's not really the author you care about.  It's the characters that you fall in love with.

Sometimes meeting the author can be disappointing and leave you wondering how someone like that managed to write characters that you managed to love so much.

And sometimes the opposite happens, and you meet and listen to an author you've never read, and suddenly you need to devour their book(s) as soon as possible and you wonder why you never read them in the first place.

I must say that in the last five years of living here, I have met more authors than ever before.  And I must say that I have not been disappointed with any of them.

However, I do know a number of people who will never come to author events/presentations, even if that author is their favourite author - because they really don't want to know about the author or the process they followed writing their books.  They would be more excited if they could meet a character(s) from the book(s) they love.

So where do you sit dear blog reader?  Are you a meet the author junkie or are you happy just to know the characters?

Blog December Post 26/Blog12DaysXmas Post 2 - Share the Love of Reading

Today's Destiny Card is Love.

Love is a strong word that is sometimes used too much and sometimes used not enough.

There are many things I love but this is not what this post will be about.

On the second day of Christmas.... I learnt about "reader activism" - thanks to a retweet by @flexnib of the following blog post: Rise up, readers

The article talks about "reader activism."  So how can you become a reader activist?  The article suggests the following:

Write reviews on your favourite bookstore websites or those most often visited. On Amazon, for example, this makes a difference in the way a writer's books appear as "recommendeds". Use GoodReads like the passionate publicist you can now be. Let authors know that you are supporting them - as reader activist Peta Kelly does. Send out links to friends, sharing news of book blogs such as this one - or a particular review or article that's inspired you. Send them far and wide. Buy new, not second hand (no royalty for the author). Don't lend too generously; buy books for others - and for yourself. Most of all, value your vital part in any writer's success - or survival. Time matters as much as money. Use social media. Make your views known, and make them count.

I always have good intentions of writing reviews of the books I've read, but then don't follow through - unless I'm doing reviews for Australian Library Journal (I class that as work not leisure).

I do use GoodReads to record what I've read and what I'd like to read, but only rate books using the star method - no reviews.

I try to let the author know that I've enjoyed their books when I can.  And I use social media to spread the word.

However, I rarely buy new because I use the library and when I do buy new, I certainly share or donate to the library.

So based on their suggestions, would you consider yourself a reader activist?

Other suggestions include:
If somebody lends you a copy of a book she loved, buy a copy to give to another friend.
If you can’t afford to buy a new book, borrow it from your library. If a book you want to read is constantly on hold, ask your library to order another copy. Australian authors receive a small annual payment related to the number of copies of their books held in libraries, so every copy does help.
If an author you enjoy asks you to join her email list, don’t hesitate. Email lists are the best way authors have of communicating with their readers and letting them know of events, media interviews and that next book. You can also let your own friends know there’s a new book coming, making yourself look very knowledgeable in the process! 
Attend literary events featuring authors you’ve enjoyed reading. Invite a friend along. Ask the author a question. She won’t bite – she will be relieved that someone has asked a question.
If you’ve just finished a book you loved, let your online community know about it. Sometimes a passing reference in a Facebook post is all it takes to convince a reader to finally buy that book she keeps hearing about.

I particularly like the "attend literary events" suggestion.  I find it interesting that a number of people don't like to meet the author of their favourite books as it may spoil the illusion - like meeting the actor that played your favourite character and they are nothing like them.  And some don't want to know what makes the author ticks - they just like to read.

Do you like meeting authors of your favourite books?

If you are interested in attending a literary event - the Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival is on in March 2013 - I'd love to say hello to my fellow blog readers!!

So in the end this blog post was a bit about love - it is about sharing the love of reading via reader activism!!

Library Day in the Life - Post #4

Again I'm posting a bit late - sorry!!

Due to the flooding, our local steiner school booked the library to be used as makeshift classrooms. So approximately 30 odd (down a bit on yesterdays estimate) students and three teachers entered the library at 9.30am an hour before official opening. I also had to make a quick visit to our "web developer" to obtain an electronic copy of our Council logo to be sent to the company who is making our NYR12 pull up banners.

I got on with the opening duties - running notices, delivering mail, buying the newspaper, returning items and shelving. All I can say is thank goodness I had one of my volunteers with me today to assist with the shelving as it was a constant stream at the circulation desk.

Once the shelving was complete, I got my volunteer to start selecting books for the blind date books we are having during Library Lovers Day and the following weeks. These books are then wrapped in brown paper (with the accession number on the outside) and placed on display for selection from our brave borrowers who have no idea what they are selecting. It was successful last year and we hope again this year.

Some of the steiner students were looking for books on Rome - so I assisted them - and was happy to see their teacher teaching them the ins and outs of searching the catalogue. A few were lazy and went direct to me but the majority did it themselves.

At 12.30pm I closed the library for lunch (as there is only one staff member on and my volunteer finished for the day) and headed to the pool for my lunch time laps. I had to take it easy today due to a calf cramp I suffered on Tuesday seems to have resulted in a slightly pulled muscle - so I only managed 44 laps compared to my 50.

Back from lunch to a crowd of people waiting to get in to the library. Most wanting to use computers or wifi. I went back to returning, shelving and serving at the circulation desk. As I mentioned before - constant stream.

Later in the afternoon one of the organisers of the Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival came by with more programs and another room booking request for the library. The Library will be hosting a number of sessions leading up to and during the festival. I love supporting the festival as it not only means seeing a number of excellent presentations by authors, but many people enter the library who would not necessarily visit otherwise.

I then had a moment to catch up on emails, check some facebook and twitter updates and then it was time for closing. A quick check of the gate count revealed over 350 people passed through the door - no wonder I didn't stop!! It may not be much for a big branch but when there is only one person manning (womanning) the library then it's a big deal.

I packed up the books to take to the branch close to home and locked up. Once at the other branch I exchanged books and took the ones for our branch and headed home.