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 12 and a half - Sometimes we cry

I had to share this short post as I'm sure a lot of you have been in this situation before.

Today an elderly gentleman came into the library to purchase honey - we sell pots of local honey in our library.

He was looking a bit more fragile than usual and no smile.

I told him we we were out of honey. He then handed me his wife's library card - I had been wondering where she was as she is usualy with him - and informed me that she had passed away last week.

I imediately came around the desk and gave him a hug and expressed my sympathy through tears.  His wife was such a warm soul and I always enjoyed her visits.

He griped my hand and let me know when the memorial is being held for her.

You see it is not only the books and our library we have a relationship with but our readers as well.

Public Libraries NSW Imagine Conference Part 4

Day 2 started with a bookcamp facilitated by Angela Meyer.  The broad theme was Booking into the future: transforming and supporting storytelling with new media.  Angela asked for some members of the audience to come up and help assist the conversation along it's way so the first part of the conversation focused on the never-ending story engaging readers + the power of story.

How do we get current and future readers into the library?  Some ideas included the Bookstart program (from memory this was where a bag of books and library information is provided to new mothers).  Offer a variety of events to cater for all ages.  Does it matter if the person doesn't enter the library but uses it virtually?  Getting people into the library is getting people using library resources and tools, wherever they are.  Some libraries used local bands to draw the young people in by having Live and Loud sessions.

The conversation then moved on to print vs digital.  Libraries should be role models for using new technologies.  We should offer technology petting zoos.  Library staff should have a wide range of digital skills.  Some libraries use volunteers who are technologically savvy to assist library users to use technology.  Library staff should be open to trying, learning and providing opportunities to our communities.  Some libraries have trouble convincing coucil of the importance in having new technology and being able to access it.  We should not forget our core business but the shelf is now also digital.

Does digital change the way we read?  An e-device makes it easier to read titles that the reader may be embarassed to be seen reading e.g. 50 Shades of Grey.  Reading in the digital world is rewiring our brains to how we read and we do more skimming over text.  eReading great for home library service as you can adjust the text size.  And then there are the digital reading groups like the Twitter reading group.

The topic then moved onto trends and constants.  We do have transient genre and must know what our community wants and will read.  How do we predict a trend?  eBooks make supply of popular books easier.  Libraries need to be aware of male readership and cater to their interests as well as those of others.  We must have a balanced collection.

And finally library users as content creators.  Must have qualitative assessment of what you are getting in content creation from your community.  And how do libraries integrate econtent into their collections?

And once more my blogging has been cut short as I have to go to work - more from day 2 tomorrow.