Authors and other public figures often have a platform, a value or cause that they raise awareness for in their appearances or work. In my case, I chose libraries as my main platform. It made sense since libraries and librarians have always been a big part of my life. But I got more out of it than I expected.
About five years ago, I saw a young adult author’s tweet saying she joined YALSA. (It’s part of the American Library Association and stands for Young Adult Library Services Association.) I thought that was a great idea, and joined those and the state chapter. Then in 2016, the Alaska Library Association (AkLA) had their annual state conference in Fairbanks. I attended to present with SCBWI-Alaska (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) and work our book table. Several of us had children’s or young adult books for sale, and I thought it would be fun to see what the conference was like.
As I sat at the table and greeted librarians, I felt completely at home. The more I interacted with them, the more convinced I became that I found my people. By the end of the conference, I knew I had to do more than the occasional blog post to promote libraries.
I’ve attended every AkLA conference since then, and helped organize it the year it was held near my home. I’ve met many wonderful people, found leads for my historical research, and learned how to be a better volunteer. Another part of my library life is volunteering in my local library system, leading the teen writing club. It’s an honor and a pleasure to have teens share their writing life with me. My library connections have also led to opportunities; I was asked to moderate when Sherry Thomas came for an author talk. I had a delightful evening, and got to know a great author. That’s a bonus I wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t gone to that library conference.
Over the years, I’ve made friends with librarians and seen many of the great things they do. I am always impressed with how much libraries serve the public and how dedicated they are to their patrons.
Yay, libraries! And thanks to librarians for enriching my life. You’ve given me so much more than I’ve given to you.
Lynn Lovegreen has lived in Alaska for about fifty years. She taught for twenty years before retiring to make more time for writing. She enjoys her friends and family, reading, and volunteering at her local library. Her young adult/new adult historical romances are set in Alaska, a great place for drama, romance, and independent characters. See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest.
6 comments:
Great example of the "What goes around, comes around" philosophy as well as "What we put out into the world, we get back tenfold." Thanks for sharing your platform with us, Lynn.
PS: I'm sure the "Quotes" are slightly paraphrased but true nonetheless.
A great reminder of what our libraries do for the community. And so exciting that you get to work with teen writers. My paternal grandparents and my sister were all librarians. Plus I have two close friends who were librarians. I admire the dedication and skill of those who choose this occupation.
Thanks, Judith and Deb. We are so lucky to have librarians in our communities!
Your post gave me food for thought, Lynn. What a great platform! Libraries, their Librarians (and books) do transform readers and communities.They help us connect with the wider world.
What a wonderful example of karma! I LOVE libraries. Growing up it was a bookmobile from the library that provided me with every book I read, outside of my school textbooks. I've always belonged to a book group as an adult and one of the rules of most of them is that the book must be found in the library or available for free because some people in book group can't afford to buy every book.
These days authors have so many more options to get their books into libraries, particularly with ebook services like Overdrive, Hoopla, Bibliotecha, and others. Prior to libraries taking up ebooks, one could only hope to get their book in a library if it was traditionally published and successful enough to get people's attention.
I applaud your work with young writers. I believe that teens having a venue to express themselves without having to be super social or great speakers is such a gift. Those who write are those who read regularly. Those who read widely have a much better chance of making their way successfully in any career they choose.
Thanks, Sarah and Maggie. Libraries rock! :-)
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