A FunnyThing Happened On the Way To My Platform by Lynn Lovegreen

This month our Genre-ista theme is “a funny thing happened on the way to…..” In my case, a funny thing happened on the way to my platform. 

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.

We Still Need Diverse Books

Hi everyone! 

I am YA, and now MG author Barbara Binns , writer of contemporary and realistic fiction for adolescents and teens. My tagline tells you what I am about - Stories of Real Boys Growing Into Real Men - and the people who love them.  My debut middle grade novel, Courage, was recently published by Harper Collins.

I happen to be between conferences right now. I was at the Joint Council of Librarians of Color (JCLC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico last week. Today (Wednesday) I am speaking at the Illinois Library Association conference in Peoria, Il.  In lieu of a new post, I am giving you a post a made during the JCLC conference, as librarians discussed children's books and We Need Diverse Books.  An appropriate topic as I prepare to begin my Diverse Writing class  for next week. So here goes, an overview of the Youth Author Luncheon at the recent JCLC conference.

The Youth Author Lunch on Friday included an opportunity to discuss with a panel of WNDB personnel, Dhonielle Clayton, Lamar Giles, Caroline Richmond, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, and Juleah del Rosario. We had a full house including great conversations at individual tables, a lovely lunch, and a lot of information about changes in diversity in the publishing industry.

The panelists started by going over the history of We Need Diverse Books. The first wave of activity after the birth of the #WNDB hashtag and movement involved publishers looking at authors and illustrators writing outside their lane to provide “fixes for the problem.” Fortunately, most now embrace the #ownvoices movement. In addition, many books written by POC and other #ownvoices are finding spots on bestseller lists. As Lamar Giles notes, that is not because these authors went from bad to good overnight. Its because the authors and books are finally being taken seriously by publishers, and getting the marketing and publicity push behind them to propel them into visibility. Diverse books by diverse authors are no longer being shoved into a pigeon hole to die, quietly and unnoticed. Once these books are discovered by readers and reviewers, the quality that was always there is seen.

We are coming up on the fifth anniversary of the organization. The panelists discussed many of their accomplishments including:

1. Sponsoring numerous diverse interns into large publishing houses. Publishers often hire from pools of unpaid interns, and many authors from marginalized populations found in difficult to afford to take on an unpaid job in the very expensive land of New York. In the last few years, several of the interns subsidized by WNDB have gone on to permanent employment in publishing. 
2. The Walter Awards celebrating diverse books by diverse authors. 
3. Short story anthologies of diverse authors designed to be school-friendly. Each anthology includes a slot reserved for an unpublished author to help undiscovered #ownvoices get a start. 
4. Copies of the anthologies, Walter award winners, and other books are regularly given away to classrooms across the country. And several participants at the luncheon went home with autographed copies of several of the books involved in the giveaway. 
5. Created an Our Story app as an easy-to-use resource for students, teachers, and librarians to help find diverse books of interest. The app includes a quiz readers can take to help the app suggest books for them. That includes so-called reluctant readers who may simply not have found a book that speaks to them…yet. 

During the Q&A period, several questions about the self-publishing surge came up. The panelists felt self-publishing was more a band-aid than a solution to the problem of getting more diverse books published and into libraries. They advocate for actions that will help fix institutional problems, such as the internship program. While self-publishing is now a viable publication path for authors to pursue, it should not absolve publishers from dealing with real issues that remain in the publishing industry.

New releases by the presenters:

Indies & Libraries, Together In Midwinter

Hi everyone! I am YA, and now MG author Barbara Binns , writer of contemporary and realistic fiction for adolescents and teens. My tagline tells you what I am about - Stories of Real Boys Growing Into Real Men - and the people who love them.  My newest book, Courage, is middle grade fiction that will be coming out next summer from Harper Collins.

I spent the weekend at the American Library Association Midwinter conference in Denver, Colorado. I attended the conference as a retired (and current volunteer) library worker. And because, as a writer, I consider librarians a major part of my audience. (I feel the same about RTG readers, so please read all the way to the end for a surprise. Pretty please with sugar on it, as I used to say when I was young.)

Beautiful Downtown Denver

First, let me say, being “Mile High” is a real thing, not to be trifled with. The convention leaders greeted us with instructions on staying hydrated and other survival tips. Literally thousands of librarians crowded the city from all across the country, occupying almost a dozen hotels.

Librarians and vendors.

The exhibit hall was filled with companies that make every type of library tool. And all kinds of publishers. Not just the big five. There were dozens of small presses. And, a surprising number of Indie publishing houses.

It has been two years since I last attended an ALA meeting. I was surprised to see how many booths were manned by either individual Indie authors/publishers, or by groups of indie authors joined together to manage the costs of participating at the conference. I am going to tell you some of the things I saw. This is not an endorsement of any group or service, just my observations about the possibilities for libraries and indie authors.

Images from four different Indie  booths 

A number of companies that provide self-publishing and on-demand services, companies like Ingram, iUniverse, Xlibris had their had booths. Many were collaboration efforts, with books from authors who published using their software. These firms are making a presence to get their users books in front of librarians. 

There was also booth from Indie consortiums, authors who could not afford an independent presence at the conference, but joined together to purchase a booth and get their work in front of the thousands of attendees.

The Indie Press Collective provides a number of services for Indie authors. In addition to showing books at associations like ALA, they have a review service for pre-pub bed Indie Books only, Foreword Reviews  Anyone can ask for a review, you can see more information on the process at - https://www.forewordreviews.com/about/ 

There is no cost for a review. But, since they get thousands of requests, only a small percentage of the authors who want a review actually get included in Foreword Reviews. There are costs associated with post publication reviews, as well as for being included in the books displayed at booths or for advertising in their magazines. 

Even more, the Indie books obtained a time slot on the Book Buzz stage - two to two-thirty on Saturday. The Book Buzz stage is located on the Exhibit floor of every ALA convention. This is the fourth ALA conference I have attended over the years. For the first time I know of, Indie groups had their own time slot on stage, where some of their up-and-coming books were individually highlighted for librarians in attendance.

I want to say again that I am not endorsing any of these groups or efforts. I was simply impressed by the shear number of Indie authors and small presses. Impressed by the fact that they were not only in small, less expensive booths in the back, but also in the larger, decorated booths manned with specialists ready to engage with librarians. I am happy to see the way some authors join consortiums to give themselves a chance to be noticed by librarians.

Only the future will tell how much success individual authors will have breaking into the library market. That includes public libraries, college and reference libraries, and school libraries. That represents thousands of potential sales. I spoke with one woman who was looking at possibilities for her areas "One community, One book" program, and she intends to purchase 3,000 copies of the selected book. Libraries can be a great market for Indies to break into.

---

And now, your surprise. I would love to hear any of your comments, about libraries, Indies...or about my new book - http://www.babinns.com/books/courage/ . I have some Advance Reader Copies of Courage, my Middle Grade debut coming out at the end of July.  I have reserved two for readers of this post. On Feb 28 I will select two commenters to receive copies. Check back at the end of the month to see if you are a winner of a hard copy ARC that will be mailed to you.

While I want to hear comments from everyone, please note that only commenters from the continental US will be included in the raffle. 

A December for Discovery

Hi everyone! I am YA author B A Binns , writer of contemporary and realistic fiction for teens. My tagline tells you what I am about - Stories of Real Boys Growing Into Real Men - and the people who love them. 



Let me begin by giving my personal thanks to people who stopped by my post last month  (http://romancingthegenres.blogspot.com/2015/11/i-need-little-help-this-holiday-season.html ) and left comments filled with ideas of holiday themed books to read. A number of people gave me ideas that have put books on my to-be-read shelf for this month. This includes:

• Maggie Lynch reminded me about the many books Windtree Press puts out. 
• Judith Ashley let me know about her book (Lily) from Windtree Press. 
• Diana McCollum commented about First Love Cookie Club by one of my former writing teachers, Lori Wilde. 
• Mindy Hardwick let me know about her new release, Sweetheart Cottage. 

The last two are both sweet romances, my favorite kind. 

I've always felt that the joy of reading comes when the right reader is connected with the right story at the right time. That includes weary adults like me finding the right holiday fare to lift their spirits, or teens like the ones I write for finding a book that reflects them, their realities, their joys.That's why I write for adolescents and teens who need to have the joy of curling up to a good book. It's why I continue to fight the battle to make my books available to schools and librarians. That's also why I try to get my local library to purchase copies of books I love.

Getting into libraries is always difficult, especially for Independent Authors. While librarians are eager to find books that will resonate with patrons, they want books with quality and appeal, books that won't end up sitting on a shelf instead of being checked out. I know because I deal with librarians all the time. Just two months ago I spoke at the joint Illinois Library Association/Illinois School Library Media Association conference in Peoria, Illinois.  

Indie authors have the ultra-tough job of being discovered. Unlike large publishers who can afford to haunt librarian conferences and inundate librarians with catalogs of their offerings, we Indie Authors fight a lonely battle to be discovered.  It helps to get fans to fans to request that their library buy a specific book because many libraries act on patron requests. They usually assume that if one person asks for it, more will want to read it. If you can get two or three people to ask the odds go up. Even libraries who do not normally buy from Amazon will do so if they want a book and can't find it anywhere else. And many libraries are becoming e-savvy and making agreements with library distributors to allow patrons to borrow books directly from them (which makes at least one reason not to have your book exclusive to Amazon because few libraries use their ebooks)

I know that not every author is interested in having their books in libraries. But it can be a valuable market, something you can go after simply by getting your fans to assist.

Anyway, with my holiday shopping done (Yah!) I'm now going to sit down and relax for the next few weeks with the new books on my to-be-read list. Mostly physical books, I'm still not all that big on eReading yet and still treasure the feel of the paper in my hands.

Ask The Librarian

Even in today's online world, many people consider libraries their primary source of reading material. It's also a place where I continue to find new authors I learn to love so much I buy their backlists and future novels the moment they are released. Physical books, eBooks and audio books can all be obtained from many of the hundred thousand public libraries in the United States, and around the globe. This week, I'm holding a virtual roundtable with librarians serving different types of readers as they discuss their role in getting the right material to the right patron and how they showcase new authors and books.

First - Introductions

Mary Jo  primarily deals with Senior Citizens in her role as the Senior Services supervisor for the Arlington Heights Memorial Library. The library, located in the Chicago suburbs, is one of the highest volume libraries in the country. She leads book discussion groups and deals with homebound customers who can't come into the library but are voracious readers.

Kara works in Adult Services. She received her library degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (my Alma mater!!) in 2006 and has worked in Adult Services at the Plainfield Public Library District for nine years with a special focus on readers’ services and digital books.  Her favorite types of books are anything with graphic violence and hot sex.  Because she loves to read and loves technology, she describes the day the book met the digital reader as "the happiest day in my life."  She is a self-proclaimed “download junkie.”

Debra is an Adult & Teen Services Librarian at the Downers Grove Public Library. She is enthusiastic about connecting individuals with information, and loves finding new ways to inspire patrons of all ages at the library. In her free time, she enjoys marathon training, eating gelato, and nerding out over anime and all things Doctor Who.

Erin is a Children's Librarian and School Liaison at the Downers Grove Public Library. She loves talking books and being able to connect kids of all ages with the books they love. Her formative years were spent checking out as many books from the public library as she could carry. Now she's grateful for ebooks and bigger 

Question 1: Do you introduce patrons to authors who are new to them?

Mary Jo: When customers come into the library we try to ask if we can help them find something. Instead of just saying, here’s the hot book, we probe first to get to know the customer. We create reading profiles for our homebound customers to use to provide suggestions for them based on current favorite authors and their different backgrounds. I believe libraries should focus on reader advisory, an area we can’t be matched by an algorithm. Amazon may tell what other readers think about a book and give some recommendations based on what others read.  We fine-tune recommendations to individual readers. Yes, many eBooks are inexpensive, but you can waste time and money buying books with a fantastic blurb that fails to deliver. It's nice to have a person who actually knows you to provide a more nuanced recommendation. 

Kara: Some readers are set on specific authors. Others might be more open to suggestions and recommendations. When the opportunity presents itself, staff take advantage  by offering to take readers in new directions.

Debra: Our patrons are amazing readers with their fingers on the pulse of the literary world. They stay up to date with the latest releases and popular authors. To provide recommendations they haven’t already read, suggesting new authors is a must! We do this in many ways: through displays, book talks, discussion groups, booklists, Goodreads, recommendations via our staff blog, through Book Genie (http://dglibrary.org/genie), and in person. We always have a staff member roving throughout the library, approaching patrons of all ages who are browsing in the stacks. This creates opportunities for conversations about books and authors and has become the perfect venue for suggesting new reading material. 

Erin: When the book someone wants isn’t on the shelf, or when a patron is just looking for a good read; that's the perfect time to point out something new: either a brand new author with a book released last week, a classical author who has been around for years and years, or someone in between.

Question 2: Where do you see libraries fitting in with leisure reading (fiction) versus non-fiction, research, studying, etc. 

Mary Jo: Leisure reading is not just about fiction. About 15% of my readership exclusively read non-fiction and biographies. Many more intermix non-fiction with fiction when they read for leisure, especially non-fiction that reads like fiction.

Kara: I hope the public sees the Library as their resource for all of those things. We have had access to eBooks since 2006 and it is still surprises me when patrons say "I didn't know we could get eBooks from the Library," despite the amount of marketing we do. It would be great if libraries could have the same recognition retailers have, like Amazon.

Debra: Our community sees the library as a venue for leisure reading as well as a source for academic pursuits. In addition to providing reading materials across a variety of formats (print, audio, ebooks, etc.), we promote reading for pleasure. Our Book Genie service is a fun way for us to share reading suggestions on our website and encourage patrons to reach out to us for more ideas. We are currently working on some exciting new projects to highlight and share librarians’ individual reading, watching and listening suggestions!

Erin: We fit in everywhere! If we don’t have what you’re looking for, we want patrons to tell us. Chances are we can either find what you seek, or we can suggest something that will be similar. 

Question 3: What would you like to see in books that you don't see now?

Mary Jo: As a person who serves many patrons who love mysteries, I would like to see more American mysteries that are compelling and non-formulaic. I would also like to see more popular fiction available in large print. Not everyone wants an eBook as the sole solution to vision problems. Readers often want to hold a physical book in their hands. Publishers should consider putting out large print versions of backlists, especially with a series. Customer get turned off when only some volumes in a series are available to them.

Kara: Quicker and easier accessibility, especially to eBooks. Publishers still don't sell all their content to us like they to do consumers, and patrons still have to jump through several hoops to access content (Overdrive or Adobe accounts and apps, check out length restrictions, etc.)

Debra: There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to this question, since each individual reader is looking for something different. It’s our job to get the right book into the right hands. That’s why it’s so vital that we provide variety in our collections and reflect the diversity of the population that we serve.

Erin: I want more novels, specifically young adult novels, that show girls working together to achieve something that doesn’t have anything to do with a love interest. There’s been a recent push for stronger female characters, which is awesome! Now let’s get those strong female characters some friends.

Question 4. Are library patrons embracing digital books? Any insights on why or why not?

Mary Jo: Technology levels vary. People can learn technology at almost any age if they are sufficiently motivated. But some applications need to be simpler, and that includes everything from Overdrive to the Amazon app. Yes, even Amazon confuses some users, especially once something goes wrong.

Kara: It is hard to say since I don't think kids who use our eContent are coming to the desk and asking for assistance, whereas we receive many inquiries from adult patrons on how to use our eBooks, etc. Circulation of young adult and juvenile eBooks/eAudio in our Overdrive platform has increased by 23 percent in the last fiscal year. However, there is no way to know if this is actually kids reading the kids content, or adults. There is a lot of crossover of young adult novels that appeal to adults (Hunger Games, Divergent, Twilight, etc.).

Debra: Definitely! Our partnership with the school district was rolled out recently, but already, our checkouts in 3M eBook libraries have increased dramatically over just a few months span. In April, over half of our checkouts in 3M came from school students.  I’m very excited to see this partnership being utilized.

Erin: Our kids seem to like having ebooks, but they are also very much still about the physical book.  Our school district participates with two ebook distributors, and we at the public library have an additional one outside of our consortium, so there’s a lot of opportunity for the kids to have access to ebooks. But kids like having the physical book and they ask for that first.

Question 5: What do you see as the positive and/or negative impact of digital books on reading?

Mary Jo: I like eReading. Affordable, portable, and I can make notes and highlight areas without having to ruin the book. This feature is especially helpful for book discussion groups. But I view the trend of digital only releases as a problem. A preponderance of customers still want to hold a physical book, at least some of the time. Also, eReading, especially during the evenings, can interfere with sleep. I would like to see more on-demand printing, possibly via Espresso Book Machines or some related avenue. Unfortunately, sometimes publishers/authors make a judgment call and limit the available formats. That limits readership and crossover appeal.

Kara: I don't see any negatives. Research suggests that people retain better from print material, but I don't really buy into that. The fact that patrons are reading period is what is important. The vehicle they use shouldn't matter. Personally, I prefer reading on an eReader. It is easy to hold and I like the portability component. However, when I am preparing for my monthly book discussion group, I prefer to read those titles in print, as it is easier for me to stop to take notes and reference specific pages.

Debra: I am excited for the possibilities that digital books bring. Our library has partnered with our local elementary school district to link together our 3M ebook libraries. Every child in the district will now be able to check out our ebooks through their school, even if they don’t have a public library card with us. This has removed a significant barrier to access. With the district’s adoption of a 1:1 iPad initiative, students will be able to read anywhere on their devices.

Erin: Part of my job is to connect children with the books that they want to read. If that means they’re reading a digital book and that’s the format that they prefer, that’s okay with me. I don’t think every book translates well to the digital format just yet. This isn’t a negative so much as it’s a comment. I’m thinking specifically graphic novels, picture books, really image heavy books.

Question 6. What do you see as key in creating young readers who become lifelong readers?

Mary Jo: You have to be non-judgmental about what people are reading. You can’t get someone to become an avid reader because they need to read. But if there is a story that sufficiently interests them, they will learn to push themselves, become better readers, and keep on reading.

Erin: Start early and often! Read to children, bring them to places where there are books! Make reading fun for children--if you make it a punishment that’s how they’re going to few it. Kids are so perceptive, and they need to see the adults in their lives reading. Let kids read what they’re interested in. Don’t worry so much about what they ‘should’ be reading (school assignments are a little bit different, of course) and instead, celebrate what they do want to read. Maybe this means being creative--maybe your child doesn’t take to fiction, maybe he or she prefers listening to audiobooks, maybe your child loves graphic novels. That’s okay!

Question 7. Are you concerned about making your collection more diverse in terms of character race, sexual orientation, religion, physical and/or mental disabilities and other factors? 

Debra: Having a collection that reflects all viewpoints and experiences is a priority for us. Public libraries generally have a mission to focus first on fulfilling the needs and wants of their local community. Beyond that, they also have the opportunity to widen readers’ perspectives and broaden their horizons to cultures beyond the local community.

Erin: Yes. The best thing I heard while taking a graduate class on library materials for children for my MLIS was that your collection should be both a window and a mirror. Children should be able to see themselves in the materials in your collection, and they should also be able to look out and experience something different. I’m also super inspired by the folks over at We Need Diverse Books.

Question 8. Who do you purchase material from?

Mary Jo: Primarily Baker and Taylor. For Large Print books we use Thorndike.

Kara: Print books: Baker & Taylor. They don't always seem to carry every title our patrons demand, so occasionally we turn to Amazon. Some recent examples include The Commons: Book 1: The Journeyman by Michael Alan Peck. This is a self-published book and the next winner of the Soon To Be Famous Illinois Author project. We are adding a copy to support this project. Another example is Barefoot in Lace by Roxanne St. Clair. She is a popular romance author and we have a number of her books we were able to purchase from BT, but this particular title was not available from them so we had to order from Amazon.

We obtain audiobooks directly from the publisher  (i.e. Books on Tape, Recorded Books, Blackstone, Tantor, Brilliance Audio). eBooks & eAudiobooks: Baker & Taylor TS360, Overdrive Marketplace, and Recorded Books

Debra: We purchase the bulk of our print materials through Baker and Taylor. Our audiobooks are typically purchased through Midwest Tapes. We also provide digital materials through 3M, Overdrive, Zinio and Hoopla. If items are unavailable through our main vendors, we will purchase from outside sources.

Erin: We use a combination of book vendors who come to the library and a distributor who we place orders through after we’ve read reviews on books. The vendors often have materials that the distributor doesn’t have, especially when it comes to books featuring television and movie characters, so we like to have both options.  

Question 9. How much of the book buying decision is based on patron request?

Mary Jo: Patron interest in a more generic sense, yes. We will entertain requests, and if it fits into general interest, we buy. My job includes augmenting things when Collection Management does not purchase something my audience wants. We stock the kinds of things our patrons like and ask for.

Kara: We still read reviews and make purchase decisions proactively. For anything not purchased by selectors, we have separate monies designated for purchase on demand (POD) where we will purchase patron requests that fit within our collection policy. Additionally, we use POD funds to purchase materials we are unable to obtain via InterLibrary Loan. 

Debra: We always encourage patrons to suggest titles; our goal is to provide the community with the materials they want! If we don’t have a title that someone is looking for, we’ll do our best to obtain it, whether it’s by borrowing it from another library or by purchasing the item for our own collection. Patron requests are taken seriously.

Erin: It’s hard to give a percentage! If a patron requests a certain book, or subject, we try to accommodate because it’s important to have a collection that patrons will use. But there are sometimes extenuating factors--if the book is out of print, for example, that don’t always make that feasible. Still, we try!

Sounds like you rely on reviews heavily. Could you tell us some of the review sources your library uses to determine which books to purchase?

Mary Jo: I look at Indie Next (Independent Booksellers picks), Bookpages. I also look at ARCs and preview copies. I'm constantly looking for books that are not on the bestseller lists, the gems no one has heard of. The fact that a book has not won any awards does not mean its not a fantastic book. I try to find the unknown but fantastic books for my book groups.

Kara: Our sources include Booklist, Kirkus, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, NYT.
Debra: For print materials we primarily use Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Baker and Taylor Forecast, Ingram Advance. A staff member also forwards Blueink's monthly newsletter to our department. I personally also always look at other lists and sources like LibraryReads, the Indie Next List, Amazon's Best Books of the Month, NYT bestseller lists, and blogs like EarlyWord.

Erin: Here in the Children's Department we use School Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, and the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books.

Bonus question:
Sometimes there are challenges to having certain books on the shelves. In my library, various books, from Fifty Shades to Captain Underpants have faced requests to remove them from the library. Could you tell us if your library has a procedure for handling challenges to their material?

Kara: Procedure is as follows:

RECONSIDERATION OF MATERIALS
The District believes that people have the right to decide for themselves what is appropriate reading material. Responsibility for the material chosen by children rests with their parents or legal guardians. A patron finding material objectionable may request that the item be reconsidered.
 

A. Request for review of any material in the collection shall be made by submitting a Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials form to the Library Director.

B. The request form must be filled in completely.

C. The complainant must be a resident of the Library District.

D. The Library Director shall act upon the complaint by establishing a staff committee to review the material and render a decision. The decision shall be forwarded to the complainant in written form. A copy of the written decision together with a copy of the complaint shall be given to the Board of Trustees of the Plainfield Public Library District.

Overheard on . . . Romancing the Genres

“What do you write?”
“Contemporary Womens Fiction with strong Romantic and Comedic Elements.”
<pause>
“So, Romance then?”

There are practically as many subgenres in Contemporary Romance as there are contemporary stories written. I have always found it difficult to tell people what I write. For the longest time my answer was Contemporary Romance. Then, at a workshop one time, I learned that my stories fit better into the Genre of Women’s Fiction.

Better… but not perfectly. My writing is a mixture of many different subgenres. Publishers aren’t thrilled by this. They like to know exactly how to market a book, where to sell it and where to shelve it.

From an early age readers are taught to look for books in narrow fields:  Fiction/nonfiction, Fantasy/history/speculative/comedy, etc. (For a thorough list of genres linkhere to Wikipedia )

Do you remember the Dewey Decimal System and the card catalogs? Well nowadays kids use a computer program very like Goodreads to find books. It allows them to search by grade or reading level. They can ‘like’ a book and find others like it. They can even recommend favorite books to their friends (within a closed school system for safety!)

Helping children use this system I discovered something interesting. Since these computer generated searches are based on user preference rather than pre-determined categories, diverse genres appear for a similar topic. For example, search on ‘lion’ and you might get poems about lions, non-fiction books about them, or a myth with a lion in it. While each clearly says what category it falls into, no longer are we locked into seeing topics in only one light.

What does this mean as readers and writers? Because of Goodreads and systems like the above we can begin to use a new language to describe books and our writing.

In April Romancing the Genres gets to spotlight some wonderful Contemporary Authors. I’m sure each of them, like myself, has a different take on this wide genre. So instead of asking them about what they write, ask them what their readers like about their books. You may find your own new way of categorizing your favorite reads.

Many Happy Journeys Inspired by Love -
Deanne
www.deannewilsted.com

Need New Romance? Ask A Librarian!

Librarians are quiet heroes and heroines. They don't wear dashing capes or dive off of tall buildings (although they may dart between the stacks to help someone). And they usually don't make the headlines.
No, these unassuming heroines quietly work in their hushed environs ...

Okay, let's just stop right here!

Today's librarians are NOT just within the walls of their local library. Nope, they get around.

For you? That means you can use their super talents everywhere, to help you find your next great romance.

Example: Library Journal, one of the premier book review tools for librarians AND readers everywhere. Now online!
A quick Google search will bring you ...

Print Book Reviews  http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2013/08/books/genre-fiction/romance/romance-reviews-august-2013/

AND Ebook Reviews
 http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2013/08/books/genre-fiction/romance/xpress-reviews-e-originals-first-look-at-new-books-august-2-2013/

Yes, each month this prestigious journal features Romance Book Reviews. A great place to find the best new books of the month. These reviewers have been kind enough to give my Hawaiian Heroes their stamp of approval--a pat on the back this author will always remember.

Your local public library is also a great place to find new romance. Most public libraries have a dedicated romance section. Those that don't, probably have romance shelved with general fiction. But you can still search romance -- and you don't have to be in the library. Library catalogs are now are online, just like their journals. You can look for the latest books by a favorite author or the newest romance by subject.

And then ... you can reserve a copy without ever setting foot in the library. Some of the big libraries will even mail you the book, although budget cuts have made this less likely. But they'll let you know when it's available, and that's all part of their free service.

If you do visit your library, you'll probably be pleasantly surprised to find a friendly staff who are tickled to share their favorite new reads. Gone are the old days of the 'shushing' librarian with the frown. These days it's all about public service--with a smile and some help with technology if you need it.

Also, the big book sales sites like Amazon, BN.com and Kobo are organized much like libraries, with subject categories for romance and the genres within. And you can use them in your library search. Say you want to read the latest book by Cathryn Cade, but you've spent your book budget for the month. Look up her latest book in print, which on Amazon you'll find is Orion Rising.

Take this title to your public library, and request a copy of the book. Hmmm, they don't have it? How about this--did you know that if 2-3 library patrons request the same book, the library will do their utmost to buy that book? If you have a favorite author you think your library really ought to carry, get your friends or relatives to help. Request those books!

And what do I know about all this? Well, I am a librarian.

Happy Romance Reading,
Cathryn Cade

Best-selling author of sci fi romance

... it's hot in space, red hot!

Goodreads, My Website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Samhain Author Page,

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Follow Your Passions...

Follow your passion, and success will follow you.  ~Terri Guillemets

I'm passionate about a lot of things. My husband, my family, my cats, my friends, chocolate, and that's just for starters. One passion my husband and I share is for books. Both reading and collecting them. I was one of those kids who'd rather stay home and read than go out and play.

One of my brothers said it best. "Elaine, if you were down to your last five dollars and had to choose between books and food, you'd choose books." My reply was "Of course, I have enough friends and family to feed my body. Books feed my soul.

The happiest day of my life was when I got my library card. A building full of books to read? Yea! Then when I could cross the main street in our neighborhood, I could go to the library myself. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. 

I learned about wars and peace, queens and kings, airplanes, farming, and was introduced to some of my heroes, Eleanor Roosevelt, Florence Nightingale among them. I learned about religions, and saints, the fact that yes there are bad people in the world. However I also learned the good people outweigh them.

When we were dating, my husband and I used to spend our weekends searching used book stores. Yes, I married into a family of book lovers as well. My husband and his mother were both librarians in a previous life. Is it any wonder both my husband and I are writers?