My Reading Frenzy

Who are the Top Authors I Would Like to See in Person?

A few weeks ago I wrote about the authors I have seen in person (or virtually).  

Today I want to share some authors I would like to see if given the opportunity and others who are long gone, but who I think would have been great in person.

• Phillip Pullman - I have been reading Pullman since the His Dark Materials series in the 90s. As far as I have seen, he does not do book tours or festivals. I respect this if it is his preference, but I would enjoy hearing him talk about his work. Especially now that he has been writing another trilogy (The Book of Dust) set in Lyra's London. I have also read his Sally Lockhart mystery series.
• Connie Willis - Given my feelings about her time travel books, Willis is an author I want to have tea and a good chat with. I'd also like to see her talk about her work. 
• Erin Morgenstern - I rarely read books more than once, but I have both read and listened to The Night Circus. I haven't yet read her second novel, The Starless Sea, though I have owned it since it was released in the spring. I know I will be sorry to have waited, but there isn't a bad time to read a good book.
• Jason Reynolds - In reality I have seen Reynolds speak, but it was in his capacity as the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, not in connection with his own writing. This is a goal.
• Tana French - The more mysteries I read, the more I am intrigued by mystery writing. 
• Ann Patchett - The first of her books I read was Bel Canto, the most recent was The Dutch House. In between I have never been disappointed. She is one of this generation's greats. AND she owns an independent bookstore!
• Glennon Doyle - I so enjoyed listening to her book Untamed recently. I am on the wait list for Love Warrior. I connect to her real voice because she sounds like a friend and to her written voice. She says things that make sense and encourage me to look inward.

I could probably write all day about authors I would like to hear talk about their work, the world, philosophy, life, but these are a few of the top who I will seek when there is again an opportunity for in person events. Until then I will look for virtual events, like the National Book Festival, which begins tomorrow.

 

 

I also made a list of authors who are no longer living who I would like to have had the opportunity to see and hear in person as well. They mainly include authors whose work I have taught, but in most cases I chose works I loved or found merit in so the authors are those I respect and whose work I would love to hear more about.

• Oscar Wilde - I love his satire from The Importance of Being Earnest to The Picture of Dorian Gray. I visited his resting place in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France. It is a beautiful memorial to a favorite writer.
• Edgar Allan Poe - Poe's work is attractive to students and therefore fun to teach. The short stories are masterful examples of the power of brevity. Despite his final resting place being in Baltimore, I have not visited, an oversight I hope to rectify soon. 
• The Transcendentalists and their friends - After visiting Concord, Massachusetts last summer for a National Endowment for the Humanities educator workshop I came to know this remarkable group of writers and philosophers more deeply than I had from only their writing. Seeing the places they wrote and spent their time offered insights that have made their work more meaningful to me. The writers I include are:
  • Henry David Thoreau
  • Louisa May Alcott
  • Ralph Waldo Emerson
  • Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • Margaret Fuller
• The poets Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson - 2019 was the 100^th anniversary of Whitman's birth. The Library of Congress had a special open house during which were displayed rare works and special publications. The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City had an exhibition as did the main branch of the New York public library. I was able to see all three.
  • I consider Dickinson and Whitman to be parallel poets, whose words resonate with me in similar ways. I have participated in an all day reading of Dickinson's poems to commemorate her birthday and visited her home in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
  • I think a walk in the park with the two of them and some time on a bench in conversation would be intellectually stimulating  and nourishment for my creative soul.
• Zora Neal Hurston - Because she was a groundbreaking writer, a talented folklorist, and Their Eyes Were Watching God is one of the most gratifying novels I have ever taught because of the ways in which almost all students find a point of connection with Janie Crawford's story.

There are certainly far more authors I could add to this list as well.

 

What authors do you want to see in person? Who are you sorry to have missed?

 

 

 

 

A How-To Guide for Seeing Authors in Person

One of the best ways to find out about author visits is to sign up for events announcements from your local bookstores or follow stores on social media. Both independent bookstores and chains like Barnes & Noble host author events. Public libraries also announce author visits on their sites and social media. Festivals and conferences have their own sites where lists of authors who will appear can be found. 

Via an e-mail I discovered that on Tuesday, September 2nd Politics & Prose, an independent bookstore in Washington, DC will be hosting an author chat between Louise Penny, Queen of Mysteries and Secretary Hillary Clinton. I am not sure of the connection between the two, but I am eager to find out when I participate in this virtual event. 

 

 

 

See Authors at Independent Bookstores:

Before moving to Washington, DC I had seen few authors in person. This was not for lack of interest, but lack of opportunity. There was only one independent bookstore near enough for me to visit regularly. There I saw the authors Lydia Netzer, Joshilyn Jackson, and Madeleine Miller. 

After moving to DC, the choices of independent bookstores to visit and authors to see became almost infinite. I could see an author every day and choose between options. Even now when bookstores are not hosting live events there are many in this area and the offerings have expanded to events around the world.

My first in DC was Joe Yonan, who is the food and dining editor at The Washington Post, at the Politics & Prose main store. The book was Eat Your Vegetables, a vegetarian cookbook. Since events like this are usually free, attendees are encouraged to purchase a copy of the book from the store, which is required if you want to have the book signed after the reading. In this case I did both. Sometimes you are permitted to bring additional books to have signed, but this is rare, especially for popular authors.  

A note on signed books: I have mixed feelings about signed books. Their ubiquity makes it unlikely that even signed first editions will see a large jump in value. For me the value of a signed book is in the time I have to interact with the author as they sign my book. After having waited in long lines to have 20 seconds to interact with an author, I often skip the signing. This varies though by venue and author. If the venue is small, like the Virginia Association of School Librarians conference, I wait for the signing because the author is committed to interacting more personally. When the venue is large, like the National Book Festival, I skip the signing as the lines are long and for an understandably limited time. When I go to author talks at local bookstores my decision varies based on whether or not I plan to purchase the book or will read it from the library. 

While many author talks at bookstores are free, this is not always the case. 

 

Authors I have paid to see through bookstores: Generally when an author event is a paid event, a copy of the most recently released book is included with the ticket, which sometimes also means the book is signed or there will be an opportunity to have the book signed at the end of the event. 

• Judy Blume - In the Unlikely Event - signed on site
• Neil Gaiman - This was part of his "An Evening with Neil Gaiman" tour and not connected to a specific new release, but signed backlist books were available to purchase
• Hillary Clinton - What Happened - pre-signed
• Louise Penny - A Better Man - pre-signed
• Patti Smith - Year of the Monkey - unsigned
• Bill Bryson - The Body - unsigned

 

Authors I have seen for free: These are in no particular order only as I remembered them. I have included the book I saw them touring for and where I saw them if I could remember it. Often these author talks are recorded and can be found on the store's site.

• Rainbow Rowell - Politics & Prose 
• Stephanie Perkins - Hooray for Books
• Jenny Lawson - Politics & Prose - Furiously Happy
• Jacqueline Winspear - Politics & Prose - The Care and Management of Lies
• Laurie Halse Anderson in conversation with Scott Simon - Politics & Prose - The Invisible Knife of Memory
• Jasmine Guillory in conversation with Nicole Chung - East City Books - The Proposal & All You Can Ever Know (respectively)
• Victoria Schwab - One More Page Books - A Gathering of Shadows 
• Sarah McCoy - One More Page Books - Marilla of Green Gables
• Libby Copeland - East City Books - The Lost Family

 

Authors I have seen virtually: I anticipate seeing more authors this way in the coming days especially with the National Book Festival going entirely online this year. 

• Jesse Dougherty - I believe Jesse organized this himself on Twitter live. - Buzz Saw: The Improbable Story of How the Washington Nationals Won the World Series
• Robin Ha and Malaka Gharib in conversation - One More Page Books - Almost American Girl & I Was Their American Dream (respectively)

 

See Authors at the National Book Festival:

Another reliable way to see authors speak about their work is at the annual National Book Festival. The event takes place in Washington, DC because it is organized by the Library of Congress, and even in non-COVID years, the author's presentations are recorded for viewing on the Library's site. The Festival originally spanned two days on the National Mall under tents, but in 2014 the Library hosted the event in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center over one longer day, and it has been there ever since. In 2013 I introduced Holly Black at the Festival and Rita Williams-Garcia in 2014. These were exciting moments in my bookish life. I have seen a variety of other authors speak including Jack Gantos and Congressman John Lewis. 

This year the Festival will take place online September 25-27.

 

See Authors at Non-Book Festival Library of Congress Events:

• Lois Lowry - I saw Lowry at the Library of Congress in conversation with Nikki Silver about making The Giver into a movie.
• Mukoma Wa Ngugi - I attended college with Mukoma and even sat next to him at our graduation where his father Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o was our commencement speaker. Mukoma visited the African and Middle Eastern Division of the Library of Congress to discuss his work.
• Jonah Solkoff Eskin Memorial Program 2015: National Ambassadors for Young Peoples Literature: A Tribute to Walter Dean Myers - This event took place on May 6, 2015 and included the Ambassador Kate DiCamillo, along with past Ambassadors Katherine Patterson and Jon Scieszka along with Myers's son author and artist, Christopher Myers. 
• Tim Gunn - I was invited by a friend who had secured two tickets to this event to hear Gunn speak about Disco fashion as part of the Library of Congress's Bibliodiscotheque in May of 2017. His memoir The Natty Professor is wonderful. 

 

See Authors at State and Local Book Festivals:

Every year (except 2020) the NOVA Teen Book Festival takes place at a high school in Northern Virginia. As part of that event, the authors come to town the day before to visit local schools for free. Schools are responsible for planning a program that will involve interested students in a small setting with the author. As part of this, my school was visit by:

• Rachel Hartman - Tess of the Road
• Heidi Heilig - The Girl From Everywhere and The Ship Beyond Time

This list of Writer's Conferences and Book Festivals from around the world has links to all the events it lists.

 

See Authors at Conferences: 

I attend the Virginia Association of School Librarians conference every year that I am able, which has worked out to 8 times in the last 10 years. Many authors are invited to the conference as presenters, panelists, and keynote speakers. I have seen a number of children's and young adult authors talk about their work in small group settings.

• Joseph Bruchac
• Libba Bray
• Ruta Sepetys 
• Maggie Stiefvater
• Meg Medina
• Sarah Dessen 

 

See Authors at the Public Library:

Brad Meltzer -History Decoded: The 10 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time

 

See Authors at Other Cultural Institutions:

I saw both of these through the Smithsonian Associates program which makes available books talks, lectures, and classes.  

• John Irving - Avenue of Mysteries - pre-signed
• Jodi Picoult - Leaving Time - signed on site

 

 

Writing this post has been a lot of fun, bring back many memories of sitting entranced listening to the authors I admire talking with passion about their writing.

 

What authors have you seen live and virtually?

 

Can I love books AND be a minimalist?

When I moved to Washington, DC, it was not going to be permanent; after seven years it seems to be permanent. In that time, I have significantly reduced my possessions through necessity and a change in mindset - I have become a minimalist. I am not a hardcore minimalist like The Minimalists or Joshua Becker, but I have moved in that direction and prefer living with fewer possessions. 

I still struggle with books. In both of my DC apartments I have lived within walking distance of a library branch where I can have anything from the entire system delivered for pick-up, which means accessing books for free and returning them so they do not need to be stored in my living space. But, as I said in this post, COVID-19 has changed my relationship with reading and affected my book purchasing habits. 

My questions are: Can I call myself a minimalist if I still buy books? AND Can I keep the books I already have and those I have bought recently?

I think the answer to both of these is YES!

I have read the work of the minimalists mentioned above as well as Marie Kondo (she is less a minimalist and more of a clean up and clean out guru) but all agree that minimalism does not require one to rid oneself of ALL possessions, and definately not those that bring joy. Additionally, they also discuss that minimalism does not look the same for everyone.

When I first moved, I brought books I had not yet read and some of my favorites. At the time I had two tall IKEA Billy bookcases in white with 5 shelves on each. I like the white because they make the colorful covers pop. (I do not arrange my books by color, but by genre and then alphabetically by author. I am a librarian after all.) I bought the skinny bookcases because I thought they would be more flexible for arranging in small apartments. I was right and now have 4 book cases. Soon, I am moving to a slightly bigger apartment and am thinking about getting a fifth shelf.

Currently, the shelves hold books I have not yet read, some decorative items, and beloved books, such as my fifteen copies of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. (I like to collect copies from different years and publishers. Some are illustrated, others have beautiful covers. They make me smile.) With a fifth shelf I will be able to bring more of my most favorite books out of storage. 

When I initially moved I was able to leave my books in place where I had been living. When the move turned from temporary to permanent I invited over a few friends, poured some wine, ordered pizza, and hosted a packing party. At that time I thought it made sense to separate the books into categories:

• Keep
• Try to sell
• Give to friends
• Donate

I made sure to invite friends who are also book people so they would be supportive and not too critical about my book decisions. I reduced the number of books to keep to a few hundred rather than the many hundreds I started with. MANY were donated to the local public library. One of the helpful friends took quite a few to read and has been passing them along when finished. 

When deciding what to keep I asked myself 3 questions:

1. Will I want to refer back to this title enough times to justify keeping it?
2. Will this book be valuable to others, to whom I can lend it, but then get back (hopefully)?
3. Is this a book by an author I love, whose books I buy before or soon after publication and will keep in my collection?

This situation aside, I try to be discerning about the books I buy, asking the same three questions I used for deciding the fate of my formerly large collection. But sometimes I mis-judge and buy a book I then decide not to keep. In those cases, I:

1. try to sell them online to Powell's, which earns me credit for buying other books. Yes, ironic I know.
2. give them to someone who may want to read a specific title and ask them to pass it on to someone else.
3. donate to the public library for their monthly sale (currently on hold).
4. place them in a nearby Little Free Library.

I know my methods won't work for everyone, minimalist or not, but you might find my philosophy helpful.

I am looking forward to the day I live someplace big enough, hopefully with some built in bookcases, to hold all my books. 

How do you decide if a book should become part of your collection?

 

The Life Changing Magic of Visiting the Library

Twelve years ago I began taking classes to become a school librarian while teaching high school English. When I realized after 15 years of being a classroom teacher that I was ready for a change, I knew I would not be able to leave behind the books or the students.

The classes I took prepared me to be a librarian, covering topics such as collection development, cataloging, and media resources. One class, I am not sure which one, required that we pay a visit to four different types of libraries we had not previously visited. We were tasked with observing as well as interacting with staff and patrons if we were not intrusive. 

Carnegie Library at Mount Vernon Square, formerly the Central Public Library, 801 K St., NW, Washington, D.C.

 

The four types are:

Public:  These fabulous libraries in our neighborhoods, towns, and cities where librarians and other staff do everything from recommending books, hosting live events (someday this will happen again), facilitating job fairs, and organizing a million other things to benefit the community. While tax dollars support public libraries I believe that if you are a regular user of the library you get back far more than what you have put in. For my assignment, I visited the main branch of my city library rather than my usual neighborhood branch. 

School: As a school librarian, my opinion is biased, but I believe the library to be the most important space in the school. It is the center of all knowledge. It provides a safe space for all students whether they need to conduct research, check out books, have a club meeting, or just take a moment to breathe during a hectic day. Depending on a state's laws, schools can have anywhere from 4 to zero librarians depending on size and the district's commitment to libraries and librarians. Most schools still have libraries, though some are in danger of losing them in favor of digital collections only (I do not think this is a good idea.). But in many parts of the United States, those libraries are maintained by clerical staff who have not been trained in collection development, research skills, or other aspects of building a strong library program. Research and more research has shown this to be foolish because librarians and trained librarians add to the overall academic achievement of the students just by being there. I am going to consider you convinced and move on. 

Academic: These are libraries serving colleges and universities. I visited the main library on the campus of Old Dominion University. Despite having earned my MA there and taking library classes I had not visited the library. I was fortunate to have access to a wealth of databases through ODU, my public library, and my school library. Most of my information needs were met by current research. However, were I to need to do deep research I would acknowledge that not "everything is online now." There are a wealth of resources in academic libraries that are not currently digitized and may never be. There are periodicals available on microfiche and books with vast knowledge that will never be digitized or available through Google books. That's not to mention the librarians and other staff who are well-versed in the offerings of the library both digital and analog. 

Special: These are the ones that most intrigue me. Special libraries are those in which the collection is not of general interest, but instead has a narrow focus on one area. For instance, I visited the library at the Mariners Museum and Park housed on the campus of Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA. According to their website, "The Mariners’ Museum Library holds the largest maritime history collection in the Western Hemisphere. With its rich collections and international scope, the Library is a premier resource for maritime research." The librarian showed me their collection of ship's logs and a number of maritime maps of local waterways. It was fascinating. 

Another special library I have come to know well is that of the Society of Cincinnati in Washington, DC. For 7 years I have served as a docent at the national headquarters, the home of which is the historic Anderson House. Last summer and the summer before I was invited to work in the library for a week during the annual teacher workshop. The library "collects, preserves, and makes available for research printed and manuscript materials relating to the military and naval history of the eighteenth century, with a particular concentration on the people and events of the American Revolution." While working, I help the staff by shelving books and pulling primary sources the teachers have requested. I also find myself chatting with educators about the lessons they are planning and the items they are requesting to aid them.  

 

Presidential Libraries are another type of special library because they each collect and display materials related to one former President of the United States. According to the National Archives definition:

"Presidential Libraries and Museums promote understanding of the presidency and the American experience. We preserve and provide access to historical materials, support research, and create interactive programs and exhibits that educate and inspire. Presidential Libraries and Museums present vast archives of documents, museums full of important Presidential artifacts, interesting educational and public programs, and informative web sites. Presidential Libraries and Museums are repositories for the papers, records and historical materials of the Presidents." 

The first of the Presidential libraries is that of Franklin D. Roosevelt. But later a library was added for his predecessor Hebert Hoover. There are 14 in total from Hoover through President Barak Obama. The papers of Presidents before Hoover are housed in a variety of repositories, but many are held by the Library of Congress. The Nationals Archives has a helpful list here of places where these materials can be found. 

On a blustery, cold day in January 2017 I visited the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston, MA. We were only able to visit the museum portion of the building, but I was intrigued by the idea of the treasures held in the research rooms and archives. Visiting more of these is something I want to incorporate into future travel.

 

One other library I do not think I can skip is the Library of Congress. While the primary function of the Library has always been to serve the research needs of Congress, the services and collections cover all topics and subject areas of interest to Congress and the people of the United States. The current Librarian of Congress has worked since the beginning of her tenure in 2016, to change the impression that the Library is only a place for  scholars. While the reading rooms are scholarly places, accessible after one has acquired a reader's card (which can be done by anyone who applies and visits the library to complete the process). The key difference between the Library of Congress and a public or academic library is that all materials must be used on site. 

The main home of the Library are three buildings near the Capitol in Washington, DC. The Jefferson Building was completed in 1897 after the collection had been moved and rehoused a number of times as it grew. This is one of Washington, DC's most spectacular building and worth a visit and tour. Later the Library added the John Adams Building in 1938 as well as the James Madison Building in 1980. There are also a number of repositories and reading rooms in Virginia and Maryland.

The images throughout this post come from the collections of the Library of Congress. Each image is linked to the Library's site where you can find additional information. 

What are your favorite libraries?

 

How my Relationship with Reading has been Different since COVID-19

I access books three ways:

1. Through my awesome public library system.
2. Through my own HS library collection.
3. Through NetGalley, which gives me access to books before they are published because of my work as a librarian.

I also find books in the three Little Free Libraries in my neighborhood. And sometimes I purchase books, both from big retailers as well as my in-walking-distance local bookshops. Book purchasing decisions are made based on a few questions I ask myself:

1. Will I want to refer back to this title enough times to justify purchase?
2. Will this book be valuable to others, to whom I can lend it.
3. Is this a book by an author I love, whose books I buy before or soon after publication and will keep in my collection?

I want to reflect on how I have changed my book buying habits since going into isolation in March 2020.

As life was changing and I no longer needed to commute to school each day, we decided to head to Florida where the weather would be nicer and we could isolate ourselves with a change of scenery. This was a good decision.

• The weather was far nicer than here in Washington, DC, which meant frequent walks, runs, and bike rides.
• Not knowing anyone in the area meant no temptation to behave unsafely by socializing.

I also began a daily yoga habit that I have kept up since returning home. Each day the morning sunshine invigorated me, an experience that taught me a few important things about how I interact with the change of season.

Since we traveled to Florida by car and did not anticipate staying as long as we did (8 weeks) I packed only a milk crate of books to take, along with my Kindle. (This might be an affiliate link, which means I would make a small amount of money if you click and buy this product in this way. - I am new to this part of blogging, and am not sure if it will work, AND I am not 100% sure I want a relationship of this type with Amazon, but I own a Kindle, which I love, and use it to borrow books from the library and make purchases.)

I chose my crate of books from the unread items on my shelves. I did not bring any previously read books. I chose from a variety of genres: fantasy, mystery, science fiction, and non-fiction all in both adult and YA titles. What I did not anticipate was how my preferences would change as the number of COVID cases rose, more and more of life was cancelled, and my anxiety levels rose.

I found that I did not want to read about murder OR intergalactic battle OR intense angst. I wanted to read, more than usual, as an escape from what I was reading online and seeing in the news. I know I am not alone in this shift. Reality was enough for me, I wanted little reality in my reading. I turned instead to fantasy, which can be troublesome, but I made sure to thoroughly vet titles before settling in to read. I also found comfort in reading romance.

One of my favorites was The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. The inside of this book turned out to be as charming and delightful as the cover. I also found great comfort in Buzz Saw by Jesse Dougherty, which chronicled the 2019 season of my beloved World Series Champion Washington Nationals. Two romances I read back-to-back were Get a Life, Chloe Brown and Take a Hint, Dani Brown, both by Talia Hibbert.

What this means though, is that I purchased more books than usual. Because I am not a resident of the town we were staying in, I could not get a library card, and via my hometown library, ebooks were on a long waiting list. Even now I am still on the list for books I put on hold in March. (I am ecstatic that so many people are reading, I just wish they would read faster.) The local Barnes & Noble did no contact pick ups for almost all the time we were there, and I was able to order from some of my local stores and have books shipped to me. (I think my next post will be an ode to bookstores and the tactile pleasure I get from roaming around a store.)

I am adjusting to our different world. I am taking in the news in smaller doses, choosing my outlets more carefully, and educating myself about how I can be a force for good as an anti-racist. I have re-introduced mystery and science fiction to my regular reading. I am not sure when I will be fully ready to embrace some of the titles I have waiting on my shelves, but I am grateful to have had the means and knowledge to seek works that would offer solace.

 

 

Flavorwire » A Peek Inside the Libraries of Famous Writers

There’s nothing like a well-stocked library to enhance a home. Especially when that library has been outfitted with books chosen by some of the choosiest readers of all — the authors themselves. We recently caught a peek at the literary collections of a few contemporary novelists in Leah Price’s excellent and newly released Unpacking My Library: Writers and Their Books, but we admit that our library-lust wasn’t quite sated, and we had to go hunting for more. We’ve already shown you a choice selection of the libraries of the rich and famous, but here, inspired by Price’s book, we’re focusing on the libraries, studies, and carefully organized bookshelves of the authors themselves. Click through to see a few snapshots of the libraries of famous authors, and let us know which ones inspire you to curl up and read in the comments.

via flavorwire.com

Independent Book Stores in New England

I was lucky enough recently to take part of my summer vacation in New England.  Really we only made significant stops in Connecticut and Vermont, but that was enough to visit a plethora of independent book stores. 

Connecticut:

We stopped in a series of six small towns in Connecticut along Long Island Sound, not all of them have bookstores, but usually there was an antique store or two to sate my browsing needs instead.

Guilford - Breakwater Books: This was the first we visited.  It was small, but that is part of the charm of independent bookstores.  They had a relatively large children's section that had been stocked by someone with significant knowledge.  Overall there was a large variety with some new publications as well as older favorites.  I bought God on the Rocks by Jane Gardam.  This is an adult novel I have had on a wishlist, but have not found in person.  Certainly I could order it on-line, but I appreciated the opportunity to support a local bookstore. 

Madison - RJ Julia Booksellers: Next we made our way to this town.  By this time though it had started to rain and many of the main street shops had closed, but not this one.  I could have moved right in to this bookstore and stayed for the rest of my life, or more realistically until closing time.  It is a two story shop with a huge selection in a variety of well-chosen and organized categories.  The booksellers were fantastically helpful and friendly.  If I could stand the snow and find a job I would move to CT to live near this bookstore where I would be a regular.  Here I bought The God of the Hive by Laurie King which I reviewed the other day and The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books we Shared by Alice Ozma. 

Vermont:

Stowe - Bear Pond Books: I did not love this store.  It was not peaceful and was inside a larger and touristy Stowe store, but it did have a section of Vermont authors where I found Snowflake Bentley a Caldecott winning picturebook from Vermont illustrator Mary Azarian. 

Burlington - Crow Bookshop:  This shop was mainly a used bookshop with some new items.  There was a quite good picture book section where I found The Dangerous Alphabet by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Gris Grimly.   We did not spend too much time here as it was a girls shopping trip and we were on the hunt for fashion!

Shelburne - The Flying Pig Bookstore: Here were more superb YA and children's sections.  I could have spent hours browsing, but this is rarely good for my wallet and usually upsetting to the people I am with who have less interest in just sitting and looking at books for hours.  I was on a mission this trip to find Sarah Ockler's Twenty Boy Summer, since there has been some controversy over it.  Sadly they did not have it, but the wonderful bookseller recommened Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock, which I got along with The 10 PM Question by Kate De Goldi, and Howl's Moving Castle by Diane Wynne Jones. 

Johnson- Ebenezar Books (which does not seem to have a website).  Because this was a small shop I was able to give the whole place a good going over.  There was a nice selection, a mix of genres and interests.  I did not buy anything here because quite honestly I felt like I had already bought enough books to keep me busy for a while to add to my extensive collection of TBR titles. 

 

I also went to one library, in Waterbury, VT where they were having a book sale.  I did not purchase any books, but found a puzzle for 50¢, that upon completion turned out to have all the pieces...what a coup!

If you are an independent bookshop junkie and are traveling make a point to find a few shops to support!

 

You let my child check out what?

"Helping a parent find materials, while still holding them responsible for having a role in what their child brings home, keeps our own urge to censor, whether small or great, out of the equation."

This is the best line in this article, but the whole thing is great because it deals with the difference  between what children are able to check out of a library, which is usually everything and what a child should or is allowed to check out, which needs to be determined by parents. 

The future of the library

This is quite an interesting read about libraries and librarians of the future.  I agree with it 95%, but the idea of books going away just makes me nervous and I think it is somewhat unrealistic. 

The future of the library

What is a public library for?

First, how we got here:

Before Gutenberg, a book cost about as much as a small house. As a result, only kings and bishops could afford to own a book of their own.

This naturally led to the creation of shared books, of libraries where scholars (everyone else was too busy not starving) could come to read books that they didn't have to own. The library as warehouse for books worth sharing.

Only after that did we invent the librarian.

via sethgodin.typepad.com

What is a public library for?

First, how we got here:

Before Gutenberg, a book cost about as much as a small house. As a result, only kings and bishops could afford to own a book of their own.

This naturally led to the creation of shared books, of libraries where scholars (everyone else was too busy not starving) could come to read books that they didn't have to own. The library as warehouse for books worth sharing.

Only after that did we invent the librarian.

The secret life of libraries | Books | The Observer

This is one of the paragraphs in the middle of this article, but it is the one that struck me the most in speaking to the role of the library.  It reinforces the role libraries play in our lives especially in times of hardship.  Follow the link for the whole article. 

 

Greene might seem a surprising choice, but then what people choose to read in extremis often is. In London during the Second World War, some authorities established small collections of books in air-raid shelters. The unused Tube station at Bethnal Green had a library of 4,000 volumes and a nightly clientele of 6,000 people. And what those wartime readers chose were not practical how-to manuals on sewing or home repairs, but philosophy. Plato and his Republic experienced a sudden surge in popularity, as did Schopenhauer, Bertrand Russell, Bunyan and Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy.

via http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/may/01/the-secret-life-of-libraries

Another One for the "Libraries I Have to Visit" List

Thomas Hughes Public Library

One of the first institutions established in Rugby was the Thomas Hughes Free Public Library. The library today is the most historically authentic in the entire Rugby Colony National Register Historic District. It presents literally the same appearance, inside and out, as the day the doors first opened on October 5, 1882. After passing through a small vestibule the visitor enters the main part of the library through a pair of swinging, green baize-covered doors. The interior reveals a decorative sophistication unexpected in the Appalachian mountains, with an ornate plaster ceiling and handsomely designed bookcases and other furniture. The original ladder, with its 1881 patent date stenciled on the bottom of the top rung, is still used; visitors may sit in the original cane-seated chairs; the 1882 shipping labels are still fastened to the bottoms of many of the captain's chairs at the massive walnut library tables.

The library contains more than 7,000 volumes--one of the best representative collections of Victorian-era literature in public view in America. The floor to ceiling shelves contain no books published later than 1898, with most published from the 1860s through the 1880s. Virtually every subject area is represented, including fiction, biography, science, history, etiquette, housekeeping, religion, poetry and drama, sociology, travel, farming and gardening. Works of well known authors such as John Greenleaf Whittier, William Shakespeare, Washington Irving, Charles Dickens, Robert Burns, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Oliver Wendall Holmes and James Fennimore Cooper share the shelves with hundreds of children's books, including some illustrated by Charles Kingsley and Kate Greenaway.

via http://www.historicrugby.org/library.php#

 

Internet Filtering in the Public Library

Very interesting point-counterpoint discussion of the use of on-line filters in public libraries....yet another intellectual freedom issue. 

In the Library with the Lead Pipe welcomes Audrey Barbakoff, a librarian at the Milwaukee Public Library, and Ahniwa Ferrari, Virtual Experience Manager at the Pierce County Library System in Washington, for a point-counterpoint piece on filtering in libraries. The opinions expressed here are those of the authors, and are not endorsed by their employers.  We thank them for their time and energy in writing this piece!

via www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org

Library Heaven

Fisher Fine Arts Library at the University of Pennsylvania

 

 

Do you think Dublin is nice in July?

Add this library to my list of "Libraries to see before I die."

Trinity College - Dublin

 

New Use for an Old Card Catalog

What a great use of an outdated "technology."  I experience waves of nostalgia whenever I see a card catalog...they make me smile. I want to have one in my house, even though I have not decided how I will put it to use.  I love the idea in this article; it is just a wondeful mix of old and new.  And what a cool surprise to open a little drawer and find....

THIS

Dream Library - Biltmore

Nothin' better than a beautiful library...this one is at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. 

Biltmore Estate

 
 

The Book Haven - Too Many Books?

I like this blog from Stanford University in general, but I REALLY like this post. I too have overflowing shelves and books tucked wherever they will fit.

Solution for sagging shelves — look no further!

February 17th, 2011

Bowed bookshelves are an inevitable feature of the booklover’s home. And perhaps like me, you never discard an old book.  If so, the solution to your sagging shelves is near at hand.  Yet another purpose for Oswald Spengler’s Decline of the West!

via bookhaven.stanford.edu

 

Pride of the Scots

This is an interesting article about the first public library in Scotland, which has just published its first book.  The library was founded in 1680 and has been open to the public ever since.  Sounds like a library I will have to add to my list of "Libraries I Want to Visit Because I am a Library Lovin' Nerd."  This list also includes the Bodleian Library at Oxford University.  I love a nice library.