I awoke on this very rainy Sunday morning wondering what the day might have in store for me. I did what I always do each morning – I looked outside and made my first decision (since it was pouring I decided not to go out for a run. Oh well…best laid plans etc). I put on my glasses and then picked up my blackberry to see what the world had been up to while I slept. I was greeted on this otherwise murky day by a most wonderful Facebook message. A Facebook friend, the poet Lyn Moir, wrote to tell me she had just finished reading Tangled Roots and loved it (phew). But she happened to mention that she had picked it up at the library, and I felt a funny, complicated little jolt.
One of the unfortunate side effects of having a book to sell is that you want to actually sell it — either for the money or the Nielsen rating. And now for a confession — last year while I was on my book tour, an older woman came up to me, asked me all about the book and said that she was really interested in reading it. When she then said she would go and take it out of her library I had a moment of irritation and had to control my eyes from rolling around to the back of my head. I do feel bad about that because public libraries are not only convenient, good local resources, they are important — vitally important and, I believe, vital to the cultural vibrancy of any community. I remember learning about the origin of the public library when I was about 12 years old and in school in New York. In the States, most of the credit for creating a system of local institutions which are funded by the government and exist for the continuing education of the general population goes to none other than Benjamin Franklin. The importance of the fact that the history of this institution was actually a part of the curriculum in my local “public” school (“state” school to the Brits) was not lost on me, even then. One of the roles of any government is to to help ensure the literacy of its population, and a key to that is the continuing efficacy of its public libraries.
And so this morning when I read that my friend had taken Tangled Roots out of her local library I had a different reaction. I was snug in my bed on a rainy Sunday morning and not standing in the fiction department of a strange, far away Waterstones. So I was thrilled. Thank you, Lyn, and from across the generations and the ocean, thank you Benjamin Franklin.
Now, of course, all this reminds me of a song…
Somebody said to me once that they would read my book when someone lent it to them! I was furious. I’ve never spoken to the woman since.
I’d be quite happy, nay flattered, if I (my novel) was in a library. It would mean that someone had requested me to be there.
I was going got ask. In France they have a mobile libraries. They want English books. Shall I order yours? PM me on facebook. And anyone else. Glyn
Glyn: We’ve talked on fb but thought I’d also post a big thank you here!
Never under estimate the power of libraries…..did you know that without libraries ‘Stupid White Men’ by Michael Moore would never have been published? His book was due to be released just after 9/11 and his publisher decided that they wouldn’t release a book that criticised George Bush. Michael Moore gave a talk about the book and then went on to explain why no-one would ever be able to read it…a librarian at that event was so horrified by what she heard that she got librarian’s all over America to phone up and harass the publisher. They put so much pressure on that the publisher agreed to release the book and it went on to become a best seller. Yay to librarians!!
C x
Sue it is very strange that library thing. But seeing your book in the library must be a thrill too. I had lunch in the library at my daughter’s school after prize giving and there was not only my book but a poster advertising my book. That was nice, even if I’ve only made enough on that book to fill the petrol tank- once. 🙁
Sue, I have had exactly the same ‘library’ feeling! But I have ended up thinking (selfishly) that with the lack of marketing that small press writers get, being in libraries has to be a good thing. It means exposure to people who wouldn’t necessarily buy your book, or many books at all and if you want to be completely cynical, it is a kind of ‘brand recognition’ for those who just see your name on the shelf week after week even without taking it out.
On the other hand, I agree with Mr. Pope, that if people state they want to read the thing, especially people with a connection to the writer, they should damn well support the writer, not wait to borrow it from a friend! That has annoyed me on a couple of occasions. No-one has to buy my books at all (and very few do) but don’t tell me you’d like to read it, but your work colleague hasn’t finished it yet!
Carol: I didn’t know that about Moore’s book. Really interesting!
Lauri: Hey, you got enough to fill a petrol tank? Well done 🙂 Are we crazy or what?
Joe: I’m with you. People can be so clueless, can’t they? I know we do this because we’re crazy and despite the fact that we make no money, but really, they don’t have to rub our noses in it.