Love...For Libraries

I love the library, always have, always will, so I thought today was an appropriate one to show that love by busting a few of the commonly held myths about libraries that I've heard recently.

Myth 1: “Libraries are dull and stuffy places full of books and people telling you to ‘shush’.”

Modern day libraries are not the same now as the places you remember from your youth. As well as books for all tastes and ages, you can borrow magazines or ebooks, eaudiobooks and emagazines. For free. You can access websites for family history research, driving theory practice, and Which reports. For free. You can sit and read local and national papers, study, and find information about local events. For free. Libraries provide activities for children such as storytime, singing, crafts and Lego sessions. For free. Most also run activities for adults, such as knitting or crochet, computer help, health and wellbeing groups. For free. Libraries often host talks, quizzes, courses and other activities, some free or for a small charge. Whilst there is often a calm and peaceful atmosphere, that’s not always the case and no-one is going to tell you to ‘shush’ if you are having a chat or taking part in any of the activities that genuinely encourage vocal participation!

Myth 2: “I don’t need to borrow books, I buy them.”

Buying books is great and well done if you can afford to buy them. But not everyone can. Borrowing books doesn’t stop you buying as well. By borrowing, you can access even more books, you are still supporting authors who receive around 9p for every library loan, and if you do buy books but are running out of room to store them, you can donate books you have read to your local library who will be happy to receive recent books in good condition to boost their collections. Your pre-loved books can then be loved by others.

Myth 3: “No one uses libraries anymore, why don’t they just close them all?”

It’s true that only around 10% of the population is a member of their library, but the law says every local authority has to provide a library service for everyone who lives, works or studies in the area. Your council tax funds it. So if you are paying for this service, you may as well use it. After all, as I’ve already mentioned, the vast majority of what libraries offer is free. Whilst library membership figures appear low, the 10% who are regular library users, do so because they enjoy or need the services provided, the social interaction with staff and others, the provision of computers, printing, the free WiFi, etc. People who use their library, love their library. Wouldn’t it be great if we could share that love by telling everyone who doesn’t use the library, what it is they are missing out on?

Does Absence Make the Heart Grow Fonder?

Does Absence Make the Heart Grow Fonder (of writing)?

Having neglected my blog for several months, I finally wrote the draft of a blog post back in December all about how I had been reconnecting with a ms I originally wrote a few years ago. I was all fired up, having removed redundant plots and re-plotted something more age appropriate. I wrote about how I’d pinned up a huge piece of card on the wall and made meaningful annotations to the story arc. But I never posted it. I think because at that exact time, outside circumstances stepped in and took away all desire I had for writing anything, let alone a full length novel.

I filled my time around dealing with the external stuff by teaching some adult creative writing classes that gave me a real buzz seeing people who were new to writing or had not written anything focussed for years blossom. It let me still see myself as a writer although I wasn’t actually writing, just facilitating others’ creativity.

I even thought for a while that I didn’t want to write anymore. That I wasn’t capable of producing anything people would want to read. That I didn’t love it enough, there were better things I could do with my time and really, what was the point?

But then, a few weeks ago, I got a new idea for a previously abandoned story. And then I got another. I jotted the ideas down and, as so often happens, one spark of creativity ignited several more. Last weekend I sat down and typed up all the new ideas, had a fresh look at the story arc and wrote a fairly comprehensive outline. Although I had stopped wanting to write for a while, the need to write hadn’t gone away for good. I was in love again with my story and the prospect of writing it.

The circumstances that forced me into a writing wasteland in December are still there but I’m not using them as an excuse anymore. Writers write in whatever snatches of time they can grab. I don’t know how long it will take me to write the whole ms virtually from scratch, or if it will be any good when I do, but I’m now writing it for me, because I want to and because, as I tell my students, there is so much to be gained from the writing process, no matter what the outcome.

Four Things You Should Know About Libraries

Four things you need to know about Libraries (That boost readership and earnings for writers)

Here are four amazing facts you may not know about public libraries.

1. Libraries are full of stories in a whole range of formats that you can borrow, so go to your local library and borrow stuff. Especially stuff written by writers you love. Even if you already own those books or have read them before. You don’t actually have to read them, they can just sit in your car or your understairs cupboard until you return them if you like, but the fact that you’ve taken them out on your ticket will register a loan for the author which will earn them a Public Lending Right (PLR) royalty. It will also help the Library Service. Use it or lose it!
2. Most Library Services offer a free ebook/eaudiobook service. You just have to download the specified app to your device and register with your library card to get started. Then you can download ebooks or eaudiobooks via the app. This takes even less time and effort than visiting the library yourself. After years of campaigning by the Society of Authors, the law was changed at the end of 2017 so that ebook and eaudiobook loans now earn PLR royalties too. (Edited: This should have happened at start of 2018 but was put on hold and should now take effect on 1st July 2018. Ebook loans is a huge growth area with an increase of 38% in 2017). Again, it doesn’t matter if you don’t even read/listen to the book! (Although it's great if you do.)
3. If the library doesn’t stock a book you love, you can suggest they buy it – either physically or as an ebook. Speak to library staff or find the relevant link on the website to make a recommendation. You won’t always get what you want, but if you don’t ask you don’t get.
4. Libraries are almost always happy to accept donations of new or good quality second hand recent books. You can donate copies of your own or friends’ books if the library doesn’t have any/many. (Tip: if you are donating books you have written, tell them you are a Local Author!) Libraries buy lots of new titles every year but they can’t buy everything. If you donate something they don’t have and it proves popular, they will almost certainly buy more copies.

Libraries are a great free resource. Every week events are run in libraries that help to promote stories and reading, especially to children. If you think libraries are a good idea but haven’t been in one recently, go and see what your local library has to offer.

Ten Things I Love about the SCBWI Conference

Photo: Colleen Cailin Jones

10 things I love about the annual SCBWI conference (and one thing I hate!)

Here goes:

1. The fantastic Keynotes. This year I was inspired and entertained by the ‘seriously funny’ Liz Pichon and Alex T Smith. Their passion for producing funny children’s books and the hard work they put in, left me awestruck. Industry professional Julia Eccleshare’s thoughtful and realistic view of the current state of children’s publishing was excellent too.
2. The workshops. I came away buzzing with enthusiasm from Kate Scott’s insights into how to have multiple careers as a writer (and the message you don’t have to be famous to make a living at it). From Joanna Nadin’s practical session, I gained the confidence to believe I could at least try and write something funny.