Library Love

by Jeanette O'Hagan

My first memory of a library was a small room, about the size of a broom cupboard, at the Mt Isa Mines State School. It was grade 3, I didn't have friends to play with during the breaks. A teacher introduced me to the library, and I took to reading like silverfish to paper.  By the time I left that school at the end of Grade 4, I think I'd read every title on the shelf, including The Last of the Mohicans. (My school reports often suggested that I needed to read more to improve my atrocious spelling, much to the amusement of my mother, who had limited me to reading one book a day).

These days, I frequent our local library, putting books on hold or browsing the return shelves for great books to read. I not sure I could manage the Popsugar Reading challenges without the library's help. I've even been thrilled to find copies from authors I know personally on the shelves - Helene Young, Rosanne Hawke, Adele Jones, Paula Vince. Libraries help with my book budget. They mean I can walk into my bedroom with only a few (okay four) groaning bookcases and (five-ish) to-read book piles on my floor and desk.

Libraries are great for authors too:

Unlike second-hand and thrift shop books, libraries pay royalties to authors. While this isn't as much as royalties through the sale of the book, for some authors it can be significant as a book may be borrowed many times.

Readers can also request the librarian get in books and even take suggestions for book club sets. By requesting books by our favourite Australasian Christian authors - we then make those books more visible and available to other readers.

Writers may also approach libraries with their books, either as a potential sale or as a donation. Generally, the book will need an ISBN, and be registered with NLA and preferably be with a library distributor - but a many indie authors have had success in approaching local or regional libraries.


In Australia, the National Library of Australia (NLA) keeps a copy of all books published in Australia and/or Australian Authors. Your local State Library will expect a copy as well.

Charis Joy Jackson, Lynne Stringer and Jeanette O'Hagan at BOBY 2015

I'm not sure if there is anything similar in other States - but in Queensland, the Queensland Writers' Centre (QWC) and State Library of Queensland (SLQ) produce a catalogue of all Queensland books published in the year - Books in Our Back Yard (registrations are currently open until the end of the month for 2016 publications). They hold an event to launch the catalogue, with the books in the catalogue displayed on the SLQ shelves.

Libraries often hold book clubs meetings, meet-the-author or book themed events. They often have rooms available for hire that can be used for writers' groups, book launches and author talks.  Holding a book event in a library has obvious advantages, especially if the librarians help promote the event - as most people who frequent libraries also love books. (Some may be be there to level up their pokemon.)

I think we are blessed in Australia and New Zealand to have so many free council libraries, as well as the State and National Libraries.

What about you? Do you use your local library? What do you like about it?

I know that some of you have had experiences with book launches and events at libraries and would love to hear about your experiences. Have you any advice on how best to approach libraries?

Images © Jeanette O'Hagan

Jeanette O’Hagan first started spinning tales in the world of Nardva at the age of nine. She enjoys writing fiction, poetry, blogging and editing.

Jeanette is writing her Akrad’s Legacy Series—a Young Adult secondary world fantasy fiction with adventure, courtly intrigue and romantic elements. She is about to launch Lakwi's Lament: a short story next week and she recently launched Heart of the Mountain: a short novella and The Herbalist's Daughter: a short story. Other short stories and poems are published in a number of anthologies including Glimpses of Light, Another Time Another Place and Like a Girl.

Jeanette has practised medicine, studied communication, history, theology and, more recently, a Master of Arts (Writing). She loves reading, painting, travel, catching up for coffee with friends, pondering the meaning of life and communicating God’s great love. She lives in Brisbane with her husband and children.

You can find her at her Facebook Page or at Goodreads or on Amazon or on her websites JennysThread.com or Jeanette O'Hagan Writes .

Working Together

Recently on Jervis Bay, they had the Hobie 16 World championships. This event was 18 months in the planning, and resulted in 901 athletes travelling from 24 different countries to participate in the 16 day regatta. 60 catamarans took part in the event. It created a great amount of interest from local  people and from visitors to the area and looked very colourful.  Below are a couple of the photos we took of the catamarans.

It was a huge coup for the area to host such an event. This event could never have happened without the co-operation of a huge number of people working together, many of them behind the scenes.

Sometimes writing can be a bit like that. There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes that readers never see. They just want to find books on the shelves of shops for them to read.  As authors, don’t we all crave readers who like our work? Much as we might like to, we cannot always buy every book we would like. Recently I happened to mention on Goodreads that if people cannot afford to buy a book they really want to read, they can always ask their library to buy it in.  Another member of Goodreadspicked up on that comment and asked their library. The library ended up getting in three copies of Streets on a Map.

Later I was talking to someone on the phone and mentioned the incident. ‘I didn’t know you could do that,’ the person said.  While I was on the phone to her, she went to her computer, got her local library and asked for my book to be bought. Yet I suspect there are a lot of people like those two who don’t know you can do that or have never thought of it. So if you have a favourite Aussie Christian author, even if you already own the book, why not ask your library to order their book in? Even though it doesn’t sound much, since it’s only one book, the more libraries that hold an author’s books the more it brings in PLR, (Public Lending Right) which is the amount paid to the author in compensation for having their books on library shelves. Financial incentive aside, it all helps to get books out there and authors known and their books read by more people.

Another time a fellow writer on another group said she had just put up a giveaway of their book on Goodreads. She received a good response of people interested. Now, okay, it may not always mean every person will buy or read the book but it does bring it to the attention of more readers. Even if only a quarter of them decide to read the book and hopefully review it, it is worth doing. After all the more reviews and word of mouth as people talk about a book the more interest it promotes. I occasionally enter a giveaway and have won a couple, but only if I think the book is something I will read. Then I add it to my to read list.  If I don’t win, at least I can still check it out at the library or buy a copy.

From Australia Day I had a giveaway on my site. Over 800 people entered.  Only around half of them added it the book to their to read list. The winners were chosen by Goodreads and the books sent. I guess I’ll see in a while how many people choose to buy Streets on a Map, read and review when they didn't win.

Another effective way of helping other authors is to read and review their books. When I read a book I review it on my blog or on Goodreads or both. If it is a Christian book I try to also review on Koorong’s site or on this blog. You will find my most recent review on this site here. Another way of helping a fellow author is to buy their books either for you or for gifts. But if money is tight as it is for many of us then at least talk about what you have read and enjoyed. Another idea if you are in a book club is to suggest one of your fellow authors’ books as the one to read one month.

I’ve been taking part in marmarmino which started in March. It’s just a way of writers trying to help other writers. After all don’t we all want to be a blessing to our fellow authors and find more ways to help each other in this business of books? I’m sure some of you can think of other ways to help authors.  Why not share them so we can all benefit?

 

Dale writes fiction and poetry. Her latest novel, Streets on a Map, is now available as an E book. She has also written children’s books, bible studies, Sunday school material, devotionals, and articles about marriage, home and Christian living. She has recently finished revising and sent off her new novel, Sandstone Madonna.  The next fiction project, as yet nameless, is already underway.