The Library Project

A little over a year ago, I made an admission on this blog. Here's what I wrote:

The Toddler has an insatiable appetite for books. Just about every other week now we feed his hunger by loading up on books at the library, checking out a dozen or so at a time.

So I've become a regular library visitor.

But I have a rather embarrassing admission to make. I can't remember the last time I checked out a library book that was not from the children's section.

Until The Toddler entered my life two years ago, I don't think I had even stepped in a library in almost a decade. Almost any book I read I bought, which I'm sure the authors appreciated.

That was by way of introduction to the news that I'd be making promotional appearances in support of my debut novel, Lost in the Ivy, at three libraries near Rockford. That was last September.

Since then, I've made appearances at three other libraries in Chicagoland. Last October, I did a book fair at a library in Joliet. Then, in April, I was on an author's panel at a library in Wheeling. And last week, I did another author's panel at a library in Schaumburg.

Prior to the Schaumburg event, I'd been a bit burnt out on self-promotion. I was tired of talking about my book. I was bored with listening to myself talking about writing. I think mostly it bothered me that I was talking about writing but I wasn't writing. That's what happens when you put all of your efforts into marketing. Your true love - writing - gets dumped.

But when I went to the Schaumburg event, I'd just spent six weeks bringing writing back into my life. Finally, I was making some progress on that elusive second novel. So I was feeling pretty good about myself, as a writer, and I think it helped to have some time away from selling books. And being on a panel with other first-time authors, like Morgan Mandel, Marcus Sakey, Gail Lukasik, Jimmy Jack, Ann Macela, Simone Elkeles and Joseph Rizio, was, in a lot of ways, reinvigorating. You come to realize that you're not floating adrift alone; there are others paddling along with you.
Morgan Mandel, Randy Richardson and Marcus Sakey (left to right) at the Schaumburg Library 1st Time Authors Panel. Photo courtesy of Morgan Mandel.

The panel discussion went almost an hour beyond its two-hour scheduled timeframe, and it was close to 10 PM and I should have been dead tired, my day having begun with my day job almost 16 hours earlier. But I wasn't tired at all. I felt more alive than I'd felt in some time. And I'm chatting with Susan Gibberman, head of reader services at the Schaumburg library. Way back in February, she'd asked me to be a part of the author panel that she was putting together. Here's a lesson for authors: learn to fight your instincts. Because mine were telling me to just say no, and if I had followed those instincts, I would have lost out on what turned out to be a great experience.

The point of all this? I'm not exactly sure. It's taken me a few days to sort it out to some shape and form that resembles a thought bubble hanging over my head. But I call it The Library Project, and it came to me during that chat with Susan Gibberman. After the panel, I asked her if the Schaumburg library has a copy of my book on its shelves. If not, I was prepared to donate a copy. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that she had not only read my book, but had taken the next step and put it in her library. How cool is that? My little book on the shelves of one of the biggest libraries in Chicagoland. Here's another lesson for authors in Chicagoland: get to know Susan Gibberman. She's an author's best friend.

This got me thinking and searching for other libraries that might have a copy of my book. Prior to starting this project, I'd known that there are two copies in the Joliet Public Library. I'd also known that there is a copy in the Chicagoland Underground Library, and there are two copies in the North Suburban Library District, which encompasses the Loves Park and Roscoe libraries outside of Rockford. I'd just learned that there is a copy in the Schaumburg Township District Library. I'd assumed that was it, until this morning, when I ran into a fellow in my office who mentioned that he'd just checked out my book from the Deerfield Public Library. I checked their Web site, and, sure enough, they have a copy. This prompted further research, which led to the discovery that there is also a copy of my book at the Wilmette Public Library. You can search the online catalogue of any of these libraries and you'll find my book. In some cases, there's even a picture of it.

So there are at least six libraries in Chicagoland where you can find my book. Now I have absolutely no idea how my book ended up in either the Deerfield or the Wilmette libraries, but I'm guessing that a patron read about it somewhere and requested it. Many - maybe most - libraries will do this for their patrons. If they get requests for a book, they'll try to get it.

This is where that thought bubble comes into play. I spend a considerable amount of time at the children's section of two libraries. Neither of these libraries has a copy of my book. For that, I deserve a failing grade as a self-promoter. But I'm going to try to improve on that grade, and that is what The Library Project is all about.

My goal is that by the end of the year my book will be in both of those libraries, even if it means donating copies to them. After I have achieved that goal, I will set my sights on another library, and then another and another. You get the idea.

I would also like to enlist your help in this project. The next time you go to your local library, ask them if they have my book. If they don't, request it. It's that simple. Each time you do this, let me know by either commenting on this blog entry or writing me an email through this Web site. I'd like to keep a running tally of all the libraries that have become a part of this project. 

The best way to get your book read is to get it in the library. It's that simple. The Library Project is a simple idea aimed at achieving a simple, but worthwhile, goal: getting my book read and making it available to be read.

Comments

[Marcus Sakey]

Great post, Randy! That panel was a lot of fun indeed -- very good people, and a terrific crowd.

Next time I'm in my library (Belmont & Broadway), I'll request a copy of LOST IN THE IVY.

-Marcus

[R.J. Baker]

I had heard during the LIM conference that libraries do aquire patron's book requests. Don't remember much else - that was the last day and I was a little hung over...go figure.

J.A. Konrath loves libraries and has a pretty good marketing strategy over at his site which I'm sure you've seen.

Great post BTW.