My First Book Signing and National Library Week

On Saturday, April 11, I held my first ever book signing as a benefit for the Sherburne Public Library. I’m proud to say that the signing raised $290.00 for the library! To everyone who came, thank you for your donation and I hope that you enjoy the book! I was humbled by the number of people who came out to buy the book.

Little did I realize that when I set the date with the library, that it was just before National Library Week (April 12 – 18). I’m a proud patron of our library and have reconnected with the library in a way I haven’t since I was a teen.  In my teenage years, I read as many fantasy books as I could lay my hands on. And not having  money to constantly buy new books, that meant many trips to the library to see what new books I could find. I had an interest in classical music and used the library to check out many records (for you young whipper snappers, those big, round black things, although I understand that vinyl is making a small comeback).

During college and for over a decade afterward, I drifted away from the library. I still read, but I felt like I didn’t need the library because I could buy any book I wanted and I often did. And then, I went through some tough times. I quit my job to eventually start my own company and things became very lean. I reactivated my library card and started to make use of the library because I couldn’t afford to buy all the books I wanted to read – but I could still read them. When going to the movies wasn’t an option because of the cost, we could borrow them for up to a week from the library.

And now, ten years later, I still use the library as my first resource for books. And since my day job requires a 40 minute commute, I’ve started to use that time to listen to audio books, again from the library. My wife (mostly) and I still get movies from the library when we could easily obtain them from Amazon or any other service. Libraries are a wonderful way to encourage reading without encouraging consumption – they are the original recyclers! A book in a library can have hundreds of readers in its life; a book in a bookstore might only see a handful of readers. Since I’m now a published writer, I should tell you to buy the book and not get it from the library. But I’m not going to do that. Sure, making money off the sale is a good thing, but I really just want people to read my book and enjoy it. Which is why one of the first things I did when I received my books was to donate a copy to the library where I live now and the library in the even smaller town where I was raised and my parents still live.

And libraries are also vibrant places, not the places where stern librarians “shush” you for being too loud. Our library offers children’s programs, story time, Tai Chi, and a new writer’s group. I was fortunate enough to put on a “Zombie Makeup” class at another local library last October. I would guess that if you walked into your local library right now, you’d be surprised at all of the activities and programs that are offered.

So take some time during National Library Week and visit your local library! I wouldn’t be surprised if you found you were glad that you did!

Happy Journeys!
Mike