A Day Among Booklovers

“I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.” -Anna Quindlen

With all the dire reports about the demise of books, the lack of readers, kids interested only in video games, and the changing world of publication, it warmed this author’s heart to see so many adults as well as children eagerly snapping up armfuls of books from an eclectic group of writers at the Southwest Florida Reading Festival. I believe many of the children I saw this weekend will grow up concerned about their bookshelves.

I have not read any estimates as to the size of the crowd, but the festival was very well attended with no slow period at all during the six-hour event. The presenting authors, such as Tess Gerritsen, Dennis Lehane and Jeff Kinney, had standing room only crowds and never-ending lines of eager fans patiently waiting for a turn to have their books signed. Jeff Kinney had so many children waiting for him, that he may still be at the Harborside Event Center signing away.

A memorable part of my day started with my first customer who came by minutes after the fair opened. We talked for a while and she said she’d come back later to buy a copy of The Ride and started to walk away. Then she said, “No, I think I will buy it now before there are long lines.”

I laughed and said, “I haven’t exactly suffered from the long line syndrome in my career—yet, but I do dream about the possibility.”

I loved watching the steady stream of avid booklovers of all ages. Even if I had not sold a single copy, ending the day with restored confidence in the future of books, a renewed dream of success, and a reignited desire to finish my second novel, I’d consider the day an outstanding success. Selling copies of my book on top of all that was like icing on the cake. Thank you Lee County Library System, coordinators, volunteers, sponsors and readers.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Tags: Anna Quindlen, Lee County Library, Southwest Florida Reading Festival, Gerritsen, Tags: Lehane, Kinney, The Ride,

One More Post on Libraries

“A library is not a luxury but one of the necessities of life.” – Harry Ward Beecher

I’ve covered the buildings and content of libraries so today I’m writing about accessibility because I think we tend to take our well-lit, air-conditioned and heated libraries or the large mobile buses that might service some of the more remote areas of America for granted. In Kenya, a camel may be your library source or a donkey in Ethiopia, or perhaps, a boat in Indonesia. In Peru, more that 700 libraries are located in farmers’ homes. In Santiago, Chile, small libraries are located in eight different metro stations and in two train cars were converted to libraries and placed in two of their busiest parks. The point is, regardless of the size and scope, it is obvious that libraries are one of the necessities of life worldwide.

If I were to do a tour, I’d want to include a few of the quaint and remote libraries. And, if I hit the lottery or make it to #1 on the New York Times Best Seller List, I’d consider starting my tour by spending a night or two at the Library Hotel in New York, where each of the 10 floors is dedicated to a reading category and rooms have a collection of books relating to their theme.

For the time being, however, I’ll be content to tour the previously mentioned sites or Library Servers via www while sitting in front of my computer. The Library Servers site lists over 7900 pages from libraries in 146 countries.

Libraries have been my theme this week because of the upcoming Southwest Florida Reading Festival on March 21, in Fort Myers. This festival is now celebrating its tenth year thanks to the Lee Country Library and their sponsors. The event has something for everyone including a storytelling tent, children’s crafts and activities, a teen zone, author presentations and book signings. I’m hoping for large crowds because it makes me happy to watch people enjoying book related events. If one or two folks wander by and decide to purchase, The Ride, I’ll be even happier.

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: Beecher, libraries, Kenya, Ethiopia, Library Hotel, Reading Festival, Lee County Library, The Ride,