Let's Build a New Public Library!

Happy Birthday, America!

To celebrate, how about we build a new library? Last week I posted about libraries being closed and librarians cut--what do you say to reversing the trend and opening at least one new one? Here's how you can help:

Hillsboro, the seat of Jefferson County, Missouri, lacks a public library. I first became aware of this problem when Deborah Johnson Horn from Barnes & Noble and Karen Creech Huskey welcomed me to Hillsboro High School last November for a fun and exhausting presentation about my debut novel, ASHFALL.  Now Karen is spearheading the next step—her committee has succeeded in placing an initiative to build a public library on the ballot this fall. But ballot initiatives take money to pass (to buy yard signs, posters, newspaper advertising, mailings, etc.), and this is where you and I come in.

I’d like to support this effort in a bigger way than my personal finances allow. And I happen to have a bunch of ASHEN WINTER advanced reading copies (it won’t be out until October!), rare first editions of ASHFALL, and extremely rare ASHFALL  posters (only nine are left). And I'm in the middle of writing the third book of the ASHFALL trilogy, and I think your name should appear in that book, don't you? So I’m holding an impromptu auction. Simply click on the item you want to win, which will take you to the item page on my personal blog, and place a bid in the comments. Top bidder when the auction closes on Sunday, July 8 at 9:00 p.m. EST wins.

1) A rare signed FIRST edition of ASHFALL. The first editions are no longer available in stores.  Includes shipping anywhere in the world at my expense. Bid here.

2) A rare signed, ASHFALL poster. There are only 9 of the ASHFALL posters left.  I'll ship the poster anywhere in the world at my expense. Bid here.

3) An Advance Reading Copy (ARC) of the forthcoming ASHEN WINTER. The book won't be out until October, so you'll get to read it 4 months early! I'll ship the ARC anywhere in the world at my expense. Bid here.

4) Tuckerization in the third and final ASHFALL book (title and release date TBD). I'll include any reasonable name of your choice as a minor character in the third and final ASHFALL book. Bid here.

Rules:

1) All three auctions will be open until 9 pm EST on Sunday, July 8th.

2) Bid by commenting on the item page with an amount and email address. High bid wins. Minimum bid is $10. Bid in increments of $1 or more, please. All bids should be in U.S. dollars.

3) If bids go high enough, I may award multiple copies of any of these prizes.

4) Winning bidders will be informed by email. The campaign to pass the ballot initiative is decidedly local and low tech, so we don’t have a PayPal account to donate to. Instead, if you win, you have to mail a check to:

Campaign Committee for Hillsboro District Branch

of the Jefferson County Library Committee

P.O. Box 176

Hillsboro, MO 63050

Make your check payable to the same--yes, the name is ridiculously long--write small. When they receive your check, they’ll email me, and I’ll mail your prize.

Everything make sense? If not, email me at mike.mullin.writer at gmail dot com, or ask your questions in the comments on this post. Good luck and bid high—it’s for a good cause!

My First Library Card and Other Library Stories

Yesterday, Morgan at Scholastic blogged about how getting your first library card can be a defining moment in your life and many shared their own first library card stories under the twitter hashtag #firstlibrarycard

Inspiring right? Well, I have a confession to make ... I don't remember my first library card.  I remember checking out tons of books from libraries - usually during summer vacations - but when did I first have my own personal library card? I'm not sure.

If I had to guess, I'd say I probably got my first library card around the age of 13 when we moved to Ohio, and the card was for the WPAFB libraries.  One summer I read all the paranormals in the teen section I could find (think Christopher Pike and Lois Duncan) and then hit pay dirt when the library had a huge sale where I bought 300+ paperbacks for $10.

I used the library a ton in college.  I even took trips to visit other university libraries and liberally took advantage of inter-library loans.

I spent my last year of college as an exchange student in Japan. The library at Seinan Gakuin University in Fukuoka was spectacular, with floors and floors of English books.  Sadly, most of the library was off limits to the majority of students, including me. One of my professors took us on a tour of the forbidden areas (which is how I knew about them in the first place) and encouraged us to sneak in. When I did, I was caught and the librarians drew a red circle around my picture on the Exchange Student poster in the library foyer. Fortunately, another professor was able to get me a tiny sticker to put on my student ID which finally gave me full access.

One of the first things I did when I moved to Germany was seek out the library. The small branch near my apartment didn't have many books in English, but I took this as an opportunity to catch up on some classics such as BRAVE NEW WORLD, ANIMAL FARM, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER. Eventually I discovered the main branch library and immersed myself in their extensive thriller and literary fiction collection.

One last funny story: When I was in Wichita before my wedding, my father's internet went out and the only place that offered public internet access was the library. Since I had long since misplaced my Wichita library card, I had to apply for a replacement. When librarian told me I needed my parents signatures to get a card, I looked at her in utter confusion. She explained it was the requirement for teens under 18. I just laughed and showed her my driver's license to prove that I was over a decade older. Guess wearing sunscreen every day since I was 13 has paid off ....

Pretend the above graphic gives a release date of January 15, 2013 for LEVEL 2 until I can get it changed :)

Mrs. Gick's Library

Last week in this space I wrote about two uncomfortable experiences I had while visiting libraries. But I’ve presented in dozens of school and public libraries over the last six months, and the vast majority of those visits have been wonderful. So this week I’d like to talk about the value of libraries. I’ll illustrate my point with a story about a typical library visit.

On December 9^th I spent the day with Sherry Gick at Rossville Middle/High School. The library wasn’t the biggest one I’d seen, or the newest, or the fanciest. If anything, it looked a little tired. Until the students came in, that is. I’ve never seen a group of teens more excited about reading, their library, or their librarian.

The book discussions over lunch were non-stop and so varied as to be dizzying. We didn’t just talk about my book, ASHFALL—we covered Cashore, Collins, Shusterman and a host of paranormal romance authors I haven’t read. I finally wolfed my cold slice of pizza during the passing period after lunch.

This is what a great library does: It develops passionate readers. How does Mrs. Gick achieve this? Even in my brief time there, I noticed a few things. First, the library is laid out like a bookstore. Fiction is separated by genre—science fiction, paranormal romance, realistic fiction, etc. Big, inviting signs hang over each section. The books all have their original covers, and some of them are faced out. There are paperbacks available for those who prefer them. And the first thing you see as you walk in isn’t a row of computers; it’s a book display on the counter of the library desk. (The computers are around the corner to your right.)

But even more important than the physical layout of the library is its emotional tone. The first question students hear isn’t, “Do you have a pass?” it’s something more like, “How are you doing today, Todd?” One girl told me she volunteered to work in the library during 7^th period because it helped her wind down after a stressful day of classes. That she loved the library because it felt “safe”—her word, not mine. Another student told me about coming to Mrs. Gick for assistance with a disturbing and thorny issue with another teacher, and how Mrs. Gick had helped her resolve it. These teens have so much trust in their library and librarian that they feel comfortable asking anything. During our discussion of ASHFALL, one student wanted to know about my use of the term “spooning”—did that mean Alex and Darla were having sex? As I listened to the question, I expected raucous laughter and teasing. Instead, her question was met with nods and some embarrassed glances. What followed was a thoughtful discussion about the definition of spooning and the role of sex in ASHFALL—why it wouldn’t have been appropriate for Alex and Darla to have sex in the scene under discussion, and whether it was appropriate at all.

By all measures—books circulated, computers used, and classes taught—Mrs. Gick’s library and thousands like it are excelling. But both school and public libraries across the country are facing devastating budget cuts. Between 2000 and 2008, the per-student funding available for school library materials fell 31% in the U.S. It’s not that we lack money for education. Between 2002 and 2008 we increased spending on standardized testing by 160%. Overall education spending increased 21% between 2000 and 2005. Why do we starve libraries while throwing bushel baskets of money at testing companies like McGraw-Hill? The short answer is that McGraw-Hill has better lobbyists than the American Library Association. (Which industry do you think spent more on lobbying in 2011—defense or education? If you guessed defense, you’re wrong.)

Library funding is being cut despite a long and rich history of studies linking school libraries to student achievement. But the most important way libraries matter isn’t measurable in studies. It’s the things librarians like Mrs. Gick do—creating passionate readers and providing students a safe place to reflect and learn. 

Let’s spend more time and money on what works—reading, libraries, and librarians—and reduce the amount of time and money wasted on standardized tests. Every student deserves a library like Mrs. Gick’s.

p.s. If you’re interested in having a day of presentations at your school or library like the one I did at Mrs. Gick’s school, I’m offering them at no charge in 2012 and for a nominal fee in 2013.  There’s more information here. 

Mrs. Gick and me