Tricia Sanders, one of my good writing buddies, posted this essay contest from Woman's Day and The American Library Association on her blog, "A Novel Approach." The prompt is:
"If the library has gotten you or your family out of a tough financial crunch, helping you save in unexpected ways, tell us about it in an essay of 700 words or less."
For all the rules and details, you can find them on the Woman's Day website.
I would love, love, love to read these essays. I love to use the library. I check out audio books for the car, picture books to read for my blog, and my book club novels. For writers, the magazine section is one of the best parts of the library. Where else can you go to find all those back issues of magazines the editors are always asking you to look through before you query?
But I can't say the library has helped me out of a tough financial crunch, although I wish it could or would or did because I would love to write about the library. I think in today's society, the library is often a forgotten resource. So, these Woman's Day essays could help us all, not only the writers who win the contest.
Maybe the library has helped you during these hard economic times. If so, enter this contest and let your love for the library shine through!
How does the library help you? Do you use it often as a writer?
Happy essay writing!
Margo Dill
Seattle Public Library photo by jeffwilcox http://www.flickr.com/ Margo Dill
4 comments:
In order to be a writer, I feel you must be an avid reader. And so, as a writer, the library is my reading resource, supplying new and old fiction, memoir, magazines. I always have a supply of books on hand from my library whether to read for pleasure, or to learn, or to cull research from.
I think I may be helping my library through a financial crunch-I know I've paid a fortune in library fines! I check out a gazillion children's books at a time-not for my kids, for me-but I'm always three or four days late bringing them back. I'm thinking of running a tab there :-)
So, yes, I get my money's worth from my library taxes. But they always manage to get my money's worth back!
I don't know what I'd do without the library! I would never be able to afford all the books I want to try - new authors, different writing styles, various subjects.
We also donate books to the Friends of the Library bookstore, plus we give financially.
One day, a book of mine will be on those shelves...fingers crossed!
Go libraries!!!
Libraries are a sign of civilization. Whether you want to know about how to repair your house or where to look for a job, reference librarians are there to help.. And as Madeline points out, those of us who enjoy reading can hardly afford to buy all the books we love.
I can offer a special thanks to librarians around the world who have ordered my Five Star/Gale novels, THE INFERNO COLLECTION and my new release, THE DROWNING POOL.
Jacqueline Seewald
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