Time once again to take a tour of all the neat stuff your local library is doing. This week: events!
First up: local library Comic Cons! If the idea of San Diego International Comic Con and several dozenty-thousand people makes you want to run away (hi!) but you’d still like to meet people who dig the same things you do, chances are, your local library or a nearby branch might be hosting its own Comic Con.
My local, Montgomery County Public Library of Maryland, hosts theirs, the MoCo Comic Con, in January, and I accidentally bumped into it about a year after we moved. There was a storm trooper guarding the return book box and enquiring menacingly about late fees. It was pretty terrific.
But, hey, it’s April. I missed that one. TO GOOGLE! When I google “library comic con” I get a bunch of results in my area and beyond.
For example, Anne Arundel County has their library Comic Con coming up in May – nifty! (Also, Maryland county names are very curious, and I’ve lost a lot of time researching how they go their names.) And there’s one in Philadelphia in May, too.
…
But if comics or comic cons aren’t necessarily your thing, the Mid-Continent Public Library in Kansas City, MO, is hosting their Romance Genre Con this August!
There’s a writing conference on August 1, followed by two days of reader events. Emily Brown, the library public relations coordinator, tells me that, “Friday night will include a welcome party and Lady KC Reading Salon, and on Saturday there will be lots of activities, including author panels, fun interactive workshops, and a book fair.”
The event is free, but registration is required and opens on May 6.
…
Ulrike emailed me about a really neat program at her library, too: The Johnston Public Library Silent Book Club. Amid the different book club programs at the Johnston Public Library in Iowa is this listing:
Flirting with the idea of a book club, but not interested in peopling or meeting? We get you. Silent Book Club is all of the book club with none of the meeting.
Print copies of the Silent Book Club book of the month will be available at JPL while supplies last. If you’re feeling social, (as in, social media social,) , join the JPL Silent Book Club Facebook Group and chat with fellow readers about characters, plot, how that one character really bothered you, or whatever else you need to get off your chest. Yep, it’s that simple… and that silent.
While I try to stay far tf away from Facebook, I can think of so many people who would dig a library book club like this one.
…
And finally, remember my post on the Library of Things, wherein patrons can borrow, well, things from their library, like tools, instruments, and the like?
Now there’s Art! Diane H. sent me an email with a link to this very cool news report: you can borrow art from the Howard County Public Libraries. According to the Howard County Library, this new program is part of their Art Education Collection:
The new initiative is integral to HCLS’ mission to promote art and cultural education for all, and create greater access and exposure to art within the community. Designed to foster a learning environment that both inspires and supports aspirant, amateur and professional artists, the new collection includes framed artwork (prints and photographs) available for borrowing. Each artwork is accompanied by information about the artist, the piece, and tools to inspire conversation.
The nearly 300 item collection comes in a variety of sizes and contains diverse visual styles and themes, and features artists such as Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keefe, Ernie Barnes, Charles Bibbs, Paul Cezanne, Mark Rothko, and Pablo Picasso. Featured within the collection is the Images of Howard County Collection by the late Columbia resident and photographer Donald Reichle.
Patrons can borrow pieces for four weeks, and the items are framed and housed in bags for easy transport. HOW COOL IS THAT. Thank you, Diane!
What’s going on at your library? Any programs you want to tell everyone about?
For those interested in comics/comic cons, you might want to check out Free Comic Book Day on Saturday, May 4: https://www.freecomicbookday.com/
FCBD is a nationwide event where comic book stores give away free comics, host costume contests, and more. You might want to contact your local store and see what they are doing.
My local store usually hosts a small festival with authors, artists, and vendors, which I always enjoy.
Every year the Irving Public Library (suburb of Dallas, TX) hosts the North Texas Teen Book Festival. I’m on the steering committee, and we just had our fifth annual festival. It was attended by over 14,000 people this year, mostly teens and tweens, with 74 authors. It’s always the best day of the year for me. Being involved in this festival directly led to me pursuing a master’s degree in library science!
Not at all free, but I remember that the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) in Toronto used to rent out art from its collection when I lived there. I’m sure it was stuff from storage and cost a lot, but I always thought it was cool. Don’t forget that (at least the large ones) museums often have libraries! Tucked away in the corner, usually, and not always allowing checkout, but a good place to go see those $200 art books and other references that are hard to find. Maybe a place to read about real life in historical England, or archeological discoveries of new places to write about!
My rural library just joined Wowbrary which sends out newsletters with information on new offerings at the library. You can check availability in the U.S. at http://www.wowbrary.org/
I actually had a table at the first MoCo Comic Con! We weren’t allowed to sell anything, but I had extra copies of one of my earlier stories that I gave away and also did portfolio reviews. I’ve been invited to the local library comic con, but sadly it usually coincides with a May convention that I attend in Toronto, which brings me to …
TCAF! The Toronto Comic Artis Festival is held in the giant 5-story Toronto Reference Library near Yonge and Bloor every year over Mother’s Day weekend. It is free and huge! Check out the amazing list of guests: http://www2.torontocomics.com/
Even when I don’t table, I travel to Toronto to attend because this festival is so good and filled with artists and books I love. If you are in the Toronto area, it is totally worth attending.
ARGH. And right as I hit the send button, I see a typo. It’s Toronto Comic ARTS Festival, not Artis. I’m going to go to the sad copy editing corner now.
Here at the Pop Culture Library at Bowling Green State University, we’re trying to do an open to the public conference on a different topic each year. Last year was romance, this year is Batman, and a little birdie told me that romance will be on the docket next April as well.
While we’re an academic space, the goal is to bring fans and creators into the same room with academics to create new kinds of conversations about pop culture! To further break down the academic barriers, we’ve also partnered with our local public library to host some part of the conference on their site
The Chicago Public Library has a lot of cool things, including a Makers Lab with 3D printer at the mai library.
And they have a lit fest for teens / by teens that looks cool – https://www.chipublib.org/news/4th-annual-chiteen-lit-fest-on-april-26-27/
My local library has had a Circulating Art Collection for decades and makes sure to include works by local artists.
Sarah, thanks for sharing my suggestion about Howard County.
My name is Denise, not Diane. 🙂
Sarah, thanks for sharing my suggestion about Howard County.
My name is Denise, not Diane.
Steve, I hope you’ll send me ALL THE DETAILS because that sounds FREAKING AWESOME.
I was super-impressed by Santa Clara City Library’s Comic-Con last year, which (with no admission fee) was more fun than some paid events I’ve attended…
Last week I was introduced to the glory of Zip Books via a library enewsletter, which appears to be funded through California State Libraries. You can request any in-print book priced $50 or under available via Amazon and more than 6 months old if that library doesn’t have it, and if they agree, they’ll SEND IT TO YOUR HOME to keep for four weeks (with up to two renewals). Audiobooks are allowed (the price threshold is higher, but I’ve forgotten it, maybe $70?), and the item I wanted from a third-party seller was sent to me with no hassle. I hate ordering from Amazon myself (and wonder what Faustian bargain they gave the libraries), but I must admit I adore the results so far.
Finally, a National Library Week PSA: tomorrow (the 12th) is apparently the last day to convince your reps and senators to preserve federal funding for libraries in the 2020 budget (which is threatened to be cut, of course). The American Library Association has a handy (if currently disheartening) list of who’s signed on to support and who hasn’t in the “Fund Libraries” section of their website…
I admit, I don’t know where to find out which libraries have Zip Books (CA State Libraries says more are signing on, it may be a pilot program). I belong to twelve systems, and only Carmel’s seems to have it out of those (which surprised me). Any other leads?
The San Antonio Public Library puts together their PopCon which is a one-day comic con style event held at the main downtown library every February. This was their second year, and I participated as a guest author and brought my kids. We all had a blast, and the coordinator and volunteers did such a fabulous job with this con. Big turnout with lots of cosplayers arriving for the event. It was free to the public with panels to attend, LARP events, and a costume contest, among other things. They’re hosting it again next year at the end of February, and I encourage anyone thinking of attending to do so. It’s a great way to spend a Saturday.
Small town Texas library — Bonham Public Library — constantly amazes me with what they offer patrons.
Every other year [next up, 2020] they have a Romance event near Valentines Day when they invite romance writers to come and talk about their books, answer questions, sign and sell, and it extremely well attended because they have an active romance readers group that meets there.
They offer up to 10 free DMV practice tests for your motor vehicle license [car, motorcycle, commercial.]
I’m soooo impressed with this town of 10,000 citizens and their library and am honored to participate in their romance events bi-annually.
http://www.bonhamlibrary.net/
They also have a 3-D printer where patrons can book time to print anything they want and only pay for the materials!
Book-a-Tech. Sign up for free one-hour sessions to learn whatever you need to learn how to use your computer, tablet, smart phone, apps–from the tech savvy folks at the library.
Hi! I host a monthly “Book to Art” Club at my branch of the Milwaukee Public Library! Each month we read a book then create an art project inspired by the story and it is a ton of fun. I am NOT an artist, so we do simple things and are totally focused on the process, not the final product. We have been going for three years now, have a Pinterest Page, and I post on my bookstagram account: https://www.instagram.com/p/BuXfSUogxcP/
https://www.pinterest.com/MkeLibrary/east-branch-book-to-art-club/
At Westminster Public Library in Colorado, we hosted our first annual Galentine’s Day event with a local romance author panel and signing, the best cupcakes in the state, and a dress up paper doll Fabio craft. We will be repeating the event February 13, 2020 and Courtney Milan has very graciously agreed to attend. We’re still looking for the rest of our local author panel.