Here’s Susan! 

I attend many author conferences and, when I’m introduced to authors, their first question is often, “How can I get my book in your library?”

Granted, I’m a bit biased on this subject, but I firmly believe that many authors are missing one of the best marketing opportunities out there – libraries!  Many publishing houses consider libraries small potatoes because a library may only buy one or two copies of a book (until you reach a certain level of popularity among their patrons). 

But a book sold to a library is just that – a SOLD book.  First thing a library does when they receive a book is stamp it.  Unlike a bookstore, we don’t return it to the publisher.  Until such time as we may need to take it out of the collection (which will be discussed a little further down), it’s there on our shelves for our patrons. 

One caveat before I continue – there are approximately 9,208 public libraries in the US (16,750 if you also count libraries with more than one branch location).  Not every library handles collection development, programs and weeding in the same manner.  What I provide here is very general information to get you started.

Adrienne: What is the best way for an author to get his/her book in their public library? 

There really isn’t a best way – but here’s a tip to get your book noticed.  Get your book reviewed in some of the resources librarians peruse on a regular basis – e.g., Library Journal, BookList, Kirkus Reviews.  Personally, I also read genre-specific publications (e.g., RT BookClub, Affaire de Coeur, Crimespree, Deadly Pleasures, etc.) as well as RWA’s Romance Sells.  There are other publications for children’s or YA materials as well.  Talk to your publisher and find out exactly which publications receive ARCs of your books for review. 

Have you gone into your local library and made a personal appeal?  Many libraries have a written (or sometimes unwritten) policy to purchase the books of their local authors. 

Adrienne: Do you have any tips on getting to know the selector at the library? 

One thing I like to make very clear to authors is that not everyone who works in a library has a library degree (a graduate degree, often called an MLS – a Masters of Library Science) and not everyone with an MLS has responsibilities in collection development (i.e., buying materials for the collection).  But the good news is – information on who’s who in a library isn’t proprietary.  So if you call (or go into) your local library and ask “Who is responsible for purchasing adult fiction materials for your library?” whoever you ask will actually give you that person’s name.  I made the distinction here for “adult fiction” because, the larger the library, it’s more likely that collection development is split among several people.  Worse case scenario – if you’re referred to the wrong person, you’ll eventually get to the correct individual.

Please also note that, when librarians are working at a public desk, it’s a little hard to give you their full attention.  And, if we’re off the desk, we often have other meetings, responsibilities, etc.  Once you have the name of someone to talk to, it’s best to call and make an appointment.

Can’t visit personally?  Write a letter or an email.  Think of how you wrote that first query letter to entice an agent or editor and follow the same basic rules.  Here are my preferences:  Tell me a little about yourself (have we met at a conference or another venue?), what the book is about, maybe a little of what made you write it.  Don’t forget to include the basic information that I need to order your book:  title, publisher, release date, cost, ISBN (preferably the newer 13-digit number), and either snippets of reviews or tell me where I can find reviews.  Tell me if your book is available through Ingrams or Baker & Taylor (these are companies that libraries often use for purchasing because they give us fabulous discounts).  If your book is not available through these sources, please provide the contact information to your publisher or where else I can purchase it.

Get your relatives and friends involved, too, by having them go into their local libraries and recommend your book for purchase.  But, please, have them be honest about their request.  I much prefer when someone tells me their daughter (friend, son, second cousin) has written a book rather than “pretend” they’ve read all about this “awesome” book that they’re absolutely, positively convinced will be the next Twilight, or another enormously popular book.  We can tell the difference between these thinly disguised promotions and real patron requests.

The same basic method applies if you, as a reader, find a new author and discover the library doesn’t carry their books.  Talk to the librarian and see if they will purchase the book(s) for their collection.  You’ll have the advantage of being put automatically on the hold list for the book, too!

Adrienne: What kind of author programs does a library offer?

Another great way to get your book into the library is to offer a library program.  After all, when the library puts out publicity about the program, patrons will expect to see your book on the shelf. 

Again, how programming is handled will vary from library to library.  Some smaller libraries may only have one programmer (not necessarily someone with an MLS) that arranges all programming for the library (music, children’s, authors, etc.).  Larger libraries may have people who specialize in particular kinds of program. 

At my library, for example, we have seven different programmers.  As the person in charge of the library’s fiction collection, I also arrange author programs and any programs on writing.  I have found, in my limited experience, that writing programs (especially those that might promise the “secret” to getting published, which WE all know is hard work and a little luck) tend to get a wider audience than a program with one author talking about their book.  In the case of the latter, unless you are Nora Roberts or Stephen King, I wouldn’t expect a large crowd.

Consider joining up with other authors to create a panel program.  It’s a great way to share the expense of traveling and it might be more appealing to audiences to have more than one author.

Libraries will also differ on their policies regarding whether merchandise (i.e., your book) can be sold at library programs.  Some libraries may require a bookseller and others may let you sell your own.  Some may even say you can’t sell at all.

If you can sell your books at the event, do not expect to sell a lot of copies.  Your attendees are, after all, library users and most will expect to be able to obtain a copy in the library.  One hopes that, after reading one, they will become a fan and want to read more.  

 Adrienne: How long does a book stay on the shelf?  Please tell us about the decision process?

 Books will stay on our shelves as long as there is a demand or, if the physical copy is falling apart, whether it can still be purchased.  It is an unfortunate fact of life that, unless libraries want to constantly propose tax referendums to build new additions or new buildings, all libraries need to deal with space issues and the fact that we all run out of space if we don’t do something about it.

Most libraries will use a formula of a certain number of circulations per year over the lifetime of the book (i.e., when it was added to the collection) combined with the last time the book checked out.  As noted many times, every library is different. 

At my library, I want our fiction materials to circulate at least three times per year and have circulated within the last two years.  Higher math has never been my forte, but let’s say we have a book that hasn’t circulated since 2007 (our two year mark), but it has a total of 100 circs since we initially got it in 1999 (so we’ve owned it for 10 years).  This book has an average of 10 circs per year and, assuming it’s still in relatively good condition (because patrons don’t want to check out something that looks “yucky”), I’ll probably keep it on the shelf.  If that same book is still available for purchase, I might even purchase a replacement copy.

Now, let’s say that same book hasn’t circulated since 2007 and has a total of 10 circs over its lifetime (10 years).  With an average of one circ per year, the book will most likely be withdrawn (aka “weeded” or “deselected”).   Withdrawn materials often go into the library’s book sales.

With every rule, there are also exceptions.  Are you one of our local authors?  I might keep your book despite a lack of circulations.  Is your book part of a series?  Maybe Book Three hasn’t circulated as much as the others, but I probably wouldn’t break up the series because there’s nothing more annoying to patrons than to start a series and not be able to continue.

Do you live in the area?  Have you ever considered checking out your own book?  I don’t look at who last checked out the book, just when it last went out.  Get your friends and relatives involved in this part of the work, too. 

I could continue ad infinitum on this topic (and have done so on various occasions).  I am thrilled to have been asked to join you today and hope that I’ve given you a few more ideas to promote your work.  And I expect to hear about your book very soon……

Thank you to Susan for being here today.  Susan will be checking in throughout the day to answer questions so let’s put her to work!

I’m curious how many of you knew the book acquisition process.  Let us know.  We’d love to hear from you.

Bio:  Susan Gibberman has been the Head of Reader Services at the Schaumburg Township District Library for the past thirteen years – a job she believes she got as cosmic karma for never having read any of her high school English assignments.  Despite coming late to the fiction party, she is honored to be a two-time recipient of the Windy City RWA chapter’s Northern Illinois Librarian of the Year award, and RWA’s 2008 Librarian of the Year honoree.  A television aficionado, she’s published a bibliography on Star Trek (McFarland, 1991) and is a contributing author to the Museum of Broadcast Communication’s Encyclopedia of Television (1999 and 2004 editions).  Her first fiction short story was published in the anthology Missing (Echelon Press) in February 2009.  New, fledgling, and established authors can contact her at sgibberman@stdl.org.