Library Post: Everybody likes Friends
The last time I wrote a library post, I explored how your mere presence can help your library. To continue the theme of ways to help your library, I’ll talk about going a step above simply being a patron.
Many libraries have a volunteer organization usually called the “Friends of [insert library here].” The Friends at my library handle donations and the used book/DVD/CD/cassette sales. A great way to give back to your local library is to make a donation of some sort. Basically the items in good condition are considered for adding to the library’s collection. Unfortunately for my branch, not every single item can go into the collection because that particular edition may not be in the library system’s catalog, or we may not have enough room on the shelf for the number of copies that come into our possession.
Worry not! Most items, if not added or saved for various reasons, will probably go into the used item sale run by the Friends. The money from these sales at my library goes toward buying new items for the collection. So basically any of the customers at my library can get as much as a bagful of books for one big, fat dollar, and that dollar goes toward buying us nice things! Great exchange, I think. Look for these sales at your local libraries if you like cheap books or other media in fair to new condition! I have yet to go to a library that doesn’t have some sort of sale shelf. I’ve found some great stuff over the years, including So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld and the whole Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy collection for a dollar each. Pretty neat!
So if you’re feeling generous or have some shelf-clearing to do, consider giving to your local library. It’ll probably be tax-deductible, which always helps. (Those darn taxes!) Call ahead, though, to make sure they’re taking donations, and to make sure they’re taking the type of items you’re ready to give. Some branches may only take certain types of items, and some may only take donations on certain days, or at certain times.
And if you’re looking for cheap books or want to pad your collection, the Friends can help with that too!
If your library doesn’t have a Friends organization, consider starting one up. It would count not only as volunteer work, but if you’re organizing it, it’s basically a leadership position. You’ll be handling money as well, so you’ll probably exercise skills in accounting of some sort. And if you love books and have the time, really it’s a great way to give back to the community.
That’s a short run-down of the Friends. I’ll write more on library volunteering in another post, but I hope this has been helpful. Keep the library love alive! And stay tuned for my 100/300 Giveaway this weekend!
The Magicians, Halo, and Uglies Giveaway Winners
Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaways!
After two days of counting, the winners have been selected.
In the Summer Giveaway Hop:
The Magicians goes to… Samiyo!
The Halo winner is… Andrea! (blog here)
Now, for the Uglies series I decided that since there were nearly 200 entries,
I’d give away two sets instead of one.
The winners are:
Thao (blog here)
and
Linda
Congratulations to all!
Emails and tweets/DMs have been sent. You have 72 hours to respond.
Whew! I don’t know about you all, but giveaways are time- and energy-suckers!
Nevertheless, I will be starting up another giveaway soon.
You see, not only did I hit 100 subscribers, but I now have over 300 Twitter followers!
I’ve been dreaming of doing a 100/300-themed giveaway!
… I don’t know what that would be yet…
Don’t worry, I’ll think of something!
Beg, Borrow, and Steal (004)
I woke up at a ridiculous hour this morning and the first thing I did was sit down to write this post… I think I’m a little obsessed with this blog. (Yikes.) Anyway, since it’s Wednesday, it’s Beg, Borrow, and Steal time! This is my take on the In My Mailbox meme set up by Kristi over at The Story Siren. Let’s to see what bookstuffs I came to posses in the past week! Enjoy!
Begged:
Books I got for really good deals!
Kissed by an Angel trilogy by Elizabeth Chandler
I saw the cover for Evercrossed earlier this year, and the whole series went on my to-read list.
I was able to snag this because I participated in my library’s summer reading program! (Nudge.)
Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren
Downloaded for free! Thanks to A Book Vacation for the heads-up on the deal.
Borrowed:
Copies checked out of different libraries.
Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Very excited to read this!
Wildcat Fireflies by Amber Kizer
The anticipated sequel!
Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz
My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent
I saw it on the shelving cart and grabbed it for my own. 
I am an evil library page…
Steals:
Prizes, ARCs, and swag.
Enclave by Ann Aguirre
Signed! Thanks to Kristin at My Bookish Ways for the giveaway, and Ms. Aguirre for sending it!
Swag and things from San Diego Comic Con! Thanks so much to my friend Lexie!
Featuring Clockwork Prince (Cassandra Clare) sampler, Forgotten (Cat Patrick) sampler,
Ace/Roc and DAW samplers, Night Circus and Inheritance Cycle posters, pins,
and the following books…
Dead Mann Walking by Stefan Petrucha
Release Date: October 4, 2011
Don’t usually read zombie books, but this zombie protagonist sounds pretty cool!
Machine Man by Max Berry
Release Date: August 9, 2011
Resistance by William C. Dietz
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Release Date: November 15, 2011
Cannot WAIT to tear into this!
Extras by Scott Westerfeld
Signed! With pretty cover! SO HAPPY!
Thanks again, Lexie!!!
So… I’ve just noticed that the blog has reached 100 subscribers some time during the Summer Giveaway Hop. Woohoo! Thanks everyone! I would celebrate with a giveaway, but I already have two going on right now 
… but I’ll definitely keep this in mind for later this month. 
I was planning some things anyway, so… Yes.
“Stay”: A publication and a giveaway! (Yes, another one.)
First, I’d like to say hello and welcome to all of my new followers! I appreciate the follows, and the giveaway entries! If you’re just visiting for BlogFest 2011, that giveaway post is right here, or you can click on the button in the sidebar. But stick around, and you might win something else!
And for my less new followers, thanks for sticking with me for the whole… oh, month I’ve been here? Here’s to good times for all!
I’m writing because I have some great news today. As you may have noticed, I’m an aspiring writer. Well, today I had my first professional publication! I had to deal with first serial rights and everything! Ironically, though I’m emphasizing in fiction in my program, this is a creative nonfiction piece. It’s called “Stay,” and it’s “… about fidelity to one’s mother, but in her case the relationship is a bit more problematic, because her mother is one of those difficult people who flits in and out of our lives, but who ultimately must command our loyalty.”–A Note From Robert Clark Young – Creative Nonfiction Editor.
Go ahead and read the piece here at Connotation Press, if you’re so inclined. =) Clocking in at 2 pages on the website, it’s probably one of the shortest things I’ve ever written. But it means a lot to me. I hope you enjoy it and see why. And explore Connotation Press a bit. The Editor-in-Chief is a really great guy who took the time to talk to our class way back when we were just fledgeling MFA students. And they really do celebrate all forms of word art.
I’m looking forward to dissecting my writing process in another post, comparing the experience to writing fiction and other such ruminations.
Well, you might be able to tell I’m really excited about this! So, in celebration, I’ve decided to host another giveaway. And since this one’s so special, I’ll keep it going for three weeks–and it’s international!
Here’s what you’ll get:
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
Specials by Scott Westerfeld
Extras by Scott Westerfeld
Four, count them, four books by Scott Westerfeld. The whole Uglies series in paperback! Yes, I’m in a very good mood, thank you for asking. =)
Here be the rules:
-Must be over 13 years old.
-Giveaway is international, provided the US Postal Service ships to you. Here’s the link to make sure these guys ship to you. Or, if you know of a better alternative, I’m game.
-Giveaway ends on August 7, 2011 at 12:01 am PST. See, my fellow Westies have a whole extra minute! And you East Coasters can get in some late-night entries!
-Winner will be chosen by random.org.
I will send an email to the winner after the giveaway ends. The winner must respond within 72 hours or a new winner will be chosen.
As with my other giveaways, following is not necessary, but it gives you more entries, it’s nice, and you might just stumble upon more giveaways between my regular posts!
THE UGLIES SERIES GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED
In My Mailbox, forthwith known as Beg, Borrow, and Steal (001)
So I’ve been visiting quite a few of the amazing blogs out there that already cover books and reading (and a bit of writing), and I am ever so humbled. But I will use my growing knowledge to make my blog stronger! Grr! I noticed there are some neat weekly memes with creative ways to keep the attention on books. One that I really like is the In My Mailbox meme, hosted by The Story Siren, which showcases the books recently acquired through libraries, stores, or other means.
I really like the concept because, really, my eyes are too big for… my eyes (just go with it) and I often horde more books than I can read in a reasonable amount of time. I am not exaggerating in my description, I really am a slow reader. But I get too excited about so many titles, or I have to go on the holds list and then the books are delivered while I’m in the middle of reading other things, or I see books on sale and can’t resist the opportunity to pad my collection for less… You know how it goes. Some of these poor books collect dust for quite a while. And they deserve to see the light of day. Or be seen by it. Something.
Anyhow, I think I should get onto the books, shouldn’t I? Just a quick explanation of why I’ve decided to go with the “Beg, Borrow, & Steal” theme: Despite all the reasons why I shouldn’t take on anymore books… I do. I just love them. I love to get them any way I can. There isn’t any actual stealing going on, but given the generosity of strangers, sometimes I feel like a thief! I think that’s quite enough exposition. Here be the goods from the past week!
Begged:
Books I bought either because they were priced well, I had a coupon, or because I was absolutely desperate to have them.
Or some combination of the above.
eBooks:
Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
Spellbound: The Awakening of Aislin Collins by Margeaux Laurent
The Hunt by Jan Neuharth
Paper Books:
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
Heist Society by Ally Carter
Borrowed:
Final copies checked out from different libraries or ARCs on loan from my co-worker, The Children’s Librarian.
Final Copies:
Angel Burn by L. A. Weatherly
Hereafter by Tara Hudson
Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson
ARCs:
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Dead Is the New Black by Marlene Perez
Steals:
Free books or ARCs (and/or swag) won from contests or received for review.
The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
Release Date: 08/02/2011
Thanks to Caster Girls & Boys for the ARC and the bookmark!
Well. That is quite a bit of reading that needs to be done. Gee, I wonder who’s going to do it… *looks around*
That’s it for today! I’ve been signing up for giveaway hops and one of them starts this Friday! I’ll have goodies for readers into the YA scene (my kindred!) and I’ll also have other kinds of books as well (also my kindred!). I also have an announcement on Friday. And, of course, I’ll by writing up about my nook adventures in the meantime. Adieu!
