There's a lot of talk these days about budget cuts having negative impacts on libraries. As an avid reader since childhood, the public library has been a part of my life since I turned six and applied for my first library card.
My husband and I find ourselves on opposing sides when it comes to libraries. He feels that computers and e-Reading devices have made libraries obsolete. My writing, however, has depended upon libraries in some ways. When I first began exploring writing as a career, I visited the library to browse through magazines I might want to write for. I've borrowed books to supplement online research or for times when I couldn't find the right information online.
Today, I snuck into the library for help with three of my current writing projects. Next month, I'll be pitching a couple of manuscripts at two different conferences. I searched the agencies online and wrote down some of their titles to read. Then I spent time browsing the Internet to find books that might compare to the ones I'll be pitching. I found most of the titles I was looking for, but had to request some assistance from our children's librarian, Elaine.
Not only did she help me find the books I didn't see on the shelf; she went down to the basement to find seasonal titles that were in storage, and when I shared my book ideas with her, she came up with other books that might be comparable. I left the library with a dozen books to browse through that will help me shape my pitches.
And that's why this writer loves her library!
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