It’s a Writer’s World @ The Library

Summers at the library are filled with programs encouraging kids to read for fun and retain their reading and comprehension skills during the summer academic break. And a library wouldn’t really be a library without the authors who create the titles on our shelves and in our online platforms.

Writers are often strong supporters of libraries, frequently because libraries made a direct impact on their own lives. Below are a few examples of authors who have spoken or written about their love of libraries and gratitude for the people who work in them, and how these spaces helped set them on the path to becoming writers.

R. Eric Thomas

“My parents would take us to the library every week and they would let us borrow as many books as the library would allow which was 40. And then as I got older, I would go to the library myself and it was a sanctuary, a space of endless possibility and there’s so many ways I feel that different forces in the world will tell you that there are no possibilities for you or there are limited possibilities. Your outcomes aren’t great, you know, because of your zip code, your race, your sexual orientation, your gender, your life. And the fact that I could walk into this space and open up a book and discover characters who were living lives that were just like mine and characters who were so drastically different than mine and know that they promised an escape, they also promised another way out, another universe.”

Ursula Le Guin

“A library is a focal point, a sacred place to a community; and its sacredness is its accessibility, its publicness. It’s everybody’s place. I remember certain libraries, vividly and joyfully, as my libraries—elements of the best of my life.” (source: The Wave in the Mind)

Isaac Asimov

“I received the fundamentals of my education in school, but that was not enough. My real education, the super-structure, the details, the true architecture, I got out of the public library. For an impoverished child whose family could not afford to buy books, the library was the open door to wonder and achievement, and I can never be sufficiently grateful that I had the wit to charge through that door and make the most of it.” (source: I, Asimov: A Memoir)

Libraries are essential hubs for writers, offering free access to technology, research databases, quiet workspaces, and community programs like writing groups and author talks. They also give authors local platforms to showcase their work and connect directly with readers. Visit our website and check out Writer’s Resources to find tools that help you create, edit, format, generate your final book format, and share your work through BiblioBoard’s Indie Author Project and submit it to SJCPLS’ staff for possible inclusion in the library’s collection.

Here’s a quick review of the options!

• Create with Pressbooks Public: An easy-to-use online software that allows you to create professional-quality eBook and print-ready files of your book; no matter how far along you are! No coding or graphic design knowledge is needed! Public tutorials are available on the library website as well.
• Share your work through The Indie Author Project: Share your final product through BiblioBoard’s Indie Author Project program. Submit your book so it can be shared with patrons of participating libraries across our region!
• Discover other creative works on BiblioBoard Library: Enjoy digital books, images, videos, and more from your community and around the world! No holds or waitlists! All items are always available!
• Submit your book to SJCPLS’ collection: Congratulations on completing your book! You may submit a copy of your book by completing our Local Author Submission Form and taking the book and form to any local library branch or bookmobile.

So, let those creative ideas flow, follow the process outlined on our website, and share your stories with us today!

Our librarians can help patrons find their own stories in libraries—not only as readers, but also as writers. Stop into your local library or visit one of our bookmobiles today, and take advantage of the wonderful resources and programs we offer for writers of all ages!