Latest Entries »

We did it! EPLF SAVES its libraries!

Filed under: Otherwise by margocole — 7 Comments
June 28, 2010

Yo, Evanstonians: Please shop at Whole Foods on Wednesday, June 30th. Both Whole Foods Evanston locations will donate 5% of ALL PURCHASES to support Evanston Public Libraries.

Last night, I attended another city council meeting to support Evanston Public Library Friends. As a special order of business, Lori Keenan, the group’s VP, reported on fundraising progress toward keeping Evanston, IL branch libraries open until March 2011. (Here’s my initial take.)

I arrived well-fed and watered, ready for the long haul (unlike last time, ahem).

EPLF VP Lori Keenan (left) and EPLF homegirl Alderman Wynne

These city guys don’t quit. They really, seriously don’t. At least three aldermen slowed the show by: 1) Pre-debating the EPLF report; 2) Asking a city task-force leader before the report to confirm the facts in the report; 3) Motioning that tonight’s presentation be called a “status” report rather than an interim report. Yeah. And I was late to the party. Who knows what beauro-fun I missed?!

Meanwhile, many other Aldermen asked that we move on to the report itself. Wowee!

When EPLF VP Lori Keenan finally got the floor, she summarized the original fundraising challenge laid out four months ago: 1) Raise $160,000 during a recession; 2) Explore outreach to the west side; 3) Develop a sustainable funding plan for Evanston, IL libraries.

Lori then hurtled for the jugular – the question on everyone’s mind (and out of Ald. Rainey’s mouth prematurely):

The EPLF exceeded its fundraising goal. Not in the year they’d asked for. Not in the six months they were given. No – in four months.

Best line of the night: Could you library people please be quiet?

I can’t say I’m surprised. The energy of this group astounds me, as I’ve said, but witnessing the show of outside reaction opened my eyes.

Call me naive; I was surprised by the indifference (and general poo-ooing) from some aldermen to the EPLF’s extraordinary groundswell of support. Ald. Burrus (one of two aldermanic poo-poo’ers) actually complained that FoIA (the Freedom of Information Act) allowed the EPLF to use information a little too freely. Rrrhuh?

No bother. All other aldermen – especially Alds. Wynne and Wilson – and Mayor Tisdahl expressed awe and pleased surprise in EPLF’s swift accomplishments.

Before moving on to the next agenda item, Alderman Wilson moved that the council commit to keeping branch libraries open until March 2011, as long as EPLF provides the agreed funds by the August 1 deadline. Said motion was passed.

Libraries. Are. GO!

On our way out of the meeting room, I believe it was Mayor Tisdahl who said, “Could the Library Friends please be quiet?” Ahh, irony.

A word from Lori Keenan

While EPLF was the catalyst, we all recognize that our success in the last four months is because the citizens of Evanston believe in and support the library.

This is just the beginning… We want to thank the citizens of Evanston for showing us a source of revenue and volunteers that many did not realize existed.

Thank you for this opportunity and for helping all of us see the potential.

Thank you for your tireless dedication, Lori. Time away from your family (and other EPL Friends’ time away from theirs) has meant six more months of branch libraries for Evanston. Now, get some sleep! P.S.: Lori, I will accept the title of “EPLF’s Favorite Blogger.” Shall I craft a crown and scepter?

Report Highlights

  • Last month’s Armchair Auction attracted item donations from bestselling authors Audrey Niffenegger and Scott Turow (among over 300 items) and raised over $34,000. (Some of my very own heroic friends donated their wares to raise a lot of library love!)
  • More than 170 local businesses are participating in the Windowbooks Awareness campaign.
  • EPLF’s first donor request letters went out last week. Donations in the mailbox this week totaled over $18,000. And support has come from as far as New Zealand.
  • The EPLF raised more than $171,000, with over $125,000 from individual donations, and another $50,000 in donations from the Library Board.
  • Evanston’s Mayor Tisdahl herself is an EPLF member.
  • More than a dozen grant-writers are interested in helping EPLF secure sustainable funding sources.

If you haven’t yet, please consider supporting the EPLF.
Libraries mean so much more than books. And books mean the world!

Add to: Facebook | Digg | Del.icio.us | Stumbleupon | Reddit | Blinklist | Twitter | Technorati | Yahoo Buzz | Newsvine

Tags: , ,
Comment

WRITEONCON! August 10!

Filed under: I write, Meeting Authors by margocole — 3 Comments
June 24, 2010

Wow, ALL-CAP title with two exclamation points. I must be excited. [I AM!]

WriteOnCon is a brand new conference for children’s writers, taking place August 10-12, 2010.
Twist: It’s all online!

WriteOnCon has every mark of a great writer’s conference, including:

  • Keynote addresses
  • Agent panels
  • Lectures (“attend” the above using blogs, vlogs, chats, webinars, podcasts, and livestreaming)
  • A critique forum (For feedback from peers and industry pros on query letters and first pages)
  • Many chances to hang with other writers and LEARN a TON

Yes, Margo, but how is WriteOnCon different from other conferences?
Well… it’s:

  • FREE!
  • All-online (Go ahead, hang out in your PJs, or skivvies. That’s the beauty part: it’s your choice!)
  • Taking place outside of working hours
  • Full of daily giveways: everything from books to personalized critiques from agents

Who’s behind all this fabulosity, Margo?

Unofficially (and now officially) they are the Spectacular Six: writers Jamie Harrington, Elana Johnson, Casey McCormick, Shannon Messenger, Lisa and Laura Roecker, and Jen Stayrook. Somehow the Spectacular Six are actually seven people. Hey, they can make whatever rules they’d like.
They’re Just. That. Spectacular! (Jamie, that sentence is for you.)

Industry professionals agree: Feast your eyes on WriteOnCon’s list of presenters – including Catherine Drayton, Stephen Malk, Michelle Andelman, Suzie Townsend, PJ Hoover, Mark McVeigh, Joanna Stampfel-Volpe, Kathleen Ortiz, Lindsay Eland, Dan Ehrenhaft, Mandy Hubbard, Lindsey Leavitt, Josh Berk, Anica Rissi, Jodi Meadows, Daisy Whitney – and more as they come.

But, Margo, why would they do such a thing?

I’ll let Jamie Harrington answer that one. She’s a writer herself, after all:

We really do just want to pay forward all the help and good fortune we’ve all received. Without the internet, and the amazing community, none of us would be where we are today–so that’s why we want to make writeoncon a huge success.
(See Jamie’s original post.)

Thanks, guys. You seriously rock! And – I’m so there.

Registration opens next Thursday, July 1!
Check the WriteOnCon site to get on board.

You can also follow WriteOnCon on Twitter and Facebook.
More questions? Please leave a comment below.
Better yet, tell me: Who will you wear? (I’m thinking Joe Boxer.)

Add to: Facebook | Digg | Del.icio.us | Stumbleupon | Reddit | Blinklist | Twitter | Technorati | Yahoo Buzz | Newsvine

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Libraries’ Armchair Auction: AMAZING

Filed under: Meeting Authors, Otherwise, SCBWI by margocole — 8 Comments
June 3, 2010

I want to extend the warmest of thanks to everyone involved with the Evanston, IL Public Library Friends‘ Armchair Auction.

All I had to do was ask – and my heroes, Adam Selzer, James Kennedy, Claire Zulkey, Jodi MacArthur, Trina Sotira, Cynthea Liu, and Beverly Patt contributed fabulous auction prizes. (Jodi asked Ms. Karen Schindler to donate – pyramid scheming at its finest.) Their items raised $500. And, they just rock.

But even they would agree: the best heroes of the day were the ones clicking, bidding and winning from those armchairs, snatching up 300+ items among 30 categories, from Memorabilia to Health & Fitness… to Author Outings of “hilarity and literarity.”

The success astounds.

Organizers have informed me the auction raised over $34,000 for Evanston Libraries.

Taken with their fundraising efforts thus far, the EPLF has raised well over half of their $200,000 goal to keep Evanston’s North and South branches open. (Click here and here for the big-pic sitch.)
Your support is greatly appreciated.

Lori Keenan, VP of Evanston Public Library Friends (and another of my heroes), shared her thoughts with me this morning:

Overall, it was an amazing effort by an incredibly talented and creative team. From development of the auction name and logo, right down to the final bid, they were a model of organization and enthusiasm. We are extremely grateful, and the money raised by the auction will go a long way in supporting our efforts to keep the libraries open. Everyone involved can feel great in knowing they helped to make a real difference.

If you haven’t yet, please consider supporting the EPLF.
Libraries mean so much more than books. And books mean the world!

Add to: Facebook | Digg | Del.icio.us | Stumbleupon | Reddit | Blinklist | Twitter | Technorati | Yahoo Buzz | Newsvine

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

How to Make Klomparens a Bestseller

Filed under: Meeting Authors by margocole — 3 Comments
May 28, 2010

Author Catherine McKenzie is one in a million.

Even though (or perhaps, because) her own book SPIN debuted last year at #15 on The Globe and Mail Canadian Bestsellers list, she has devoted much of the last three weeks promoting another author.

So, you see: one in a million. But to Facebook, she’s more like one in 400 million.

Catherine launched the Facebook group “I bet we can make these books best sellers” 18 days ago, in an attempt to set ablaze the “Author Effect.” At regular intervals, Catherine will promote an author whose work she feels deserves an exposure boost. And Facebook, a venue of 400 million active users, isn’t a bad place to start. Versus a single-click phenomenon like the Betty White/SNL campaign, “Bet we can make best sellers” requests that new members buy and discuss the author’s work. This makes for a deeper engagement with the work, the author, and the positive intent behind such a community. As of this post, 516 people have joined.

Wyoming author Shawn Klomparens wrote the first books featured on the group’s page: JESSICA Z. and TWO YEARS, NO RAIN. When I first heard of the Facebook group, all I’d read were snippets of Shawn’s work on Goodreads. Impressive snippets. But, I wanted to wait on sharing my take until I’d fully read JESSICA Z.

[sigh]

I’m certain I’m not the first to say Shawn’s work doesn’t feel written, it feels told. Lived.

JESSICA Z. is a departure from the young-adult reading and research I normally do. Where YA characters may obsess over just what sex is or could be, Shawn’s characters are having it (gasp!). Beyond that, good lit is universal. Shawn’s unique perspective closely revolves around my favorite part of any story: characters. Relationships. I’d describe Jessica as coming-of-age, honestly, something that can totally happen when you’re a 28-year-old, city-dwelling, redheaded Copywriter… qualities I share, plus a few years. Ahem.

As for Shawn’s world-building in JESSICA Z., I am a fan. Details, subtle and not-so-subtle, weave into the plot as they would from any well-constructed contemporary setting. This one just happens to include near-daily terror threats. “Seamless” may be an unfortunate descriptor, but the environment makes sense. It underlines and gives dimension to the characters and story; it doesn’t overpower.

Aside from all this, I almost can’t believe that JESSICA Z., this strong, first-person present voice – a woman’s voice – comes from a dude who lives in the mountains. What? Okay, sure, let’s give him that. He does it. But he does it well. A unique sort of tension arises from his gift with dialogue, a real-time quality you don’t notice until you’re reading and reading and almost miss an appointment or a train. His paragraph breaks can speak volumes. Page 244 brought tears to my eyes on a landing airplane. I will never look at sand the same way again, or maps. And I did a happy dance this morning about moving on to his second book, TWO YEARS, NO RAIN.

Thank you, Catherine, for spreading the word about Shawn’s wonderful work.

Join the group, and read the books – you won’t be sorry.

Visit Shawn Klomparens on Facebook or on Twitter at @sklompar.
Catherine McKenzie’s Twitter handle is @CEMcKenzie1.

Add to: Facebook | Digg | Del.icio.us | Stumbleupon | Reddit | Blinklist | Twitter | Technorati | Yahoo Buzz | Newsvine

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment