Community Authors Showcase: Library Promotes Local Authors With “Self-Serve” Events

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2017

The Henrico Community Author Showcase is a public library program which allows local authors to present and promote their books and discuss and connect with other writers and readers in the community at a Henrico County Public Library (HCPL). A unique feature of this program is that it operates as “self-serve.” The program allows local authors to sign-up and share their books during a 90-minute evening time slot at an area library. Authors can read, discuss their writing process, sell, sign, and promote their book. The program enables authors to donate a copy of their book to the library’s collection for checkout and to make an optional donation to the Friends of the Henrico County Public Library. The program is mutually beneficial to authors and libraries. Local authors are happily accommodated and achieve their goals for promoting their books at libraries. Library staff can welcome local authors instead of denying their requests as was done in the past. As a partner, the Friends of the Library receive monetary donations through a new revenue stream. Meeting room and library use increase. Free books are added to the library’s collection. Attendees and authors become more engaged at the library and build a community of writers and readers. The Henrico Community Author Showcase meets all three key points of the library’s mission via this program: promoting reading, connecting people with the information they need, and enriching community life.