Get ready for the new school year with the Sora checklist – including new features, a Back-to-School Sale preview, trainings and more! On a personal level, the idea of library work having a draw for budding authors makes sense. As a writer myself, I have worked in libraries both public and academic in the past, and recently returned to working in my local library, a job I already love. I know several other authors who work as librarians or library assistants, and who, like the authors in Hershberger’s article, see a strong link between their writing and their library role. I spoke to some of these authors about why writers are drawn to library work, beyond a love of books and the decision to pursue a day job that reflects that interest, and found that there are several major reasons why authors might spend a good chunk of their non-writing career working in libraries. Steffi Gardner, author of Life With Harry, agrees. “Working in a library environment often gives a writer an insight into people’s characters, including how they react with others on their good days and off days!,” she told me in our conversation. “As a result of this, sometimes you can give one of your characters an added dimension…I love writing for children; I like them to feel part of the story, so their thoughts about characters, situations, etc. are important to me. Working in a library is a privilege and has certainly impacted on my work and thoughts.” The importance of this interaction with teens was also noted by Monica Zepeda, who told Herschberger, “Working in a library allows me to keep track of trends and what’s popular in YA…I get to know what teens are into and what’s no longer cool. I get to see their dynamics when they interact with each other.” While academic libraries are obviously important centres for specialist research, public libraries can also be crucial research tools for authors, and working for one can put a writer in an even better position for research. My library workplace is small, but has its own dedicated section for local history, a great resource for a budding author playing around with a fantasy story that draws from her real-world community. Being able to scour the library catalogue for books I might need and order them in has also already been a huge boost to my writing. Susan Brownrigg, author of historical children’s fiction including Gracie Fairshaw and the Mysterious Guest, had a similar perspective. ‘The two jobs work really well together,” she told me, when we spoke about her writing and library work. “I am really spoiled in that I get to see all the new books that come in…I also get to see which books are requested and taken out — Wimpy Kid, Dogman, and Heartstopper have been definite favourites over recent months…Factual books remain popular with young library visitors, and it has been great to see more diverse titles being borrowed as well as the usual space and dinosaur books.” These advantages, plus the bookish environment itself, mean it’s unsurprising that writers are drawn to library work. Hopefully, this is something that can continue — although with cuts to library services, and increasing far-right attacks on libraries running inclusive events, the future for libraries and the people who work for them is looking difficult. The commitment of many authors and author organisations to supporting libraries is understandable, and as writers, readers, and employees, the connection between authors and libraries is set to endure. Nicol also cited flexibility as a bonus of library work in his discussion with me: “The practical aspect is that it has offered the opportunity for me to work flexibly to different degrees so that I can also write and do my job as an author too.” Brownrigg found a similar flexibility in her library work: “One of the reasons I switched careers from heritage education to libraries in summer 2021, was that I wanted to reduce my hours. I hoped going part time would mean I could schedule author visits and have more time for writing, while still having a regular income — and that has happily been the case.” For a look at how libraries can play a role in comics events, check out How to Run a Successful ComiCon in Your Library. For a look at how library work can help on a personal level, read It’s All in the Cards: How Organising my Library is Helping my Brain.
