November 5, 2024 • 12 mins
Looking to fill your library’s poetry section with more diverse, exciting reads? In this episode, learn the step-by-step process for suggesting poetry books to your local library. Your recommendations can bring indie authors and fresh voices into the spotlight—and make poetry more accessible to your community.
Visit thepoetrylab.com to find the Show Notes for this episode. The Poetry Lab Podcast is produced by Lori Walker and Danielle Mitchell. Hosted by Danielle Mitchell, Lori Walker, and bridgette bianca.
Theme song: "Simply Upbeat" by Christian Telford, Kenneth Edward Belcher, and Saki Furuya.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
(00:00):
If we can all agree that books are magic,
then libraries are the wizarding world.
But have you ever had the less than divine
experience of hunting out the poetry
section in your local library and finding it
totally lacking?
In this episode, we're going to lay out a
plan to help you fix this, my friends.
(00:20):
We will figure out how to suggest poetry
books to your local library.
Welcome to the Poetry Lab Podcast.
The Poetry Lab started 11 years ago to help
dedicated, self-taught, and formally
trained writers find a place in their
(00:42):
community to write,
read,
learn,
and collaborate.
We help writers tap into their craft with
radical self-compassion,
unlike anything you've ever seen in a
creative writing classroom before.
If you're a creative person trying to
establish a writing practice in the real world,
(01:02):
this podcast is designed to help you carve
out the time,
the courage,
and the inspiration to keep writing your
new shit.
Are you ready, poet?
Let's get into it.
Hello, my friends.
(01:24):
I'm Danielle, and I'm so happy you're here
with me today at the Poetry Lab podcast.
Today's topic is probably near and dear to
many of your hearts,
because as readers and writers,
libraries are so magical to us.
My favorite library is called the Armacost
Library, and it's at my alma mater at the
(01:44):
University of Redlands.
It's probably the only library I've ever
spent hours upon hours inside.
I studied there, hid there, wrote papers
and poetry there.
I've combed through the stacks enjoying the
book's smell.
I've dreamed of my future life as a writer there.
I've imagined all the worlds I'd travel.
(02:06):
My best friend and former college roommate and I
had
equally fond memories in this place.
We revisited just last fall for our 15-year
college reunion.
I know, cringe, right? 15 years.
And that's not the worst part.
The worst part is that we met some freshmen
during the reunion
who currently lived in our former freshman
(02:28):
year dorm. And
when they asked us what year we lived in
that dorm,
well,
when we said the year out loud, they all
made these
weird, funny faces.
We couldn't figure out why until we
realized that
It was literally the year they were born.
So
it was brutal.
But anyway,
I really do love that library and visiting
(02:50):
it again
just brought me back to
this time of my life when
the library held such power and such magic
because I wanted to be a writer
and the library was where all the books lived.
So let's get into how we can suggest your
local library carry more of the poetry
(03:12):
books you love and would love to read.
Libraries are one of the few places where
anyone can access literature for free,
but poetry sections often don't get the
love they deserve.
By suggesting poetry books, especially from
indie authors or diverse voices, you can
help build a more inclusive and rich
literary selection
(03:33):
for others to discover.
as well as books on the shelves for you to
read yourself.
When you request a book to your library,
you're actively helping to shape that
library's collection.
So here are some practical tips for how to
suggest poetry books.
The process for suggesting books can vary
from library to library.
(03:54):
Most of them have a system in place for
this exact purpose.
Here are some key tips for suggesting books
to your library:
First, check the catalog.
Before submitting a request, do a quick
search in the library's catalog to make
sure that they don't already have the book
or have it on order.
This can save you time and help you avoid
(04:15):
duplicate requests.
Next, you're gonna wanna gather the book's
information.
Most libraries will ask for the basic
details about the book that you're
suggesting.
Here's what you should have ready.
The full title of the book, the author's name,
year and month of publication,
and its ISBN number.
(04:35):
This is a unique number used to identify
the book.
You can usually find it on Goodreads, the
author's website, or if you Google the book,
it's also on the back of the book itself by
the barcode.
Some libraries may also ask for the
publisher's name and why you think this
book should be added to the collection,
so it wouldn't hurt to write down a few
sentences to answer that question before
(04:57):
you go into request.
Many libraries have a Suggest a Title or
Request a Purchase section on their
website.
For example, in Southern California, the
Los Angeles Public Library has a request
form you can fill out.
You just hover over the Services and
Programs section,
click on Ask a Librarian,
(05:18):
and you'll find a link to suggest a book.
Be ready to provide the title, author,
ISBN, and format you're looking for, print,
audio, or digital.
You can even get a few friends to submit
the same request to show there's community
interest.
That might be especially good to you if
your own book is out and you want to get it
on library shelves.
(05:40):
You can follow up with your library.
After you submit the request, you have to
be patient.
Libraries receive many suggestions and it
can take time to process them.
However, if you want to follow up, you can
always check with your local librarian
or periodically check the catalog to see if
the book has been added.
One of my main tips here is to be ready to
(06:01):
share why the book matters.
Some libraries might ask you why they
should purchase the book you're suggesting,
and I think it's wise of them to do so.
This is where you get to pitch the book.
You explain why it's a great fit for the
library's collection.
Whether it's locally relevant, it's a
diverse voice, or simply a book you think
would really resonate with the readers in
(06:23):
your community.
There are also programs that can help you
suggest books to your local library, such
as Zipbooks.
If you're in Southern California, some
libraries, like the Long Beach Public
Library,
have a program called Zipbooks,
Z-I-P Books,
where they'll order books from Amazon and
let you borrow them directly.
(06:44):
Once you've read the book, you donate it
back to the library and it becomes part of
their collection.
If your library doesn't have an easy
suggestion portal,
Or if you're looking for even more ways to help,
you can reach out directly to your
librarian.
In a perfect world, they'll be happy to
assist, even thrilled when you want to take
(07:04):
an active role in curating the library's
collection.
This may not, of course, always be true,
but let's hope that librarians are
the
Miss Frizzle of our hearts.
Libraries are community spaces.
And the hope is that librarians are
people among us who really want to see
their collections reflect the needs and
(07:26):
interests of the people they serve.
Why is it important for writers and poets
to take an active role in building better
poetry sections?
Well, poetry is often underrepresented in
library collections compared to more
popular genres like fiction or nonfiction.
Why?
(07:47):
For one reason, There's lower demand.
It's a smaller audience compared to other
genres.
According to sources like American
Libraries Magazine and the NEA,
only about 9.2% of US adults read poetry.
That was in 2022.
This lower readership results in less
demand for poetry books in libraries, where
(08:09):
collection decisions are often driven by
circulation statistics.
As a poet, you know that poetry goes beyond
the niche.
We were taught in school that it was either
silly or complicated,
but once you learn to think in poems,
the inner world of language opens wide to you.
And that's a feeling that we as poets are
(08:29):
always eager to share.
By helping your local library's poetry
collection get bigger,
you're not just supporting the authors you
love, you're creating more opportunities
for new readers to discover poetry.
Libraries are often a great place to
consider programming as well.
Does your local library have a room you
could rent out to teach a generative
(08:50):
writing workshop?
Is there a space where they could have a
poetry reading or an open mic?
Libraries are fun to collaborate with.
Just keep in mind, they often don't have
much of a budget,
so these events would need to be free or
donated.
Another way to contribute to your local
library is to donate poetry books of your own.
(09:10):
Many libraries will accept donations.
though they typically need to be in good
condition and relevant to the library's needs.
You can check if they have any special
programs where donated books are added to
their collection,
or they might sell them to help raise funds
for the library.
You might even consider taking a few copies
of your book to your local library and
(09:30):
seeing if they'll accept them as a
donation.
I would caution you, though, if your book
is a staple-bound chapbook, or if it is
self-published, they may not take it.
Before we finish up here today,
Let's think about how to find books to
suggest to your library.
If you're new to reading poetry or you
simply haven't been exploring widely yet,
(09:52):
no worries, I've got you covered.
I have a plan to help you find poetry books
that you could suggest. At
the Poetry Lab, we publish a new poetry
resource every week, and many of those
articles are packed full of poem examples,
book recommendations,
backstories, and even sometimes charming
connections to poets.
(10:12):
They're perfect resources to excavate to
find books that we could suggest to our
local library.
I'm going to talk about some of those
titles now.
You can go ahead to the show notes page for
this episode
to get links to explore them later.
First, Poetry Power Couples by Anne-Marie Wells.
This article highlights pairs of poets
whose work resonates not only on the page,
(10:33):
but also throughout their lives.
It's a pretty fun and unique way to
discover new poets to read and their books.
7 Secrets to Unlock the Beauty of Reading
Poetry Books by Kelsey Bryan Zwick is an
article full of ideas of how to read poetry
books, how to make poetry books more
engaging,
and which books to read.
So I highly recommend you checking it out.
(10:55):
Another article by Kelsey, 10 AAPI Poets to
Read This Year,
is full of suggestions for Asian American
and Pacific Islander poets.
Definitely a list of must reads.
Five Contemporary Latina and Chicana Poets
Who Remind Me I'm a Poet of Two by Marilyn
Ramirez shares a heartfelt collection of
Latina and Chicana poets who have deeply
(11:17):
influenced her identity as a writer.
Next, the poet I fell in love with this
year, Kristen O'Keefe Abdowitz.
This is by our fellow podcast host Laurie
Walker,
and it's a love letter to Kristen O'Keefe
Abdowitz's work.
I highly recommend this poet.
She has many books to choose from, and she
is one of the funniest writers I have ever
read on the page.
(11:38):
And finally, another selection from our
podcasting team.
Bridgette Bianca recently did an episode
called Sing a Black Girl's Song, Five Books
by Black Women Poets You Should Know.
And I highly recommend every single book
that she pointed to in that episode.
They would be perfect to recommend to your
local library if they aren't there already.
(12:00):
So next time you're browsing your local
library shelves and notice the poetry
section could use some love,
remember you have the power to do something
about it.
Libraries thrive on their community's
involvement.
And by suggesting books, you're not only
supporting the poets and authors you love,
but you're helping out folks in your
community by making those poetry books more
(12:21):
accessible to them.
Thank you so much for joining me for this
episode of the Poetry Lab Podcast.
Please like and subscribe wherever you're
listening now, and don't be afraid to join
us soon at the Poetry Lab.
I would be happy to see you there.
I'm Danielle.
You can find me on Instagram @imaginarydani
or follow up with me at thepoetrylab.com.
(12:42):
That's all for now.
I hope to see you soon at the Poetry Lab.
(00:00):
If we can all agree that books are magic,
then libraries are the wizarding world.
But have you ever had the less than divine
experience of hunting out the poetry
section in your local library and finding it
totally lacking?
In this episode, we're going to lay out a
plan to help you fix this, my friends.
(00:20):
We will figure out how to suggest poetry
books to your local library.
Welcome to the Poetry Lab Podcast.
The Poetry Lab started 11 years ago to help
dedicated, self-taught, and formally
trained writers find a place in their
(00:42):
community to write,
read,
learn,
and collaborate.
We help writers tap into their craft with
radical self-compassion,
unlike anything you've ever seen in a
creative writing classroom before.
If you're a creative person trying to
establish a writing practice in the real world,
(01:02):
this podcast is designed to help you carve
out the time,
the courage,
and the inspiration to keep writing your
new shit.
Are you ready, poet?
Let's get into it.
Hello, my friends.
(01:24):
I'm Danielle, and I'm so happy you're here
with me today at the Poetry Lab podcast.
Today's topic is probably near and dear to
many of your hearts,
because as readers and writers,
libraries are so magical to us.
My favorite library is called the Armacost
Library, and it's at my alma mater at the
(01:44):
University of Redlands.
It's probably the only library I've ever
spent hours upon hours inside.
I studied there, hid there, wrote papers
and poetry there.
I've combed through the stacks enjoying the
book's smell.
I've dreamed of my future life as a writer there.
I've imagined all the worlds I'd travel.
(02:06):
My best friend and former college roommate and I
had
equally fond memories in this place.
We revisited just last fall for our 15-year
college reunion.
I know, cringe, right? 15 years.
And that's not the worst part.
The worst part is that we met some freshmen
during the reunion
who currently lived in our former freshman
(02:28):
year dorm. And
when they asked us what year we lived in
that dorm,
well,
when we said the year out loud, they all
made these
weird, funny faces.
We couldn't figure out why until we
realized that
It was literally the year they were born.
So
it was brutal.
But anyway,
I really do love that library and visiting
(02:50):
it again
just brought me back to
this time of my life when
the library held such power and such magic
because I wanted to be a writer
and the library was where all the books lived.
So let's get into how we can suggest your
local library carry more of the poetry
(03:12):
books you love and would love to read.
Libraries are one of the few places where
anyone can access literature for free,
but poetry sections often don't get the
love they deserve.
By suggesting poetry books, especially from
indie authors or diverse voices, you can
help build a more inclusive and rich
literary selection
(03:33):
for others to discover.
as well as books on the shelves for you to
read yourself.
When you request a book to your library,
you're actively helping to shape that
library's collection.
So here are some practical tips for how to
suggest poetry books.
The process for suggesting books can vary
from library to library.
(03:54):
Most of them have a system in place for
this exact purpose.
Here are some key tips for suggesting books
to your library:
First, check the catalog.
Before submitting a request, do a quick
search in the library's catalog to make
sure that they don't already have the book
or have it on order.
This can save you time and help you avoid
(04:15):
duplicate requests.
Next, you're gonna wanna gather the book's
information.
Most libraries will ask for the basic
details about the book that you're
suggesting.
Here's what you should have ready.
The full title of the book, the author's name,
year and month of publication,
and its ISBN number.
(04:35):
This is a unique number used to identify
the book.
You can usually find it on Goodreads, the
author's website, or if you Google the book,
it's also on the back of the book itself by
the barcode.
Some libraries may also ask for the
publisher's name and why you think this
book should be added to the collection,
so it wouldn't hurt to write down a few
sentences to answer that question before
(04:57):
you go into request.
Many libraries have a Suggest a Title or
Request a Purchase section on their
website.
For example, in Southern California, the
Los Angeles Public Library has a request
form you can fill out.
You just hover over the Services and
Programs section,
click on Ask a Librarian,
(05:18):
and you'll find a link to suggest a book.
Be ready to provide the title, author,
ISBN, and format you're looking for, print,
audio, or digital.
You can even get a few friends to submit
the same request to show there's community
interest.
That might be especially good to you if
your own book is out and you want to get it
on library shelves.
(05:40):
You can follow up with your library.
After you submit the request, you have to
be patient.
Libraries receive many suggestions and it
can take time to process them.
However, if you want to follow up, you can
always check with your local librarian
or periodically check the catalog to see if
the book has been added.
One of my main tips here is to be ready to
(06:01):
share why the book matters.
Some libraries might ask you why they
should purchase the book you're suggesting,
and I think it's wise of them to do so.
This is where you get to pitch the book.
You explain why it's a great fit for the
library's collection.
Whether it's locally relevant, it's a
diverse voice, or simply a book you think
would really resonate with the readers in
(06:23):
your community.
There are also programs that can help you
suggest books to your local library, such
as Zipbooks.
If you're in Southern California, some
libraries, like the Long Beach Public
Library,
have a program called Zipbooks,
Z-I-P Books,
where they'll order books from Amazon and
let you borrow them directly.
(06:44):
Once you've read the book, you donate it
back to the library and it becomes part of
their collection.
If your library doesn't have an easy
suggestion portal,
Or if you're looking for even more ways to help,
you can reach out directly to your
librarian.
In a perfect world, they'll be happy to
assist, even thrilled when you want to take
(07:04):
an active role in curating the library's
collection.
This may not, of course, always be true,
but let's hope that librarians are
the
Miss Frizzle of our hearts.
Libraries are community spaces.
And the hope is that librarians are
people among us who really want to see
their collections reflect the needs and
(07:26):
interests of the people they serve.
Why is it important for writers and poets
to take an active role in building better
poetry sections?
Well, poetry is often underrepresented in
library collections compared to more
popular genres like fiction or nonfiction.
Why?
(07:47):
For one reason, There's lower demand.
It's a smaller audience compared to other
genres.
According to sources like American
Libraries Magazine and the NEA,
only about 9.2% of US adults read poetry.
That was in 2022.
This lower readership results in less
demand for poetry books in libraries, where
(08:09):
collection decisions are often driven by
circulation statistics.
As a poet, you know that poetry goes beyond
the niche.
We were taught in school that it was either
silly or complicated,
but once you learn to think in poems,
the inner world of language opens wide to you.
And that's a feeling that we as poets are
(08:29):
always eager to share.
By helping your local library's poetry
collection get bigger,
you're not just supporting the authors you
love, you're creating more opportunities
for new readers to discover poetry.
Libraries are often a great place to
consider programming as well.
Does your local library have a room you
could rent out to teach a generative
(08:50):
writing workshop?
Is there a space where they could have a
poetry reading or an open mic?
Libraries are fun to collaborate with.
Just keep in mind, they often don't have
much of a budget,
so these events would need to be free or
donated.
Another way to contribute to your local
library is to donate poetry books of your own.
(09:10):
Many libraries will accept donations.
though they typically need to be in good
condition and relevant to the library's needs.
You can check if they have any special
programs where donated books are added to
their collection,
or they might sell them to help raise funds
for the library.
You might even consider taking a few copies
of your book to your local library and
(09:30):
seeing if they'll accept them as a
donation.
I would caution you, though, if your book
is a staple-bound chapbook, or if it is
self-published, they may not take it.
Before we finish up here today,
Let's think about how to find books to
suggest to your library.
If you're new to reading poetry or you
simply haven't been exploring widely yet,
(09:52):
no worries, I've got you covered.
I have a plan to help you find poetry books
that you could suggest. At
the Poetry Lab, we publish a new poetry
resource every week, and many of those
articles are packed full of poem examples,
book recommendations,
backstories, and even sometimes charming
connections to poets.
(10:12):
They're perfect resources to excavate to
find books that we could suggest to our
local library.
I'm going to talk about some of those
titles now.
You can go ahead to the show notes page for
this episode
to get links to explore them later.
First, Poetry Power Couples by Anne-Marie Wells.
This article highlights pairs of poets
whose work resonates not only on the page,
(10:33):
but also throughout their lives.
It's a pretty fun and unique way to
discover new poets to read and their books.
7 Secrets to Unlock the Beauty of Reading
Poetry Books by Kelsey Bryan Zwick is an
article full of ideas of how to read poetry
books, how to make poetry books more
engaging,
and which books to read.
So I highly recommend you checking it out.
(10:55):
Another article by Kelsey, 10 AAPI Poets to
Read This Year,
is full of suggestions for Asian American
and Pacific Islander poets.
Definitely a list of must reads.
Five Contemporary Latina and Chicana Poets
Who Remind Me I'm a Poet of Two by Marilyn
Ramirez shares a heartfelt collection of
Latina and Chicana poets who have deeply
(11:17):
influenced her identity as a writer.
Next, the poet I fell in love with this
year, Kristen O'Keefe Abdowitz.
This is by our fellow podcast host Laurie
Walker,
and it's a love letter to Kristen O'Keefe
Abdowitz's work.
I highly recommend this poet.
She has many books to choose from, and she
is one of the funniest writers I have ever
read on the page.
(11:38):
And finally, another selection from our
podcasting team.
Bridgette Bianca recently did an episode
called Sing a Black Girl's Song, Five Books
by Black Women Poets You Should Know.
And I highly recommend every single book
that she pointed to in that episode.
They would be perfect to recommend to your
local library if they aren't there already.
(12:00):
So next time you're browsing your local
library shelves and notice the poetry
section could use some love,
remember you have the power to do something
about it.
Libraries thrive on their community's
involvement.
And by suggesting books, you're not only
supporting the poets and authors you love,
but you're helping out folks in your
community by making those poetry books more
(12:21):
accessible to them.
Thank you so much for joining me for this
episode of the Poetry Lab Podcast.
Please like and subscribe wherever you're
listening now, and don't be afraid to join
us soon at the Poetry Lab.
I would be happy to see you there.
I'm Danielle.
You can find me on Instagram @imaginarydani
or follow up with me at thepoetrylab.com.
(12:42):
That's all for now.
I hope to see you soon at the Poetry Lab.
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