Dear Librarians and SinC Members, November is my favorite month. It is chilly, dark, and gloomy outside. For me, this is perfect weather for reading or settling back and listening to my favorite audiobook. I just listened to True Grit, narrated by Donna Tartt, who managed to voice the crusty old gunslinger, Rooster Cockburn, as effectively as she rendered the twelve-year-old protagonist, Mattie Ross. Youth Services librarian, Anna Pauls, who submitted the winning application for the We Love Libraries award for June, reflects in her piece below on how Playaways help children learn to read. The library used the grant money to grow its collection of Playaways that are so popular with children and families. I am sure that the stories that the families and kids listen to on the library’s new Playaways will stay with them. Novels that I listen to rather than read seem to stay with me longer. The hilarious lines of dialogue from True Grit are fresh in my mind. I wish I could pull them off with the same panache as Donna Tartt. |
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On Winning the We Love Libraries Grant by Anna Pauls Audiobooks are excellent for readers of all ages, but especially so for young readers who learn better by listening. However, many families no longer have CD players and most of my children's audiobooks are CDs. The MP3 player format of Playaways makes audiobooks more accessible; all you need is a pair of headphones to plug into the player! Playaways are more expensive than CD audiobooks, though, so my budget doesn't go as far. When I learned about the Sisters in Crime We Love Libraries grant, I knew it was a great opportunity for my library. The application process was easier than other grant applications I completed in the past, and it was good for three years. Why not apply? I filled out the application, took a picture with my co-worker, three SinC authors' books, and the donations we received for our period products drive in March 2021, and sent it in. I figured there was a good chance I'd hear back within three years. Imagine my surprise when I learned my library was the June 2021 We Love Libraries award winner! I was excited for two reasons: my library could upgrade more titles from CDs to Playaways and this was the first grant I won! With the grant funds, I was able to upgrade eleven audiobooks in my children's collection. Our families love our Playaway titles. One young reader comes in regularly to see what Playaways are on the shelf that he hasn't heard yet. Other families pair the audiobook with the print book for their readers to improve reading comprehension and language skills. As a matter of fact, as I'm writing this piece at my reference desk, one young patron is checking out a stack of Playaways at our self-checkout station. I am very thankful to have won this award because I can already see what a difference it has made for young readers in my community. Anna Pauls is the Youth Services Manager at Flossmoor Public Library in Flossmoor, IL. She knew she was meant to be a librarian since her first job as a page in 2005. She earned her MLIS from Dominican University in River Forest, IL, in 2013 and has been helping readers find stories they enjoy ever since. In her spare time, Anna enjoys baking, crafting, and reading to her niece and nephew. |
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How Can Your Library Win a “We Love Libraries” Grant? Does your library need materials? Do you have a great idea for a library program? Apply for the We Love Libraries award! Find grant details and the brief grant application on our website. A WLL winner of $500 is selected every other month. |
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To find out more about all SinC offers, including live webinars, please visit our website. Thank you for all you do for your communities. Sisters in Crime loves libraries! Happy reading, Susan Hammerman Susan Hammerman, a former rare book librarian, is the Library Liaison and coordinator of the We Love Libraries program. Susan writes crime and neo-noir short stories. Her stories have been published by Mystery Magazine, Dark City Mystery Magazine, Blood and Bourbon, and Mondays are Murder. |
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Sisters in Crime hosts LIVE webinars each month. Webinars last 60-90 minutes depending on the topic and the audience questions! These webinars are open to all. |
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Here's a spreadsheet with our members' 2021 books. This month's releases are in a separate worksheet. Sort the spreadsheet by author name, location, title, or release date. |
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Looking for diverse books? For many years, SINC has curated Frankie’s List, an extensive list of crime novels by people of color and other marginalized groups. Frankie Y. Bailey, building on work by the late Eleanor Taylor Bland, began to compile a list of published Black crime writers over a decade ago. Frankie has expanded the list to include other WOC and LGBTQ+ authors. Here’s a link: https://www.sistersincrime.org/page/FrankiesList |
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Sisters in Crime is the premier crime writing association focused on equity and inclusion in our community and in publishing. Our 4,500+ members enjoy access to tools to help them learn, grow, improve, thrive, and reinvent if necessary. They also gain a community of supportive fellow writers and readers, both peers to share the peaks and valleys of writing, and mentors to model the way forward. |
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