Monday, March 22, 2010

Take The Challenge - The Library-Loving Blog Challenge

This is a library-loving blog challenge! Help me send my own hard-earned cash to my local library...and I'll tell you a story to get you going.

My grandmother was deaf from when she contracted scarlet fever at the age of 12 . As a result she read like a fiend. When she came to visit us my mom had to make a trip to the library every 3 days or so and pull another 10 books off the shelves for Grandma to read.

After a while, and after my mother had brought home books my Grandma had already read, my mom realized she needed a system. So there are books out there in my hometown public library, with a little pencil mark made by my mom in the inside back cover, a tiny K for Katherine, showing my Grandma had already read that book, so my mom wouldn't check it out again.

Libraries were a big part of my childhood, since I went almost every time my mom went and carried home my own big stack.

For every commenter on this post between now and midnight, March 27, I will donate $1.00 to my local library: College Station, Texas Public Library, up to an amount of $200.

How easy could it be? You comment, I cough up the money, the library gets a gift! If you don’t know what to say in your comment, “I love libraries” will do.

Note that my pledge is “per commenter”—so if a single person leaves 50 comments, that still only counts once! But you can do more by spreading the word ... please link to this post, tweet about it, and send your friends here so they can comment and raise more money. And you can comment on as many other blogs as you like that are also part of the challenge (find the list here.)

If you’re moved to make a flat-fee donation to your library, or to start your own challenge, you are quite welcome, and please leave that information in the comments.

For a complete list of participating bloggers (and to visit other sites where you can help libraries just by leaving a comment!) visit the writerjenn blog at http://writerjenn.livejournal.com/

67 comments:

Jennifer R. Hubbard said...

Thanks for joining in!

Jenn Hubbard

Anonymous said...

Good luck with your challenge!

Anonymous said...

What a lovely library!

jama said...

Love the story of the little "K"!
Thank you for doing this!

Unknown said...

Go Texas :)

Anonymous said...

This is really cool Janet! I haven't been to the library in forever; fault Netflix for this, and the WestWing...

Disgruntled Bear said...

Libraries!

Elissa said...

The library is my favorite place of all time!

Anonymous said...

I love libraries. All children need easy access to free books. Thanks.

Mollie said...

This is great! Most libraries are in dire straights right now! I know the Ohio libraries can use all the help they can get!

Michelle said...

Yay libraries! What a great idea - I'm going to join in!

Mikki

cleemckenzie said...

Great post. Great library.

Unknown said...

This is so awesome! Thanks for taking part!

Jennifer Rummel said...

libraries rock - thanks for supporting them

Anonymous said...

Great idea. I love libraries!

Margo Rowder said...

Thanks for participating in the challenge, Janet!
My library-supporting blog entry can be found here: http://bit.ly/ilovelibraries

Lisa Schroeder said...

Hooray for libraries - thanks for joining in!

My post can be found here:

http://lisa-schroeder.blogspot.com/2010/03/library-loving-blog-challenge.html

Best wishes,
Lisa

Nathan Bransford said...

Hooray for libraries!

Ashley @ Book Labyrinth said...

Libraries are the best! And so are you, for supporting them. =D

Shannon Morgan said...

Love libraries! Thanks, Janet!

Anonymous said...

“When people who can read and write start fighting on behalf of people who can’t, you just end up with another kind of stupidity. If you want to help them, build a big library or something somewhere, and leave the doors open.”~Terry Pratchett, Interesting Times.

Beth Mithen said...

I love libraries!

Sydney Salter said...

I love your grandma's secret code : ) What a great story--and a great cause too.

Taffy said...

Hi library-loving blogger! Love the 'k' story!
I wish my library was bigger so it could hold more books!

Here is my challenge:
http://taffyscandy.blogspot.com/2010/03/library-loving-blog-challenge.html

holly cupala said...

Oh, Janet! I love the K story - I have fond memories of our tiny library. I'm doing the challenge at my blog, too, Holly Cupala, Tell Me a Secret!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for helping your library! We need more people like you :-)

jeez said...

What a great idea!

Lara Zielin said...

Hi Janet! Good luck with your challenge!

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful story -

Judith Mercado said...

Thank you for loving libraries and good luck on your challenge.

Vonna said...

Good luck to the College Station, Texas Public Library!

Anonymous said...

Hooray for libraries!

coll

Unknown said...

Good luck with the challenge, Janet! I love your blog name :)

Tracy Loewer said...

I used to live in Bryan, so I'm especially happy to comment and support a place I've actually been to!

Deanna Gibbons said...

I love libraries! I start taking my kids from the time they are babies and we go almost every weekend!

Denise Jaden said...

Hooray for libraries!

Unknown said...

Yay for libraries! :-)

Lauren Bjorkman said...

I love libraries, too! I donate to mine sometimes :-)

Janet Fox said...

Thank you all for coming by - keep spreading the word!

Hugs to everyone!

Julie said...

What on earth would I do without a strong library system?? I can't even imagine. Thanks for being part of the blog challenge, Janet!

Unknown said...

Thanks for doing this. I'm thrilled to see how many people are participating! Libraries really need our support now during this tough economic climate. By the way, I really like your site. I also blog about Class of 2K10 writers on my website: ReflectiveRenewal.com

Kristi Valiant said...

What a neat story about your grandma reading every book in the library. I love our libraries. Thanks for doing this!

Becker said...

Thanks for supporting libraries!

Unknown said...

I have such prized library memories--the Children's room at the NY Public Library where I could greet the lions before going in each time; the wonderful old library in Troy, New York, where I read my way through many fascinating topics in the long, lazy summers. . . .

Brodie said...

Thanks for showing your support to libraries! This is such a great challenge, it's inspiring to see so many people take part :)

Jessica Lee Anderson said...

Lots of library love, and love to you, Janet! I'll be speaking at a conference when you speak at the Austin SCBWI meeting, and I'm so sad to miss you!

Ishta Mercurio said...

Every town, no matter how small, should have a library.

It's great that you're doing this. My library-loving post is at www.ishtamercurio.blogspot.com

Jessica Leader said...

Great story about your grandma and the pencilled K! Good luck with your challenge and your book, coming out so soon!

Becky said...

Thanks for supporting libraries!! I work at the Hinsdale Public Library, so I'll keep an eye out for penciled K's. :)

Heidi Rabinowitz said...

What a mitzvah! And the family story was sweet.

Anonymous said...

We love libraries!

Marge Loch-Wouters said...

Thanks so much for the support! We library folks sure appreciate it!

Janet Fox said...

I want to thank everyone again - this warms my heart.

And Becky - I'm thrilled - if you find one of Grandma's books (she loved mysteries) I'd love to know. I still come to Hinsdale from time to time so I'll stop by!

Please keep those comments coming - open for two more days!

hugs -

Marla Warren said...

I couldn’t live without libraries.

I'm participating in the library blog challenge, though I've gotten a bit of a late start:

Michael Crichton’s Recommended Reading – Library Promo

Anonymous said...

My grandmother loved libraries too--she always said that being a librarian would be the coolest job ever. Good luck with your challenge!

JR Van said...

I love libraries!

Brimful Curiosities said...

spreading some library love and happy to comment here.

Beverley BevenFlorez said...

Nice!

Unknown said...

Love the pencil marks in the library books story. I love hanging out in libraries! Great to find your blog, Janet. And all the best with your challenge!

MTeacress said...

Go libraries! I wish I would have known about this sooner. :)

Catch My Words said...

Thanks for supporting a library.

Heather @ Marine Corps Nomads said...

Thanks for supporting a library. We love books and libraries, so we're participating as well!

Anonymous said...

Love that story - thanks for doing this!

Sarah Blake Johnson said...

Thanks for your blog.
See you at VCFA in July.

Anonymous said...

Love the library, Janet!

Alix said...

Yay libraries!!

Janet Fox said...

Thank you ALL for stopping by and helping me raise money for the College Station Public Library!!

Including the comments made on my next post, they totaled 74 - a fantastic number.

You all rock! Hugs - Janet