Long Live the Library!

So I had my meeting with Dave Pauli today, the Head Reference Librarian for the Main Hillsboro Library in Shute Park up Brookwood Avenue near the airport (for you locals).

First of all, this is a brand new library, just recently built, and in fact, it had it's grand opening ceremony back in May, if I'm not mistaken. This library RULZ! Wow. Murals on the walls, cool-colored carpet, heck, even a little section where you can buy coffee and muffins and sit down to eat. Yuppie library, I suppose. But still awesome. :P

I walk through the door with my children in tow, thinking I guess I'll just go up to the front desk and ask for the guy. We didn't exactly make "plans" on how to meet. But before I can wander through the foyer, an older gentleman asks me, "Are you Rebecca?"

Musta been the kids. LOL I told him I had a pack of 'em.

So we go off into the children's section and sit in a large "reading room" where they have their story time for the children. It's got two glass walls and that's pretty much it, butted up against their storage closet. Dave reaches into the closet and pulls out two chairs to sit on. All righty. Except the chair he gives to me is some weird, retro '60's throwback with a rounded seat and back, resembling more of a "cup" than a "chair". I sit in it feeling like I'm going to slide out of it at any given moment. At one point, I sat up to adjust my position, and the chair makes this loud "Poah" sound.

Dear Gawd, I hope the guy knows that was the CHAIR. Honestly. It was!!!

Anyhow, to make a long story short, I'm going to do my presentation in April of 2008. He had the fall all booked up with "other" local authors (I should have asked him who). I actually chose April because my book THE WOLVERINE AND THE JEWEL will be in print by then (March 25, 2008, my anniversary! :D). That, and I know all three B*E*A*S*T* books will be in print by that time.

He's also talking about doing a book signing at the event (SCORE), however, it's a little hazy about whether *I* have to supply these book copies or if the library orders them. He kept telling me they'll "take care of me" for the presentation, that they'll have everything I'll need all ready to go, but he never specifically mentioned the library ordering the books directly. He did tell me that I'll have to take care of the payments, whether I want to accept only cash, or take checks, etc. He also said he'd have another librarian there to help me with that kind of thing.

One of the cool things he said was that they do some promo for the event, such as putting it in their newsletter a few times, as well as on event bookmarks and in the local paper (yay!). He said he couldn't guarantee there would be many people there, but I'm hoping a lot of you locals can make it. It will most likely be on a Sunday afternoon sometime in April of 2008. I'll let you know the exact date when I get it solidified.

Oh, and I got to sign their copies of THE B*E*A*S*T* WITHIN and ON EAGLE'S WINGS. They only had one copy of each. Their computer system said they had TWO copies of each of those *and* MISTLETOE MAGIC, my Christmas anthology, however, he only had two copies. Two out of six. That ain't bad. :P Of course, between being checked out and at the other library, I probably shouldn't "assume" they were all checked out. :)

I'm going to keep my eye out for THE WOLVERINE AND THE ROSE over there in the next few weeks, and if they don't get it in, I'll poke them to order it. Dave said they definately make an effort to support local authors, and I think that kicks ass. They bend over backward for them, it seems. He was a really nice guy, and I can't wait to do a signing/presentation there! It's only going to be about 1/2 an hour. I can yak for a 1/2 hour easy. :P

Awesome sauce.

~~Becka