Can a Supermarket Chain Save Our Libraries?
Had an e mail from a colleague in crime, writer that is, Martin Edwards. We've been corresponding through his blog about the novels we like, hence my little note below about the Golden Age of Crime. He too likes Anthony Berkeley's novels and has recently written an article on him which is to appear in "Mystery Scene" magazine www.mysteryscene.mag Thanks, Martin, I would love a copy.
I hadn't heard of the magazine before so I have just looked it up on the Net, and it certainly looks interesting. It's an American magazine, and I know that the Americans love mystery novels. One interesting thing out of the many they had on their site was how they were helping to raise funds for the New Orleans Library. In September "Mystery Scene" promised to donate $5.00 for every back issue of the magazine sold to the New Orleans Public Library. They started the fund with $500.00, and have now raised well over $3,000.00. Isn't that great? With our own libraries struggling to make ever dwindling budgets stretch, and the number of books they buy being reduced each year, wouldn't this be a good idea for someone to do over here in the UK? Though which library would they support as they all need more funds? So here's an idea.
Perhaps one of the BIG supermarkets who are so keen to get into bookselling could help to expand the reading public and stimulate interest in books by getting behind a nationwide fundraising/promotional campaign like they did with vouchers for schools. Schools are publicly funded too, like libraries, but they still have to raise money from other sources to buy much needed equipment and sometimes to fund posts - I know because I have been involved in fundraising for schools. So why not a sponsorship/donation campaign to support libraries? Any CEOs of Supermarkets interested let me know. I'm happy to talk and help.
I hadn't heard of the magazine before so I have just looked it up on the Net, and it certainly looks interesting. It's an American magazine, and I know that the Americans love mystery novels. One interesting thing out of the many they had on their site was how they were helping to raise funds for the New Orleans Library. In September "Mystery Scene" promised to donate $5.00 for every back issue of the magazine sold to the New Orleans Public Library. They started the fund with $500.00, and have now raised well over $3,000.00. Isn't that great? With our own libraries struggling to make ever dwindling budgets stretch, and the number of books they buy being reduced each year, wouldn't this be a good idea for someone to do over here in the UK? Though which library would they support as they all need more funds? So here's an idea.
Perhaps one of the BIG supermarkets who are so keen to get into bookselling could help to expand the reading public and stimulate interest in books by getting behind a nationwide fundraising/promotional campaign like they did with vouchers for schools. Schools are publicly funded too, like libraries, but they still have to raise money from other sources to buy much needed equipment and sometimes to fund posts - I know because I have been involved in fundraising for schools. So why not a sponsorship/donation campaign to support libraries? Any CEOs of Supermarkets interested let me know. I'm happy to talk and help.
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