The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Teaching Librarian 15.indd The Teaching Librarian volume 15, no. 1 15 Authors' Booking Service Free Help for Connecting Authors and Libraries by Valerie Sherrard & Marsha Skrypuch We heard things like: "Since your visit to our school, your books are flying off the shelves! Even some of our reluctant readers are visiting the library." And: "Thank you so much for your visit. The kids are still all abuzz! We were all so impressed with your presentation and the fact that you shared with us the difficulties you had as a child. It is so important for children to realize that adversity can be overcome and that there is always hope. I am going shopping on the weekend. The kids have given me a list of books they absolutely HAVE TO HAVE!" Clearly, a strong author visit makes for passionate readers. Here's a sample of feedback after a writing workshop: "Your visit has had a profound impact on both our students and my daughter... who turns five today! As soon as we got home after your visit she wrote a story beginning with "suddenly"! Our principal… is still receiving completed stories! The children are as thrilled to read them to her as she is to listen to them." And in the face of school library cutbacks, the following testimonial by a vice-principal who is also a teacher-librarian is especially encouraging: "Thank you so much. Your presentation was excellent and you have motivated me to get our library up and running again in spite of the cuts to libraries in [our board]. You are so right, our kids need to be motivated to read, not made to read and I believe that you were the quick start that we needed at our school. I am getting on the fundraising trail right away in September and this is just the beginning of author visits to [our school]. I am looking forward to sharing your books with our kids. We will be looking for your new book to come out." But students aren't alone in benefiting from the service. Many authors depend on bookings to help supplement their income. The average yearly income for authors in Canada is at the poverty level and an author may work on a manuscript for years without pay and then wait even longer to receive a contract. Professional speaking opportunities offer authors what is often an essential form of support for their work. Of course, income isn't the only positive for authors, as the following quotes reveal: "The librarian was really organized and made me feel incredibly welcome--she even had the kids make a 'Welcome' sign--very cool. One of the best welcomes I've ever received." "Teachers were present and participated enthusiastically… great role models for the students!" As a small token of thanks to these teachers and librarians, we recently began holding five draws a month for a free, autographed book. Each session booked through Authors' Booking Service earns an automatic ballot and winners have been delighted to learn that they select the book of their choice from an extensive list. Thus far, in spite of the obstacles, difficulties, and occasional frustrations, operating Authors' Booking Service has still been an awesome and inspiring experience. As we continue to grow and learn, we hope your path will cross with ours. ❚ To receive a weekly newsletter, or simply for more information about this service, please visit their Web site: www. authorsbooking.com! From Left: Freida Wishinski with a class; Anita Daher; Tololwa Mollel