Authors - Live!

Have you ever read a book and wished you could ask the author about it? If so, you are in luck! Frankenmuth Wickson District Library participates in a wonderful program that gives you the ability to do exactly this.

The Library Speakers Consortium (LSC), which started in 2022, is a “nationwide initiative that partners with public libraries to offer free live and on-demand virtual author talks,” Jen Harden, Adult and Outreach Specialist Librarian, told me. “You can tune in from home, ask questions during the live events, attend a watch party at the library, or catch the recordings later if you miss it.” I have personally attended several of the virtual sessions and was very happy to have access to the recordings when I was unable to tune in live.

Bringing authors to a public library is never easy, especially because it is quite costly. Jen learned about the LSC through another library, and fortunately Wickson was able to join the consortium in 2024 through generous funding from the Friends of the Wickson District Library. The program has been so successful that the Friends agreed to fund it for a second year.

You “can view upcoming and past author talks by visiting www.wicksonlibrary.org, clicking on Digital Services, and scrolling down to Author Talks. Patrons can also get to the Library Speaker Consortium directly at libraryc.org/wicksonlibrary.” You can also learn more about the talks on the library’s Facebook page, in the library newsletter, and by visiting the library in person. To attend one of the LSC events, register online at one of the links mentioned here. Once you register, you will receive an email with a calendar invitation, and you will receive follow up emails with reminders. You will also get emails with information about upcoming author talks.

Since all of the talks are virtual, you will be able to join from any device wherever you are. Sometimes Wickson will host a watch party. When that happens, the event will be shown on a large screen, there will be popcorn and usually a drawing for a prize. Watch parties have been held for Jodi Picoult, Shelby Van Pelt, and Jennifer Weiner – big names in the fiction world! The LSC hosts about three to five events each month, which totals 40 – 60 per year. Some talks in the past year include Bonnie Garmus, Fredrik Backman, Willliam Kent Krueger, Ruth Ware, Christopher Paolini, Freida McFadden, and Laura Dave. All of these talks are archived and can be watched at any time.

There are also many LSC author talks coming up in the next month:

·         Jay Falk – Smithsonian biologist on birds (Aug 5)

·         Casey McQuiston – Romance author of Red, White & Royal Blue (Aug 20)

·         Dr. Tasha Eurich – Organizational psychologist (Aug 28)

·         Hannah Nicole Maehrer – TikTok sensation and fantasy author (Sept 3)

I am thrilled that a service like this is available and grateful that the Friends of Wickson District Library can make it possible. I love it for many reasons, but Jen said it best: “[The} LSC is a fantastic way for libraries like Wickson to bring nationally recognized authors to their patrons, enriching the local literary culture without the need for large-scale event planning and associated costs.” I encourage you to register and share this service with your friends and family!