Paige Rowse is the Teacher Librarian at Needham High School
and received a 2017 President's Award.
and received a 2017 President's Award.
You are familiar with the magic that happens in libraries, from connecting voracious readers with undiscovered treasures to cracking the facade of an adamant ‘non-reader’. And yet, there is nothing quite like hosting an author in your library and watching students engage with the storytellers, further fueling the passion for reading. According to a study conducted by the Society of Authors, 99.4% of the schools surveyed concluded that having an author visit to the school was “invaluable enrichment that encouraged reading for pleasure, wider reading and creative writing…[with] ‘a profound and lasting impact’.” Beyond the benefits for reading and writing, students can get a glimpse into the mind of a professional researcher and have the opportunity to engage with a model of persistence and determination.
Finding an author can be tricky. You want an author your students will know, but if the author is too popular, she or he could be very expensive - I’ve seen fees well over $10,000 a day! Not all authors make good speakers and you need a person who will connect with your students and ensure that teachers don’t regret sacrificing class time to attend. If reluctant readers are bored with the author visit, it makes it that much more difficult to show them how exciting books can be. Booking an author you haven’t seen speak can feel risky. The most effective (and entertaining) solution to this challenge is to see them in action. There are many authors at the annual MSLA conference and the Boston Book Festival. I hosted the very talented and inspiring Tara Sullivan after seeing her speak at last year’s MLS Teen Summit, and, I keep a running list of entertaining authors I’ve seen at my local bookstores and public libraries. If you can’t get to author events, chat with other librarians for suggestions and search reviews online. Many publishers provide lists of authors for tour, but these options tend to be more expensive. If none of these are possible, try the author anyway. The first author I invited was Nancy Werlin, simply because she is an award-winning local author with a number of titles across many genres. Turns out, she’s a fascinating speaker and a kind, relatable person whom the students and teachers loved.
Funding an author visit can be intimidating. There is a wide range of cost structures and program expectations. Sometimes newer authors will be happy to speak to students in exchange for the opportunity to sell their books at the event. This sounds like a win-win scenario, but check with your district ahead of time to see if this is allowed in your school. Local authors will usually waive travel fees, which often makes them more affordable even if the speaker fee is higher. If you are an ambitious planner, you could follow events in your community as they are announced and contact authors who are visiting your area to plan a coinciding visit to your school. One way to lower the expense is to reach out to your local bookstores, public libraries, and neighboring schools to co-host a speaker. Another option is to have the author speak remotely rather than in person. While a very different type of event, chatting with an author via Skype or Google Hangouts can still be powerful. The most effective source of funding could be your school’s parent organization and any community groups that sponsor educational projects. All of my speaker visits have been generously funded by the Needham Education Foundation.
Most authors will have a set contract for speaking that outlines the total cost (which may be charged per hour, per session, or per day) that should be reviewed by whomever is responsible for contracts in your district. In my district, all contracts must be approved and signed by the finance office. In the meantime, my district has the speaker complete a W-9 form which enables my payroll department to provide a check to the speaker at the time of the event rather than mailing the check later. Your district may also consider insurance to cover the speaker depending on the logistics of the event including: length of your event (one session to several days), timing of the event (during the school day or an evening/weekend activity), and event invitations (is your event open to the public?). I chose to invite each author to spend one day in the library. The authors spoke four times throughout the day for about 45 minutes each with an audience of 2 to 3 classes (50-80 students) per session. I worked closely with a few teachers who were committed to attending and then opened the schedule to any other teachers who wanted to reserve remaining space. Teachers were concerned about sacrificing class time, so I created some mini-lessons (linked here) that teachers could implement at their discretion in preparation for the event. These mini-lessons are designed to be relevant to any curriculum field so as to encourage participation of teachers beyond the English department. By promoting the event on the library website, Twitter, Instagram, and morning announcements, students who were not connected with the attending classes asked to participate. These requests were accommodated as often as possible.
There were a number of lessons learned through these experiences:
- Schedule an alternative date in your original contract - because, you know, SNOW HAPPENS.
- Many speakers have restrictions on what can and cannot be photographed, videoed, and/or posted online, so make sure this is clearly outlined in the contract. Also make sure you know which students can and cannot be photographed.
- Invite everyone: local press, building administrators, district administrators, supervisors, your counterparts at the public library, colleagues in your department at other schools, members of sponsoring organization, teachers, etc. Even if they are unable to come, it’s great publicity for your program and the amazing opportunities you are providing your students. If members of the press cannot attend, provide outlets with a photo and a press release afterwards. Be sure to thank your sponsors.
Moving forward, I want to expand this program. I have seen very successful evening programs in other schools and I hope to someday gain that much traction. In the meantime, I am hoping to bring an author in for a book club meeting, find a speaker to connect with the school’s summer reading program, and host a panel of authors, illustrators, and publishers. Hosting an author is definitely a lot of work, but completely worthwhile. But be warned, once you start, it’s difficult to stop!
Works Cited
“The Society Releases Its Research: Author Visits in Schools.” The Society of Authors, 24 Oct. 2013, web.archive.org/web/20160314051020/http://www.societyofauthors.org/soa-news/results-author-visits-schools-survey. Accessed 8 Oct. 2017.