Welcome to Library Lions interviews; Raising a Roar for libraries and the outstanding librarians serving youth in schools and public libraries across the U.S. Please Roar today’s guest author, Christina Wilsdon, who’s stopping by to share her Library Love with us.

 

Welcome, Christina. Before we get started, tell us a little about yourself.

I write books and articles for kids ranging in age from 4 to 14, primarily nonfiction and mostly about animals, natural history, and biology. I write about these topics for grown-up readers, too, mainly on my blog Piccalilli Pie. And in between, I work on picture-book and middle-grade manuscripts whenever I get a chance.

Here are a few of my titles.

Library Love When You Were A Cub

Almost every Friday evening, my father would take me to the big library in the town of Huntington, Long Island, NY, and set me free in the children’s department. When we got back in the car, I’d spread my finds across the back seat and read their titles aloud to him as we drove home. He’d nod and murmur appreciatively and ask me questions about them. I realize now that he wasn’t familiar with any of the authors or titles, but that just makes me appreciate even more how he helped establish my love of books.

Library Love: An Author's Perspective

I can’t get enough of libraries. They make my whole career possible! There at my fingertips (literally, either in the stacks or online) are thousands of books on the topics I’m researching. If they’re not in my library system, librarians will fetch them from far and wide to bring them to me. Add in the many magazine, newspaper, and other databases that I could never afford to subscribe to on my own, and the world of information available to me is virtually limitless. It never ceases to amaze me—and the librarians who’ve helped me access material are always as keen to acquire it as I am.

 

 

Libraries are vital to a well-informed society. It’s imperative to provide citizens with access to knowledge. We need to fund libraries for all, from the person who just wants to pick up an enjoyable read for the weekend to the person who needs to do job-searching online on the library’s computer. Many a child’s first experience with storytelling and picture books occurs in the cozy atmosphere of a library’s children’s section. I’m very grateful to live in a city that values its libraries and usually votes to fund them adequately.

Do You Have a Roar for Librarians?  

Yes! My roar goes to the staff of the Ballard Public Library (except I still believe in keeping my voice down in the library, so I won’t roar while I’m in there).

 

The librarians working in the Ballard Public Library have always been extremely helpful and enthusiastic, and when interlibrary loans have arrived for me, they’ve often started up conversations about them, which really makes my day.

A Lion’s Pride of Programs:

I’ve only done a handful of school or school-library visits, but invariably they are illuminating because kids come up with such a wonderful array of surprising, insightful, or amusing comments and questions. Such visits always reinforce what I remember and what I know about being a kid—and also rearrange what I thought I knew!

 

Library Lion’s Roar: ONE LAST BIG ROAR

A library, to me, is like an old-growth forest—full of things ancient and new, ripe for exploration, ageless, eternal, and beautiful. Less mossy, true, and lacking in squirrels (except if you look up Dewey Decimal number 599.36177). It’s a place to visit again and again and make sure is around for future generations to enjoy.

Let’s Link Up

Blog:  Piccalilli Pie 

Website:  Christinawilsdon.blogspot.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/christina.wilsdon.author

 

Thank you for sharing your Library Love with us, Christina! 

Love Libraries? Give a Roar in “Comments” below.

Note to Librarians: If you’re a Youth Librarian working in a school or public library we’d love to hear about you and your library. Contact Janet at jlcarey@hotmail.com for an interview slot.