Whatcom wins!

When you think “library” the next word in your mind probably isn’t “marketing.” But this week a connection was made as the Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) announced that it has won three national library marketing awards, including the very prestigious John Cotton Dana award, which comes with a $10,000 prize.

As the WCLS website explains,

WCLS worked with Red Rokk, a Bellingham-based marketing agency, to launch the “My Modern Library” campaign in the spring of 2016; the digital marketing campaign focused on promoting the library’s digital services in a fun and positive way. At the end of the 9-month campaign, WCLS more than doubled their annual goals for circulation and cardholders, increased digital circulation by 86.5%, and broke the record for most card sign-ups ever in one month by 26%.

We love our libraries and congratulate WCLS and Red Rokk on their big wins… and also thank them for their support of poetry in Whatcom County!

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Pictured from left to right: Sally Crouse, Christina Nelson, WCLS Executive Director Christine Perkins, Sherri Huleatt, Megan Cook, Lizz Roberts, Sarah Hirsch, Red Rokk CEO Tyler Byrd, and Steven Aldous. Photo Credit: 1123 Productions

the awards biz

Ever wonder what it’s like to be on a book awards committee? We don’t have all the secrets, but there are some hints regarding the Pacific Northwest Book Awards scattered around the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) website.

According to the Awards Committee Guidelines, “The typical PNBA Awards Committee member spends about 20 hours each year on PNBA conferences and correspondence, and an enormous amount of time reviewing the 300+ books that might be nominated.” Committee members are employees of current PNBA member bookstores.

If you go to the Pacific Northwest Book Awards page and click on 2017 Nominees, you can see a list of titles that have been nominated and are being considered. But that’s not the complete list because nominations remain open until September 30, 2016. The committee typically picks six books in October and announces the awards in January.

Somebody’s reading a lot of books this summer.

the winner

Congratulations to poet Peter Balakian, the winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Cited as “a distinguished volume of original verse by an American author,” his book Ozone Journal (University of Chicago Press) earned these words of praise from Keith Jones in Consequence Magazine, “These are poems of rapturous diction…” Another book for your list.

another list

Another addition to your what-to-read-next list: The PEN American Center today posted the longlist for the 2016 PEN Award for Poetry in Translation. The finalists will be announced on February 2, 2016, and the winner on March 1, 2016. This year’s judge is Urayoán Noel, a poet, critic, translator, performer, and assistant professor of English and Spanish at New York University. Learn more about the important work of PEN American Center.

what to read next…

Each year since 1965, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) has “presented annual awards to recognize excellence in writing from the Pacific Northwest.” The Award committee today announced its shortlist of 15 titles for the 2015 PNBA Award. See the list, read a book…and congratulations to these local writers!

catching up…

In case you missed last week’s news, Floating Bridge Press has announced the winners of their 2014 Chapbook Competition. From submissions numbering close to 130 manuscripts, “many of exceptional quality,” the judges selected the 2014 winner, John Whalen of Spokane, for his manuscript, “Above the Pear Trees.” The other finalists were Maya Jewell Zeller of Spokane for “The Earth, That Other Sky,” Jennifer Bullis of Bellingham for “Amanda Bubble Is Nearly On Fire,” Dennis Caswell of Woodinville for “O.” and Michael Schmeltzer for “Elegy/Elk River.”

John Whalen’s chapbook will be published this fall and a reading in Seattle will include the winner and finalists. For additional details, visiting Floating Bridge Press online and on Facebook. Visit the Boynton Blog CALENDAR page for upcoming readings from Floating Bridge and many, many others.

Did you publish a book or chapbook in 2013?

It’s 2014 and maybe you’re still aglow with your recent publication. Then again, maybe you’re experiencing a little post-publishing letdown. In either case, the folks at Late Night Library invite you to submit your recent (January 1 – December 31, 2013) book for the 2014 Debut-litzer Prizes in the categories of fiction and poetry.

There is a fee for entry, and, of course, there are rules. So read up and submit by April 30, 2014!