Libraries Publish: How To Start a Magazine, Small Press, Blog, and More

Sharing the library’s work with a larger audience, supporting the local literary community, and preserving local history—these are just a few of the reasons Katz (technology librarian, Manatee Cty. P.L., FL) argues that more libraries should publish; not just books but also blogs, magazines, and e-publications. This step-by-step guidebook is packed with information: getting started, picking a format and software, and dealing with submissions management. Katz suggests repackaging existing content to reach new audiences, and also covers writing contests, poets laureate, and artists-in-residence, as well as legal and financial guidance for funding publishing programs. She cites numerous examples, from the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Museum and Library, which publishes the magazine So It Goes, to the St. Paul Public Library, which hired local authors to write and publish picture books in the Karen language, and arranged for the translation of another book into Oromo and Amharic. Each chapter contains a checklist of necessary steps and a list of valuable and time-saving resources and references.