Hawaii possibility

The Hawaiian tourism board is sending me a map and a list of the libraries in each island.  I'm not interested in tourist spots so the nice thing about library bookings is that they take me to odd, out of the way places.  I don't usually bother with big cities.  They're too confusing to drive in and too expensive, requiring motel stays.  Small town libraries are often near campgrounds. I can find Mom and Pop restaurants and shops where I can pick up on the latest gossip.

I'm almost done notifying the Minnesotan libraries.  Tomorrow, North Dakota, one of my favorite states.

On my way.

I have my first booking!

The different way libraries work in each of the states is interesting.  Washington State librarians are telling me they don't book for the summer reading program until January.  In Wisconsin, I have to get my information out earlier than that because the librarians usually book by the end of November.   Hence, my rush in preparing for this tour.

I've decided to throw Hawaii into the mix.  You never know.

Today, Minnesota

     Yesterday, I finished e-mailing all the Washington State libraries I could reach.  Today, I start querying Minnesota.  Why not Oregon?  I am still waiting for a map from the Oregon tourism bureau.  I will need 12 or 13 maps for the states I will be traveling through and some haven't arrived yet.  I will be at this until Christmas.

     This is the system I use.  The map of each state is propped up beside the computer.  First I work out the probable routes I could take through the state.  I circle the cities along those routes and begin the process of finding them on the internet.  In some cases, that is easy.  Wisconsin, for example, has all the public libraries in one site in alphabetical order.  In some states, I have to look up each city individually.

     Sometimes, I have to go to the city government to find the library and through the staff listings to find the proper person.   Sometimes, I have to go through a form site, and each of those is different.  One regional library system in Washington would not allow me to put a link to my blog.  That required some re-writing to get the information out there.  

    The system may seem arduous, but it is an improvement on printing up a costly brochure, hand writing each address, and paying for postage.  Most of those brochures would be tossed in a waste basket, a waste of paper.  I figure 90 percent of my postings are deleted, about the same rate as the loss of brochures.  This seems a better option from an environmental standpoint.

     So, I keep going.  By the end of today, I will likely have close to 300 people looking at this blog.  That gives me hope.

High winds and frustration.

Extreme wind has hit the Midwest, including Wisconsin.  I expect the power to go out any minute.  Sure enough, this is the day when we are switching telephone companies.  Will that go smoothly when the guy doesn't go up the telephone pole?  I may well be without phone service, too.

I sent out twenty more e-mails last night.  I don't have any bookings yet, but my counter says people are looking at this blog.  Hang in there, West Coast.  I am coming your way!

Letting the World Know

Last night, I sent out the first forty e-mails to Washington State libraries.  This morning, I have my first response!

The plan is to send out 20 e-mails each night, which would mean around 3,000 by the end of December.  Most summer reading programs/performers are selected by then, hence the rush to get the word out that I am coming. After December, I'll fill in with churches, daycares and nursing homes.  I hope to have at least 30 performances for the tour.  I expect to be gone at least a month.  

The last time I found a good theme, "Reading Road Trip, USA", I wound up in Alaska.   I wrote the "Reading Road Trip Song" with a verse for each library.  It had 24 verses!  I intend to do the same this time around.  "One World, Many Stories" needs only a tune and a chorus, then the children can add the verses.    I wonder what they will come up with.

Improved Profile

This morning, I added my resume to the blog.  It's difficult with only 1,200 characters.  I've done so many crazy things in my career.  In the next day or two, we'll add some sound clips.  This evening, I will begin the long process of notifying libraries about my summer reading program plans.  As I work on this, summer doesn't seem so far away.  

Day Off

After directing choir at church, I came home in another downpour.  Can't walk, can't bike, can't swim.  Gary and I have decided on a non day, which means this non post.