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Today’s Armchair BEA topic asks us to talk about the kinds of bookish networking we do outside of blogging and the internet–blogger meet-ups, book signings, local bookstore or library events, etc. To be honest, I’m not sure I have a whole lot to say on this subject. I live in a relatively small suburb of a relatively small city in Pennsylvania, and we don’t get much excitement. Our local Barnes & Noble is only four miles away, but this area isn’t booming enough for big-name author signings or anything like that. I’ve looked into what kinds of groups meet there, and my choices are a gaming club (not my thing and not about books) and a Nook group (I own a Kindle). There don’t seem to be any other book clubs that meet there. There is a small used-paperback store on the bottom floor of a house around the corner from where I live, but I haven’t even checked it out yet. I keep forgetting it’s there and it’s pretty tiny; it’s not the kind of place that would host author signings or book clubs.
There are two libraries within six miles of my house and the larger of the two has what seem to be some interesting book discussions periodically. Unfortunately, the discussion times aren’t convenient for me–they start just before Eric gets home from work, when the kids are just finishing up their dinners, and when I’m starting to make the second dinner of the evening for the grown-ups. Most of the other activities that go on at that library are for children, which is great for my kids, but not so great for an adult looking for non-kid, adult activities. The smaller of the two libraries is within walking distance from my house, but it is very tiny and I don’t go there very often. Not much happens there and the book selection isn’t big enough for me.
State College (Penn State University) is only an hour from here, and although some pretty exciting things go on there (Tayari Jones was there for a reading/signing not too long ago), it’s usually impossible for me to make the trip. We have two kids and my husband works a lot, so I’m usually the one [wo]manning the house. As far as bigger cities like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia go, I’m about two and a half hours from one and a little over three hours from the other. Making either of those trips for bookish opportunities just isn’t going to happen for me.
Blogger meet-ups? I’m pretty sure I’m the only person in Hollidaysburg or Altoona that blogs about books. I could be wrong, but I haven’t come across any others. If you’re a book blogger who lives in either of these two places, and if you’re reading this, let me know! (I’m not holding my breath.)
Needless to say, I don’t do any networking in what has been dubbed as “real life.”
I’m looking forward to reading today’s post(s) on the Armchair BEA website about partnering with local libraries and bookstores. Maybe it will give me some ideas that I can present to the library here.
In the meantime, the networking I do on a daily basis through my blog, Twitter, and other social spaces is “real life” to me. And it is real life. I know it sounds like I’m being kind of nitpicky about the wording of today’s topic–and I’m sure Armchair BEA didn’t mean it the way I’m interpreting it in this paragraph–but it’s gotten to the point where I get really annoyed with people trying to distinguish between online interactions and “real life” interactions. The people I’m chatting with are real. The book clubs I’m a part of are real. None of this is fake. It’s true that I haven’t physically met 99% of the people whom I chat with online on a daily basis, but I have made a lot of real friendships that I otherwise wouldn’t have made without this blog and platforms like Twitter. The good friends I’ve made offline over the last fifteen years or so are spread out all over the country now, so most of our interactions take place online, too.
I guess I just wanted to let people know that it’s okay if most of your networking is done online like mine is. There’s nothing wrong with that, and sometimes it’s the only thing available. With that said, I would love to meet other book lovers in my area with reading tastes similar to mine, so I welcome the advice we’ll get today from the folks at Armchair BEA.
I hope everyone is having a good week!
June 6, 2012 at 9:11 am
Heather, I’ve met more book lovers and come across more books online than off it. And so is the networking. I believe the online book world has come to stay, (needless to say) and it continues to be an outlet for some of us in more ways than one.
June 6, 2012 at 10:38 am
I agree with you. However would I have met you without online interaction? My life has been enriched by the book buddies from other countries whom I’ve met–more enriched than if those people were from the same area I’m from.
June 6, 2012 at 11:19 am
Ow, how sweet of you!
June 6, 2012 at 11:11 am
Thanks for visiting my blog, I am a new follower of yours
I was so glad to see this post because I’m not involved very much with my local book community either and was starting to think I was the only one! I do use my local library to reserve and borrow books, but nothing beyond that….
June 6, 2012 at 11:48 am
Thank you for following.
June 6, 2012 at 11:31 am
Hi, hope you’re having a great Armchair BEA
Definitely agree with you about the online networking that about 95 percent of where I network too.
June 6, 2012 at 11:49 am
I hope you’re enjoying it, as well.
There just isn’t a whole lot of bookish stuff going on in my area, unfortunately.
June 6, 2012 at 1:05 pm
I love your correction about “real life” people. What am I? An avatar?
June 6, 2012 at 1:17 pm
Exactly.
June 6, 2012 at 3:54 pm
I have two small children at home (3yrs and 6mos), so I can relate to being limited by my ability to go out when I’d like. I’m fortunate that my husband is home most evenings and able to watch the kids if I wanted to go out, but I’m usually so tired by 5pm that all I want is to head to bed
So I get that.
Also, I’m originally from PA, but not from upstate where you are. I grew up outside of Gettysburg
June 6, 2012 at 4:40 pm
Yeah, things don’t settle down here until going on 7:30 most nights. The things I might like to do generally don’t coincide with his days off, either. Go figure. Haha!
June 6, 2012 at 4:52 pm
I am lucky enough to live in a city where there are lots of events to go to, and lots of very active bloggers.
Having said that, most of my interactions are also online and like you I have made many friends over the years that I have never met, and possibly will never meet.
I would keep my eye out though just in case there is something on that you can attend because it is loads of fun when you eventually get the chance to meet people.
June 6, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Oh, I always keep my eyes and ears open for things, on the off-chance that I could go. I will definitely be making it to BEA some day, and I hope that I can make it to other things when my kids are a little older (read: more responsible).
June 6, 2012 at 9:38 pm
I do most of my “networking” online as well. I only recently joined a book club (super recently, last saturday!) and am starting to branch out more into the real life world of meeting bloggers. However, It’s incredibly daunting to me and I usually prefer the safety of hiding behind my computer screen.
June 7, 2012 at 10:36 am
I’m pretty outgoing, but my online buddies are some of my favorite people.
June 6, 2012 at 10:20 pm
I’ve always been terrible at networking. I’m can be pretty shy and I find it difficult to get out there and sell myself, so to speak. It’s getting easier to do online and I aim to be more involved in book clubs and challenges, but it is daunting. Anyway, I completely relate to your post. I live in a bigger city outside of Toronto (Canada) – where there are probably more opportunities, but I am new at this and am taking it quite slow. Thanks for you honesty.
June 7, 2012 at 10:40 am
It can be really tough to meet new people face-to-face, sometimes. I’m more of an extrovert, but even I can get nervous in a group of people I don’t know (or have just met). I think the internet has been really good for people who tend to be introverted–it’s a great way to “meet” people before you actually meet them.
June 8, 2012 at 3:47 am
Hi Heather,
). Anyway, one reason I quit my day job to be a blogger is that I hate meeting people in real life.
There are about 10 other book bloggers in my city, and since they write on very differents types of books (self help, cooking), we don’t have much to say to one another. But online I’ve found so many book bloggers with tastes and thinking and reading aspirations similar to mine (you, for instance
So the online community is my blogging family, and I’m very grateful about you guys (more experienced bloggers) have accepted me into your folds.
June 8, 2012 at 9:53 am
You have a great blog. I’m very glad you started commenting here and making me aware of it.