Uncharacteristically, I find I’m not all that turned on by banned books week. If anything, I like the whole scene because it gives libraries a reason to get out and strut their stuff. Maybe I just don’t think they should need a reason, or a reason that centers around THE BOOK. Maybe we need a banned patrons week.

In any event, I’m duty-bound to give some BBW snaps to my own Dover Public Library, for their sweet and understated banned book week blogging. Each day they posted a photo of a librarian (?) posing with a book that had been banned with a short blurb saying why. Short, sweet, informative, transparent, friendly – I love it!

And, psst, don’t look now, but that amounts to an online program meaning that Dover is one step closer to an full-service online branch library. *high five*

This week, they debuted a new online literary magazine: Barnstorm

We’re working writers, and we know that writers need open spaces where they can be read, and talk about writing, and hear from other writers. We want to build a community for writers who care about their craft. We want to publish writing that keeps us up at night — writing that we can’t wait to talk about in the laundromat or at the pub.

Barnstorming was about passion, art, and a payday. Pilots trained in the first world war gave spontaneous exhibitions in small American towns of the 20s. A team would fly low over a town to get attention, then land at a local farm and bargain to use its fields and pastures as an air strip for the day.

Whole towns would shut down to watch the show. The pilots looped and rolled, played tennis in the air, danced on the planes’ wings, dove into freefall — and gave rides. For a moment, these strangers opened up the sky.

Sounds fantastic – like a writing sandbox! Now if only they publish their ONLINE magazine with an RSS feed…

Afterthought: Maybe libraries need to think in digital resources – singular – instead of so much focus on digital collections. As more and more of this stuff moves from print to online – I think it’s essential for libraries to add trolling for the gems produced, especially within their own communities, to their standard collection development activities. As far as I’m concerned every library in NH should be talking about this to their patrons. (Way to go, Madison – which is how I knew about the magazine despite the fact that I’m everyday at the UNH library, next door to the UNH English department!)

Also, in the grand tradition of NH barns and storming: let us not overlook a classic.