At The Library: You Outta Write A Book
November Is National Novel Writing Month
By Rachel Reddick
Park Hill Branch Librarian
Modern libraries now offer a variety of activities and materials, but we’re built on a strong foundation of books.
The Park Hill library has around 30,000 books on our shelves at any given time. We try to have something for everyone, but even with that staggering number of books, there are still so many more titles we don’t have room to house. In the master’s degree program for library science, you learn about Ranganathan’s five laws of library science. Two of them are “every book has its reader,” and “every reader has their book.”
Essentially, people are diverse and so are books. In order to reflect the wildly different experiences, perspectives, and histories of the world, we need diverse writers too. Tens of thousands of books is not so many when there are billions of people in the world.
November is National Novel Writing Month, informally known as NaNoWriMo. It’s a nonprofit that began in 1999 as a simple challenge: write a 50,000-word novel in the month of November. If you want to sign up at the official website (at nanowrimo.org), it helps you set daily writing goals, keeps track of how far along you are, and hosts forums of all kinds to help writers figure out plot devices, character development, and conquering writer’s block. But its goal is straightforward: anyone can try and write a book.
I myself have participated a few different times. I’ve never come close to finishing, which is OK. There’s something comforting about being an audience member and allowing yourself to be swept away in someone else’s story. But taking a chance and putting your own story out there, whether it’s fictional or true, is a wondrous experience too. And NaNoWriMo is an easy introduction to that experience.
For anyone scared to try this out, don’t be. You never have to show anyone what you write. No one needs to know if you complete the challenge or not. There is no shame in trying, and the victory doesn’t always have to be in the finishing of a project. Sometimes the act of writing itself can clarify an issue or a memory; it can be the catharsis you’re looking for. Writing can be the most worthy part of a venture, whether the end result is deemed successful to anyone, including yourself.
You can write poetry, or memoirs, or short stories. You can set your own limits, schedule, and parameters when you choose to purposefully write. And I’ll tell you a secret: once you start writing, you get to call yourself a writer. There’s no test you need to pass or certification to get. Writers are self-determined. You don’t need to limit yourself to NaNoWriMo. You can write whenever you have a moment and ultimately, the timeline of your process doesn’t matter. To be endlessly cheesy about it, enjoy the journey and don’t worry about the destination.
The Park Hill branch library celebrates this idea with a weekly adult writing club. Our Writing Circle meets every Thursday at 1:30 p.m. Participants can choose to share their works or just be an active listener for the others in the room. If you’re thinking of dipping your toe into the author pool, this is a low pressure way to wade in. And you can support your local library while you do it.
November In-Person Library Programs
Park Hill Branch
Baby Storytimes | Thursdays 10:30-11 a.m.
Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for babies ages 0-18 months and their parents or caregivers.
Toddler Storytimes | Fridays 10:15-10:45 a.m.
Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for toddlers ages 18-36 months and their parents or caregivers.
TAB | Tuesdays, Nov. 14 & Nov. 28, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Anyone 6th-12th grade is welcome to join and help with library programming and resources geared towards teens.
Writing Circle | Thursdays, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Who are you writing for? Join our adult writing circle to hone your writing skills and share your work.
Shadow Puppet Workshop with Danielle SeeWalker | Friday, Nov. 3, 4-5 p.m.
In honor of Indigenous People’s Heritage Month, join us for an all-ages shadow puppet workshop. Come experience a traditional Lakota tale told through shadow puppets by Danielle SeeWalker. After the shadow puppet storytime, Danielle will lead an interactive workshop where participants will make their own shadow puppets and stories. Danielle is Húŋkpapĥa Lakĥóta and citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota. She is an artist, writer, activist and mother, based in Denver.
No Strings Attached Book Chat | Saturday, Nov. 11, 11 a.m. -12:30 p.m.
Read whatever you want and attend whenever you can. Share a recent read, an old favorite, or anything in between.
Advanced Directives Signing Party | Saturday, Nov. 11, 2-4 p.m.
Second event in our Death series, you’re invited to ask questions from our legal expert, sign your forms, and get them notarized on the spot in a celebratory atmosphere that congratulates community on completing this important task.
Kids Book Celebration | Thursday, Nov. 16, 4-5 p.m.
We will explore a book or series every month and do activities and crafts related to what we read. Parents of young children need to attend with their child. This month we will be exploring . . . Sharks! Read fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels — anything related to sharks! Activity: Paint a wooden shark. Registration is not required.
Chelsea Iverson Author Event | Saturday, Nov. 18, 2-3 p.m.
Join us for a talk with local author Chelsea Iversen. Chelsea will discuss the history that inspired her debut novel: The Witches At The End of The World. This speculative novel is set in 17th-century Norway about two sisters who find themselves at odds when one incites a dangerous curse against the village where their mother once lived; but you can’t take back dark magic once it’s been released, and they know, like their mother before them, that someone will have to burn— they are witches, after all. A link to purchase the book through Bookies can be found at denverlibrary.org/event/chelsea-iversen-author-event
Pauline Robinson Branch
The Pauline Robinson Branch Library is currently closed for renovations funded by the Elevate Denver Bond program. The following limited services are being offered at the Hiawatha Davis, Jr. Recreation Center, at 33rd Avenue and Holly Street:
• Mondays: 1-5 p.m. Free printing and copying
• Tuesdays: 1-5 p.m. Digital Navigator (by appointment)
• Wednesdays: 2:30-5 p.m. Bookmobile
• Thursdays: 1:30-2:30 p.m. Community Resource Navigator (by appointment)
November Holiday Closures
All Denver library branches will be closed in observance of Veteran’s Day, Friday Nov. 10.
All branches will close at at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 22, for Thanksgiving
All branches will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 23 for Thanksgiving.
Greater Park Hill has two public libraries: The Park Hill branch library is at 4705 Montview Blvd. For hours of operation and additional upcoming programs, visit denverlibrary.org/events/upcoming, and select the facility you are planning to visit. The Pauline Robinson branch library is at 5575 E. 33rd Ave. It is currently closed for renovations.