In Libraries I Believe! It’s story-time but this time YOU tell the story!

What was your first memory of a librarian? What does a library mean to you?What kinds of trans-formative experiences have you had in your life because of libraries?

The Oregon Library Association along with Candice Watkins, the Library Director at Clatsop Community College, and KMUN Coast Community Radio invites people from all walks of life to contribute their voices to an audio project in Clatsop County.Basically, we need interesting stories; stories about your life and how a library, reading, or a person in the library has impacted you. The story may be funny, sad, empowering, or…the sky’s the limit. It’s really up to you! The project focuses on libraries and the important role that they play in our lives. The format will be based on NPR’s This I Believe series, which records people’s personal beliefs and showcases them on public radio. Similar to that series, we are asking people to write a brief essay based on their personal beliefs and/or experiences with libraries. The goal is to highlight the importance of libraries to individuals and communities.

Keep your story at 500 words or less. The deadline for submitting essays is Friday, December 1, 2013, For more information, call (503) 338-2460.

Also, when you tell your story, keep in mind the following guidelines. This is NPR’s Prompt for the This I Believe series, http://thisibelieve.org/guidelines/:

1.       Tell a story: Be specific. Take your belief out of the ether and ground it in the events of your life. Think of your own experience, work, and family, and tell of the things you know that no one else does. Your story need not be heart-warming or gut-wrenching—it can even be funny—but it should be real.

2.       Be brief: Your statement should be between 350 and 500 words. That’s about three minutes when read aloud at your natural pace.

3.       Be positive: Please avoid preaching or editorializing. Tell us what you do believe, not what you don’t believe. Avoid speaking in the editorial “we.” Make your essay about you; speak in the first person.

4.       Be personal: Write in words and phrases that are comfortable for you to speak. We recommend you read your essay aloud to yourself several times, and each time edit it and simplify it until you find the words, tone, and story that truly echo your belief and the way you speak.

The deadline for submitting essays is Friday, December 1, 2013. The authors of the selected essays will beinvited to narrate their essays for recording. The recordings may air individually or be compiled into a single radio show or podcast.The interviews will air on KMUN and will also be available online through the Oregon Library Association website.Please submit your essays to cwatkins@clatsopcc.edu or mail directly to Candice Watkins, Clatsop Community College Library, 1680 Lexington, Astoria, OR 97013. Contact Candice with questions at (503) 338-2460.