From the State Library

About Page Count
Page Count is a new literary podcast presented by the Ohio Center for the Book (OCFB) at Cleveland Public Library. This interview-format podcast will feature authors, librarians, booksellers, illustrators, publishing professionals, and literary advocates in and from the state of Ohio. Guests range from internationally recognized and bestselling authors to professionals working on a grassroots level to improve access to books and literacy resources. Page Count, launched on April 26, 2022, is ad-free and can be found on all major podcasting apps. A new episode releases every other Tuesday. https://ohiocenterforthebook.podbean.com/

Current Episodes
The first three episodes of Page Count launch on Tuesday, April 26:

Welcome to Page Count: Host Laura Maylene Walter interviews Cleveland Public Library Literature Department Manager and OCFB Coordinator Don Boozer to help introduce Ohio Center for the Book and their plans and hopes for the Page Count podcast.
The Ohio Literary Trail: David Weaver, the executive director of the Ohioana Library Association, and Betty Weibel, author of The Ohio Literary Trail: A Guide, offer an overview of some notable literary sites across the state.
Doing the Work with Thrity Umrigar: Bestselling author Thrity Umrigar discusses her latest novel, Honor, as well as her writing life, perspective on publishing, and love of libraries.
Rachel Cargle, the founder of Elizabeth’s Bookshop and Writing Centre in Akron, discusses independent bookstores, her development as a writer and activist, intersectional feminism, and the opportunities and challenges facing writers from marginalized backgrounds.

Upcoming Episodes
The following additional guests are scheduled to appear in upcoming episodes (listed in alphabetical order) along with many more:

Matt Bell discusses novel revision through the lens of his latest release, the craft book Refuse to Be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts.
Christopher Gonzalez, author of the debut story collection I’m Not Hungry But I Could Eat, discusses the craft of writing short stories, literary magazine publishing, representation in publishing, reality television, and more.
Devon Halliday, a literary agent at Transatlantic Agency, discusses her work as an agent, leaving New York to work from her hometown in Ohio, and tips for writers seeking publication. She also critiques three query letters submitted by Ohio writers.
Writer, speaker, and former publishing executive Brandi Larsen discusses word count guidelines for writers hoping to publish books, including how word count translates to the page count as well as the business rationale behind such guidelines.
Eric Obenauf and Eliza Wood-Obenauf, the founders of the Columbus-based publisher and independent bookstore Two Dollar Radio, discuss the genesis of their publishing company, small-press publishing, and more.
Columbus-based author Jyotsna Sreenivasan discusses her new story collection, And Laughter Fell from the Sky, and writing from the perspective of second-generation American characters.

About the Host
Laura Maylene Walter is the Ohio Center for the Book Fellow and author of the novel Body of Stars (Dutton 2021) and the story collection Living Arrangements (BkMk Press 2011). Her writing has appeared in Poets & Writers, Kenyon Review, The Sun, Slate, Ninth Letter, Literary Hub, The Masters Review, Literary Hub, and many other publications. Walter has received fellowships, residencies, or grants from Tin House, Yaddo, the Ohio Arts Council, the Ohioana Library Association, the Chautauqua Institution, and Art Omi: Writers. She is a founding editor of Gordon Square Review and a mentor in Literary Cleveland’s Breakthrough Writing Residency.

About the Ohio Center for the Book
The Ohio Center for the Book (OCFB) at Cleveland Public Library is dedicated to promoting and celebrating books, reading, literacy, and libraries to Ohio’s citizens and the book community at-large. OCFB is the designated Ohio affiliate of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress and is part of a network of Centers for the Book across the country.

A reminder to complete this survey with a Friday, June 3 deadline. It’s undeniably a very busy time of year, but if you can make the time, Janet encourages you to invest ~15 minutes to participate. She has the privilege of being on the advisory team for this research project, and for Maria and colleagues’ previous project, Storytimes for School Readiness. Janet thinks this is important research that will inform and benefit storytime practice into the future.

The State Library of Ohio and Ohionet hosted What to Know About Intellectual Freedom, Book Challenges, and Libraries on April 18. The virtual event garnered a huge response with about 200 tuning in live! A recording of the event is now available to view on the State Library of Ohio’s YouTube page. 

The program is in two parts. First, the speakers from American Library Association’s (ALA) Office of Intellectual Freedom gave a presentation on the current climate of book challenges and intellectual freedom and how libraries can be prepared.  In the second part of the program, the panel engages in a dialog with Library Consultant Erin Kelsey from the State Library of Ohio to dig deeper into the subject and answer questions submitted before and during the event.

In an effort to create a supportive learning experience for participants, we have curated a resources webpage with helpful articles on intellectual freedom and libraries. To foster continued growth and learning, the Library Leadership Ohio planning committee introduced the “Be the Change” leadership workshop series. Visit libraryleadershipohio.org for more information and to register for upcoming events. For more continuing education resources, check our Statewide Shared CE Calendar,  Continuing Education Roundup and Webjunction for a variety of articles and webinars on hot topics and core competencies for library staff of all types. 

If you have trouble accessing the video or have ideas for future Critical Conversations topics, email Erin Kelsey, library consultant at the State Library of Ohio at ekelsey@library.ohio.gov.


From the State Library About Page Count Page Count is a new literary podcast presented by the Ohio Center for the Book (OCFB) at Cleveland Public Library. This interview-format podcast will feature authors, librarians, booksellers, illustrators, publishing professionals, and literary advocates in and from the state of Ohio. Guests range from internationally recognized and bestselling authors to professionals working on a grassroots level to improve access to books and literacy resources. Page Count, launched on April 26, 2022, is ad-free and can be found on all major podcasting apps. A new episode releases every other Tuesday. https://ohiocenterforthebook.podbean.com/ Current Episodes The first three episodes of Page Count launch on Tuesday, April 26: Welcome to Page Count: Host Laura Maylene Walter interviews Cleveland Public Library Literature Department Manager and OCFB Coordinator Don Boozer to help introduce Ohio Center for the Book and their plans and hopes for the Page Count podcast. The Ohio Literary Trail: David Weaver, the executive director of the Ohioana Library Association, and Betty Weibel, author of The Ohio Literary Trail: A Guide, offer an overview of some notable literary sites across the state. Doing the Work with Thrity Umrigar: Bestselling author Thrity Umrigar discusses her latest novel, Honor, as well as her writing life, perspective on publishing, and love of libraries. Rachel Cargle, the founder of Elizabeth’s Bookshop and Writing Centre in Akron, discusses independent bookstores, her development as a writer and activist, intersectional feminism, and the opportunities and challenges facing writers from marginalized backgrounds. Upcoming Episodes The following additional guests are scheduled to appear in upcoming episodes (listed in alphabetical order) along with many more: Matt Bell discusses novel revision through the lens of his latest release, the craft book Refuse to Be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts. Christopher Gonzalez, author of the debut story collection I’m Not Hungry But I Could Eat, discusses the craft of writing short stories, literary magazine publishing, representation in publishing, reality television, and more. Devon Halliday, a literary agent at Transatlantic Agency, discusses her work as an agent, leaving New York to work from her hometown in Ohio, and tips for writers seeking publication. She also critiques three query letters submitted by Ohio writers. Writer, speaker, and former publishing executive Brandi Larsen discusses word count guidelines for writers hoping to publish books, including how word count translates to the page count as well as the business rationale behind such guidelines. Eric Obenauf and Eliza Wood-Obenauf, the founders of the Columbus-based publisher and independent bookstore Two Dollar Radio, discuss the genesis of their publishing company, small-press publishing, and more. Columbus-based author Jyotsna Sreenivasan discusses her new story collection, And Laughter Fell from the Sky, and writing from the perspective of second-generation American characters. About the Host Laura Maylene Walter is the Ohio Center for the Book Fellow and author of the novel Body of Stars (Dutton 2021) and the story collection Living Arrangements (BkMk Press 2011). Her writing has appeared in Poets & Writers, Kenyon Review, The Sun, Slate, Ninth Letter, Literary Hub, The Masters Review, Literary Hub, and many other publications. Walter has received fellowships, residencies, or grants from Tin House, Yaddo, the Ohio Arts Council, the Ohioana Library Association, the Chautauqua Institution, and Art Omi: Writers. She is a founding editor of Gordon Square Review and a mentor in Literary Cleveland’s Breakthrough Writing Residency. About the Ohio Center for the Book The Ohio Center for the Book (OCFB) at Cleveland Public Library is dedicated to promoting and celebrating books, reading, literacy, and libraries to Ohio’s citizens and the book community at-large. OCFB is the designated Ohio affiliate of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress and is part of a network of Centers for the Book across the country. A reminder to complete this survey with a Friday, June 3 deadline. It’s undeniably a very busy time of year, but if you can make the time, Janet encourages you to invest ~15 minutes to participate. She has the privilege of being on the advisory team for this research project, and for Maria and colleagues’ previous project, Storytimes for School Readiness. Janet thinks this is important research that will inform and benefit storytime practice into the future. The State Library of Ohio and Ohionet hosted What to Know About Intellectual Freedom, Book Challenges, and Libraries on April 18. The virtual event garnered a huge response with about 200 tuning in live! A recording of the event is now available to view on the State Library of Ohio’s YouTube page.  The program is in two parts. First, the speakers from American Library Association’s (ALA) Office of Intellectual Freedom gave a presentation on the current climate of book challenges and intellectual freedom and how libraries can be prepared.  In the second part of the program, the panel engages in a dialog with Library Consultant Erin Kelsey from the State Library of Ohio to dig deeper into the subject and answer questions submitted before and during the event. In an effort to create a supportive learning experience for participants, we have curated a resources webpage with helpful articles on intellectual freedom and libraries. To foster continued growth and learning, the Library Leadership Ohio planning committee introduced the “Be the Change” leadership workshop series. Visit libraryleadershipohio.org for more information and to register for upcoming events. For more continuing education resources, check our Statewide Shared CE Calendar,  Continuing Education Roundup and Webjunction for a variety of articles and webinars on hot topics and core competencies for library staff of all types.  If you have trouble accessing the video or have ideas for future Critical Conversations topics, email Erin Kelsey, library consultant at the State Library of Ohio at ekelsey@library.ohio.gov.
Template 11 - NEO-RLS News-June 1, 2022