LibraryThing: State of the Thing - May

LibraryThing: State of the Thing Dear {NAME}, Welcome to the May State of the Thing! In this issue we share some LibraryThing milestones and updates, invite members to contribute to our List of the Month, interview author Eileen Garvin, highlight our TinyCat Library of the Month, and offer 3,517 free Early Reviewer books! We also serve up our usual detailed run downs "In Memoriam," "Freedom of Expression" and "Awards." (If you never read down that far, you really should.) You can like LibraryThing on [Facebook]( and follow [@LibraryThing]( on Twitter, [librarythingofficial]( on Instagram, and [librarythingofficial](librarythingofficial) on Threads for news and updates. LibraryThing Milestones & Updates LibraryThing keeps on growing, and it’s all thanks to our many amazing members! In the [January issue]( of State of the Thing we announced that the 200 millionth book had been cataloged on the site, and that the 5 millionth review had been posted. We’ve now reached an exciting new milestone, having recently passed the 3 million mark, in terms of site members. Welcome to all who have recently joined the LibraryThing family! Please visit our [Welcome to LibraryThing](21) group to get started, and take a look at our [Zeitgeist page](, for more interesting statistics about the site. We also are happy to announce some improvements to the way in which we display our [List of the Month]( lists. Our List of the Month project started back in February of 2021, and has produced a total of thirty-seven lists so far! You can now view all of these lists together, in a new [chronological section]( of the Zeitgeist lists page. There is also a new module for List of the Month lists that is available on the [Lists homepage](. Many of you should see that module appearing automatically. If you do not, you can add it from the [Unused page](. A notation will also now appear on each List of the Month page itself, noting that it is part of the program, and linking to the section on Zeitgeist. Read more about these developments over in [Talk](, and check out our latest List of the Month below. List of the Month Come join LibraryThing’s List of the Month project, as we create a new thematic book list each month. Like all of our [Lists](, the List of the Month draws upon the knowledge of the LibraryThing community, while also aiming to provoke discussion around each theme. See the [Zeitgeist page]( for a complete List of the Month list, and join us over in [our latest Talk thread](, where we announced this month’s list. May List of the Month. May is Mystery Month, and in honor of the occasion our List of the Month this time around is devoted to the [Best Mysteries With a Historical Setting](. For the purpose of this list, "historical" is defined as anything set during or before the 1950s. The books themselves can be published during any period, including contemporaneously. Each participant may vote on ten titles. Head over to our [Best Mysteries With a Historical Setting]( list of to add your top ten choices Check out other recent Lists of the Month: - April [Arab and Arab Diaspora Literature We Recommend]( - March [Best Biographies of Notable Women]( - February [Favorite Animal Non-Fiction]( - December [Top Five Books of 2023]( - November [Great Films Based on Books]( Author Interview: Eilen Garvin LibraryThing is pleased to sit down this month with author [Eileen Garvin](, whose 2021 novel, [The Music of the Bees](, was a national bestseller, receiving accolades from the Christian Science Monitor, People Magazine, LibraryReads, IndieNext, and many more. Garvin made her debut in 2010 with her memoir, [How to Be a Sister: A Love Story with a Twist of Autism](, and her essays have been published in The Oregonian, PsychologyToday.com, and Creative Non-Fiction Magazine, and featured on the Mom’s Don’t Have Time to Read Books podcast. Her second novel, [Crow Talk](, which addresses themes of friendship, hope and healing, all while set in the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, was published by Dutton at the end of April. Q. The natural world plays an important role in [Crow Talk](, which features three people who have withdrawn to a rural retreat in order to nurse their wounds. What role does nature play in your story, and why did you choose the specific setting you did? Eileen. In [Crow Talk](, nature is meant to be a healing source for my three main characters—Frankie, Anne, and Aiden. I chose to set the story at June Lake—a fictional place—because I’ve always personally drawn solace from the natural world. When I was a child, our family lake cabin was a place of respite for all of us. As an adult I continue to be comforted and energized by woods, water, mountains, and trails. I believe nature is a powerful force. Visit the blog to [read the whole conversation](. The Talk of LibraryThing What conversations are going on in our groups? - Members are discussing the [Correct Reading Order for the MurderBot Diaries]( over in [The Green Dragon](. - [Non Fiction Being Read]( (April through June 2024) is being shared by the members of the [Non-Fiction Readers]( group. - A [Publication-Order Reread]( of the Discworld Series is being undertaken over in [All Things Discworldian - The Guild of Pratchett Fans](. - [May 2024 Reads]( are being shared by our [Science Fiction Fans](. Speaking of Groups, if you’re new to LibraryThing, there’s a group for that: [Welcome to LibraryThing](21)! Helpers What is LibraryThing without its members? LibraryThing has some of the best people around, helping to improve the site for themselves and for the larger community—making us the best bookish site out there. From dedicated helper groups like [Combiners!]( and [Spam Fighters!](, to the guidance provided by long-time members when newcomers have questions in [Talk About LibraryThing](, [Frequently Asked Questions]( or [Bug Collectors](, our members are always helping out. They add an enormous amount of valuable information to the site, filling out Common Knowledge fields on author and book work pages, adding cover images and author photographs, and improving features such as [Series](Nseries_controller), [Recommendations]( and [Awards](. Roll of Honor. Each month we call out some of the top contributors from the last month. So… special thanks this time go to [leselotte]( (work combiners and edition separators), [SimoneA]( (work combiners), [sneuper]( (work combiners), [pjlambert]( (work combiners and author combiners), [BeeDubs8]( (work combiners, author combiners and series edits), [surly]( (work combiners), [Rusty37]( (work combiners), [ptimes]( (edition separators and work author edits), [kleh]( (edition separators, work author edits and publisher series edits), [cristinaproctor]( (cover uploading), [TJAries]( (cover uploading), [Themis-Athena]( (work author edits and Common Knowledge contributors), [Jazz1987]( (work author edits and Common Knowledge contributors), [Ghost_Boy]( (work author edits and Common Knowledge contributors), [villemezbrown]( (work author edits and Common Knowledge contributors), [GwynethM]( (work author edits, work relationships and Common Knowledge contributors), [JMK2020]( (work author edits and Common Knowledge contributors), [Brett-Woywood]( (author picture contributors and Common Knowledge contributors), [geophile]( (tag combiners and all helper voting), [Nevov]( (series edits and Common Knowledge contributors), [TerenceHearsay]( (publisher series edits), [karenb]( (Awards and Honors and Common Knowledge contributors), [MrKusabi]( (Common Knowledge contributors), [DisassemblyOfReason]( (rating recommendations), [cipeciop]( (translation), [lynnaj]( (cover flagging), and [2wonderY]( (user spam flagging). Hot on LibraryThing Here are some titles that have been particularly hot on LibraryThing in the last month: - [Funny Story]( by [Emily Henry]( - [The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War]( by [Erik Larson]( - [A Calamity of Souls]( by [David Baldacci]( - [The Familiar]( by [Leigh Bardugo]( - [Real Americans]( by [Rachel Khong]( - [Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder]( by [Salman Rushdie]( - [Home Is Where the Bodies Are]( by [Jeneva Rose]( - [The Ministry of Time]( by [Kaliane Bradley]( - [King of Sloth]( by [Ana Huang]( - [Close to Death]( by [Anthony Horowitz]( - [Five Broken Blades]( by [Mai Corland]( - [The Paradise Problem]( by [Christina Lauren]( - [Toxic Prey]( by [John Sandford]( - [James]( by [Percival Everett]( - [Just for the Summer]( by [Abby Jimenez]( - [Extinction]( by [Douglas Preston]( - [The Paris Novel]( by [Ruth Reichl]( - [The Return of Ellie Black]( by [Emiko Jean]( - [An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s]( by [Doris Kearns Goodwin]( - [Long Island]( by [Colm Tóibín]( Free Books from Early Reviewers Our Early Reviewers program pairs publishers and authors looking for reviews and book buzz with readers looking for their next great read. This month we’re pleased to feature [Docile: Memoirs of a Not-So-Perfect Asian Girl]( by [Hyeseung Song](, offered by [Simon & Schuster](; our very first title from Canadian publisher [NeWest Press](, the memoir [Counting Bones: Anatomy of Love Lost and Found]( by [Ellen Anderson Penno](; and our first title from [Bywater Books](, the romantic comedy [The Black Bird of Chernobyl]( by [Ann McMan](. Explore the full list and [sign up to request books](. [Between the Sound and Sea]( [Counting Bones: Anatomy of Love Lost and Found]( [Docile: Memoirs of a Not-So-Perfect Asian Girl]( [The Space Between You and Me]( [The Black Bird of Chernobyl]( [Funeral Songs for Dying Girls]( [Alyssa's Wishes]( [Sky Explorer: A Young Adventurer's Guide to the Sky by Day and Night]( [The Big Sting]( [Juris Ex Machina]( [Of Blood and Lightning]( [Wildcat: An Appalachian Romance]( [The Lost Women of Mill Street]( [A Lie for a Lie]( [Hard Line]( [The Pelican Tide]( [Your Story Matters: A Surprisingly Practical Guide to Writing]( [The Hedge Witch]( [Too Much Too Young, The 2 Tone Records Story: Rude Boys, Racism, and the Soundtrack of a Generation]( [Big Guy: A School Horse Story]( Our May batch of Early Reviewers has 3,517 copies of 174 books. The deadline to request a book is May 28th, 6pm Eastern time. Did you win a book recently? When you receive your book, make sure you head over to your [Books You've Won]( page to mark it received. After you've read your book, add your review to LibraryThing. First, add the book to your LibraryThing catalog. Then click the pencil-shaped "edit" icon next to the book, or click "edit book" from the work page. Type your review into the Review box, and click "submit" to save it. Reviewing your books gives you a greater chance of winning books in the future, while neglecting to review lowers your odds. For more information, visit the [Early Reviewers Help Page](. Book World News: In Memoriam Celebrated Canadian short story writer [Alice Munro](, who won the [Nobel Prize in Literature]( in 2013, [has died at 92](. Born and raised in southeastern Ontario, where many of her stories are set, Munro published her debut collection, [Dance of the Happy Shades](, in 1968, winning the [Governor General’s Literary Award]( in the Fiction category that year. She won the [Governor General’s Literary Award]( again in 1978 for [Who Do You Think You Are?](, which was shortlisted for the Booker under its international title, “The Beggar Maid.” She went on to win an additional [Governor General’s Literary Award](, two [Giller Prizes](, and numerous other awards. Munro published numerous collections of short stories, but never wrote a novel, stating at one point that she didn’t really understand the form. When she was awarded the [Nobel Prize in Literature]( in 2013, she was described as a “master of the contemporary short story.” Popular British mystery writer [C.J. Sansom](, who is particularly known for his [Matthew Shardlake]( series set in Tudor England, [has died at 71](. An intensely private person, Christopher John Sansom was also a bestselling historical novelist, with more than three million copies of the Matthew Shardlake books sold worldwide, and a television adaptation of the first, [Dissolution](, which debuted on Disney + shortly after his death. Sansom won numerous awards during his career, including the [Ellis Peters Historical Dagger]( in 2005 for [Dark Fire](, and the [Cartier Diamond Dagger]( for lifetime achievement in 2022. Influential American academic and poetry critic [Helen Vendler](, whose reviews could make or break reputations in the field of poetry, [has died at 90](. Vendler earned her PhD in English at Harvard, where she became the first women instructor in the English Department. Her dissertation, [Yeats Vision and the Later Plays](, was published in 1963. She went on to teach at numerous universities, including Cornell, Haverford, Swarthmore, Smith and Boston University, before taking a full professorship at Harvard, where she taught from 1984 until her death. Vendler reviewed poetry in The New Yorker and other journals, and sat on numerous award committees. She also published numerous poetic studies, including [The Art of Shakespeare’s Sonnets]( (1997) and [Dickinson: Selected Poems and Commentaries]( (2010). Acclaimed American novelist, memoirist and filmmaker [Paul Auster](, described by the New York Times as the “Patron Saint of Literary Brooklyn,” [has died at 77](. After earning a B.A. and M.A. from Columbia University, Auster lived in Paris for a number of years, working as a translator. This work would eventually lead to the 1982 publication of [The Random House Book of Twentieth-Century French Poetry](, which he edited. That same year Auster made his debut as an author, publishing the memoir [The Invention of Solitude](, which would greatly influence the three novellas in [The New York Trilogy](. Auster continued to produce novels, while also branching out into screenwriting and film direction in the 1990s. The recipient of many awards, he was particularly well regarded in France, where he won the Prix France Culture de Littérature Étrangère in 1989, the [Prix Médicis Étranger](C3%A9dicis) in 1993 for [Leviathan](, and the Médaille Grand Vermeil de la ville de Paris (Medal of the City of Paris) in 2010. Other recent losses in the book world: - [Derek Anderson](, American children’s author and artist, [has died at 55](. - [Yorick Blumenfeld](, Dutch-born British author and futurologist, [has died at 91](. - [Joel Conarroe](, American arts administrator and author, [has died at 89](. - [Shirley Conran](, British author, designer and journalist, [has died at 91](. - [Étienne Delessert](, Swiss artist, children’s illustrator and animator, [has died at 83](. - [Daniel C. Dennett](, American philosophy and cognitive scientist, [has died at 82](. - [Ray Garton](, American author of horror fiction, [has died at 61](. - [Lesley Hazleton](, British-American author and journalist, [has died at 78](. - [Jay Robert Nash](, American true crime author, [has died at 86](. - [Don Perlin](, American comic book artist, writer and editor, [has died at 94](. - [Bernard Pivot](, French journalist and television host, [has died at 89](. - [Jerome Rothenberg](, American poet, translator and anthologist, [has died at 92](. - [David Shapiro](, American poet, literary critic and art historian, [has died at 77](. Freedom of Expression As reported in the [March]( and [April]( issues of State of the Thing, the conflict in Gaza continues to roil the book world. The fallout has been particularly intense for [PEN America](, an organization which champions freedom of expression, and which has been caught between its commitment in that regard and the desire of some of its members that they take a specific stance on the issue. Twenty-eight authors have withdrawn their books from consideration for the PEN America Literary Awards—see [this article]( for a list of some of them—citing the conflict in Gaza, and their desire to stand in solidarity with the people there. The Literary Estate of Jean Stein, which funds the [PEN/Stein Award](25252FJean-Stein-Book-Award), stated that the late writer was “​​a passionate advocate for Palestinian rights,” and would have “respected the stance and sacrifice of the writers who have withdrawn from contention this year,” leading to this year’s $75,000 prize being donated to the [Palestine Children’s Relief Fund](. As a result of these developments, PEN America was forced to [cancel their literary awards ceremony](, describing it as a “difficult decision,” and stating that they “greatly respect that writers have followed their consciences, whether they chose to remain as nominees in their respective categories or not.” They were also forced to [cancel their World Voices Festival](. In other PEN America news, the organization [recently released]( the report [Cracks in the Facade: Lessons Learned from Florida’s Ongoing Censorship Campaign](, which looks at the damage caused by legal efforts to challenge and ban books in the Sunshine State, while offering the good news that this trend may be abating. Internationally, they released their [Freedom to Write Index](, which tracks the imprisonment of writers worldwide. China (107) and Iran (49) jailed the most authors and intellectuals, followed by Saudi Arabia (19), Vietnam (19), Israel (17), Belarus (16), Russia (16), and Turkey (14). Globally, at least 339 writers in 33 countries were imprisoned last year as a result of their writing or other free expression, with 62 of those newly imprisoned in 2023. Library Journal released its [2024 Movers and Shakers](, an award for librarians and other individuals doing good and interesting things in the library community. (LibraryThing founder Tim Spalding [won the award]( in 2008.) In a sign of the times, LJ introduced a new category this year: "Ban Battlers." Among the honorees are [Kelly Jensen](, whose [reporting at Book Riot](, has done so much to bring attention to censorship campaigns. Also honored were librarians [Sarah DeMaria](, [Melissa Corey](, [Tim Jones](, [Lucy Podmore](, [Huda Shaltry](, [Jennie Pu](. In Alabama, a group of families and librarians have [filed a lawsuit]( against the Autauga-Prattville Public Library Board of Trustees, in Autauga County, seeking to prevent them from implementing restrictive new policies concerning what materials the library may include in their collection. The policies include prohibitions on the purchase of any materials for patrons under seventeen that include "obscenity, sexual conduct, sexual intercourse, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender discordance." The lawsuit maintains that these criteria are discriminatory, unclear, and overly broad. In Minnesota, a bill "banning book bans" [passed the legislature]( and is set to be signed by Governor Tim Walz. The bill establishes a "Library Bill of Rights," forbidding measures to remove or restrict books "because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval." In Australia, a council in western Sydney, [established]( and then [reversed](~:text=Sydney%20council%20reverses%20ban%20on%20same%2Dsex%20parenting%20books%20after%20fiery%20meeting,-Cumberland%20councillors%20voted&text=A%20controversial%20ban%20on%20same,clashed%20outside%20the%20council%20chambers.) a ban on books about same-sex parenting. Australian Broadcasting [covered the tense protests]( and counter-protests at the meeting of the Cumberland city council. In light of the many lawsuits surrounding issues of library curation and book challenges nationwide, Publishers Weekly have [assembled a guide]( for the cases in the states of Texas, Alaska, Iowa and Florida. Book World News: Awards Awards and Prizes. The winners of the 2024 [Pulitzer Prizes](, given out in a variety of categories, [have been announced](. The New York Times has offered [comprehensive coverage]( of the winners and finalists. In the book categories, the winner for Fiction was [Night Watch]( by [Jayne Anne Phillips](, and for General Nonfiction it was [A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy]( by [Nathan Thrall](. The winner in the History category was [No Right to an Honest Living: The Struggles of Boston’s Black Workers in the Civil War Era]( by [Jacqueline Jones](, while in the Biography category the winners were [King: A Life]( by [Jonathan Eig]( and [Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom]( by [Ilyon Woo](. In the Memoir/Autobiography category the winner was [Liliana's Invincible Summer: A Sister's Search for Justice]( by [Cristina Rivera-Garza](, while in the Poetry category the winner was [Tripas: Poems]( by [Brandon Som](. Finally, in the Drama category, the winner was [Primary Trust]( by [Eboni Booth](. The 2024 [Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize](, given annually to a work of fiction, nonfiction or poetry that evokes the “spirit of a place,” and that is written by a resident of one of the British Commonwealth countries, or of the Republic of Ireland, [has been awarded]( to [Ian Penman]( for his [Fassbinder: Thousands of Mirrors](. A study of the work of German filmmaker [Rainer Werner Fassbinder](, the book was praised by judge [Francis Spufford]( as a work that “captures not only scenes both gross and beautiful from the 1970s life of the workaholic Fassbinder, but a glittering array of thoughts and moments from his own long fascination with Fassbinder’s place and time and historical moment.” The [OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature](, given annually at the [Bocas Lit Fest]( in Trinidad and Tabago, [has been awarded]( this year to [Safiya Sinclair]( for her [How to Say Babylon: A Memoir](. The Bocas shortlist, which always includes a fiction, nonfiction and poetry selection, from which the overall winner is chosen, also included [The Ferguson Report: An Erasure]( by [Nicole Sealey]( (Poetry), and [Hungry Ghosts]( by [Kevin Jared Hosain]( (Fiction). The winners of the 2024 [Ockham New Zealand Book Awards](, given annually in multiple categories to New Zealand authors, [have been named](. The Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction has gone to [Lioness]( by [Emily Perkins](, while the General Nonfiction Award has gone to [An Indigenous Ocean: Pacific Essays]( by [Damon Salesa](. The Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry has gone to [Grace Yee]( for [Chinese Fish](, while the Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand Award for Illustrated Nonfiction has gone to [Gregory O'Brien]( for [Don Binney: Flight Path](. The Te MÅ«rau o te Tuhi Māori Language Award went to [Tā Pou Temara]( for [Te Rautakitahi o TÅ«hoe ki Ōrākau](. Four first-time authors—one in each of these four categories—were also chosen as winners. See the complete list of winners on the [New Zealand Book Awards Trust]( site. Australia’s [Stella Prize](, an annual literary award for women writers in all genres, [has been given]( to [Alexis Wright]( this year for her novel, [Praiseworthy](. Wright is the first author to win the Stella twice, having also taken home the prize in 2018, for her [Tracker](. The judges described this year’s winner as “fierce and gloriously funny… a genre-defiant epic of climate catastrophe proportions,” going on to say that “Wright’s use of language and imagery is poetic and expansive, creating an immersive blak multiverse.” Poet and doctor [Fady Joudah]( has [been named the winner]( of this year’s [Jackson Poetry Prize](, given out annually by [Poets & Writers]( to an “American poet of exceptional talent.” The award committee stated that “the Jackson Poetry Prize celebrates Palestinian-American poet Fady Joudah’s significant and evolving body of work, distinguished by his courage to speak in the face of the unspeakable, in poems of lyric concision and intensity… Joudah’s diction is slippery, elucidating the instability of language in bearing what cannot be borne. This slippage echoes, as well, the fragility of selfhood, and of love, in the face of such annihilation. He demands love poems from a world so adept at withholding love.” The winners of the 2024 [Edgar Awards](, named after [Edgar Allen Poe]( and given annually by the [Mystery Writers of America]( to honor the best in mystery writing and the performing arts, [have been announced](. Best Novel has gone to [James Lee Burke]( for [Flags on the Bayou](, and Best First Novel has gone to [I.S. Berry]( for [The Peacock and the Sparrow](. Best Paperback or eBook Original has been given to [Jesse Q. Sutanto]( for [Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers](, while Best Fact Crime has been given to [Nathan Masters]( for [Crooked: The Roaring '20s Tale of a Corrupt Attorney General, a Crusading Senator, and the Birth of the American Political Scandal](. Best Juvenile has gone to [Adrianna Cuevas]( for [The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto](, and Best Young Adult to [April Henry]( for [Girl Forgotten](. For a complete list of winners and nominees, see [this announcement](. In the UK, the winners of the [Crimefest Awards](, given out annually at the [Crimefest Convention](, have [been announced](. The winner of the Specsavers Best Debut Crime Novel was [Stig Abell]( for [Death Under a Little Sky](, while the eDunnit Award for best crime fiction ebook has gone to [Laura Lippman]( for [Prom Mom](. The H.R.F. Keating Award for best biographical or critical book related to crime fiction has been awarded to [Adam Sisman]( for [The Secret Life of John Le Carré](, while The Last Laugh Award has gone to [Mick Herron]( for [The Secret Hours](. The Best Crime Novel for Children has gone to [J.T. Williams]( for [Portraits and Poison](, while the Best Crime Novel for Young Adults was awarded to [Elizabeth Wein]( for [Stateless](. Author [Ben Fountain]( has [been announced as the winner]( of the 2024 [Joyce Carol Oates Literary Prize](20Carol%20Oates%20Literary%20Prize) for his novel, [Devil Makes Three](. Named for celebrated American author [Joyce Carol Oates](, the prize is awarded to mid-career authors of fiction by the [New Literary Project](, a collaboration between the [English Department]( of the University of California at Berkeley, and the [Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation](. [Joyce Carol Oates]( praised the book, describing it as “a monumental achievement spanning, not historical time, but the consequences of history impinging upon the present.” The 2024 winners of the [Christian Book Awards](, given out annually in twelve categories by the [ECPA]( (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) were [recently announced](. Book of the Year was given to [All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir]( by [Beth Moore](, while [Thomas R. Schreiner]( won in the Bible Reference Works category for [Revelation](. [Granger Smith]( has won in the Biography & Memoir category for [Like a River: Finding the Faith and Strength to Move Forward after Loss and Heartache](, while the two winners in the Christian Living category are [Max Lucado]( for [God Never Gives Up on You: What Jacob's Story Teaches Us About Grace, Mercy, and God's Relentless Love]( and [Jen Wilkin]( & [J.T. English]( for [You Are a Theologian: An Invitation to Know and Love God Well](. The complete list of winners can be found on [this page](. Additional Award News This Month: Winners. [The Aspen Words Literary Prize]( | [The Berman Literary Prize]( | [The British Book Awards]( | [The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction]( | [The Ernest Scott Prize]( | [The Hayek Book Prize]( | [The Helen Bernstein Award for Excellence in Journalism]( | [The James Tait Black Prize]( | [The Los Angeles Times Book Prize]( | [The Minnesota Book Awards]( | [The Oscar’s Book Prize]( | [The Saskatchewan Book Award]( Shortlists / Finalists. [The Alligator’s Mouth Award]( | [The Griffin Poetry Prize]( | [The Klaus Flugge Prize]( | [The Maine Literary Awards]( | [The New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards]( | [The Trillium Book Award]( | [The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction]( | [The Wales Book of the Year]( | [The Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards]( | [The Women’s Prize for Fiction]( TinyCat [TinyCat]( is the online catalog for small libraries, created by LibraryThing. It turns your existing LibraryThing account into a simple, professional, web-based catalog. Follow [@TinyCat_Lib]( on Twitter and [tinycat_lib](tinycat_lib) on Threads for the latest TinyCat news, and be sure to check out [LibraryThing’s Youtube channel]( for a range of TinyCat tutorials. of the Month. TinyCat’s featured library in April, the [Annisquam Village Library]( in Gloucester, MA, which has been serving their community since 1904, is located just a short drive down I-95 from LibraryThing’s Portland, ME headquarters. Retired librarian and member of the Library Committee Janet Langer sat down with Kristi this past month to answer her questions about the [Annisquam Village Library]( and their work. Q. Who are you, and what is your mission—your “raison d’être”?: The Annisquam Village Library (AVL) is located in the northern part of Gloucester, MA, a city known for its early ties to the fishing industry. The library has been a fixture in the village for generations and many of our patrons have visited the library since they were children, as did their family before them. We have both year-round and seasonal (summer) residents of all ages who use our library, but most of our patrons are adult recreational readers who are retired. Our goal is to provide them with engaging reading material and meaningful community events. You can find the [full interview on our blog](. TinyCat Webinars. To learn more about TinyCat, join Kristi for a live demo Wednesdays at 1pm Eastern. Webinars are now on Zoom, so make sure to use our new [link to attend](. You can also check out our playlists of Tiny Tutorials on [LibraryThing's YouTube channel](, where Kristi walks you through various features of TinyCat in 30 seconds or less. If you'd like to schedule a webinar at another time or if you have other questions about TinyCat, you can reach Kristi at tinycat@librarything.com. Wait, That's It? That's all I have for the Thing this month! If you have any suggestions, or ideas for improving State of the Thing, please reach out to me at abigailadams@librarything.com. Past issues of State of the Thing are available in our [SOTT Archive](. Happy reading, Abigail PS: If you'd rather receive a plain-text version, [edit your email preferences](. You can also read it [online](. This message was sent to {NAME}. Click to [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from future emails](.