Stuff

Picturebooks are usually 32 pages long. That means fair use, at its most generous definition, would allow for maybe four pages tops, and even that’s pushing it. And yet sometimes I see literally every page (except the copyright one- odd, that) in a single post.

I know that people share these books to show how great they are. I share your enthusiasm! But when people can read the entirety of the work while quickly scrolling through tumblr, they don’t value it as highly. They don’t buy the book or get it from their library, because they feel they’ve had the full experience. That means less money to the author and illustrator, as well as to everyone involved in its creation.

And while I recognize that none of us are particularly invested in corporations being successful, and maybe some of you even have the (false) belief that creators are wealthy and can afford to lose the income, there’s something else at stake here.

So often the books I see reproduced on Tumblr are ones that are important. That’s why people share them! They are often by and/or about marginalized people- stories that we really want to see more of. And those are the books that desperately need to make money, so that we get more of them. Because when a publisher is looking to whether they’ll publish more books like that, they don’t look at enthusiasm for the topic. They look at number of books sold. And a huge number of reblogs isn’t contributing to the bottom line of getting more books on the shelves.

So I know that I can’t convince anyone not to make or reblog those posts. But maybe I can convince you, at the very least, if you like those books and think they mean something- request them at your library.

You know what happens when you request a book at your library?

You still don’t have to pay a dime.

The book is purchased, and the author and illustrator and publisher earn money and know that there’s an audience for more books like this

You get to see the book the way it’s MEANT to be seen, with its correct dimensions and proper colorization. As a teen or adult (if you’re on Tumblr, you’re one of those), you are able to pick up on things the intended audience may totally miss, like the skill of the art or how the drama of the page turn propels the story forward.

Picturebooks are amazing for learning about both storytelling and illustrating. If you’re interested in art or writing at all, I highly recommend them.

Other people in your community will also get to enjoy the book, because it’s in your system now, and it’s being circulated.

Your library will know that books about this topic circulate, so will order more, and it will snowball.

Many library systems’ funding is dependent on how often patrons use their services, so you may actually be indirectly helping your library get more money.

You are not breaking my heart.

So I know I can’t convince you to not repost that picturebook (although I would really, really, really encourage you to post, like, three pages- PAGES, not spreads- and a link to its worldcat entry instead!). But I would really appreciate if you do this too.