A local librarian told me the details regarding depositing books at the local library. I was reminded about having to fill out a legal deposit and that would be found under the services section of the Quebec National Library site. Writers might also find out through the library how popular the book they deposited is. Mine in question is a poetry book so I did not expect a great number of hits. It did not surprise me that no one requested the book in the past 14 months. I would have liked to go back further but the library had lost their previous records.
First one has to deposit the book before a local library can gain access. Someone can go on their internet if they want the book and if it were located at another branch that branch would arrange an interlibrary loan. On my, have things have so greatly changed since the use of call cards!
The library mentioned there is a roundabout way of accessing new titles and that would be through two bookshops in town, Paragraphs and Bertrand's on Park Ave. The problem then would be in getting my book submitted to those bookshops and I am afraid I would have to go through their head offices before getting any headway. Then I would be at the mercy of the choices made by local libraries in town. Gone are the days when I used to submit something the Book Hook, when I had to go through less red tape, one could hand in books on consignment, but poetry hardly ever moves it seems and the librarian confirmed that
Lastly I did find out that crime novels involving investigations and police chases are the most popular and the one library I visited had a large section regarding this subject. The library exhibits new acquisitions in front for several weeks before putting them on the shelf where they are largely hidden from view especially if their spines are thin. Coincidently by last book I published fitted that category so now I have to do the legwork to get it to this location as soon as I can.
