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Area libraries offer many resources for writers |
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Written by Publisher
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Saturday, 28 November 2009 |
 St. Marys Public Library Student Page Danielle Schneider demonstrates how easy it is to access the Internet at the library. In addition to the St. Marys Public Library, free Internet access is also provided at the Johnsonburg and Ridgway public libraries.
By Becky Polaski
Staff Writers
Area residents in need of writing resources need look no further than their local library. The St. Marys Public Library, Johnsonburg Public Library and Ridgway Public Library all over a variety of resources for aspiring writers.
St. Marys Public Library Director Scarlette Corbin explained that one of the many resources they have available is the publication “Writers Market,” which the library gets every year.
“It is an index of publishers and different kinds of publishers who publish different kinds of information,” Corbin said. “It gives you addresses. There are submission requirements.”
The St. Marys Public Library also has a number of books available both with regard to writing novels and writing in general.
According to Corbin, members of the community frequently make use of the library’s writing resources.
“I’ve seen a few people say that they’re researching,” Corbin said. “PJ Piccirillo who wrote the book Heartwood came in and did some research here. I think his was in our local history room. So that is of use to some people who are writing on local stuff.”
The library’s local history room contains a variety of general history books on the area.
“We used to have a few books with cemetery logs and information like that but unfortunately they were stolen,” Corbin said. “We have a lot of good information on local history, but we of course defer to the Historical Society, which can offer much more than what we can.”
In addition to the lounge area upstairs at the library, Corbin noted that there are also rooms available downstairs where individuals who are writing or researching can go and work.
“At times it can get pretty busy upstairs and as long as nobody is using our meeting rooms for a meeting purpose like renting our room, they’re more than welcome to go and sit down in one of those rooms and work in a quiet space if they need one,” Corbin said.
Johnsonburg Public Library Director Bonnie Hogue explained that there are several different resources available at that library as well.
“It depends on what type of writing they’re doing,” Hogue said. “We have the Internet available, of course. We have a lot of genealogical information in our Pennsylvania history room that is available of the local area.”
Hogue added that the Johnsonburg library also has various writing guides available.
While Hogue stated that individuals occasionally stop in to work on a writing project, students are the ones who mainly take advantage of the library’s resources.
Ridgway Public Library Director Lann Yurchick explained that the Ridgway library also offers several resources to writers.
“I think we have some writers handbook manuals,” Yurchick said.
As with Hogue, Yurchick stated that it is mainly students who utilize most of the library’s writing resources.
The Ridgway Public Library also offers free wireless Internet access, which is a popular aid for aspiring writers.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 30 November 2009 )
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