Glen Ellyn Public Library creates new collection for emerging authors

Glen Ellyn Public Library has created a new collection to support self-published authors and give patrons a way to obtain hard-to-find reads.

To be included in the new Emerging Author Collection, books must be about the Chicago metro area or be written by authors who live here.

Although authors who didn't publish their own works can be in the collection, the library created the section with the expanding world of self-publishing in mind.

“We actually started the collection because of the growing phenomenon that we're seeing that so many people are publishing their books themselves,” Adult Department Director Susan DeRonne said. “And these books don't always get reviewed by the standard journals that we usually do our selecting from.”

DeRonne said technology and other advances have made it much easier — and acceptable — for authors to self-publish.

“Twenty years ago, a self-published book was sort of frowned upon as a book that just didn't make it,” she said. “There's no longer that stigma on self-published books at all. It's just another avenue of information.”

As of Jan. 16, the new collection housed 13 donated books, showcasing the work of 11 authors.

DeRonne said the library looks over the books for “suitability.” It can't accept flimsy materials that would fall apart, such as stapled manuscripts, and the library will monitor how popular the books are with patrons.

“We're trying to choose things we think would be of general interest to our community,” DeRonne said.

She said the collection will help authors because most public libraries still only add books to their collection that have gone through “the traditional channels of publishing houses.”

“There's a lot of good writers out there who don't make it through publishing houses,” she said.

The collection also benefits patrons who now have access to materials they normally wouldn't receive, DeRonne said.

Jennifer Rae Trojan, a West Chicago resident whose pen name is Jennifer Rae, self-published her first book, which is now a part of Glen Ellyn's Emerging Author Collection.

The book, “Kessen's Kronikles: The Adventures of a Cross Country Canine,” follows the journey of a potential assistance dog to those with disabilities.

“It's from the dog's point of view,” Trojan said. “He is the storyteller.”

The story is based off the life of Trojan's real dog, Kessen, who was not able to become a service dog but ended up being a therapy dog.

The author and her husband have raised puppies for more than a decade, taking care of dogs who they hope will become service animals.

“We've had so many fun experiences and I just wanted to write about it because it's been such a wonderful part of our lives,” Trojan said.

Ada Vaughan, 43, of Lombard, also has her self-published book in the collection.

The book, “Sweets,” details the story of a 30-year-old woman who “is kind of going nowhere in her life,” until she inherits a shuttered candy store in Chicago. She also learns she is a witch who can heal people by prescribing candy, Vaughan said. Two more books in that series are soon to be published.

Vaughan, who always has loved storytelling, published her book through Amazon and CreateSpace.

“The Internet makes it possible for anyone who feels like they have a great story to publish it and I'm really grateful for that because 10 or 15 years ago, my book probably would not have seen the light of day,” Vaughan said.

“I am an entrepreneur; I'm involved in other things. I don't want to make marketing my book my full-time job and that's what you really had to do,” she said. “Even then a lot of people didn't succeed with the publishing houses having all of the power and control over what got out there. Now people can put their book out there.”

Vaughan said she hopes the collection continues and that the library keeps looking at emerging authors.

“It's a great way for people to get exposed to a new book and inspire more people to write.”