Since I complained about a book event that was less than what it should have been, I thought it only fair to laud one that went right in every way.

So, shout out to the Massanutten Regional Library on Main Street in Harrisonburg, Virginia, for doing it right.

They gave about 20 of us local writers their largest meeting room, complete with full-sized tables and blue plastic tablecloths, though I had my own. They gave up their staff parking lot for us to park in, and they had library personnel stationed throughout the library to guide us to the right place.

We all had a little swag bag waiting for us with some yummy candy, a sticker for this Rocktown Author Fest, a trifold brochure they’d used in advertising the event to the library’s patrons, and a spiffy lapel pin reading “Rocktown Author Festival.”

Oh, and they bought us lunch, plus provided cold bottles of water free of charge.

The library staff had also publicized this event in the local media and on the library web site. A staff member was stationed at the library entrance to give each person entering the brochure and pointed them toward our room. The staff kept checking in on us periodically over the four hours of the event to see if we needed anything.

I have to say, it was one of the best events of this type I’ve been to in a while. But libraries do know how to do book-related things well. They even invited a student from James Madison University right up the street to video the event and conduct interviews with the writers.

While the event was going on, the library had two panels on writing and publishing subjects, and we had a constant stream of people strolling through the meeting room and interacting with us writers.

So, we had plenty of room yet were close enough we could chat with our fellow writers; plenty of room for us to put our books and giveaways on the tables; and a really, really good vibe.

It was a 20-minute drive, easy parking, a great venue that did its job in promoting the event, and I sold four books. A great event and a great day.

Again, kudos to the staff of the Massanutten Regional Library in Harrisonburg, VA. See, book events can be a positive experience.