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Karin Slaughter on Libraries: They 'Are the Backbone of a Community' Karin Slaughter started Save the Libraries in 2010.

By Harriet Sokmensuer Harriet Sokmensuer Harriet Sokmensuer is a former crime reporter at PEOPLE.People Editorial GuidelinesPublished on December 1, 2015 05:00PM EST Credit : Courtesy Karin

Slaughter New York Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter started Save the Libraries, an organization dedicated to helping libraries of all sizes raise money through grants, in 2010. She

says growing up in libraries inspired her not only to write but also to give back to the community.

“I grew up having the library as the best place ever. I spent a lot of weekends there as a kid – my parents would drop me off and leave me there all day. I would just sit in the back and

read whatever I could find,” the author, 44, tells PEOPLE.

“When I became a published writer I said, ‘Whatever I can do to help the libraries I want to do,’ so all of my book tours since then have involved me coming to a library and talking about

how important libraries are for a community,” she says.

Slaughter, author of Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes, has been writing crime thrillers for 15 years. The Georgia native has sold more than 35 million copies of her books worldwide and has had every

book debut on the New York Times bestseller list. The author, whose name is not a pseudonym, lives in her hometown of Atlanta and most recently released her latest novel, Pretty Girls.

“I started Save the Libraries in 2010 by hosting a big fundraiser in my city library of DeKalb County in Atlanta. Through that I learned that even with fundraisers, libraries often don’t

make money – they just barely break even,” she says.

“So I reached out to my business contacts and asked them to step up. I think it’s important to have the fundraisers to not only raise awareness and bring people into the library but also

help them raise money.”

To date, Save the Libraries has given more than $300,000 to libraries in need. One of Slaughter’s biggest achievements was when she helped raise funds for the local library in Ferguson,

Missouri, after the political unrest last year.

“One thing kids need when there is turmoil is structure, and the Ferguson library stayed open hosting classes and teachers there. It kept the community together. That’s the point of the

library. It’s the glue. I always say it’s the backbone of a community. No matter where you are on the political spectrum, libraries make sense. It’s such a small investment. Every dollar

supporting a library system returns five dollars to the community,” she says.

Slaughter suggests that anyone interested in helping should find out what their local libraries might need.

“Give money to the system next door if your library is doing well because in the end it helps you. You want all children to have a future and to have hope because that changes everything.

Looking to the future, the Pretty Girls author is working on a new book and putting together a fundraiser guide for libraries – since she notes that most systems aren’t able to hire

professional help when hosting events and don’t know how to organize efficient, inexpensive fundraisers.

On January 3, Save The Libraries is hosting a concert with The Indigo Girls in Atlanta. For more information, go to Save the Libraries’ website.

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