Peter Coyl spent most of 2013 reading the best of LGBT literature
After the Stonewall Book Awards are announced Jan. 26, Dallas librarian Peter Coyl plans to catch up on some TV and read a few non-LGBT books.
Since May, Coyl has spent at least five hours every Monday — the day his branch is closed — and two hours every night before bed reading more than 230 books. That’s at least one book a day.
“I’ve always been a fast reader,” he said.
But he isn’t a speed reader. He takes some time to savor the best books that have been submitted.
Coyl served on the American Library Association’s Stonewall Book Awards committee in 2012 and in 2013 became its chair. The committee is made up of nine librarians from across the U.S. and Canada.
He said he prefers a hard copy book over e-books.
“I’m a visual person,” he said. “I remember the cover.”
Once he’s read a book, he comments in an online discussion board with his committee. Then he places the book in one of several piles — those he’s considering for one of the three awards the committee grants and a pile for those he’s not considering.
Coyl said he reads each of the books submitted for consideration.
“At least I’ve attempted to read every book,” he said.
A few, he admitted, he just couldn’t get into, and about 60 of the books were in the children’s and young adult category, so they were short or fast reads.
The committee has narrowed its selection down to a final five in adult fiction, nonfiction and children’s and young adult literature. On Jan. 25, they’ll meet in Philadelphia at the national ALA convention. Winners in the two adult categories will be announced the evening of Jan. 26. The children’s and young adult winner will be named on Jan. 27 along with winners of the Caldecott, Newbery, Printz and several other awards.
While Coyl said each of the winners and honorable mentions is named because of its merits, he said not every book is for every reader.
Once Coyl returns to Dallas after the ALA meting, he’ll schedule presentations at several libraries to talk about the award winners and honorees. He’ll also make a presentation at the Texas Library Association meeting in San Antonio and sit on a panel with author David Levithan who wrote the coming-of-age novel Boy Meets Boy aimed at teens.
He’ll also clear out his house by donating most of the books he read over the last year to the Dallas Public Library.
“Most will go to Oak Lawn,” he said.
Oak Lawn branch manager Angie Bartula will go through the collection, keep what she needs to flesh out her LGBT stacks and pass along duplicates to the North Oak Cliff branch.
Coyl pointed out he’s not the only local librarian working with a national ALA LGBT committee. Grand Prairie librarian Christie Gibrich chairs the Rainbow Book List committee. That group compiles reading lists of LGBT children’s and young adult books. Coyl said the ALA’s adult LGBT list is called the Over the Rainbow List.
While Coyl’s position as chair of an ALA committee brings a measure of prestige to the Dallas Library system, his travel is not funded by the city. Instead, Friends of the Audelia Road Branch, a private, volunteer group, funded his trips.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition January 24, 2014.