Writers Camp @ ZSR: Camping, Writing, and Publishing in the Library!

Abstract

Libraries and writers are natural partners. In the Spring semester of 2016, the Z. Smith Reynolds Library hosted 33 student authors who applied to attend at an overnight event known as “Writers Camp @ ZSR”. These students were paired with University artifacts from the Library’s Special Collections to serve as writing prompts, fueled with endless coffee, and offered editorial support from graduate assistants in the Writing Center-- culminating in the publication of a unique collection of student-authored literary works, cataloged by the Library and published by the Library Partners Press in multiple formats. This project, now a biennial event, has helped the Library bring together a community of authors, supporting the scholarly pursuits of these students outside the classroom.