An idea that was presented to us during Summer Tour last year piqued our interest – PhanArt: The Art of the Fans of Phish in libraries nationwide. It’s a great idea, but we discovered that making it happen would present a challenge – how do we get libraries interested in the book?

A few fans suggested that by using the Phanart blog, I could get the word out to fans more quickly, ask for their help, and ultimately sell the book to libraries all over the country which would result in even more contributions to Mockingbird!

Here’s what you can do to help:

1) Find your local library’s website and look for the link to ‘Recommend a book‘ or ‘Suggest a title‘. This is typically how the library looks into purchasing new titles. If for some reason, you aren’t able to find a link like this, most libraries have a keyword search tool where you can search for ‘recommend‘ or ‘suggest‘ to help you find out where to make a request of this nature.  Once you’ve done this, pass the word along to any friends who would be willing to help and ask them to do the same.

1a) If you go to college, go to that library’s site and do the same – colleges have already been purchasing PhanArt, as there is a greater demand for the book at colleges and universities.

2) Put in the information about PhanArt:

Title: PhanArt: The Art of the Fans of Phish

Author: Pete Mason

Website: www.phanart.net/blog

Make sure to note that the only place to buy it is the website, so they don’t go looking for it in the wrong place. And especially note that net profits benefit Mockingbird Foundation, which supports music education nationwide.

Tell them about the book so they are familiar with the title and seek it out. Libraries are always looking for new books, so submit a recommendation and get PhanArt in your library. Of course this means if they buy it you have a copy to check out of your local library! Check it out, share with friends, and return the book so you don’t get fined.