Play With the 'Dragon's Hoard': Jane Lindskold on Libraries

Bestselling and award-winning American author Jane Lindskold loves libraries. It is therefore fitting that she appeared at this year's Library of Congress National Book Festival, which celebrated its 15th anniversary on September 5.

Jane Lindskold (Patricia Nagle/Macmillan Publishers)

A native of Washington, DC and a resident of New Mexico, Lindskold is best known as a fantasy and science fiction author. Her first contact with the Library of Congress was during trips as a child. The sight of the architecture and books invoked "a sense of awe," that can still be experienced there today.

A self-proclaimed "huge advocate of Libraries," Lindskold has been a Library patron, advocate and volunteer. Libraries provide an "incredibly important access [point] for information," according to Lindskold. She praises that this access requires "no more investment than signing up for a library card."

Lindskold greatest contribution to the endless world of books is her writing. Her many novels and stories help transport audiences -- both young and old -- to new worlds that expand their imaginations. One key ingredient makes this literary creativity possible: Copyright.

To creators, whether composers, poets or authors, Copyright serves to safeguard livelihoods and provides a "true stamp of approval," as Lindskold aptly remarks. This "essential" system has allowed her to make a living from writing since 1994.

When it comes to the Library of Congress, which is the repository for U.S. Copyright deposits, Lindskold continues to be in awe. She describes this unprecedented national cultural fortress as "a phenomenal dragon's hoard... except in this case the dragons are inviting you to play with their treasure. What gets any better?"

Jane Lindskold's latest book, Artemis Invaded, was published in June 2015 and is available through online retailers, national bookstores and independent booksellers.

Artemis Invaded by Jane Lindskold (Macmillan Publishers)