Admin Post: Come Check Out Our Reference Section Upgrade!

[dawn_felagund]

One of our prides and joys on the Silmarillion Writers' Guild is our Reference Library. It was part of the original site and is something we've put a lot of thought and care into. In recent years, however, as various real-life obligations got in our way, we neglected its upkeep. It's needed an upgrade for some time. Finally--we've been able to do just that!

Over the next week, I'll be posted periodically about how the Reference Library works, since many of you may not have been around when last we were actively soliciting submissions for it. We've also changed a few policies that, through experience, we learned could be made better. And we'll be reaching out for new references too.

But for now, I encourage you to take a look around our newly renovated Reference Library. We've changed the organizational system to make it easier to find what you're looking for. There are more than 150 references in our Reference Library, all carefully researched and cited.

If you write nonfiction/meta about Tolkien or might want to be involved as we resume work on our Reference Library, watch this space for updates! (If you're worried you might miss an update and want to stay informed, comment here or send us an email to loremaster@silmarillionwritersguild.org, and I will make sure to keep you posted.)

Comments

It's BEAUTIFUL!

[heartofoshun]

Thanks for all of the hard work. I'm very excited about it! I have a very biased interest in it. I use it constantly and I contribute to it. So it means a lot to me.

Re: It's BEAUTIFUL!

[dawn_felagund]

Well, you have the byline on probably 60% of it! :) Without your unfailing efforts over the years, it would have become mostly a graveyard. I'm so glad that you like it and wish it hadn't taken so long to get the organization system right.

Re: It's BEAUTIFUL!

[heartofoshun]

I think getting it right was not just a matter of work time but time passing. For a system of organization to work well, it needs to be used and then one needs to be attentive to what about it works for the users and what is not intuitive enough. One cannot think oneself into a smooth system. Hey, it worked though!--look at the numbers on the bios. People have been reading them. Maybe people will read more with the revamped set-up. There are pieces I have come back to again and again. Also, if we get more consistent new additions, we will get new readers of the research side of the site in general. There is good stuff there!

Ha! I have tried! I appreciate the fact that when I couldn't do a bio that you always found a backup for me, which meant the bios stayed regular. I think we might have missed one month in all those years? Maybe not even that. Maybe I am thinking of the fact that we might have filed a bio a day or so after the newsletter came out once. If we had started skipping months, it could have lapsed into an occasional thing. You determined that would not be allowed to happen. So thank you for that!!!

Re: It's BEAUTIFUL!

[dawn_felagund]

Yep--I've done a lot of learning on the job here! :D The Essays/Periodicals division made perfect sense in my head ... it just didn't account for the fact that people read different (i.e., mostly don't read) on the Internet.

I think we might have missed one month in all those years?

It hasn't been many! We did post a few late, and I pulled a few out of thin air the night they were due when you had an emergency situation come up. Now, of course, having the backups is a huge load off my mind where this is concerned.

We're going to be adding a couple new columns as well. Hopefully I can stay with it and organized!

Being so dedicated was less idealism and more perfectionism ... :D

[hhimring]

Looks great! Thank you, Dawn!

[dawn_felagund]

You're welcome! And we'll actually be able to start work on getting your essay approved and posted soon too ... FINALLY. (Thank you for being so patient with me!)

[hhimring]

No worries!
So sorry for not making any headway at all with my bio projects, for the last couple of months!

[independence1776]

Ooh, nice!