Book Green Speakers Bigger than Your Budget

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Have you ever attended a great program at your local library?  A program that you remember years later as if it was yesterday?  

Some of the very best programs that I’ve attended over the years included a big name speaker, a visionary who left me wanting to know more and do more. 

In these economically challenging times, it can be tough to book a well-known speaker, especially on a dime.  But it is not impossible. 

Here’s an idea that’s worked for me. Create a speaker wish list. Consider best selling green authors and well known writers who have expanded your horizons and inspired you to take action.   

Once you’ve created your list, start your research. Most members of your wish list will have a web site that includes a list of their speaking engagements, both short- and long-range.  Are any of them speaking at an event within 10 to 20 miles of your library? If they are already going to be in the vicinity, care passionately about libraries, and have a new book out and a plane ticket already paid for, they just may pay your library a visit —especially if they know about your library's dedication to a healthy environment.
 
Thirty-plus years ago, Francis Moore Lappé’s book Diet for a Small Planet forever changed the trajectory of my life by introducing me to a new way of looking at the connection between food and the environment. It became the framework for how I would forever look at food, and the recipes within became my foray into vegetarian cooking. Associated Press National Food Editor J.M. Hirsch described Diet for a Small Planet as “the blueprint for eating with a small carbon footprint since long before the term was coined.”

I had the pleasure of meeting Francis when both of us were scheduled to speak at a Green Festival put on by Green America and Global Exchange a few years back and I was able to personally tell her how much she influenced my life. 
     
What green speakers would you like to see at your library? What cities and towns are on their speaking route?

Note: Francis Moore Lappé's green body of work has expanded considerably over the years.  She will be in Chicago on June 3 speaking at Growing Home’s Annual Benefit. As a long time Growing Home supporter and volunteer, I look forward to seeing her again.