Navigating Bookstagram - Stories & Tips From a Small(er?) Account - #booksNOTbullies Anti-Bullying Campaign

I know that I promised a different addition to the Navigating Bookstagram series, but there’s something important that happened last Wednesday that I feel like I should share with you, my fellow bookstagrammers.

If you haven’t noticed, there has been some bullying (or at least some unkind words) in the bookstagram community lately. For instance, I have seen issues over rep searches, where people argue over not getting picked and create issues for everyone involved. I’ve heard of a shop that had to not have reps and might have even closed, and have also heard of people who have been directly hurt through direct messages. I think most bookstagrammers can agree that the bookstagram community is a safe one where we’re all united by our love for books. I know that when Em and I joined bookstagram, I was shocked at how wonderfully nice everyone was.

But sadly that hasn’t been the case lately. That’s why five bookstagrammers who recognized this organized the #booksNOTbullies anti-bullying campaign. These five bookstagrammers are Abi (@thesqueakycupboard), Georgia (@the.bibliofiles), Kat (@notthepathtonarnia), Katie (@katielmae), and Katy (@katyslibrary). The purpose of the campaign was to stand against the bullying and to once again create a safe community by posting blue last Wednesday, the 12th of April under the hashtag #booksNOTbullies.

We would like to invite everyone to post BLUE on Wednesday April 12 as we stand in solidarity with our fellow bookstagrammers who were bullied and bring awareness to this issue.

-- Abi, @thesqueakycupboard

Em and I at Reading is Inevitable even took part in the campaign. The result was the picture you see below, the blue being my blue sweater and the blue cover of The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah. I decided to share a quote on love from Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch, because love is important to keep in mind and to hold close during times of bullying. I also managed to like over 300 pictures under the tag to spread love in and good feelings in the bookstagram community, and was glad to participate in the event.

[04.12.17] - 『Whatever teaches us to talk to ourselves is important: whatever teaches us to sing ourselves out of despair....And I feel I have something very serious and urgent to say to you....That life—whatever else it is—is short....That Nature (meaning Death) always wins but that doesn't mean we have to bow and grovel to it....And in the midst of our dying, as we rise from the organic, it is a glory and a privilege to love what Death doesn't touch....I add my own love to the history of people who loved things, and looked out for them, and pulled them from the fire, and sought them when they were lost, and tried to preserve them and save them while passing them along literally from hand to hand, singing out brilliantly from the wreck of time to the next generation of lovers, and the next.』 — The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - - A little quote on love for #booksNOTbullies. ♥︎☆

A post shared by Julia&Em (@readingisinevitable) on Apr 12, 2017 at 10:18am PDT

The campaign was, for the most part, a success, with a total of 1,266 posts on the hashtag as of yesterday evening. It should be noted that claims of misuse of the hashtag have been made by some bookstagrammers. (This includes promoting negative or harmful books or even actual bullying under the anti-bullying tag!)

Still, it was a lovely idea to hold the event, and hopefully it has raised awareness about the bullying going around in the community. Like I said earlier, usually, the bookstagram community is a beautifully kind one where we can all unite over our love of books. Why should we let different opinions or other stupid little things separate us? Bookworms should stick together, right?

Below you’ll find a list of some of my favorite posts due to the captions written for them, as well as a post from each of the hosts of the campaign. Be sure to check it out! (And the next installment of the Navigating Bookstagram series will be an extension to the SFS post, as I realized I did promise one in that post, and then one on "moving away from the idea of fame", as promised in my March Reflection. Once again, my apologies!)

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A post shared by Abi's cupboard (@thesqueakycupboard) on Apr 12, 2017 at 7:16am PDT

A post shared by Georgia🌲📖✨🇳🇿 (@the.bibliofiles) on Apr 12, 2017 at 2:46pm PDT

A post shared by Kat of Not The Path To Narnia (@notthepathtonarnia) on Apr 12, 2017 at 4:12pm PDT

A post shared by Katie (@katielmae) on Apr 12, 2017 at 8:01am PDT

A post shared by Katy📚 (@katyslibrary) on Apr 12, 2017 at 6:58am PDT

Amazing Captions You Should Check Out...

@pages_of_my_heart
@estherhaelanra
@jennifer_f_santucci
@pagingserenity
@lindabookmania
@books_and_abe
@bookwnoname
@jillreadsit
@amillionbookswithyou
@readbyashleyd
@staybookish

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Click here to read the next Navigating Bookstagram post, "Hosting a SFS". Or click on the Navigating Bookstagram tag (below) or the link in the pages bar at the top of the screen to read more.