Wear comfortable shoes. Get a copy of the schedule beforehand. Sign up for tickets in advance. Bring a big bag for the books you'll buy, whether you plan to or not. Be sure to try some sessions utterly out of the blue.

This is advice from Miami Herald Book editor Connie Ogle, who has spent the past few months preparing for the Miami Book Fair International, which begins Sunday night. For Connie, it's the seasonal height of a job that turns both impossible and exquisite for the next eight days.

Starting with Sunday's paper, you'll find extensive coverage that she, fellow writers and editors Margaria Fichtner, Rory Clarke and Pat Andrews have developed to help make the most of this remarkable South Florida institution.

You've no doubt already seen the Rory's spread of dozens of snapshot reviews in today's Issues & Ideas section and online. All this week, you'll find pieces on the books and authors on the front page, in the Local section, in Tropical Life and on MiamiHerald.com.

You'll also find summaries, videos, calendars and special full-page guides on Saturday and Sunday in Tropical Life.

In the same way that the Book Fair lifts the spirits of South Florida each year, it's also a kind of gift to the paper. The fair fills these pages with the thoughts of the nation's best authors, stories from their work and excerpts from their books.

``We simply try to show the enormous range of these authors,'' says Margaria.

Connie, a 22-year veteran of the paper, is omnipresent at the fair, which she has been covering for nearly half of its existence. Here are her suggestions for fairgoers:

• Plan ahead. ``There're an overwhelming number of authors who come here,'' she reminds us. ``Get a copy of the schedule before you go. It's much better to plan a little than just go randomly.''

• But leave room for surprises. ``Some of the best sessions I've been to are authors I didn't know about. You can just wander in at the right place and time and see something that's just great.''

• Don't be discouraged by the ticket requirements for the most popular sessions. ``There's almost always room for the standby line,'' she said. ``There are always people who don't show up.''

• Bring some cash. ``Since not all of the booths take credit cards.''

• Plus, bring a bag to carry books. ``Or you can buy one there. You may think you're not going to buy anything. If you're a book lover, you're going to buy books.''

FUTURE OF THE MEDIA

Two weighty reports on the future of the media are making waves across the country. They've ignited a debate that once would have stayed within the profession. But anyone interested in in-depth reporting and public service will want to know about them.

Former Washington Post Executive Editor Len Downie Jr. joined with Columbia University professor Michael Schudson to produce The Reconstruction of American Journalism, a title that reflects its heft. Meanwhile, a Knight Commission report, Informing Communities, goes into great detail on how democracy can be served in a changing media world.

Both are thoughtful, massive and not easy reads. But between them, they include some surprising and fresh ideas that might not have been suggested even a year ago.

The Reconstruction report calls for a new national fund built on broadcast and Internet licensing fees to support local news innovations; a push for universities to become full players in local news coverage; and a requirement that every public radio and TV station provide community reporting.

The Informing Communities report takes a broader view, outlining 15 specific measures to improve the way information moves and what access people have to it.

Among the suggestions: Ensure every community has at least one strong online hub; increase support for public service media; develop public libraries as digital centers; encourage more innovation in media policy; expand broadband across the country.

A newspaper editor reads all this with a mix of hope and dread.

Suddenly many people, including some elected officials beyond the scope of these reports, are serving up ideas for saving and reshaping the media. Some of the notions are innovative and well-meaning. Others would tamper with the basic concepts of independence and freedom of speech built into our foundation.

The hopeful part is we'll be able to tell the difference. And, of course, it's encouraging that thoughtful and influential organizations are wading into questions of how to strengthen the media at a time when the rules are changing. We'll make it a point in this space to share developments, arguments and your contributions on this important topic.

If you'd like to know more about the Informing Communities report, go to www.Knightcomm.org. The Reconstruction report and debate is at www.cjr.org/reconstruction.

Join the discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.repliedToText@

@Nyx.replyAnswerText@

Reply to this Comment @Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@