Your library's staff really, really misses Summer Reading the way it used to be.
Music, crafts, huge gatherings on Library Plaza, spinning wheels, prizes, scavenger hunts, treasure chests, a team of teen volunteers, and BOOKS!
Lots and lots of books.
Every year was a new, eight-week long party.
Back when we started talking about how to give this year's Summer Reading the love it deserves, we decided to use an art theme.
It worked well for the new normal of take-home kits, we had lots of materials for arts and crafts already at our disposal.
WE LOVE ART.
So we brought you "Reading is Art-RAGEOUS!"
Then, we asked YOU to create some art yourselves.
Our goal for this most unusual summer was to create a library-wide activity for all ages that could be interactive and showcase our local talent.
Enter Johnson County Public Library (in Indiana) and their long-running Design-a-Bookmark contest.
Libraries are all about sharing and youth services department head Stephanie Spetter borrowed this idea directly from her friends at JCPL where she worked many, many moons ago.
We tweaked the guidelines, added a prize element, and...voilà!
The interest and participation was grander and more wonderful than we ever anticipated.
Participants could enter the contest in one of four age categories:
Preschool-3rd grade, 4th-8th grade, 9th-12th grade, and Adult.
One winner was selected from each age category.
What a tough job that was for the committee with so many awesome entries!
Winners had their art reproduced as professionally printed bookmarks that are available at the library while supplies last.
Check out the entire collection of 110 original entires on exhibit for everyone to enjoy in the 1st floor meeting room hallway.
Thank you to everyone who participated by completing an entry form and delivering your masterpieces to us at the library.
We enjoyed every single piece of art and are pleased to share them all with all of you.
