After the pandemic and the lockdowns, library staff members were looking for ways to reach out to the community and to go where they were. The two best ideas were library pop-ups, where we set up at remote locations and do our library thing, and the StoryWalk®, where the library places many signs displaying the pages of deconstructed book along a trail so that families can combine reading with exercising in the great outdoors. Our first StoryWalk® utilized both ideas. We set up our StoryWalk® around the community walking trail and ended our first summer reading program event at the Monterey Pool, where we had a library pop-up ready to give away free books and swag, and sign-up children for the summer reading program. We’ve done a StoryWalk® each summer since, usually in partnership with the Highland County Recreation Commission.
The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Storywalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.
