While school breaks are moments that kids cherish, they often elicit a very different feeling from parents. Upon learning that his children would have a dozen days off school during the last winter break, Scott Berryman came up with a plan to ensure that the kids wouldn’t get bored, and would also fulfill the need for intellectual and creative stimulation.
“We love school and we love libraries. If we aren’t in one, it seems like we should be in the other,” said Berryman. “With 12 days and 12 libraries, it seemed like a great idea to try and get to them all.”
When Berryman presented the idea to his four children, they were excited. “They were literally jumping up and down in the living room.”
Seeing their enthusiasm prompted Berryman to contact organizations with a common goal of creating a more literate community. With the help of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands, opens a new windowand Junior League of Omaha, the project found a home at Omaha Public Library, opens a new window and resulted in “Makin’ Tracks.”
Children and their families are encouraged to pick up a map of all 12 OPL locations at their local branch. With each branch visit they make, they will receive a sticker to fill in a spot on their map. Once all 12 locations have been visited, kids can enter for a chance to win an Omaha-opoly game. During their journey through Omaha, families will learn that each location has similarities, but also has it’s own feel and sensibility in architecture and decoration.
Berryman has high hopes for what this program will achieve. “I hope parents will get a close look at how their tax dollars are being wisely spent and get a better sense of all the offerings of our library system,” he said. “I hope those parents come back to the library because of great librarians, fantastic programming and the sense of community that libraries foster. Most of all, I hope young Omahans become inspired to read and grow to love libraries the way I do.”
To learn more about how your family can participate in the program, visit your local branch, opens a new window today and get started!
Add a comment to: Making a Difference While Makin’ Tracks