The Youth Services Department at the Jefferson Public Library has several special contests to spotlight the month of April

Youth Services Librarian Bailey Mount says they are celebrating National Library Week, which is from April 19th-25th, all month long as a way to provide more opportunities for people to stop by the library. She points out that national theme is “Find Your Joy” and her staff is embracing all colors of the rainbow, because of the national chairperson is also going to be the host of the rebooted television show, “Reading Rainbow” with Mychal Threets. 

Mount points out that from April 1st-22nd is a reading contest for newborns to 18 year olds with a play on the saying, “Don’t Judge a Book By Its Color.” She explains that youth can check out books each week that correspond to the selected colors, read and return them to be entered into weekly drawings for prizes, along with an overall grand prize drawings at the completion of the contest.

“But it’s just a good way to get the kids engaging with that color theme, sort of that tongue and the cheek, ‘Oh, you know, you shouldn’t pick the book up just because you like the way the cover looks,’ but we do it. Especially since we’re shifting towards this really like, bookstore format now where it’s cover forward for display. Like, the books that are cover forward are the ones that get circulated the most, it’s just a fact. And we’re kind of leaning into that and probably teaching some kids some colors along the way.”     

Mount says the weekly colors include the first week is purple and yellow, week two is red and green, and the final week is orange and blue. 

Mount notes that another contest for youth ages five to 18 years old is a “Peep Diorama Contest” where participants can sign up and receive a starter kit and rules. She states that the dioramas should be based on the participant’s favorite book, movie or video game, while highlighting the candy peep. She adds that voting will take place from April 23rd-28th with prizes to be awarded. 

Finally, Mount says half of the front entryway windows features a giant book with a cascading rainbow with the question, “What Sparks Joy in You When You Visit the Library?”

“And our intent is that the other half of those windows will be filled with patron experiences of them sharing the joy that they find when they visit our library.” 

Mount hopes to see lots of youth and their families this month get engaged with the library. She adds that their major program is later this month with the 19th Annual Toddler Fest on April 25th from 10am-noon at the Greene County Community Center.