The Broken Bow Public Library and Broken Bow Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for the Library’s latest program on Wednesday afternoon, October 15. Over 30 donors and other avid readers, young and old gathered at Melham Park Pond to see the opening of the Broken Bow StoryWalk.
Library Director Megan Svoboda explained that a StoryWalk is a book that has been taken apart and presented page by page around a path to promote reading, exercise, and family time. Walking along the path, readers will find 25 posts, each displaying a page of the story. Participants are invited to stroll along the path, take their time, ask questions, and enjoy the story and nature.
The first story to be posted in the StoryWalk is Stay Wild My Child, by Mandy Archer, a book that celebrates the exuberance of childhood.
Svoboda explained the library staff chose Stay Wild My Child to help readers remember to “embrace their true selves and just be you.”
While library staff plan to change the book presented in the StoryWalk every month, updating to provide reading options that change with the seasons.
Pedestals, each containing a page from the chosen book now follow the footpath from the Melham Pond parking lot to Memorial Drive, travel along 5th Avenue, down across the dam, and then up to the playground near the baseball fields.
Each pedestal cost about $350 to install. However, finding funding for the project was not difficult. Svoboda noted that the library ended up turning away potential donors once each pedestal was funded.
When asked her thoughts about the success of the StoryWalk installation, Svoboda said, “I am just so excited to see the community embracing this project and the enjoyment of getting out and enjoying nature and reading with your kids.”
The Broken Bow Library thanks the following for their support of the StoryWalk project:
Adams Land and Cattle, Anonymous, Joan and Dave Birnie, Broken Bow Area Rotary, Bruning Bank, Culligan of Broken Bow, Custer Care, Edward Jones, Evans Feed, Gateway Motors, Grandma who loves reading, In Memory of Jaci Peterson, In Memory of Peg Peterson-Keller, KCNI/KBBN, Myers Construction, Nebraska State Bank, Precious Angel Daycare, Sargent Irrigation/Pipe, Sennet Duncan Jenkins Wickham, Sixpence, Steffens Law Office, Thea and Henry Thomas, TeamMates of Broken Bow, and Varney Pharmacy.
