Sunday afternoon, Catherine and Benjamin Korns went for a walk with their mom around Somerset to ‘exercise’ their minds.
They’re on the lookout for signs that display pages of children’s books.
It’s called the “Story Stroll.”
Morgan Simmons, the IT & Facilities Coordinator at Mary S. Biesecker Public Llibrary, said it’s a form of storytelling.
“Some people have mentioned how their kids are reluctant to read, and they don’t really enjoy it,” he told 6 News.
“But now, when they’re walking around the Story Stroll, the kids want to be the ones who read the next sign. They get really excited about it.”
There are five other libraries throughout Somerset County participating in Somerset, Windber, Meyersdale, Conemaugh Township, and Confluence.
“In some of the towns, it’s about a mile walk. Some of the installations are a little bit smaller,” Morgan said.
It was made possible by funding from the Festival of Books, encouraging libraries to design a project promoting literacy in their communities.
“It’s learning how to read, appreciating reading, and having those skills to be able to take in new information. This is a fun way to do it,” Morgan said.
The stories are swapped out every month to make sure that reading never gets old.
That’s the ‘moral of this story.’
“We’re in an era where there’s a lot of digital media and digital information and all that’s great but physical books have their place too. They will always be a tool and a resource for people to use.”
The 2021 “Festival of Books” will be held on September 18, 2021 in Ebensburg, PA.
Organizers are calling on local authors to participate (author applications are this week: May 20th).
