STORYWALK®

In November 2022, Let'due south Move in Libraries and the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services teamed up for a calendar week-long event jubilant the inspiring piece of work of libraries who spearhead StoryWalk(R) programs – promoting literacy, reading, wellness, practise, and motility in communities and neighborhoods beyond the United States and the world. Check out the StoryWalk® Week Webpage to see the hundreds of libraries featured! We'll be doing this once more adjacent year then subscribe to our newsletter and so you don't miss out!

The StoryWalk® Project was created past Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk® is a registered service mark owned past Ms. Ferguson.

  • Where do I start?

  • Things to consider

  • What about budget?

  • Suggestions for cess

  • How practise I talk it up?

  • Fun twists

  • Bibliography

  • Where practise I start?

  • Bring together the movement!Based on enquiry Permit's Motion in Libraries conducted in Spring 2022, over 300 public libraries in the U.Southward. and Canada accept already offered outdoor StoryWalk(R) programs. Fifty-fifty more have joined in since then! Use this webpage to get the information yous demand to join this international motility to combine literacy, exercise, nature, and family unit bonding.
  • Free webinar through American Library Association! On November 13, 2022, Let'due south Move in Libraries teamed upwards with the American Library Association to offer a complimentary webinar on "Taking a Walk with the Library: StoryWalk®, Walking Book Clubs and More." Watch the recording!
  • Get started with a free fix-to-become installation. You can use whatever title you own to get-go a StoryWalk! Many libraries like to have activeness prompts effectually the pages to prompt deeper immersion in the StoryWalk. Curious City has partnered with publisher Child's Play to make the title Cat'southward Colors ready to go as a loftier-resolution PDF. Download this free ready-to-print StoryWalk title here.
  • Logistical considerationsTypically, pages from a children's book are installed along a path. As you stroll along the path, you lot're directed to the side by side page in the story. Pages frequently are accompanied by activities or information. Installations can take diverse forms, and include: 1) very simple gear up-ups that come upward and go down in a single day (i.east. laminated pages attached to wooden stakes installed along a path, possibly effectually [or even inside] your library; 2) vendor-created StoryWalk® kits, with Curious Metropolis/Banacom Sign, Barking Dog, Vacker Signs, and Pannier beingness options; 3) DIY StoryWalk® installations, typically with the back up of scouting groups or other volunteers.
  • DIY Information technology. As the StoryWalk motion has grown, many accept decided to create their ain permanent installations. Here is a how-to-do guide from Instructables if y'all want to go the DIY road.
  • Important legal data The StoryWalk® concept was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and was developed with the help of Rachel Senechal, Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Make sure to credit them in your StoryWalk®! Recollect of it as a creative eatables license. You lot're free to use the thought however yous wish, but just give credit! Become to the official webpage of the StoryWalk(R) movement to learn more.
  • Copyright information The pages you use tin non be altered in any way, the pages can non be scanned or reproduced without permission. You can add supplementary data around the pages, but you tin not alter them. If you want to alter the pages of the books, be sure to seek permissions from the publisher. The all-time data source on StoryWalk and copyright comes from the State Library of Iowa. Bank check out their answer to the question "I love the idea of doing a StoryWalk in my customs, only I don't empathize all the legalities involved, including how to handle the trademark and copyright issues. Tin can I avoid the StoryWalk trademark rules by calling ours a 'story walk'? And can I but photocopy and overstate a book's pages, since this is for educational purposes?"
  • What do librarians have to say near how they got started?
    • "I heard about it at a children's librarians meeting and started investigating what information technology was"
    • "We had an idea for a program – and had heard of StoryWalks. We take a squeamish garden area, and love to do outdoor programs"
    • We've done a StoryWalk for the last couple of years. Each summer nosotros've tried to follow the summer reading theme. This yr (2019) we received a grant to construct a more weather resistant and permanent StoryWalk"
    • "We offered 2 different storywalks over ii summers as part of our summertime programming"
    • [We got started by] "trying to contain opportunities for literacy during larger scale events when partnering with the Parks and Recreation department"
    • "I saw information technology at a conference and decided to effort a temporary StoryWalk"
    • "Grant funds"
    • Add your vocalization! Use this form to assist us build this Program Thought page.

  • Things to consider

  • What books make for a skilful StoryWalk®?
    • Whatever book you own tin can exist used for a StoryWalk equally long every bit you do not digitally alter the pages.
    • You tin too create a StoryWalk using stories and art created past your communities!
    • If you're looking for suggestions of titles to apply, consider the following sources
      • Cardinal Minnesota Libraries Exchange – StoryWalk Titles
      • Curious City – StoryWalk Titles
      • Official StoryWalk® Webpage – List of bachelor titles
      • Greater Victoria Public Library – StoryWalk Kits
      • Titles featured by librarians in StoryWalk Calendar week 2022
      • Contact us with your favorite StoryWalk titles!
  • How tin can I brand my StoryWalk(R) as attainable as possible?
    • Libraries are all nearly access, simply we are not as familiar with accessibility hurdles associated with outdoor installations similar StoryWalks.
    • Mandy Easter of the State Library of Iowa organized this great resource guide on "Incorporating Accessibility into StoryWalks®" – Check it out!
    • The State Library of Michigan has as well been working on this topic, partnering with the Michigan Department of Educational activity's (MDE) Depression-Incidence Outreach (MDE-LIO), and Braille and Talking Book Library (BTBL), to make Braille Enhanced StoryWalk® programs bachelor across the state.
    • U.S. librarians, reach out to your local fellow member of the Network of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), Library of Congress to suggest a partnership
    • Sometimes the word "walk" can be stigmatizing for those who physically can not walk – Consider culling names like Trail Tale or Story Trail if this is a business concern.
    • Consider using engineering science to increment accessibility. Some librarians now offer vox-enabled StoryWalks in which readers scan a QR code, utilize RFID technology, or press a push button to hear pre-recorded audio of librarians reading the story folio. Hither'southward an example from North Carolina.
    • How practise you address accessibility in your StoryWalk®? Let us know!!
  • What costs are associated with StoryWalk(R) programming? (Feedback from librarians)
    • "Y'all need at least 2 copies of the book in social club to be able to put together the walk since you have to apply fronts and backs of pages – we constitute really good copies in our booksale and used our library copy – then bought a new copy for library use"
    • "Just the cost of 2 copies of the book (paperback is best), paper and laminating. Used plastic ties and grommets to hang from a fence with solar lights so information technology's visible at nighttime. Also used tape to adhere to the walls in the gymnasium"
    • "Costs for reusable sign materials, costs for books and staff time to prepare and set up. Most costs have come out of the Outreach upkeep"
    • "Creating outdoor signboards. Grant funds pay for these"
  • Other things to consider, co-ordinate to librarians:
    • "Try a temporary one earlier investing in a permanent one to gauge community involvement."
    • Installation specifics, and budget: How to place and secure the book pages, and how long they need to terminal in the elements. "We have done this cheaply past using wooden stakes, and stapling laminated pages to the stakes, but this is for temporary story walks, and installing wooden stakes that were tall enough to have the pages visible was harder than we predictable. You can also buy very expensive permanent sign holders."
    • Await at your conditions, and if you plan to use oversized books, you should know that you may demand a special laminator. "Our library doesn't leave our walk up yr circular, because our winters become very harsh, and our springs are very muddy. We usually leave it upwards for a week or ii in the summertime."
    • "We originally purchased all of them, but have since purchased others that we thought would work well. For example, a couple of years ago, our local elementary school had January Brett equally an author visit (won a competition). I did her Gingerbread Babe story as a StoryWalk that was prepare in the school hallway"
    • "Sturdy posts – particularly if the ground is difficult! Kids really enjoyed the story if they were asked to do/walk an uphill that would otherwise have felt hard. Brand sure yous know who owns the land – we had ours in a country park (with permission) simply it turns out a pocket-sized strip was owned by others"
    • "Read-ability" of a book and relevance to the community"
    • "If you desire to do a permanent 1 or a temporary ane. What costs are for both, where the funding volition come from"
    • "Finding a book that works well for their community"
  • What virtually a permanent StoryWalk? Here are some things to consider:
    • It's permanent! This is a long-term commitment
    • Practise you demand funds for landscaping mail service-installation or volition your partners (i.e. Parks) take intendance of that?
    • Funds for a public opening of the StoryWalk® – Tell the media!! Make it an issue!
    • Funds to produce a spider web page or site to support StoryWalk®
    • Funds to remove graffiti, replace damaged signage, or other habiliment-and-tear -> Accept these conversations with your partners. Consider signing a Memorandum of Understanding that states "the library is responsible for X" and "[your partner] is responsible for Y"

  • What nigh budget?

  • Consider having a team who tin help with creating questions, choosing stories, assembling boards, changing out stories, maintaining stories in parks, etc.  Take sure locations responsible for specific StoryWalks®
  • Create a spreadsheet of stories used in which parks on which dates, rotation of who is irresolute stories, etc.
  • Equipment needed for the park (wagon or multiple wagons if StoryWalk® spreads throughout the county, tools)
  • Programme if posts/frames damaged
  • Feedback from librarians:
    • "As of correct at present, we don't take whatsoever outside Storywalks, but I'd love to accept i (or two) placed in our local parks. Ours are on collapsible easels that can be transported hands and ready either inside or outside (we've done both)"
    • "Permanence, versus cost. Permanent, or semi-permanent sign holders that volition stand up outside are quite plush. This is why we accept done short-lived StoryWalk installations. We take fix them up for specific programs or groups, then accept left them upward for up to two weeks, because the stapled laminated pages that we use would non last much longer than that."
    • "Weather proofing is so important. Nosotros besides switched to laminating the pages, and velcroing them to our boards, considering that mode we don't puncture the laminated pages with staples, and velcro holds upwardly pretty well. Always talk to landowners or the town for permission before installing your StoryWalk!"
    • "Sturdy posts. Heavy laminating. You lot take to walk it and check it at least one time a week. Information technology takes a while to set up up if the footing is hard"
    • "If they are portable, how will yous send them? Do yous have extras if the boards become damaged?"

  • Suggestions for assessment

  • A weather-protected notebook at the terminate of the trail (possibly in an one-time mailbox)
  • A QR code folks tin scan to leave feedback – Here's an example from Charlotte Mecklenburg Library in N Carolina
  • Ask parks staff to keep an eye out and share with you lot what they're seeing
  • Make sure to check (at least quarterly) to see what people are doing with the StoryWalk
  • You could schedule your bank check-ins around the aforementioned time y'all swap out the stories
  • Feedback from librarians
    • "Program an event around the StoryWalk- don't only install information technology and wait for folks to come. Advertise and have a reception, or plan information technology in conjunction with an already established outdoor event."
    • "Nosotros have always included a booklet for folks to leave comments in at the end of our Storywalks. Perhaps a mailbox or covered box of some sort would exist useful."
    • "We take not done any formal assessment, simply the collaboration with other agencies along is a great achievement, and marker of success for u.s.a.."
    • "Nosotros had a ziplock purse with brusk questionnaires and small-scale pencils hanging from the concluding mail… Non besides many were filled in"
    • "Use QR codes or links to post feedback or pictures or employ a hashtag #storywalk_town/city"
    • "Give a prize or sticker to families that complete a short evaluation"

  • How do I talk information technology up?

  • Highlight importance of motion and family bonding to early literacy. Appalachian Regional Library Resource Guide illustrates how.
  • Include activeness prompts in your StoryWalk®
  • Emphasize importanceof fostering connections to nature – Bully resources from Children & Nature Network shows how.
  • Emphasize the community building, outreach, and relationship building outcomes. Resource: ALSC'southward
    "Partnering Through StoryWalks®"
  • Consider working with your Bedroom of Commerce. In Alamance County, North Carolina, StoryWalk Kick-Off events all Sleeping accommodation of Commerce Ribbon Cutting events: For a $100 fee, the Chamber takes care of printing up the agenda, helping recruit speakers and officials for the kicking-off, and they take the oversized scissors and ribbon for it all.
  • More ideas for celebrations and kick off events Photo albums of some of the 5 kickoffs and 5 celebrations CML has had since autumn of 2022 – https://bit.ly/2oYNp6x / https://bit.ly/31VttA3 / https://bit.ly/35gKDKe / https://bit.ly/31XzbkI / https://chip.ly/31PRYhX / https://scrap.ly/2OrOr5G
  • Call up creatively near how yous can employ StoryWalk® as a conversation starter  to engage your community
  • Feedback from librarians
    • "Our original funding came from our local Kiwanis grouping. I went before the group at a luncheon, talked well-nigh what I knew and had figured up a cost. Our next i is a collaboration between us and our local United Way (we are doing The Polar Express during our community's Candlelight Christmas upshot)."
    • "The combination of movement (activeness) with literacy and story enjoyment is great for many grant opportunities. Nosotros have also emphasized the whole family together aspect of story walk enjoyment."
    • "We effort to emphasize that we bring the library outside of the building to the people – that we try to accomplish any and all people, non merely people comfortable with our library specifically. Carrying that reading is for everybody – that it can exist done together with friends or family – that this is a way of reading that all ages can participate in. Nosotros emphasized outdoors time and moving too."
    • "It is a great family programme that incorporates reading with activity"
    • "Fine art and exercise and literacy. What'due south not to similar?"
  • Partnership and funding ideas form librarians
    • "We have done a StoryWalk at a local museum, and in collaboration with our canton extension office, and we take been trying to collaborate with the local parks section."
    • "Altrusa of Laconia gave the Library a grant to aid create a more than weather resistant and permanent story walk."
    • Encounter the Programming Librarian website for ideas on partnering with Parks & Recreation Departments and Scouting organizations.
    • "We take used some grant funding specific to outdoor programming and some internally earmarked program funding. We have washed ours very cheaply. We purchase two copies of the book, laminate the pages, and staple the pages to wooden stakes. The wooden stakes, and the labor to install them are the near expensive parts. we have never had a story walk upwardly for more than than a couple of weeks."
    • "Nosotros got a grant for supplies, and we can commonly add to the children's budget to purchase ii oversize storybooks."
    • "Country Park, equally well every bit a private country club that owns a piece of land it shares with the public, boondocks"
    • "Local garden center and parks"
    • "Wellness organizations, walkability organizations, recreation, Friends of the Library"

  • Fun twists

  • Contribute to downtown revitalization by inviting local business owners to mail pages in their shop-front windows, possibly during the Winter holidays, over Spring Intermission, or at another fourth dimension of year
  • Invite the author to participate in the StoryWalk – Case from CML: Community Read – Matt de la Pena featuringDearest in March 2022
  • Mix it up and exercise a Poetry Walk for adults. Here is how they do this in Vermont.
  • More than DIY possibilities – a Poesy Walk featuring poems written by adult literacy learners – example from Massachusetts.
  • Feature student artwork rather than commercially published text – instance from New York.
  • Include local history rather than a children's book – case from Tennessee.
  • Once you get the installations upwardly yous tin pretty much put whatever you want in them! Call back creatively!
  • Ideas from librarians
    • "We have used a StoryWalk during our summer reading program as one of the activities. We put the posters in downtown concern windows (with their permission), and participants had a 1/2 canvass of questions that they had to respond and turn in for a prize. With our Christmas ane this twelvemonth, the final stop volition be the library, where they will get hot cocoa, cookie and a bell. They will also take a map of the places where the posters are placed to follow."
    • "We participate in a trunk-or-care for story walk each year. This features a book page at every station in a circle in a large parking lot (the book pages set on easels). Various community organizations and volunteers accept a "torso" station to go with each book page, and they tin decorate according to the story/book page they are at. The library provides copies of the book at the end for each kid to take domicile. This is what nosotros have washed in collaboration with the canton extension office each year."
    • "We did a heritage StoryWalk i twelvemonth," highlighting local history.
    • "We used ours to encourage children to traverse a fairly steep walk up and downward a river gorge – to engage them and take them realize they had walked a ways before they even knew it because they were so into the story! So – a nifty way to help families on their showtime 'family' hike."
    • "Outdoor nighttime event-used solar nighttime lights to illuminate the book and included a QR code for the music (title was: Winter Wonderland)"
    • "We did a storefront StoryWalk at Christmas time. As well nosotros have given seed packets at the end of a walk."
    • "We have ours to outdoor events and places similar the zoo. Also, snowshoe StoryWalk is super fun."

  • Bibliography

Anne Ferguson and Kellogg Hubbard Library. StoryWalk®. Official webpage of the motility, full of valuable resource.

Bring a StoryWalk® to your Community. Maine website with lots of resources about creating StoryWalk® programs.

Appalachian Regional Library Organization. StoryWalk® LibGuide. Wonderful how-to guide created by a rural library arrangement in Appalachian N Carolina. Great for libraries of all sizes.

Curious Urban center's beautifully designed StoryWalk® panels feature each spread of a motion-picture show book with a companion reader engagement prompt. Each StoryWalk is customized to thank your sponsors and deliver community messages. Curious Urban center StoryWalks are at present managed b longtime collaborator Banacom Sign in South Portland, Maine.

Maddigan, B. and South. Bloos. 2022. Customs library programs that piece of work: Building youth and family unit literacy. Santa Barbara: Libraries Unlimited. Chapter on StoryWalk. Cracking resource from Canada.

ALSC Liaison with National Organizations. Partnering Through StoryWalks®. 2022.

Belle Plaine Public Library. 2022. StoryWalk® How-To. Good resources from Kansas

Fond du Lac Public Library. 2022. Lakeside Park StoryWalk combines reading, outdoors.

StoryWalks & StoryMobs – taking Early Literacy across the library walls, Valley Storytime

The post-obit librarians have agreed to exist skillful resources for StoryWalk(R) programming. Accomplish out to them with boosted questions!

Barbara Scott, Children's Librarian @ Bucyrus Public Library, Bucyrus, OH 44820
barbarascott@hotmail.com
419-562-7327 x104

Lea Wentworth Youth Services Librarian at McCracken County Public Library, KY
lwentworth@mclib.cyberspace

Kayleigh Thomas, Gilford Public Library, NH
kayleigh@gilfordlibrary.org

Cathy Potter, Children's and Teen Librarian, East Hartford Public Library, Eastward Hartford, CT
cpotter@easthartfordct.gov

Angela Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Nova Scotia
areynolds@valleylibrary.ca

Are there boosted resources you use at your library to support StoryWalk(R) programming? Let us know using this form and we'll add them to this webpage.

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