We are thrilled to announce the grand reopening of our Bright Red Bookshelves, just in time to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Family Reading Partnership! We have put together a special list of family reading activities that will be available at each open shelf for families to take home. The activities are all tied to the books available at each of our Story Walks and also to a few special books by Eric Carle and Lois Ehlert, two giants in the children’s literature world whose recent passings we would like to honor. More information about which bookshelves are open can be found at our website www.FamilyReading.org.
Our six Story Walks are located all over Tompkins County and are great interactive outdoor experiences that both children and adults can enjoy together. Book pages are laminated and mounted on posts, which are installed along a path in an outdoor location. They are located at Dotson Park in Danby, Memorial Park in Groton, Jim Schug Trail in Dryden, Enfield Elementary School, Newfield Central School, and Lansing Center Trail.
As Tompkins County opens up more and more, and we all adapt to more changes, there’s nothing more comforting at the end of the day than snuggling up with a great book! We hope you will visit a BRB near you to bring more books into your home!
History: The Bright Red Bookshelf program started 25 years ago and every year since we have been recirculating gently used children’s books back into the community where they are available free for families to own. Books are collected in red crates at community locations and through book drives organized by service groups, congregations, campus organizations, and businesses. Dedicated volunteers clean, sort and label thousands of books each year to be set out on Bright Red Bookshelves at community locations throughout Tompkins County. BRB is a true testament to the power of our community to create access to books for all!