It was a busy-eyed day at San Gabriel Park this past Tuesday, when the Georgetown Public Library and Georgetown Parks and Recreation celebrated the opening of our first permanent storywalk. Bubbles and snacks preceded the dedication and ribbon cutting.
You may be wondering, what is a storywalk? The Storywalk Project was created in 2007 by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg Hubbard Library. Ms. Ferguson wanted to promote literacy and outdoor activity.
Storywalks display illustrated children’s books page by page along a walking route; meaning you must walk to the next page to keep reading the book. This free activity encourages both kids and adults to get moving while also reading with each other.
The library and Parks and Recreation have hosted four temporary storywalks together over the past few years. The new permanent installation features mounted frames on secured posts, which will allow the story to be better protected from the elements, such as rain and wind. It will also allow the book to be changed more easily.
There is a lot of thought that goes into selecting a story for a storywalk. The story has to hold people's attention; otherwise, they won’t want to walk to the next page! Colorful illustrations, simple text and an interesting plot have the broadest appeal.
The book for our first storywalk at the permanent installation is Busy-Eyed Day by Anne Marie Pace. Youth Services Librarian Bethni King says she chose this book because “it is a simple story about kids in a park, and they’re taking the time to really enjoy and explore the nature around them.”
Future plans for the storywalk include a mixture of stories, jokes, art and information about library and Parks and Recreation programs.
This is a joint project brought to you by the Friends of Parks and Recreation and Friends of the Library. The storywalk runs along the Randy Morrow Trail, it starts about the 0.2 mile marker and is meant to be walked from east to west. Park at 301 East Morrow Street in San Gabriel Park, then head down the trail towards Rivery Park. The storywalk itself is a half a mile round trip on the paved sidewalk.
See you soon at the library!
Select Events at the Library
February 11 – March 23: Exhibit: City Staff Art Show
February 11 – March 23: Exhibit: Doors and Windows of the World by Karen Limbaugh
March 1-May 15: Open Call for 2026 Art at the Library Proposals
March 12, 6:30 p.m.: GPL World Cinema: A Real Pain (R) for ages 18+
March 17, 10 a.m.: Storytime in the Park: Legacy Pavilion, San Gabriel Park
March 18, 10 a.m.: Cowboy Ken (tickets required, available at Kids Desk an hour before event)
March 19, 2 p.m.: Movie Screening: Moana 2 (PG)
March 20, 10 a.m.: A Real Mad Hatter (tickets required, available at Kids Desk an hour before event)
March 21, 10 a.m. to noon.: Lego Fun Day
Author Ann Evans serves as the Adult Services Librarian at the Georgetown Public Library.