At a stuffed animal sleepover, stuffed animals line up in the bathroom.
Posted photo
GREENFIELD – Photos are both hilarious and heartwarming as more than 20 stuffed animals collected from local children had a “sleepover” at the Hancock County Public Library.
The second annual Stuffed Animal Sleepover will be held on January 22nd, where kids can bring their favorite stuffed animal friends to Greenfield Library for a night of social media images and a few laughs. I entrusted it to you.
A dinosaur sneaked into the cash register. The trio was playing video games in the young adult room. A few pink stuffed animals sometimes ventured into the director's office for a few minutes.
And then there was a picture of a storytime, depicting Michelle Brown, a youth services librarian, reading to a crowd, just like she would at a preschool storytime. This was followed by a photo of everyone lining up to “use the restroom.”
Last photo of the bunch: All the stuffed animals are cuddling under the blanket.
Brown, who brought the idea to the library last year after seeing it on a library programming website, said he had a lot of fun with it. She brought the photo idea to her library marketing team, and they were filled with enthusiasm from the library's youngest patrons, who engaged her for two hours.
“I love that kids get to see the behind-the-scenes parts of science in the library that they don’t get to see,” Brown said. “It feels like an adventure to them.”
Greenfield children Hadley, Wyatt and Jude Warner enjoyed taking pictures of their stuffed animals in the library. Eight-year-old Hadley especially loved watching his rabbit have tea parties with his brother's baby beaver. Wyatt, 5, said he likes watching the animals research books.
“They saw everything and they loved it. They thought it was hysterical,” said their mother, Carly Warner, adding that this was the second year they've attended and they'll probably do it again in the future. Ta.
Marketing duo Ryan Fennell and Bry Washburn said they enjoy the annual tradition, which takes place every January.
“I want people to know that the library is a place where everyone can have fun,” Washburn said. “Whether it's you, mom, dad, grandma, or a stuffed animal. The library is a place for everyone, and this building has something unique for all of us.”
Fennell said the photos highlight some new attractions, including a light-up table in the children's room that helps children see objects in the ocean up close. There's also a photo of the “under construction” sign for the new exhibit, which will open to the public on February 1st. Some of their favorite shots include placing animals around a library boardroom to make it look like they're having a serious discussion, or a business meeting in a director's office.
Washburn said they even enjoyed chatting about their stuffed animals while taking photos for the project. She said that even if people don't bring animals to the program, everyone can still enjoy seeing the creatures through social media because they remember their own friends from childhood.
“Libraries are always changing, but the great thing is that they don’t change,” Washburn added. “We're always striving to grow and innovate, but we're always a place you can come back to, and we'll always be there. Seeing other people's stuffed animals online is a great experience for all of us. It's great for the kids.”
To see all photos, visit facebook.com/HancockCountyPublicLibrary. Visit hcplibrary.org for upcoming events.
