Contest Kicks Off Library Week

By CASPAR EWIG
COOPERSTOWN
Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh and the unnamed Reading Rabbit mascot kicked off the Friends of the Village Library’s second annual celebration of Library Lovers’ Month on Friday, February 4.

“The underlying aim of the national initiative for Library Lovers’ Month,” Library Director Heather Amendolare declared, “is to encourage everyone to share their love for, and participate in, the events of their community library.”

In order to make the event a bit more interactive, the Friends decided to designate a stuffed rabbit as the mascot for this year’s event.

“At the kick-off, we formally announced that the library will have a mascot—a Reading Rabbit, as yet unnamed.

Students and community members can recommend a name using a ballot and, at the end of the month, the Library Lovers’ Month Committee will select three names to put to a community-wide vote,” Amendolare explained.

For that purpose, the library has a brightly decorated ballot box at the desk encouraging everyone to cast a vote so the rabbit mascot does not remain nameless.

At the ceremony, Mayor Tillapaugh read and presented a proclamation issued by the village to memorialize the event.

The ceremony also served to kick off the Friends’ Winter Carnival weekend book sale.