Staff
The “Forest of Reading” program, specifically the “Evergreen” stream, is coming to the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre this summer.
Geared towards adults, the program encourages people to explore different Canadian authors and their works.
“The books are chosen by librarians across Ontario and they choose 10 novels,” explained local library CEO Alicia Subnaik Kilgour.
People then can read one or all of the novels, and cast a vote for their favourite one.
“Voting will be in October, so what we’re encouraging people to do is come in and read them over the summer,” said Subnaik Kilgour.
“You only have to read one book to qualify to vote,” she noted.
π“And based on all the votes across Ontario, they give an award out to the author.”
The “Evergreen Award” began in 2005 as a way to involve adult library patrons, as well as to honour Canadian authors.
An initiative of the Ontario Library Association, the program features different “tree awards” for different age groups, including “Blue Spruce,” “Silver Birch,” “Red Maple,” “White Pine,” and “Golden Oak.”
“We really want people to read over the summer,” Subnaik Kilgour stressed. “We want people to get engaged about the books.
“They have a long time to do this.”
“We’ve decided to pump things up a little bit and offer our participants a great prize,” noted library assistant Penny Shumaker.
“We’ve decided that prizes aren’t just for the kids,” she reasoned. “We’ve decided that the prize will be an iPad.
“Maybe later on in the program, we may add some other feature to it so people can get more entries for the draw,” Shumaker added.
“Every time you read one book, you get one ballot,” echoed fellow library assistant Janet Bell.
“So the more books you read out of the 10, the more chances you have.”
Bell said more than 40 people already are signed up.
“We want the readers to be 18 or older because we have other things at the library for younger people,” she stressed.
The contest is not open to library staff or members of the “Friends of the Library.”
Meanwhile, there also is a book review challenge component to the program.
“Library patrons have the chance to share their thoughts about the ‘Evergreen’ titles by submitting a written or video review,” reads a press release.
The winning entry will be chosen from across all of the participating “Evergreen” libraries, with entries to be voted on by a panel at the Ontario Library Association.
“Show us your hidden writing talents and we will post the best ones on our website,” the release noted.
Entries must be in before Aug. 1, either e-mailed to ffpltc@gmail.com or submitted at olaprograms@accessola.com
Contestants are asked to make the subject title: “Evergreen Book Review Challenge.”
