by Jillian Surla, editor in chief
FAIRHOPE, Ala.—On March 1, the Fairhope Public Library will move all 4,210 teen books at 9:30 a.m. to the newly remodeled Teen Space upstairs, and requests help from anyone who is willing to put “all hands on deck” for the new area. The event implores students, teams, clubs and friend groups to join in and be a part of Fairhope history.
The “Book-It Brigade” is inspired by firefighters’ “Bucket Brigades,” where firefighters line up in a chain and pass a bucket of water to the individual next to them to extinguish fires. The Book-It Brigade works similarly, where individuals would pass each book down a line, making transportation quicker.
“We have been talking about this move for months,“ said Allyson Russel, teen librarian, “and the kids (regular teen patrons) are super hyped. When I explained our idea about using a line of teens to move the books hand-to-hand, like the firefighters’ bucket brigade, one of our teen volunteers said, ‘you mean a BOOK it brigade’ and the name stuck!“
This long-awaited renovation updates the old area—situated between juvenile and adult, allowing for teens aged 13 to 18 to enjoy themselves freely in a safe, enclosed space. Volunteers and librarians waited restlessly to finally have the grand opening, but they need to move the 4000+ books upstairs before they are able to open to the public.
FHPL asks for any and all help from the public to transport the books. The event will end when all books are moved and in their correct bookshelves, which is expected to last a few hours.
To sign up for this event, FHPL offers a QR code where an individual can input the required information, and teens may also contact Russell at [email protected] or call (251) 928-7483. This is the time to be a part of the community and help teens gain a private, secure location to both learn and have fun with friends. Don’t miss out on this celebrated event, and join FHPL as they give teens their new teen section.
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