Camp Library

Sleepovers can be fun, but imagine the excitement of having one at the public library? Our Brownie Sleepover program started 10 years ago when two local Brownie leaders approached Mary Kennedy, the former head of children’s services, to ask if she could help second graders earn their “Be a Reader” patch.

After getting approval from the board, Kennedy launched the program as a way to create a special bond between young children and the library—one that would hopefully last a lifetime. It turns out that she was right: introducing kids to the library on these evenings is more memorable because it takes place after-hours, when all the attention is focused on the girls. Our program leaves a strong impression because children see the library from a different perspective—at night, when shadows cast by the stacks and the outlines of the shelves look more mysterious. For many girls, it’s their first sleepover away from home and their first taste of camping with their troop.

I’ve held up to six library sleepovers during the school year and learned that they work best with second graders because the students are less rowdy than third graders and take the program more seriously. The evening begins between 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on a Friday, after the library has closed. As many as 50 girls, troop leaders, and parents arrive with their pj’s and sleeping bags in tow, and they’re directed to a large meeting room in the basement.

Earlier in the day, I call the police department to let them know that the library alarm will be disconnected. Once the group arrives, I call again to remind them that the Brownies will be spending the night and that there will be cars in the parking lot overnight. After a 15-minute fire drill, which involves leaving the building, the program officially begins with a scavenger hunt designed to familiarize students with different library items such as computers, audiobooks, and CD-ROMS. The kids scatter throughout as I ask them to search for specific fiction books in the children’s room and a painting of Charles Mandred Lum, one of the first presidents of the library’s board of trustees.

Then I give a tour so they have a clear idea where things such as oversized books and videos are located. What follows is a brief history of our institution, including the fact that the first library in Chatham was started in the railroad station in 1869, and our current location was built in 1924.

About an hour into the program, the girls are divided into three groups, which rotate after 20 minutes. I teach one group how to use the online catalog, which helps them hone their research skills and strengthens our relationship with them. Two troop leaders engage the others in an arts and crafts activity and by reading aloud. I always make an effort to choose books, such as Seven Brave Women (Greenwillow, 1997) by Betsy Hearne, which help raise the girls’ self-esteem and teach them to be leaders. Some make items for various library displays such as for President’s Day or to promote our reading club.

At about 9:30 p.m., my work is done, and I leave for the night. Although I hold an orientation for troop leaders the week before, I reiterate the rules: no one is allowed to roam the library, and everyone is restricted to the meeting room, where they munch on a light snack and watch an entertaining video chosen from our collection before going to sleep. Of course, the restroom is nearby. All leave the library by 8:30 a.m. the next morning. Library sleepovers work well in our small, suburban town, and the local law enforcement is very accommodating.

Troop leaders have told me that their colleagues in other states have asked their libraries to duplicate the program. But more importantly, I see girls coming back for more. Eight-year-old Molly Shannon says she didn’t realize the library offered so much more than books. Often, our relationships with the Brownies continue, and many girls help us with our craft programs or our Summer Reading Club.