I had a great chat with Valerie Spooner, the youth services librarian in Ladysmith, this afternoon. I LOVED hearing this story about the ways putting in the time for partnerships and relationships can pay off!
In 2020 I was able to fulfill one of my library dreams – installing a StoryWalk in the park by my library. Here’s the story about how it all got started: https://www.ifls.lib.wi.us/keeping-up-with-kids/stories-about-storywalks
Fast forward to fall 2023 and our lovely wooden platforms suffered some vandalism, as well as general wear and tear from being outdoors year-round for three years. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with the upkeep and decided that I was just going to leave it for the winter and revisit whether I even wanted to continue with having a StoryWalk in the spring. I brought up my frustrations at one of the monthly Rusk County Youth Council (RCYC) meetings, a coalition that focuses on drug and alcohol prevention, as well as general health and wellness for youth in Rusk County. One of the members works for Public Health and she mentioned that they might have some ARPA funding that might possibly work for this project. Kaylee Bugbee, the Public Health Officer, successfully requested the funding from the county board to cover the cost of sturdy metal platforms, and I installed them this summer. While the cost of the metal platforms is significantly higher than the cost of the wooden platforms, they require less maintenance and should last much, much longer. The City also plans to pave and light the trail the Storywalk follows to make it ADA accessible.
While this seems like a straightforward, easy success story, it isn’t. I was very close to giving up on the Storywalk entirely and dismantling it. The support of fellow RCYC members, as well as my director, helped me get over that mental hurdle and try again. I have been a member of RCYC for 9 years and the connections I have made through that group have helped me accomplish countless projects. I know that monthly meetings can seem like a waste of time, but when you can get together with others who care about youth and can offer a different perspective, set of skills, and funding sources, you can create partnerships and accomplish amazing things.