Every Library Needs a Mascot...

September 02, 2010

It may just be September, but it won't be too much longer before the winter reading program, RAFT, starts up again!  In 2011, the selection for the program is The Jungle Book - and that means that here at the Red Bridge Branch, Elmo will be leaving the Work Room and heading for our display!

How did Elmo get here?  Well - several years ago, our Elmo was left behind by a child at our Saturday Laptime.  He was sentenced to several, heartbreaking months in Red Bridge's Lost & Found after its owner never came back for him. Many tried to claim him as theirs, but to no avail. He remained there, forlorn, and forgotten.

He remained there until RAFT 2009; the theme for that year was The Wizard of Oz. Two well meaning and crafty library workers, after constructing a seven foot cyclone out of tulle and wire and a house out of cardboard, decided to 'rescue' Elmo from the Lost & Found and send him to Oz.  He perched seven feet above the ground, looking out over Red Bridge's circulation desk, and somehow became the official mascot of RAFT here at the Red Bridge Branch.

In April 2009, Elmo went and hid in the work room, where he liked to look out through the windows from time to time.

RAFT 2010 (Swiss Family Robinson) started and Elmo took up residence in the stacks again. This time, he’s eight feet above the children's area in a tree house.  He stayed there, watching over our collection of picture books, board books, and readers until the end of the program. He went back into hiding in the work room on April 1, 2010.

But, RAFT 2011 is just around the corner, and Elmo will come out again. Where will he turn up this time?  Well, those two crafty library workers will come up with something.

Emily E.
Red Bridge