Library handing out blind dates

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

While Christmas is over, the Strathmore Municipal Library isn’t finished wrapping presents quite yet. With their annual month-long program, Blind Date with a Book, underway, the staff rolled out the decorative wrapping paper and tape for a third year. Having built up some followers and positive feedback, the mystery books are back on the library shelves waiting to be signed out and read.
“Blind date with a book is such a fun program,” said Carmen Erison, assistant director of library services. “This allows people to step out of their comfort zones. It’s a great chance to spice up your reading life. You never know, maybe you’ve been reading romances all this time and maybe you’ll bring a mystery home and get hooked. Or maybe you’ll find a new author that you love.”
The premise consists of wrapped books containing a tag with a clue or teaser hinting of the stories inside. But the program is not only a creative way to expose patrons to new genres, it also provides a platform for books lacking circulation to gain awareness.
“We tend to have a lot of good books where maybe they don’t generate the same buzz as others do, and they just kind of sit on the shelf and if people read them they love them,” said Rachel Dick Hughes, director of library services. “It’s just a matter of getting the attention on them.”
Although the program had a bumpy start in the beginning, Strathmore residents quickly warmed to the idea and books began flying off the shelves. Blind Date with a Book will be available throughout all of February and caters to all ages. Unlike a real blind date, however, Erison offered a solution if stuck with a non-compatible item, stating: ”The great thing about it, if you don’t like your blind date, you can bring it back to the library and there’ll be no hurt feelings.”