New StoryWalk Resources

A StoryWalk® is a fun activity that places laminated pages from a picture book mounted on posts along an outside path, in store windows, around a playground or park, or anywhere else you can imagine it!

The StoryWalk® concept was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and was developed with the help of Rachel Senechal, Kellogg-Hubbard Library, in 2007. Today there are StoryWalks® in every state and many countries. Learn more about the program’s history.

Colorado StoryWalks® Shared Spreadsheet and Ideas

• Are you considering creating a StoryWalk®?
• Have you been providing StoryWalks in your community and looking for some fresh ideas and great books and activities for this format?
• Have you ever wanted one easy shared document to see what other libraries are offering around StoryWalks®–and even exchange them?

Check out this shared spreadsheet all about StoryWalks® by and for Colorado library staff! Use it to look around, and share about your library’s StoryWalks® with colleagues from around the state!

Looking for more ideas on the why and how? Keep reading below, and also visit this shared document of notes from a Feb 4, 2021 youth services meeting on the topic for much more.

Why StoryWalks®?

StoryWalks® can fill many library and community goals:

• Encourage families to spend time outdoors, getting some exercise
• Encourage families to read together and with their young children
• Provide a fun reading venue for families to instill a love of reading
• Instill critical early literacy skills
• Provide valuable library services outside the library, 24/7
• Opportunity to partner with community organizations like parks and rec, etc
• For StoryWalks® posted in store windows: partner with and highlight community businesses

How-to Resources to get started:

• Let’s Move in Libraries–StoryWalks®, is a comprehensive, step-by-step guide with examples
• Free webinar archive: Taking a Walk with the Library: StoryWalk®, Walking Book Clubs and More
• Boston Children’s Museum’s Take a Hike: Building Literacy Skills through StoryWalk® is another excellent, detailed planning guide
• Planning a StoryWalk®: A guide for libraries from the UK (but a great guide for libraries in Colorado too!)

Funding and Other Assistance

• Preschools and local/county parks and recreation departments may be interested in partnering on StoryWalks®, including providing some funding and assistance with building and maintaining the project.
• In Colorado, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) is a funding possibility; they’ve funded library StoryWalks® before, and are all about funding programs to get people outdoors and encouraging community partners to work together on that mission. Go to https://www.goco.org/grants for a list of their grants.
• Scouting groups may be interested in building a StoryWalk® (and StoryWalks® make an excellent Eagle Scout project). In these projects, the scout/scout group usually obtains the funding and materials for you.
• Other civic organizations (Lyons Club, Kiwanis, Jr. League, etc) may be interested in funding and/or helping build a StoryWalk®.
• Hardware and big box stores may be willing to donate materials (stakes, lumber, etc) to help build a StoryWalk®.