Patrons of the Oxford Lane Library won’t just be greeted with books, puzzles, CDs and other standard fare from now until May 5 — they’ll also be greeted by Peeps.
After five years, the Oxford Lane Library has revived a Peep-O-Rama contest which challenges children, teens and adults to create a diorama inspired by their library experiences. The twist? Every character in the diorama must be represented with a marshmallow Peep.
The five dioramas currently on display in the lobby, all made by library staff, include representations of the library itself, a solar eclipse watch party and even a “Peepenheimer” mushroom cloud. The staff entries are to serve as inspiration for contestants’ entries.
“When everyone does them, you see what is special about the library to them,” said adult reference librarian Sarah Gifford, who helped plan the contest this year. “[The library has] a place for everyone and something for everyone, so that’s why I love seeing their entries.”
Jackie Berberich, public services associate, said the library has already passed out 36 Peep-O-Rama making kits to patrons this month and has roughly 10 remaining. The kits include instructions, peeps and cardstock paper to make a triangular diorama scene. People can supply their own Peeps if supplies run out and the library will provide cardstock, instructions and entry forms.
Participants will return completed dioramas to the library between April 20 and April 26. Public voting for the Peeple’s Choice Award in each category — youth, teen and adult — will last from April 29 through May 5, and winners will be announced on May 7.
Gifford said the library staff took part in its own diorama-making competition. The scene by Gifford’s team shows peeps watching the solar eclipse outside the library, while Berberich’s, titled “Something for Every Peep,” highlights various areas in the library from the children’s section to the maker space.
Rebecca Smith, branch manager of Oxford Lane Library, said programs like this help the library be more visible in the community and bring in people who wouldn’t otherwise visit. Smith said that some patrons have posted about the peeps on Facebook, acting as a form of advertising for the library.
“We really are trying to do different things to reach lots of different people in our community,” Smith said. “We’re not just targeting art people or bookish people or gardeners. We try to have something that will pique the interest of [everyone],”
Other upcoming events include a LEGO building day for kids on May 29, the spring garden series highlighting various aspects of gardening and an adults-only Barbie party.
“We try to do some fun after-hours events that bring people in,” Berberich said.A full list of programming at Oxford Lane Library can be found on its online event calendar.
