We’ve all nodded off in a library now and then. It’s quiet. It’s cozy. But recently at the Vancouver Island Regional Library branch in Chemainus, it wasn’t people falling asleep, it was plush animals checking in for a night of after-hours adventure.
The Chemainus Library held its first-ever Stuffie Sleepover on Aug. 23 and 24. Forty-three children dropped off their beloved stuffies for the weekend event. While the stuffies got comfy, there wasn’t much actual sleeping going on.
“They got into all kinds of things,” said Keira McKay, information technician at the Chemainus library. “They participated in some reading. They got into the fridge looking for snacks. They got to learn about the seed library. They prepared all the plants for the kids to plant in the garden. They use the computers, we played Lego and board games. They took some rides on book carts..."
And just when it seemed things couldn’t get any more chaotic:
“A couple of them got stuck in the book drop," said McKay who also discovered numerous stuffie self portraits on the photocopier.
On Saturday night, McKay photographed the stuffies as they participated in various sanctioned and unsanctioned activities, then turned the pictures into personalized photo booklets for each child.
The payoff for putting up with all the late night stuffie shennanigans came when families returned to collect their stuffies and storybooks.
“They were jumping and so excited that they could see their stuffies in the book,” said McKay. “They were just thrilled."
But the fun didn’t stop there. Some of the kids spotted a poster for the library’s gardening workshop while picking up their stuffies, and came back to help plant vegetables in the community garden. Afterward, they headed straight back inside to borrow books.
“They came back in the library and they borrowed a whole bunch of books. They almost cleaned me out,” McKay said. “So that was really impressive.”
For McKay, the sleepover was more than just a cute event, it was a chance to show what the library offers the community. With such an enthusiastic response, she said the Chemainus Library is already dreaming up future stuffie adventures.
“It's really nice to see how one thing kind of led into another,” she said. By the looks of it, this won’t be the last time the stuffies take over the stacks.
The stuffies have gone home to rest now, but the library is still wide awake with fun. To see what’s happening next at the Chemainus branch, visit their website or stop by and say hello.
