Alpena library in search for mascot: owl, caterpillar, or griffon
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ALPENA -- The Alpena County Library is in the process of establishing a library mascot, which leadership says is a strategy to enhance the library's presence in the community. The community has a chance to vote on three options, until voting ends on Friday afternoon: a caterpillar, an owl, or a griffon.
People can vote on the Alpena County Library’s Facebook page.
Whichever creature receives the most votes becomes the new mascot for the library.
Alpena County Library Executive Director Christina Markowski said that part of the library's new strategic plan is to enhance the facility's marketing, social media presence, and community outreach. Markowski said that she saw a mascot as a vehicle to market the library to the community.
"We have the fountain but that isn't really a mascot," she said. "We are asking the community to vote. Voting will close on Friday."
Marksowski added that the library will make the big announcement on Friday and from there, leadership will take bids from local artists to draw and design the mascot.
"We will pick from those artists to commission a drawing of our mascot," Markowski said.
She added that the goal is to send the mascot design to a company that can make plushies of the mascot that library staff can take to community events and such.
"We will have a digital version to put on flyers and a plushie so we can go to outreach events with them," she said.
Markowski explained that the library received an anonymous donation of $1,000 to create the mascot. Though the mascot remains nameless at the moment, she said that staff will vote on names once the mascot is chosen.
"We don't have a name yet," she said. "We will leave it up to the staff to vote on the name."
Markowski said that she believes that the library disconnected from the community during COVID-19 and the library renovations. Now leadership and staff are working to connect with community members through outreach efforts.
"Staff members are going to events to connect more with the community" she said. "Go out there and meet them where they are."
She hopes that a visual community members can associate with the library will improve the facility's presence and visibility in Northeast Michigan.
Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.