Library Goes LEGO Crazy For A Day

On the first Monday of each month the normally quiet nestled in Odessa is turned into a LEGO Land of its own.

Mounds of colorful LEGO blocks and accessories fill the tables of the library's community room. And kids are welcomed to come in and let their imagination run free with the building blocks.

The program called "LEGO My Library!" offered by the Hillsborough County Library System began last year and has become a hit at Austin Davis.

"This is another great example of libraries offering more than books," said Jennifer Hall, Community Relations Coordinator for Hillsborough County.

Annamae Trypus, a Youth Services Librarian with the Tampa-Hillsborough library system started the LEGO My Library program at the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library in 2010. Her goal was to bring more children into the library by offering them what they love. LEGOs were a no-brainer.

The public has helped the program grow.

Over the summer Austin Davis Library staff began asking for LEGO donations in anticipation of starting the program in the fall. Not only did the library recieve loads of LEGO donations, they created a buzz for the program.

"It created such an uproar," said Beverly Hladky, branch supervisor for Austin Davis Library.

The first LEGO My Library night at the library drew about 60 kids, Hladky said.

Each month the libraries have a theme for the LEGO night, which involves hands-on, creative, imaginative play and learning. The library offers DUPLO blocks for the younger set of infants and toddlers who come to play.

The theme was "transportation" at Monday's LEGO night at Austin Davis.

"This was right on time. My son was starting to watch Star Wars with my husband and now they're working on those models at home," said Wanda, an Odessa resident about her 6 year old son named Parker, who took part in the LEGO program at Austin Davis. "The thing we like about this is we can explore the different sets before buying them."

Currently the LEGO My Library program is offered at: Austin Davis, Jimmie B. Keel, John F. Germany, the Lutz Branch Library and North Tampa Branch Library.

Want to go?

What: LEGO My Library! (Grades 1-5; toddlers and infants welcomed as well.)

When: First Monday of the Month, 4:00pm-5:00pm

Where: Austin Davis Library, 17808 Wayne Rd. in Odessa.