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| | Children enjoy reading in Sam's castle. |
Holdrege Public Library Aims to Retain Its Dragon
By Elena Olson King
Smilin' Sam Smoke, the Holdrege Area Public Library's book-loving dragon, turns 30 this year. Over the decades, he has been climbed on, hugged, and kissed by thousands of children in the Holdrege Area. They like to ascend his castle ramp to look out the window or curl up beside him and read. Though dragons live a long time, all that love has worn Sam down.
Twenty-one feet long, the bright blue, purple, and green dragon curls around the front of a castle in the library Kid's Zone. Commissioned in 1985, Jane Wilson-Woolf designed and built Smilin' Sam and his castle with her parents, Allan and Louise Wilson, using canvas, glue, staples, carpet padding, and lumber.
Sam's Aunties, a group of Holdrege women volunteers, rejuvenated Sam in 1999. As he reaches his thirtieth year in the Kid's Zone, Sam needs more extensive loving care. Some of the spikes across his head are weakened and there are tears in the fabric which covers his body. "He had a toe amputated," Cindy Gitt, children's librarian, added. Kids who visit the library have also expressed concern about the dragon. Cindy described one child who comes in and asks, "Is Sam better yet?"
April 25 through May 6, Jane will return to Holdrege from her home in London, England to restore the beloved creature and his castle home. Though she has donated her time, the library still must come up with the money for the materials. In addition to the structural repairs, Sam's eyes are going to be replaced and he will need new fabric "skin" which Jane will airbrush.
To fund the project, Holdrege Public Library is seeking contributions from community members. "Sam has his own bank account," Allison explained. Sam also has a presence in our community with his boxes of books for parents and children to share in medical and health care facilities. "We have donation jars at businesses where people can donate." "Sam's Jars" can be found at many places around Holdrege, such as each of the dental offices and at the YMCA. Any funds which exceed the restoration costs will be saved for future rejuvenations.
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| | A sign cautions children and parents to be careful with Sam as he awaits restoration. |
Holdrege Public Library hosts weekly story times for children to encourage a love for reading. Jingle and Rhymes is geared for younger children ages 18 months to three years. The library offers evening story time, Tuesday Tales, for ages two to five years. On Wednesday mornings, children ages three to five can listen to stories during Alphabet Soup. For older children and adolescents, the library offers monthly after school movies, Lego Club, and Gamer Saturdays. A complete activities calendar can be found on the library website, www.holdregelibrary.org.
Holdrege Public Library is open Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It is located at 604 East Avenue in Holdrege. The library staff can be reached at 308-995-6556 or by email: info@holdregelibrary.org.
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