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Girl Scouts propose permanent Ridgepoint Park story walk as library reports rising use
Summary
Girl Scout Troop 2468 presented plans for a permanent story walk at Ridgepoint Park; library staff reported program growth and usage statistics and previewed the city's summer kickoff event.
Girl Scout Troop 2468 asked the City Council to support installation of a permanent story walk at Ridgepoint Park, and library staff reported higher patron use and upcoming summer events.
Troop members described plans for 19 weather‑resistant podiums spaced along the Ridgepoint Trail that together will display a children's book as visitors walk the path. The scouts said the project is part of their Junior Bronze Award work and that they have raised funds, selected a design, and purchased the podiums; next steps are construction, installation, and selection of a book for the initial display. Library staff said the library will manage periodic story changes and handle routine maintenance of the displays.
Library staff used the presentation to summarize the library's annual statistics and to preview the Colony Summer Kickoff. For fiscal year 2023–24 the library reported 25,241 card holders; roughly 55,770 in‑person visits; 369 programs (virtual and in person) with 12,095 participants; and roughly 108,000 total checkouts across physical and digital formats. Staff estimated the value of free library programming and resources at about $2.58 million for the year and reported that volunteers logged more than 1,000 hours.
Library staff said story boards will be constructed with plexiglass tops and the same vendor hardware used for other park interpretive signs, and that a typical 32‑page children's book can be adapted across the 19 panels. Staff said the library will change stories seasonally (with more frequent rotation in summer), and will use QR codes on some displays to collect usage feedback and informal visitor metrics.
Council members praised the scouts. The library also announced its fourth annual Colony Summer Kickoff event, scheduled for May 31, 10 a.m.–1 p.m., and said it will be held indoors this year with community partners and family activities. The library credited the Friends of the Colony Public Library with raising about $35,000 in revenue and reinvesting roughly $33,000 in programming and materials.
The council did not take formal action on the scouts' presentation during the meeting; staff said they are coordinating construction and ongoing maintenance with Parks and Recreation.
