Mill Creek librarian’s bright idea gets kids reading

Published 11:00 pm Sunday, August 23, 2009

MILL CREEK — Children’s librarian Mickey Gallagher has a pretty good idea of how to inspire young people to pick up a book.

In preparation for this year’s summer reading program, he asked the experts, just to be sure.

He got a lot of interesting suggestions from third- and fourth-graders at Forest View Elementary School in Everett, such as learning how to jump out of an airplane, bungee jumping while wearing a dress and cutting his white hair.

Gallagher shot down most suggestions. Especially, he said, the one about cutting his hair. However, the suggestion did inspire a new idea — deying his hair hot pink.

“When I hit on the idea and ran it past some kids, they loved it, so that was a great incentive to embarrass myself,” he said.

Gallagher, 58, is well versed in thinking up creative ways to inspire young people to read. Last August, he ate 18 freeze-dried mealworms when more than 1,800 kids signed up for the library’s summer reading program. The promise was aimed at increasing participation, and the snack worked — participation was up 400 kids over the previous year.

This year, Gallagher told students in 10 of the area’s schools that he would dye his hair pink if at least 1,801 kids signed up for the “Be Creative at Your Library” summer reading program. Many more signed up. The summer reading program this year hit a new record with 2,136 young readers.

Last week, Gallagher sported his new hairdo for the first time at the Mill Creek Library. Gallagher plans to make a few visits to schools so more students can see his hair. The dye should last for about two months, he said.

“I told the kids I wouldn’t just get one where I would dye it for a few days,” Gallagher said. “That wouldn’t be very fun because the whole idea is for them to see it dyed.”

Mill Creek Library is not the largest library in the Sno-Isle Library system but it’s among the busiest, according to managing librarian Darlene Weber.

“We’re the third busiest just based on the statistics but we’re really first busiest when you look at the size of our building and the size of our staff,” she said.

According to a 2008 Sno-Isle annual report, Mill Creek Library circulated the most children’s picture books at more than 127,000 charges and renewals. Lynnwood Library circulated the second-highest number with over 118,400.

Gallagher’s antics encourage reading, Weber said.

“I think it’s wonderful because it’s something a student suggested to him and that demonstrates his willingness to respond to what the kids in the area really want,” she said.

Gallagher has already started thinking about what he can do next year but the goal and outcome may be a little different, he said.

One idea in the works for next year would allow the kids who complete the program to try and dunk him in a dunk tank. He may try to increase competition between the schools, too, he said, by telling students that he’ll wage a sumo wrestling match with a teacher or school staff member of their choice with the highest turnout.

“That would be a great incentive to get kids to finish,” he said.