Bringing storybooks into the world one page — and one park — at a time, the SUNY Broome Literacy Legacy Project launched its first temporary book installation at Charles F. Johnson Park on July 24, a project inspired by Brigid Hubberman’s “Stories in the Streets” in nearby Tompkins County.
Pages from “Jabari Tries,” a children’s book by Gaia Cornwall, are on display along the fence near the playground at CFJ Park, and a QR code is available for a read-along experience in English and Spanish as part of the new Stories in the Park initiative.
All nine voices heard in the recorded read-along are local community members ranging from 7 to 80 years old.
The display at CFJ Park will be up until September and later circulated to other parks around Broome County.
Lisa Strahley, coordinator of the Literacy Legacy Project, said the group is “so grateful for [Brigid Hubberman’s] undying quest to make early literacy something that communities celebrate with families and children. We’re excited to see where this goes in Broome County.”
The mission of the Literacy Legacy Project is to promote, inspire and support the culture surrounding reading and healthy conversations.
Members from the Literacy Legacy Project hope to get other districts involved and include voices of children reading for future book installations. The goal with Stories in the Parks is to open access to early literacy for children and incorporate reading into everyday activities.
Children’s books will be on display across all the parks in Broome County starting in 2026. On July 26, members of Your Home Public Library will also hand out free copies of “Jabari Tries” from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to children who come out to celebrate Carousel Day at the park.
Broome County launched the Books for Babies program in 2018, giving parents a book and information about local libraries before leaving the hospital. Books for Babies gives the children of Broome County the opportunity to build their literacy skills from day one.
Broome County Executive Director Jason Garner said the commitment to accessible literacy opportunities continues with this new initiative.
“This is such a creative way to make books a visible, fun part of everyday life,” he said. “By bringing stories into the park, we’re encouraging children to read and explore in a setting they already love.”
This past April, the Literacy Legacy Project partnered with SUNY Broome to hand out more than 2,500 copies of “Jabari Tries” to every kindergarten in Broome County.
Yard signs for the book are also planned to be on display at the George F. Johnson Memorial Library.
Johnson City Mayor Marty Meaney thanked all participating sponsors and gave special thanks to Ben Lainhart, the executive director of Your Home Public Library, who he said has been “a huge advocate for advancing literacy programs.”
“Because of Ben’s forward thinking this story will be seen and read by thousands of people, which is amazing,” Meaney said, “because that’s the hope of this project is to get everybody involved in reading in a great, beautiful setting.”
Book installations will be planned from April to July with “a new park, a new story” approach.
Kalyn Grant reports on public service issues for the Press & Sun-Bulletin, focusing on schools and community impact. Have a story to share? Follow her on Instagram @KalynCarmen and on Facebook under Kalyn Kearney. Get in touch at kcgrant@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: How Stories in the Park is opening up literacy opportunities for children in Broome County
Reporting by Kalyn Grant, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin / Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
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