BY JESSALYN KIRCHHOFF
Don’t have a date for this Valentine’s Day? Then Hays Public Library can be of assistance, setting you up with a blind date – a blind date with a book, that is. The Hays Public Library will host a Blind Date with a Book event on Tuesday. Attendees will be able to pick a book that is wrapped in paper and tagged with a few hints about its personality to then sit in the HPL community commons to enjoy their ‘date’ with snacks and drinks.
The Blind Date with a book begins at 5:30 p.m.
HPL Public Services Librarian, Jessica Shields, explains while this is not an event that is new for the library, it is classically a fan favorite.
“This is an event that has been done in the past and was a huge success for the library as well as the community,” Shields said. “We have received fantastic feedback in the past, and it is a great way to delve into your love of books on the day made for love, Valentine’s Day.”
As for the selection guests can expect to see and have the potential to ‘date,’ Shields lists a few genres that will be present without giving any hints as to the titles that will be there.
“There will be a variety of genres. Some will be romance focused, while others will showcase spell-binding worlds,” she said. “The goal is to have a mysterious book selection that will intrigue all. No exact titles will be revealed at this time.”
The best part of this activity? It is a come-and-go type event. This means individuals can attend on their own time and spend as much or as little time as they want. Shields expands on this with event specifics.
“The Blind Date event is passive and is on one’s own time frame,” she said. “However, the complimentary food and snacks will be out for the hour starting at 5:30 p.m.”
Shields then touches on the purpose of this event, as well as the ulterior motive behind others like this.
“This is a literacy-based event meant to get the community involved in reading and hopefully, get everyone to fall in love with a new book,” Shields said.
Unable to attend on V-Day? Not a problem. HPL currently has a whole display dedicated to romance novels that they recommend readers come in and checkout.
For more information on the Hays Public Library and its upcoming events for the month of February, check out its website at https://hayslibrary.org/ and its event calendar at https://hayslibrary.evanced.info/signup/Calendar