The First Library Visit: Teen Short Story Contest
It is 1855, and the brand new Milton Mechanic’s Institute and Library is finally ready. Are you excited? Who are you? Are you one of the 49 members who registered in the first year? Did you pay your annual dues of 10 shillings (about $106 today), or do you still owe it? Are you going to attend a lecture, or borrow a book, or maybe a magazine? Do you know the first librarian, Mr. James Laidlaw, who has kindly allowed the library to take up part of his shop and be open two days a week?
To celebrate the library’s 170th anniversary, teens are invited to imagine what the library would have looked like when it first opened. Write a short story of no more than 1000 words, and submit it.
You can research what the library was like in our Milton Digital database at https://vitacollections.ca/MiltonDigital/614/exhibit/1. You can find meeting notes on how the people of Milton first set up the library, newspaper articles over time, and some catalogues telling you what books were collected.
Contest rules:
One entry per person. All participants must be between the ages of 13-17 and must live in or attend school in Milton. To submit a story, please use the form, or email it as an attachment to Corrina.mcgill@beinspired.ca between December 12, 2024-January 9, 2025. Submissions will not be accepted after 11:59 pm on January 9.
In the body of the email, please include the student’s first and last names, age, story title, and story word count. The title and page number should appear at the top each page. Please do not put your name on your story, as they will be judged anonymously. Entries must be typed, single sided, double-spaced, using size 12 Times New Roman font.
All works submitted must be original. Chat GPT and use of AI is not permitted. By entering this contest, you are consenting to have your work, name, and photograph used for promotional purposes in local media and online. Winners will be announced at the MPL 170th Celebration on January 25, 2025 at the Main Library.
