Abstract
A story trail is an activity that combines exercise and literacy as visitors read sequentially displayed book pages while walking. Story trails are often set up outdoors along existing paths and feature rotating selections of children’s picture books. Many story trails are set up and maintained by community groups, public libraries, or schools. Academic libraries can use story trails as opportunities to promote literacy, foster a sense of local community, support families, and encourage healthy habits. The authors of this article use City of Greenville (North Carolina) StoryWalks® created by staff at East Carolina University’s Joyner Library as an example story trail project. The project includes community partnerships, careful selection of titles and materials, and the facilitation of community events. The City of Greenville StoryWalks® project received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the community and serves as an example of how academic libraries can effectively serve the public with story trails.
Publication Date
Spring 6-3-2026
Included in
Information Literacy Commons, Scholarly Communication Commons, Scholarly Publishing Commons