(Belcamp, Maryland – April 2, 2014) In celebration of National Library Week, the libraries of the Harford Community College and the Harford County Schools will join the Harford County Public Library system in a unique and fun partnership – Harford Library Hacks: An Online Scavenger Hunt.
Middle school and high school participants will follow the online adventures of Perry Brown by reading her diary entries and uncovering the secret of her inheritance by following clues and answering online questions.
Participants will begin their journey on the Harford Community College website, http://harford.libguides.com/hacks. The hunt begins in schools on April 7 and continues through National Library Week, ending on April 19. The hunt consists of 10 questions and completers who bring the correct answer key into their local Harford County Public Library branch between April 13–19 will receive a Harford Library Hacks flash drive. All those who bring in a correct answer log will also be entered into a drawing for an iPad Mini. The winner will be drawn on April 23.
“This is such an exciting collaboration,” said Harford County Public Library Director, Mary Hastler. “All three library systems are pooling their resources to create a wonderful online adventure for teens.”
Carol Allen, Library Director at Harford Community College, added, “This collaboration is an outcome of a workshop the library systems held last year to explore ways that we can team up to serve our users better.”
Patricia O’Donnell, Supervisor for Library Services for Harford County Public Schools, finally added, “We have been fortunate enough to work with our local public library and community college to build a support system for students from childhood to adulthood both during and after the school day.”
Harford County Public Library operates eleven branches located throughout Harford County, Maryland. The library serves over 200,000 registered borrowers of all ages and has an annual circulation of almost 4,700,000. Harford County Public Library is committed to connecting people with information and promoting the love of reading within the community.
The Harford Community College (HCC) Library contributes to excellence in teaching and learning at HCC by supporting and expanding classroom instruction. Responsibilities include instructing students, faculty and members of the general community in information-seeking skills for self-directed studies, critical thinking, and lifelong learning, while serving as a resource center for the citizens of Harford County.
Harford County Public Schools have full-time School Library Media Specialists who are certified as teachers and have a bachelor’s degree with a major in Library Sciences, with a mission to teach students how to independently find materials for personal and academic uses. To accomplish this, students are taught curriculum based on state and national standards. Students are also instructed on becoming safe, responsible and critical navigators of information using the Internet.
