Greetings from the Great Bend Public Library! Unfortunately, I have to start my article on a somber note today. As you may have heard by now, our beloved friend and super pup, Luna, has passed. Luna was a Reading Pet Partner dog who was a frequent fixture at the library. As part of the program, children could come read to Luna at the library. Luna, along with her handler Glenn, have been coming to the Great Bend Public Library since 2018. Back in May of this year, Luna officially retired from full-time volunteer work at the library. At almost 10 and a half years at the time, she was ready to spend more time relaxing and vacationing in her favorite spot, Colorado, with her family. Luna was a Bernese Mountain Dog with a life expectancy of 7 to 9 years, so we were extremely lucky to have her for as long as we did.

We at the library try and take solace in the fact that she lived a long and rich life. She was the embodiment of a gentle giant, and she touched the hearts of all who met her. Luna spent almost 3 quarters of her life helping bring the joy and confidence of reading to countless children. Luna will be remembered for the wonderful legacy she leaves behind and the, no doubt, thousands of people she reached in her lifetime.

We would like to thank Luna’s handler, Glenn. Glenn has been right by Luna’s side at the Library since 2018. He has brought her to weekly Read to Luna events and countless other library events over the years. During our Summer reading programs, he even provided prizes to Luna’s top readers. We would like to thank Glenn for being a faithful part of our library family for so many years and for his time and dedication to improving childhood literacy in our community. Thank you, Glenn, most of all for sharing your amazing, wonderful dog Luna with us for all these years. She has been an amazing gift to this library and community, one we will all sorely miss. Rest in peace over the rainbow bridge, Luna.

I do have some happy news to share as well. Before Luna’s passing, the library had been working with other organizations to get a story walk created in Luna’s honor. Although we are deeply saddened by the news of Luna’s passing, we are filled with gratitude that we get to continue Luna’s legacy of dedication to childhood literacy and honor her in such a special way. We are currently working with Kiwanis, along with looking into some community grants to make this project a reality. When finished, we will have a beautiful story walk set up in one of our parks along a walking path that families and children will be able to enjoy. As you follow along, you will stop at each placard that will contain a page or two before moving on to read the rest of the story. Our story walk will be available year-round, with new stories available every few months. Story walks are a great way to engage young readers and also help them get outside and get some fresh air and exercise. I think you’ll agree this will be a fantastic way to immortalize Luna. It represents everything she loved: children, a good story, and, of course, the great outdoors. If you are interested in helping us make this project a reality in our community, please consider donating to this project. You can donate to the library via cash, check, or Venmo (@gb-public-library). Please make sure to note that it’s for Luna or the story walk to help us designate the funds properly. With Kiwanis and the help of our community, I know we can make this project happen so Luna can keep making a positive impact in our community for generations to come.

To see what else we are up to at the library, stop by and grab our most recent newsletter so you can keep up to date on all of our events coming up this fall! Find us on social media @greatbendpl and visit our website, greatbendpl.info. You can also message us on Facebook and Instagram, email us at gbcirc@gmail.com, or give us a call at (620) 792-2409 with any questions about our programming or services.

Hannah Grippin is outreach manager at the Great Bend Public Library. To see what else we are up to at the library, stop by and grab our most recent newsletter so you can keep up to date on all of our events coming up this fall. Find us on social media @greatbendpl and visit our website, greatbendpl.info. You can also message us on Facebook and Instagram, email us at gbcirc@gmail.com, or give us a call at 620-792-2409 with any questions about our programming or services.