Mesa Public Library and the City of Mesa’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program have teamed up to launch the first Bike to Books contest. The competition is open to students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and homeschoolers in Mesa, Arizona.
The contest aims to encourage more biking, more reading, and seeking opportunities to ride bikes to public libraries or neighborhood little libraries. Participants are asked to design bike symbol art for a shared use path in the city.
The winning designs will be installed on a Mesa shared use path in the winter. Prizes will be awarded to the winners in each grade bracket: pre-kindergarten to 2nd grade, 3rd through 6th grade, and 7th through 12th grade.
Mesa Library Director Polly Bonnett said, “This program will encourage artistic expression, literacy, and active transportation and is a great way to introduce civic engagement to youth. Bicycles and books are both great ways to reach new adventures, and we look forward to seeing all the imaginative designs!”
Those who want to participate in the competition can visit any Mesa Public Library location to pick up a copy of the design sheet, or download a copy from the library’s website. The deadline to submit the designs is July 31, and winners will be announced in the fall.
The Bike to Books contest is an excellent opportunity for students to express their creativity, promote active transportation, and encourage reading. The City of Mesa hopes this competition will inspire residents to bike more and take advantage of the city’s public libraries. For additional information about the contest, visit mesalibrary.org/biketobooks.