Scott Jarzombek, Fairfield’s city librarian, said the couple had no idea how far their participation would take them.
When a Google search for Fairfield County Library summer programs brought up the topic “What’s the Fox Reading?” Andrew was immediately on board.
Jarzombek said he has an affinity for foxes and had recently attended a Fox concert in Norway, so he and his wife Annie signed up and recorded their reading minutes.
It didn’t take long for them to realize that they hadn’t enrolled in a program in Fairfield, Ohio – just an hour from their home in Powell – but one 600 miles away in Connecticut.
Even though they weren’t Connecticut residents, Andrew contacted the Connecticut library and asked if they were still eligible for challenge prizes, and library staff gave them the green light to proceed.
After completing the reading challenge this month, the couple embarked on a nine-hour car journey to collect their prizes, visiting both branches of the Fairfield Public Library and several other locations in Fairfield on Friday, August 9.
Back in Ohio, Andrew left the library system a glowing Google review, calling both the city and the library “fantastic” and thanking the staff for a “warm welcome” and “a fun adventure.”
“This was a first for us here at FPL,” said Library Branch Manager Nancy Sweeney. “We welcome the participation of such dedicated readers and appreciate that Andrew and Annie were willing to ‘go to the extreme’ – literally – to complete the program and visit our amazing libraries in person. It was a great conclusion to another successful Summer Reading Challenge in Fairfield!”
All Fairfield Public Library programs are free. To register or for more information, visit fairfieldpubliclibrary.org or call 203-256-3160.
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