What if Plymouth had its own official cookie? With your help, it will!
To celebrate America’s 250th year and promote civic engagement in the community, the library is launching The Great Plymouth Cookie Vote, inspired by the children’s book, The Cookie Vote by Daniel Bernstrom and Margaret McNamara.
Beginning August 1, patrons can submit their best, most creative cookie recipe to the library for a chance to be a candidate in the cookie vote. Throughout August, campaign season will ramp up as community members get a glimpse of the 10 nominees and the recipes they have to offer. September will be dedicated to social media updates and in-person programming focused on topics like elections and voter education. Come October, you’ll have the opportunity to taste test and ultimately vote for the official cookie of Plymouth.
Youth Services Librarian, Nicole Munson, noted the timely impact of launching a program that encourages patrons to participate and make their voices heard, “For me, this is important because I think that people feel really disenchanted with the state of voting right now.” She added, “I just wanted to remind people that being engaged civically can be fun and can have an impact.”
Adult Services Librarian Lily Wiest is teaming up with Nicole to make this program intergenerational, meaning that kids and adults alike will be able to vote and campaign for their favorite cookies. She said, “I think the Cookie Vote is a great, non-threatening way to get people thinking about how electoral politics works, how they can get involved, and what kinds of misinformation to be wary of.”
Lily added that a big part of this multi-program endeavor is placemaking, which allows cities to build their own identity based on their residents, adding, “I love that this initiative focuses not just on civic engagement, but civic pride.”
Nicole said of the program, “I think that it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that one person can’t do anything. Hopefully this is something that can remind people that they can be involved and have a chance to hear their voice, and then when their kids see them they can also be inspired.”
Lily explained that the process of the Cookie Vote will prompt residents to ask themselves important questions, such as: What makes Plymouth a great place to live? What do we love about our town? How can we translate that into a baked confection that will help us celebrate our home? She added, “My dream is that residents get excited about doing something silly together and it makes them happy to live here.”
Nicole echoed her sentiment, “I also just want something that can be silly and a chance for people to work towards something small for their community.”
So, what will it be? Maybe a classic Chocolate Chip Cookie, to represent Plymouth’s historic and timeless nature? Could it be the Michigan Treasure Cookie, with brown sugar, dried cherries, and cocoa powder to honor the official cookie of the state? Perhaps you’ll choose a Kitchen Sink Cookie, diverse and unique, just like our community.
Check The Great Plymouth Cookie Vote page for more details on how to submit your creative cookie recipes, and follow along on Instagram @greatplymouthcookievote. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!