large rubber duck

The Great Library Duck Hunt

You may be asking – What’s with all the Ducks???

The inspiration came from a fun gesture by a teen named Abby – who simply wanted to make other people smile on board her family vacation cruise ships – and it now spans several Facebook groups with hundreds of thousands of members. The groups encourage people to share photos of the ducks they plan to hide as well as ducks they’ve found. Think of it a bit like geocaching, but simpler – and with DUCKS!

During the summer of 2023, BTPL took that idea and created our own version of Abby’s idea – and Wha-La! #BTPLDucks ! As you visited the library this past summer, you may have found a rubber duck peeking out from random hiding places, beckoning library patrons to pick them up and read their accompanying information tags. Perhaps you’ll find one hidden behind a plant by the Doe Family or another carefully placed somewhere in the computer room by one of our fun Librarians. This Fall, there are still ducks randomly hiding all around…you never know – you may just find one!

Everyone including Children, Teens & Adults, can participate in the fun by finding #BTPLDucks and re-hiding!

What to do if you find a Library Duck

If you find a library duck, the next step is simple.

  1. Show off your duck by posting with #BTPLDucks on social media, or email any photos to askteen@btpl.org. (Please note that your photo may be used for our website or on our social media accounts)
  2. Keep or hide, you decide:
    • Keep it as a fun memento, or
    • Hide it with this tag to show how far your duck has traveled & give someone else a smile!
    • If you choose to, you can take a photo of yourself with the duck (or of just the duck) that you’ve found and send it to the askteen@btpl.org email. Feel free to provide information such as your name, the name of the person/family who hid it, where it was found, etc., but it is not necessary. Our librarians may select your photo(s) to post to our website or social media page!

You can add your name to the original tag if you choose to re-hide, or you create a new tag to fill out on your own! Feel free to add your name to the original/new tag if you choose to re-hide.

Hiding rubber ducks is a fun way to make someone smile & connect with other people in the community. Whatever you decide to do with your duck finds can help you to make & connect with new friends from all corners of the township in which you live!