Yarn Bombing at Canton Public Library

This summer, staff and patrons at  have added color inside and out with an effort called "yarn bombing." 

Sarah McCusker, head of technology at the library, said the effort was inspired by several factors. First was the library's summer reading effort of the "Great Geek Summer of 2012." 

Since several staff members at the library knit, including McCusker, it seemed appropriate. 

"The fiber arts, including knitting, are something people get obsessed with," she said. 

It was also inspired by the Urban art movement, where people in inner cities beautify battered areas with yarn and other temporary works of art. While McCusker said the library does not suffer from that problem, it was still great inspiration. 

"We kind of took the idea and ran with it," she said. 

Over the past few months, staff, volunteers and patrons have made numerous creations — on door handles, light poles, computer monitors and elsewhere. Some have even fixed others' creations as they unravel, McCusker said.

Patrons can even participate in a yarn-bombing scavenger hunt. 

Some of the yarn has come from a collection of it donated to the library over the years but many people bring their own. Knitters are generally left with various scraps of it, which is perfect for the effort, she added. 

The outdoor yarn is due to come down at the end of the summer but much of the inside art will likely stay for longer, a few perhaps permanently, staff members said.