One Day: Maine Edition

 

One Day: Maine Edition
Saturday, March 19, 2022


Now it’s your turn to help tell the extraordinary story of an ordinary day!

What does an ordinary day in Maine look like?  What surprises, joys, or sorrows does an average day hold?  Join us as we document a single ordinary day in the lives of Mainers (or non-local friends of Maine)!  On Saturday, March 19th, you’re invited to capture a moment, event, or story from your day and send it to us. We’ll compile everyone’s individual moments into a portrait of life on an ordinary day in Maine.  The final product will be screened via Zoom in a Community Showcase on April 20th!
 
Why March 19th, 2022?
 
We expect that for most people, March 19th will be a normal day, just another Saturday. But even ordinary days contain moments of beauty, laughter, sadness, and curiosity. We’re looking for those moments. If something BIG happens—by all means, share that with us. If nothing big is happening, share a small moment with us. Is the tree outside your window starting to bud? Snap a pic and send it our way! Did your child’s laughter while watching cartoons catch your ear? Make a quick sound recording. Is the dog being ridiculously cute? Shoot a short video and email it to us! These are the moments that make up a day and in turn make up a life. Our only guideline is that whatever you send us must be appropriate for all ages (PG rating).
 
What does it mean to ‘capture’ a moment in your day?
 

You can interpret your “moment” and how you “capture it” however you choose! You can keep it simple or get as creative as you want. For example, you could take a photograph or video of something that catches your attention. Or make a sound recording of something that sings to you. Other ideas include: sketching, writing, painting, or even composing a song inspired by a moment in your day. The sky’s the limit! We encourage you to get the whole family involved—the more people who participate, the richer and more varied the final showcase will be!

I have no idea where to even start!

Don’t worry! We’ve compiled a list of ideas and inspirations to help get your creativity flowing. Click here for a few suggestions. If you like one of these ideas, great! Go for it! And if nothing on the list sparks your interest, just remember that these ideas are only meant as jumping off points to help you kickstart your own creativity. We encourage you do go out and find something that’s exciting to you! We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Register now to take part in this community-wide project!

And now, for some FAQs!

Who can participate? 

Literally anyone! All ages are invited and encouraged to participate! We’re billing this as the Maine edition, but we know we have many friends around the country. We welcome their submissions as well! 

How do I submit something for this project? 

Recordings (audio or video): Should be no longer than 2 minutes in length.

Written work: Please cap at 500 words.

All written work will be recorded for inclusion in the showcase—you may record yourself reading it, or a librarian will record it. 

ALL submissions must include:

    • Your name
    • Your town
    • The time of day that your piece represents (ie. 5:30 am, 10:16 am, 11:56 pm, etc.)
    • All submissions must be appropriate for all audiences (i.e. rated PG)

 

If you have a written piece, photo, video, sound recording, or a file of any kind, email it to: onedaymaine@gmail.com

If you have a physical item, such as a drawing, painting, etc, send it via snail mail to:

Thomas Memorial Library
Attn: Community Read 2022
6 Scott Dyer Road
Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107

What is the submission deadline?
All submissions need to be in by April 11, so that we have time to get them ready for the Community Showcase.

Can I submit more than one thing? 

For sure! If you are inspired to capture more than one moment from your day, by all means, send us more than one.  Just make sure you’re clear about what time each submission represents.

I forgot to record something on March 19th. Can I still participate?
Yes! You can still send us something that is inspired by an event/moment that might have happened on the 19th.

I don’t know how to take photos/videos/etc. I don’t know how to email a picture—help! 

Want to participate but aren’t quite sure how to capture the moment? Not to worry! You can view some helpful resources on shooting and editing video on an Apple device here, or an Android device here.

Click here for step-by-step instructions for sharing photos/video on a smartphone.

If you would like additional assistance, or a personalized tutorial on creating a simple two-minute video, Scarborough Public Library staff are ready to help! Stop by the Reference Desk on Saturday, March 19 (yes, THE DATE of One Day: Maine Edition) from 10am-noon for some inspiration or quick pointers. The SPL Meeting Room will be dedicated to drop ins Monday, March 21 between the hours of 10:00am and noon and Monday, April 11 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. Contact askspl@scarbroughlibrary.org or call 883-4723, option 4, to schedule an in-person or telephone consultation.  

Still confused?  Email us at onedaymaine@gmail.com and we’ll get in touch to help you.

What will you do with my submission(s)?

We will compile all submissions into a slideshow presentation that will be screened via Zoom on April 20th in a Community Showcase.  This event will be open to the public. In addition, the slideshow may be aired on SPC-TV at a later date. It will also be available to view on the SPP, SCA, and TML websites. By submitting your work to this project, you are granting us permission to publicly display this work in the aforementioned manner. 

 I want to send in a drawing or other physical item. Can I do that? 

Yes! You can either scan your drawing and then email us the file. Or you can mail us your drawing and we’ll scan it.  If you want the original back, you’ll need to contact us and arrange to pick it up.  We will hold physical items for one month after the Zoom presentation.  After that, any unclaimed items will be disposed of.

I sent in my submission. Now what? 

We will email you a confirmation that we’ve received your piece. It may take a couple of days, but if you don’t hear from us after 3 to 4 days, contact us—your submission may have gone astray.  

Any other questions?

Email us at onedaymaine@gmail.com and let us know!