February 4, 2011 > Library essay contest open to local students Library essay contest open to local students Submitted By Linda Arbaugh, Community Librarian, Milpitas Local students are invited to write an essay on the subject, "What the Library Means to Me." The contest, presented by the Milpitas Library Advisory Commission and the Milpitas Public Library, is in honor of National Library Week, April 10-16. The competition is open to students in grades four through twelve who are enrolled in either a public or private school in the City of Milpitas. Cash prizes of $400, $250 and $150 will be awarded to the top three essayists in each of the three categories: grades 4-6, grades 7-8 and grades 9-12. The contest is designed to bring attention to the library as a community resource that is open to all and to celebrate all of the various ways it touches the lives of those who use it. Each essay must be at least five paragraphs in length, with at least five sentences in each paragraph. The deadline for submission is Monday, March 21, 2011. Entry forms are available at the children's help desk and the adult information desk at Milpitas Library, 160 North Main Street, Milpitas. Prizes will be awarded to the winners at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 16 in the library auditorium. For more information about the essay contest, call (408) 262-1171 ext. 3616 or ext. 3624. For more information about Milpitas Library, visit www.santaclaracountylib.org/milpitas.