Michael Spagnola, age 2, admires "U.S. Blues" created by Katherine, Emily and Christopher Frank. Seymour Library patrons decorated 40 deer in a variety of themes to celebrate National Library week. Photo by Walter Horylev.

The newest residents of the Seymour Library aren’t bound in volumes or arranged alphabetically. Instead, they stand proudly or humbly, serenely or boldly on shelves throughout the library. Forty deer sculptures have been brought to life through the creative use of materials and methods by Seymour patrons.

For the second time as part of its National Library Week celebration, the Seymour Library has offered the public the opportunity to decorate a two-foot tall animal. Last year it was moose, this year, antlered deer. Patrons purchased the unfinished statue for $10, then returned them transformed.

From Molly McDeer, an Irish dancing deer with red curls, dance shoes and a shamrock covered dress to Fawn and Games, a deer bedecked with Scrabble letters, crayons, jacks, chalk, checkers Legos and more, the deer show-off the artistic ingenuity of local library patrons.

One deer was turned into the RIT tiger mascot, two others into a soft-sided bunny and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Skateboard Dude comes complete with sneakers, a backward turned baseball cap, antique skateboard and a lollipop in the mouth. Chessdeerfield’s body was transformed into a chess board with various pieces placed at strategic locations.

Girl Scout Troop 375 covered Penny with … pennies. My Deer Lady’s skin is made of painted pistachio shells. Other deer have been painted with floral or landscape scenery.

Jim and Luann Cenci created the Book Stops Here. The couple used the internet to find about 70 book titles with the word deer. Then they printed those titles in different size and style fonts and papered their deer.

"We did it on a whim because we thought the moose were so cute," Cenci said. "We wanted a theme that was creative, but book-related." Cenci said the couple looks forward to decorating a statue again next year.

The Seymour Library is already on the look-out for next year’s animal, according to Director Mark Jaccarino. It needs to cost no more than $10 which Jaccarino figures is the threshold for patron participation.

While the library will keep a few of the deer for permanent display, the rest will be sold at a silent auction later this summer or early fall. Until then, Jaccarino would like to share them with the community, both at the library and in local businesses. Any business that would like to display some of the deer should contact Jaccarino at 637-1050.