Last year the Creative Writing Contest sponsored by Friends of the Library saw 76 entries submitted. Friends of the Library member Connie Lavoie says entries for this years 27th Annual Creative Writing Contest will be available soon. Lavoie explains that they want to encourage writing and reading to a younger generation.

To include youth involvement, Friends of the Library will except 8th grade entries again this year. Lavoie says they opened entries for 8th graders last year. Contests for 8 th graders include poetry and fiction.

The 14-year-old to 17-year-old contests add a non-fiction entry with poetry and fiction entries. As for the 18 and up entries, poetry, fiction, non-fiction and children's literature are the available contests.

Registration forms will be available on Dec. 1 in the Bartlesville Public Library or on the library’s website. Click the “About BPL” tab on the library’s website, then click Friends of the Library and then look for the registration form.

The deadline for submissions is Feb. 1. Winners will be notified by email. Winners will be awarded their cash prizes sometime in April. The Grand Prize winner will be selected from the top contest entries in each genre. Volunteer judges and submissions will be anonymous.