Arizona Traveling Pants

Did you see the movie, "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants"? As we await the release of the sequel on August 8, 2008, the Chandler Library Teen Program is sending a pair of jeans on a year-long journey to libraries throughout Arizona.

Teenagers will decorate the pants and forward them to the next stop on their tour of Arizona. The pants will start their journey in Chandler, Arizona on Saturday, August 2 at the downtown library at 22 S. Delaware St. Teenagers are invited to come to the library at 11:30 a.m. to decorate a small section of the traveling pants and enjoy jeans-shaped cookies. Participants can also bring an old pair of their own jeans that will be cut up as part of a craft project. The craft and decorating event will be repeated at each of Chandler’s other three branch libraries. The jeans will travel to the Hamilton Library at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 5, 2008; the Sunset Library at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 6, 2008; and at the Basha Library at 2:15 p.m. on Friday, August 8, 2008.

After Chandler, the jeans and a decorating kit will travel to the Mesa main library. The journey will continue as long as necessary to visit all participating libraries in the state. At this time, 46 library systems are participating and 55 stops are scheduled, with more expected to be added.

To help track the progress of the Arizona Traveling Pants project the Chandler library staff has set up a blog at http://aztravelingpants.blogspot.com, which will include news updates, photos and a map of stops along the journey. There is even an e-mail address – aztravelingpants@gmail.com -- that people can use to communicate with the pants!

When the journey is complete sometime next year, the jeans will be sent back around the state one more time so the participants can see the results of their artistic collaboration. Their final destination will be the downtown Chandler library, where they will be placed on display for the public.

Are you wondering what kind of jeans are they? They are Old Navy brand, size 15-16, light wash, boot cut jeans.

For more information on the Arizona Traveling Pants project call 480-782-2807 or visit www.chandlerlibraryteens.org.