The second annual Book Cart Drill Team Competition at the Massachusetts Library Association Conference in Springfield on May 7th; is when the Plymouth Rockettes won first place and took the Wow! Factor award. The Plymouth Rockettes are a book cart precision drill team comprised of Plymouth Public Library employees Christine Cook (Captain), Stephanie Wood, Karen Giessler, Linda Fitzgerald, Carolee Nielsen and Jessica Connelly. Choreographer for the team was Kate Murphy and cart design was by Carolee Nielsen. The event was photographed and videotaped by Beverly Ness. You can watch the event on www.youtube.com under Plymouth Public Library Drill Team.
“They totally demolished the stereotype of the frumpy librarian” and “Librarians in high heels” was heard throughout the audience.

The Plymouth Rockettes have been practicing their routines for a number of weeks in preparation for this upcoming performance. They were judged on their costumes, cart decoration, originality and performance. This included technical ability such as organization, precision, unique moves and artistic impression. The routine lasted 3 minutes and 48 seconds and was performed to the song “Man, I Feel Like a Woman” by Shania Twain. They dressed in their cowgirl outfits, which included pink cowboy hats with sparkles, pink tank tops with men’s white shirts, black skirts and black high heels with black nylons with the seam up the calf.
The Plymouth Public Library is proud to be represented in such a magnificent fashion and the Drill Team knows how much support they received from staff and patrons alike. The other competitors included Methuen and Andover Public Libraries. In the audience for support from Plymouth were Dinah O’Brien, Director of Community Resources and Lee Regan, Adult Services Librarian. The first library book cart drill team was started in 1983 at the Fairfax (Virginia) City Regional Library. Throughout the country, there are many active library book cart drill teams that perform in competitions, festivals and parades. It is a one-of-a-kind event to promote libraries in the community with a festive flair.
The program was sponsored by DEMCO and the winning libraries received gift certificates to purchase library supplies. The second floor display case at the Plymouth Public Library will feature in May and June the first place trophy, information and photos of the Plymouth Rockettes plus the Wow! Award. If you have any questions about the Plymouth Rockettes, please contact Christine Cook, Jennifer Harris or Lee Regan at the Plymouth Public Library at 508-830-4250; TTY 508-747-5882 or visit www.plymouthpubliclibrary.org.