Finley & Ferguson Essay Help

About this event

Interested in competing in the Finley & Ferguson Essay Contest? West End Branch Library staff can help! Join us every Friday at 2 PM throughout the contest period for assistance with essay structuring, drafting, and more. About the 2026 Finley & Ferguson Memorial Essay Contest The 2026 Finley & Ferguson Memorial Essay Contest honors Mary Finley , one of the first African American librarians hired by the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library (CHPL), and George Ferguson , who created the Mary Finley Memorial Essay and Speech Competition in 2002. He established the contest to recognize the impact Finley had on his life as a young person growing up in the West End. This year’s prompt: Imagine the West End without a library. What would be different? Explain how the library currently impacts people’s lives in the West End and why it should continue to exist. The contest is open to West End students and residents in grades 5–10 . Contest dates: Monday, June 1–Friday, July 31 Submission deadline: 6 PM on Friday, July 31