HANCOCK COUNTY, In. (WOWO): The Hancock County Public Library will try to set a world record tomorrow (Saturday) morning.

The library with branches in Greenfield and New Palestine was looking for a new way to kick off the annual Summer reading club that libraries typically hold for children while school is out. One of their employees heard about how the city of Terre Haute landed in the Guinness Book of World Records last year for having the longest ‘high-five‘ chain, “so we thought a world record would be a good way to kick off summer reading, as long as it was book oriented,” said Catherine Riley, the library‘s youth services manager. 

The solution? Balancing a book on your head – and the heads of at least 999 others. “Australia holds the current record of 998 people, set less than a year ago,” Riley said. Setting the record involves more than just balance – you have to walk five-and-a-half yards while keeping the book perched atop your dome. “The book can fall off your head. You just have to stop, pick it up and put it back on your head,” Riley said. The main rule is that your hands can‘t be touching the book while you are walking. “Don‘t give up. Heroes don‘t give up, they keep trying. As long as you keep going, you qualify.”

Riley says the library would like people who wish to be part of the world record attempt to register at the Hancock Co. Library‘s website, hcplibrary.org/, though anyone who shows up without registering will be taken. The attempt will take place at the Greenfield-Central High School football stadium between 10:00am and noon on Saturday. The rain date will be Saturday, June 13 from 2-4pm.