In Irvington, what matters is no longer what you read this summer but where. For some, it might be the back porch, or bed … or the Black Cat Cafe. For others, a picnic table in Matthiessen Park, the icehouse at Halsey Pond, or that secluded rock that juts out from the northern bank of the Reservoir.

Wherever your favorite spot is, the Friends of the Irvington Library (FOIL) want to know about it and is willing to award prizes for the most imaginative entries. To that end, the “Irvington’s Favorite Places to Read a Good Book This Summer” contest is asking students in the Irvington School System and residents of all ages to submit their entries in a creative fashion—whether through an essay, a poem, a drawing or photo, …who knows, perhaps a full-length feature film.

The contest was announced in early June and ends August 31. There are three categories of entrants: children 12 and under, teenagers 13 to 18, and adults 18 and up. A panel of judges, at least some of which will be members of the FOIL board, will select first, second and third place entries, for a total of nine prizes. Less than a third of the way through the submission period, contest officials said that entries were coming in at a brisk pace (though no full-length feature films as yet).

The prizes will consist of “Everything You Need to Read” backpacks containing a water bottle, reading light, a pocket dictionary, bookmark, a reading diary, a Barnes & Noble Gift Check as well as tickets for the fifth annual Community-wide Spelling Bee scheduled for January, 2011.

The contest is the brainchild of FOIL board member Amy Sherwood, an Irvington resident and executive at Louisville (KY)-based Yum! Brands, who says she was inspired by all the creative ideas emanating from her FOIL board colleagues, in particular the highly popular Spelling Bee. Her idea is “to promote literacy in a fun and engaging way” and do so in a way that makes people “appreciate the great environment we have here in Irvington.”

Entry forms and contest rules are available at the Irvington Public Library, 12 South Astor Street, throughout the summer. The library is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.