When thinking of a library, what scenes come to mind? That question was recently posed to participants in Plumb Library’s bookmark challenge to draw a scene that best exemplifies what a library means to them.

Rochester sisters Amanda and Victoria Wheeler were two of the winners of the contest. For their designs, both girls drew a library scene, complete with patrons and book stacks. But, the Wheelers relied on their own creativity to set their designs apart from the rest.

Fourth-grader Amanda used bright colors to depict her scene with stick figure patrons, crafts, school supplies, and a sign listing the many activities offered by the library.

“The sign show you everything you can do at the library,” Amanda said.

Victoria chose to design her bookmark without color.

“It’s a black and white piece because sometimes it looks better in black and white. Also, it gets the point across of how a library appeals to all ages,” Victoria said.

As for how she designed her bookmark, Victoria said, “It was inspiration of the moment.”

In their free time, the sisters are most likely to be found at Plumb Library – volunteering at events as Junior Friends of the Library, doing research for school assignments, and combing the book stacks for a title that catches their eye.

Of the contest, Victoria said, “It was a fun thing to do and it was for the library. The library has a little bit of everything. We come here to help and to check out books. It’s a really helpful place with a lot of resources. And, if you’re nice to the librarians, they save you stuff.”

Victoria, a tenth-grade student at Bristol County Agricultural High School, studies natural resources management and is a budding artist.

“I use traditional mediums,” Victoria said. “My work tends to verge on realistic and fantasy. Some works I keep to myself and sometimes I show them off.”

For those who look closely at Victoria’s bookmark, the artist left her initials written very small in the bottom right corner.

So, what do the girls like to read?

“Where do I start? I like anything that’s not “Twilight” and not too girly. I love science fiction and mystery,” Victoria said.

Amanda also enjoys the fantasy genre including “The Swindle” book series.

As for the other winners of the contest, Kindergartner Ella Charron took the top prize for her age group and University of Massachusetts Dartmouth student Tabitha Schneider received an honorable mention.

Charron said she chose to draw a flower for two reasons - she loves to pick flowers in the spring and she likes to see flowers in the library.

Charron is also an artist in her spare time.

"I like to make cards and holiday pictures," Charron said. "I liked drawing my bookmark and I liked doing it for the library."

As a prize for the winners, librarian Lisa Fuller said she is having the four different bookmarks copied and printed in the next week or so. After that, the bookmarks will be distributed among the library's patrons.

“The winners are some of our most active patrons at the library,” Fuller said. “Now, we are going to make the bookmarks available to the public.”

Check out the winning designs by clicking through the photo gallery.