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To celebrate National Poetry Month, we are looking for great haikus!

We are running Give Us Your Best Haiku Contest around the theme of joy. Submit your haiku for the chance to win one of two fantastic prizes and have your work showcased to our virtual library fans.

Here’s how it works:

The Contest will run on our Vancouver Island Regional Library + Fans Facebook page between April 5 and Midnight on Monday, April 17.

First-place prize for the haiku contest.

To enter, share your haiku in the comments of the official Haiku Contest Post. You can submit up to three haikus.

We are looking for the traditional form of three lines per poem with five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second and five in the third.

All haiku entries must be self-authored and follow the theme of joy.

Entries will be judged by Vancouver Island Regional Library staff and a first and second place winner will be notified by direct message on Facebook. The winners will be announced on the Vancouver Island Regional Library + Fans on Poem in Your Pocket Day, April 27.

An entrant can only win a prize once.

Who can enter:

This is a contest for adults and young people over the age of 12. Youth under the age of 18 must receive the consent of their parent or guardian to claim the prize.

Entrants must live within the Vancouver Island Regional Library service area to be considered and must be able to pick up their prize at their local branch.

Vancouver Island Regional Library employees and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter and win.

What you can win:

Second-place prize for the haiku contest.

First prize: A copy of our art and literary magazine Sea & Cedar, a notepad, writers’ blood ink and a Pilot fountain pen (approx. value $75)

Second prize:  A copy of Sea & Cedar Magazine, a notebook and pen, and a limited-edition VIRL mug (approx. value $36)

Terms and Conditions:

These rules apply to all contests or giveaways offered by Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) and any of its affiliate branches.

Entries may be accepted by email, Instagram, Facebook or via a ballot in one of Vancouver Island Regional Library’s 39 branches, depending on the contest or giveaway. Please refer to the contest or giveaway for information on how to enter.

By entering a VIRL Contest, you agree to these Official VIRL Contest and Giveaway Rules.

Complete details for each contest or giveaway will be available in a story on virl.bc.ca. (“Website”). To enter a VIRL Contest or Giveaway, potential participations should follow the instructions given on the Website to find out how to enter and what the prizes are.

Details will include:

• the prize(s) available to be won and their value
• the start and end dates and/or times
• how the winners will be notified
• any other information relevant to entering, participating, or winning

Unless otherwise stated, there is a limit of one entry per person. The chances of winning depend on the number of entries.

Unless otherwise stated, VIRL Contests or Giveaways are open to VIRL customers and anyone living in the VIRL service area. If the contest is open to minors, for any contestant who has not reached the age of majority, a parent or guardian’s consent is necessary to obtain the prize, should the minor win. Where appropriate, the terms “contestant” and “winner” mean parent or guardian of that person.

VIRL employees, their immediate family (parent, sibling, child) or persons living under the same roof, are not eligible to enter any VIRL Contest or Giveaway, unless otherwise stated.

If the winner is selected by draw, a random draw will be made by a VIRL representative from all qualifying entries. The winner(s) will be contacted using the contact information provided at the time of entry (eg. telephone number, email address, or Facebook account). The prize will be forfeited, and VIRL will select another winner if a selected contestant:

• cannot be reached or qualified using the information provided at the time of entry, within five business days
• incorrectly answers the mathematical skill testing question (where applicable)
• declines the prize
• fails to return any required release form.

Winners will be required to pick up physical prizes at their local VIRL branch. For VIRL Contests or Giveaways where the winner is responsible for picking up the prize, the prize must be picked up within 30 days or it shall be forfeited.  VIRL reserves the right to select another winner at its sole discretion.

To be declared a winner, in the case of a draw or giveaway, the selected contestant may first be asked to correctly answer a mathematical skill-testing question.

Winner(s) may also be required to sign a release declaring their eligibility as stipulated in these rules; and releasing VIRL, any sponsor or prize donor and their directors, officers and employees (the “Contest Parties”) from all liability for any damage or loss arising from participation in the contest or from the awarding, acceptance or use of the prize.

Prizes must be accepted as is and may not be exchanged or refunded for an amount of money, sold or transferred. No substitutions will be allowed. Any unused portion of a prize will be forfeited.

If the prize cannot be awarded as described in these rules, VIRL reserves the right to substitute a prize or prize component with another of comparable value, at its sole discretion.

Refusal to accept the prize releases the Contest Parties from any obligation toward the winner. If a contestant makes any false statement, (s)he will be automatically disqualified from the VIRL Contest or Giveaway.

By participating in any VIRL Contest, contestants agree to VIRL using their name, image or Instagram/Facebook handle for advertising purposes related to a VIRL Contest or Giveaway free of charge.

The Contest Parties assume no liability for any loss, damage, or injury, including without limitation: (i) lost, stolen, delayed, damaged, misdirected, late, destroyed, illegible, or incomplete entries; (ii) loss, theft or damage to software or computer or telephone data, including any breach of privacy; (iii) fraudulent calls; (iv) inability of any person to participate in the VIRL Contest or Giveaway for any reason including mistaken addresses on mail or email; technical, computer or telephone malfunctions or other problems with computer online systems, servers, access providers, computer equipment, or software; congestion on the internet or at any website, or any combination of the foregoing; (v) damage to any person’s computer, including as a result of playing or downloading any material relating to the VIRL Contest or Giveaway; (vi) any delay or inability to act resulting from an event or situation beyond their control, including a strike, lockout or other labour dispute at their location or the locations of the organizations and businesses whose services are used to administer the VIRL Contest; (vii) any injury, damage or loss arising from participation in the VIRL contest or from the awarding, acceptance, or use of any prize, or (viii) prizes that are lost, damaged, or misdirected during shipping.

VIRL reserves the right to cancel or suspend the VIRL Contest or Giveaway should a virus, bug, or other cause beyond their reasonable control corrupt the security or proper administration of the VIRL Contest or Giveaway. Any attempt to deliberately damage any website or to undermine the legitimate operation of the VIRL Contest or Giveaway is a violation of criminal and civil laws. Should such an attempt be made, VIRL reserves the right to seek remedies and damages to the fullest extent permitted by law, including criminal prosecution.

All personal information, such as name and contact information, required to enter a VIRL Contest or Giveaway is collected by VIRL solely for the purposes of administering the VIRL Contest or Giveaway and shall not be used for any other purpose without your express consent. By providing this information, you consent to it being used for the stated purposes.

VIRL Contests or Giveaways are not endorsed or administered by Facebook, Instagram or any other party offering social media services. By entering any VIRL Contest, contestants release all Third Party Services from any liability in connection with such VIRL Contest.

If the identity of a contestant is disputed, the authorized account holder of the email address, phone number or Instagram/Facebook handle submitted at the time of entry will be deemed to be the contestant. The individual assigned to the email address, phone number or Instagram/Facebook handle for the domain associated with the submitted email address, phone number or Instagram/Facebook handle is considered the authorized account holder. A selected contestant may be required to provide proof that (s)he is the authorized account older of the email address, phone number or Instagram/Facebook handle associated with the selected entry.

VIRL reserves the right to amend the Contest or Giveaway Rules or to terminate any VIRL Contest or Giveaway at any time without any liability to any contestant.

The decisions VIRL makes, with respect to any dispute or issue involving a VIRL Contest or Giveaway, are final and binding for all contestants.