Hundreds kick off summer reading with party

More than 850 children, teens and adults bounced into summer at Riverside Park, Wednesday, May 28, for the Morgan County Library’s annual summer reading program kickoff party. With popsicles, crafts, bounce houses and the theme, “All Together Now,” patrons of all ages were able to sign up for the summer reading program and receiving a tracker for reading minutes each week.

The library’s Summer Reading Program has taken on different forms throughout the years; from a reading contest, where only the reader of the most books won a prize to gift bags and now their current program of weekly incentives for all readers. Even that program has evolved over the years from pages read, books read, and most currently, minutes read.

Once a reader has reached 120 minutes of reading for the week; they are invited to take their tracker into the library where they can pick one prize a week from the massive prize cabinet and pick up a new tracker. Prizes range from toys and treats to gift cards and books. This year, the library received a generous donation of electronic tablets that are part of the prize cabinet. Readers can choose whether they would like a weekly prize or a raffle ticket for a weekly drawing to win a tablet. Library Director Erin Bott, hope that the possibility of winning a tablet will encourage more teens to participate in summer reading. 

Children, too young to read, can be read to, and both child and reader can count the minutes.

Bott said, “Summer reading programs help kids to improve reading skills while also increasing the desire to read. Reading during the summer not only helps kids to avoid the “summer slide,” which is learning loss, but it can actually help them improve their reading skills beyond where they left off at the end of the school year. Plus, it is fun!” Bott continues, “Our Summer Reading program is for all ages. We encourage families and individuals of all ages to read. Summer is a great time to pick up a book not only for learning and information but for the sheer joy of reading! When kids see their parents reading, they are more likely to read themselves because of the example being set.”

The library has something for everyone during the summer months. Storytime for young children is held Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays mornings at 11. Last year the library switched from computers to tablets for young children to play games. The teen room is open for the teens to spend time playing both video and board games and computers are still available for gaming. 

This summer there is the addition of Tweens Craft Tuesdays at 11 a.m. for ages 8-12 and TAI CHI starting June 21, Mondays and Wednesdays 9:30 am-10:30 am. Please see printed flier for more information. 

Library hours are Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 12-5 Closed Sundays and holidays.

Always a great support at the summer kick-off party, The Friends of the Library always great support to the library staff at the summer kick-off, party, the Friends of the Library provide popsicles and a craft. Friends of the Library is an organization that has been a support to the library for over 30 years. They provide financial support to the library for things that are not covered by the library budget such as fixing computers and printers, purchase of the receipt printer, and new books. They also paid for the beautiful mural to be painted in the children’s area of the library. They donate a majority of the prizes for the reading program. All proceeds from book sales go to Friends of the Library. In addition, funds come from Amazon Smile and American Express. To find out how to help with Friends of the Library, contact Joann Burby through the library.

Bott commented that the library appreciates donations of gently used books. These books are either shelved for circulation, sold as a fundraiser or used in the prized cabinet. 

Bott also said the Summer Reading Kickoff is their biggest party of the year. “We are so grateful for all of the patrons who come to celebrate summer, and summer reading with us.”

The summer reading program started May 31 and will end July 26, with a closing party at the library. 

Please visit the library for any questions you have concerning the Summer Reading Program or any of the activities that take place at the library. λ