Adventure begins at the Morgan County Library
Jun 06, 2024 01:09PM ● By Verlene Johnson
Nearly 750 people of all ages enjoy the summer reading kickoff party.
Popsicles, bounce houses, crafts and children on the front lawn of the library can only mean one thing, it’s time for Morgan County Library’s summer reading program.
Library patrons of all ages were able to sign up for the summer reading program, receiving a reading tracker to log the minutes they spend reading each week. 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 a prize from the massive prize cabinet and pick up a new tracker. Prizes range from toys and treats to gift cards and books. Participants are allowed only one prize a week.
Children, too young to read, can be read to and both child and reader can count the minutes. Adults may count the minutes they listen to audio books; however, Library Director, Erin Bott, encourages children to pick up an actual book to read for their minutes.
“We would like to see more teens and adults coming in to get prizes,” said Bott. She said the primary objective of the program is to prevent the slide of kids losing their reading skills during the summer. She continued, “When kids see their parents reading, they are more likely to read themselves because of the example being set.”
Those unable to make it to the party can still sign up for the reading summer program at the library. Library hours are Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 12-5 p.m. Closed Sundays and holidays.
The library has a wide range of activities throughout the summer from story hour for toddlers and preschools to craft hour for tweens. There are tablets for younger children with computers and gaming for teenagers up to 18. On June 21, the whole family can enjoy a movie on the lawn with free popcorn. Visit the library to for a full list of activities to enjoy this summer.
The summer reading program began on June 1 and runs through July 31 with the closing party July 25. λ