The Springfield Township Library is getting ready to dream big and read with their 2012 summer reading program.
The program promises to be fun for readers of all ages, with activities planned for ages 2-adult. Registration for the program will be June 7-9 for everyone with a Springfield Township Library or TLN Library Network card. The adult summer reading program begins on June 4.
Library Director Kathy Forst said the summer reading program at Springfield Township Library has been taking place for 33 years now. This year, there are three programs: children’s, young adult and adult.
Children’s Librarian Frances Bauer said each person who registers for the children’s program will get a book bag filled with information.
One of the items will be a reading record with places to fill out which books were read by the children themselves or to them by their parents.
It also has a place to record how many pages were in the book. At the end of the program, each child will get a certificate saying how many pages they read over the summer.
Additionally, the bag comes with a calendar of many exciting events. The Friends of the Library pay for the summer reading program and to bring in presenters for events. Some of those events are the kick-off for the children’s program featuring The Storytellers on June 12, drawing with Tom Woodruff on July 9, and Bats of the World presented by the Organization for Bat Conservation.
The Young Adult program has a lot of different prizes to offer this year. Each time a young adult completes a book, they can get a slip to draw a prize for that week. Then, at the award party at the end of the program, everyone who reads six or more books is entered in a drawing to win a Nook E-reader.
Librarian Kimberly Schaaf said the adult summer reading program is going to focus on more than just reading.
Each participant will get a bingo card with squares that can be filled by reading books, but also by getting familiar with library services. One square even works to combine the different programs as you can complete it by reading a book to your child.
Bauer said this is also a special year for the children’s summer reading program as the library’s mission statement was recently updated to ‘recognize our responsibility to serve as a place for children to discover the joy of reading.?
Additionally, Bauer said the program, ‘keeps the kids reading over the summer so they don’t fall back and have to be behind when they start up school again in the fall.?
She also said all the programs are a lot of fun.
“The only thing you can do to improve your reading skills is keep reading,” she said.
For more about the Summer Reading Programs, visit www.springfield.lib.mi.us or call 248-846-6550.
BY KRYSTEN COOPER
Special to the Clarkston News