Summer Reading Program in full swing

The youth summer reading program put on by Hastings Memorial Library is coming to a close, and the adult reading program will pick up July 12.

Youth program

The theme for this year’s youth summer reading program was “Tails and Tales,” a theme surrounding animals.

In early June, the program kicked off with outdoor storytimes on the lawn of Congregational Church. The children were also given take-home crafts to work on, and had the opportunity to hear speakers as part of the programming.

The crafts were take-home this year because according to Robin Quinn, Hastings Memorial Library Director, they weren’t sure what things were going to look like, COVID-wise, so they wanted to plan at-home activities as well.

Deb Keunning from UNL’s 4-H extension was a guest speaker twice, and Renae Bottom and her therapy dog Arlington were another set of guests the children had the opportunity to meet.

Keunning, who has done programming with Hastings Memorial in the past, spoke with the third through sixth graders about finances and dogs.

Bottom spoke with the children about the training she and her husband Mark went through with Arlington, what the job of a therapy dog entails and the differences between therapy dogs and service dogs. They also discussed the children’s pets and what it means to be a good and responsible pet owner.

Numbers were down this year for youth summer reading, but Quinn said they expected that due to the last year of living in a pandemic.

“The numbers are a little bit down from what we normally have, but everyone is just trying to get back into the swing of actually having things to do,” Quinn noted. “But it’s been good. I feel like it’s been successful.”

To keep kids reading throughout the summer, the summer reading program will continue through the end of July with at-home reading.

Summer reading participants were given a booklet to record the books they have read each week. They are asked to record the number of books, pages and minutes read, and after completing a page they receive a stamp from the library.

A completed entry can be taken to participating businesses, which include Soulful Salvage, Viareo Wireless, Sandhills State Bank and Little Bluestem, and the child can receive a prize.

Each coupon available in the booklet is available through August 31.

Quinn also noted the library has their own prize system for the reading program. If youth read for four weeks during the eight-week program, they receive an entry for a prize.

In the past, Quinn said these prizes have included chamber greenbacks, tablets, Amazon gift cards and more fun rewards.

Each week kids continue to read beyond the original four weeks earns an additional stamp and entry for prizes.

Quinn believes it is important, especially after the year students had due to COVID, to keep kids reading.

“It’s really important to us to keep kids reading this summer, because reading over the summer helps prevent that summer slide for when they go back to school in the fall,” she said.

Adult program

While the youth program was themed for critters with tails, such as dogs, the adult program’s theme will surround sea life instead.

The program will begin Monday, July 12 and will continue through August 31.

The library has not settled on programming yet, but Quinn provided examples of past activities they have planned for adults such as rock painting, adult coloring and succulent planters made from books.

What Quinn is sure about, however, is the ability for adult readers to win prizes throughout the program.

She explained how normally they have prize baskets sponsored by businesses, for which readers may submit entries for each book read.

Plans are not yet solid for the adult reading program, as Quinn says the youth summer reading program is their busiest time of year and is quite a bit of work, but the library will be ready for adult programming starting in just under two weeks.

Once more information is available, pre-registration for activities will be necessary in order to determine the amount of craft supplies necessary.

Wallin hired as intern

Hastings Memorial received an internship grant from the Nebraska Library Commission to hire a summer intern to assist with whatever is needed around the library.

Perkins County Schools junior Mackayla Wallin was hired to be the summer intern, and according to Quinn she has been a big help in getting the summer reading program ready to go.

Aside from regular library tasks such as shelving and learning to use the circulation system, Wallin has helped with program prep and decorations for the summer reading program.

Two of the crafts Wallin came up with to decorate the library are a variety of tails hanging over the children’s section, for the “Tails and Tales” theme, and an animal themed reading progress tracker which is hung up over the bookshelves.

Quinn said Wallin is “amazingly talented” and has been a huge help around the library.

“It is very valuable to us to have the extra brainpower and manpower when we are so busy in the summer,” Quinn added. “And it gives a young person from the community an opportunity to gain work experience in a professional environment.”

Hastings Memorial Library would also like to remind the public they are back to their regular hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to noon; closed Sunday.