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Amid shaky economy, library enjoying crowds |
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Monday, 13 July 2009 |
It seems the heat and the shaky economy are pushing people to the Saline County Library.
Summer programs have been “huge” this year and attendance has been “great,” adult programming and volunteer coordinator Krista Petty said.
“I would definitely say more families are participating than ever before, and that’s what we want to see,” she said. “The library is theirs, and we want them to take advantage of the opportunities we are able to offer.”
The adult summer reading program, “Master the Art of Reading @ Your Library,” began July 1 “and has really taken off,” Petty said. “It is where I have seen the effects of the economy the most. It has been a popular program in the past, but I don’t think many of our patrons realized, until now, how much fun a reading program can be.”
Adults often see the library as a place to take their children for story time “and perhaps to do a little research,” Petty said, “but they are learning, at least in Saline County, that the library is so much more and encompasses all age groups in the realm of programs and activities.”
“I think you will see a lot of library T-shirts roaming around soon as a result of an increase in participation in all three programs,” Petty noted. “The T-shirt depicting the reading program in which they participate is the grand prize for children, teens and adults.”
The 2009 children’s reading program, “Be Creative @ Your Library,” comes to end Saturday with a special end-of-summer reading celebration.
“It has been huge this year,” Petty said. “We hit 1,500 registrants earlier this week and have since surpassed it. I have worked at several of the programs, and the attendance has been great.”
The teen summer reading program, “Express Yourself @ Your Library,” kicked off Monday and, like the others, “is off to a great start,” Petty said.
It’s often noted by adults that teens don’t read enough nor do they participate in quality activities. Not in Saline County.
“I’ve been seeing a lot more teens in the library, and that’s exciting because it means they are finding fun and constructive ways to enrich their summer vacation and setting an example for siblings and younger children in general,” Petty said.
The comic book workshop for teens, another hit at the library, ended Thursday.
“From what I can tell, the teens have loved it,” Petty said. “It’s not every day you get to spend time working with a professional graphic designer learning some of the tricks of the trade. It’s something they will likely be telling their friends about on Facebook, of course.”
For more information about these or any programs, call the library at 778-4766.
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