The Summer Reading Program at Carnegie Library was a great success. More than 600 children signed up for the program with about 40 percent finishing all the reading requirements.
The children that completed the program received coupons from Dairy Queen, Roller Haven, Kroger, Tim Horton’s, Dakota’s, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Magic Mountain, the Ohio State Fair, Ohio State Parks and the Renaissance Festival. We are appreciative to all these businesses for providing incentives to encourage children to keep reading during their summer holiday.
We are also appreciative of Jerry Van Dyke at the Fayette Airport, Bev Mullen at the Fayette Historical Society, Scott Mullen at Fayette County Emergency Medical Services, John Anders at Vermeer, and Evelyn Pentzer, the Clerk of Courts at the Fayette County Court House for providing interesting and informative “Fayette Tours” for library kids. The Children’s Department presented 60 programs with more than 1,400 children and families participating. Our goal was to provide fun and educational programs to keep children learning and reading through the summer vacation. Mission accomplished!
A famous African proverb says that it takes a village to raise a child and the library depends upon the time and talents of our “village” to provide special programs. We are indebted to the following people for providing these wonderful programs: Bev Mullen and her granddaughters, Meghan and Mallori Tucker for teaching Kartoons for Kids and Pop Art; the Sheriff’s Office and Deputy Caleb Conn and Deputy K-9 Ben for their class; the Humane Society with Humane Officers, Brad Adams and Danyel Bageant for Love Your Pets; Linda Morgan and Peggy Sosack for Gardening 101; Brigitte Hisey with Fayette Soil and Water for Soil Sleuths and Stream Critters; Shannon Jacobs with Mindfulness for Kids; Minecraft Demos with Alex Behrends; Denver Fawcett for Paper Weapons; Chris Nichols for Animation 101; Justin Zink for Archaeology U; and David Persinger for the Farmer’s Market Tour. We also thank Jolie Zink for greatly enhancing our department with her incredible Harry Potter mural and the African Safari mural. Successful children have supportive parents. We thank all the parents who supported their children as they participated in our summer reading program.
The Children’s Department staff including Kay Oughterson, Aaron Teter, Noel Lesniak, Jody Noel and myself enjoy meeting, greeting and working with all the kids and families. It’s our pleasure to make children and their families feel comfortable and welcome in our department. We delight in helping children get their first library card by making it a very special, festive occasion. Most of all we love encouraging children to keep reading and learning throughout the summer by recommending books. And we keep encouraging children throughout the year by supporting their efforts with school projects and providing reader’s advisory services on “best books.”
Finally, without the generous donations of Sonja Seiler, Dr. Vicky Leasure, Alice Craig, and Mary Lorane Davis we would have not been able to provide the outstanding quality of programs Carnegie Library provided this summer. We are deeply appreciative to these donors for their heart-felt devotion and appreciation to the children of Fayette County. Thank you! Thank you!
