This year’s summer reading theme for the North Adams Public Library looks past the stacks.
“’Read beyond the beaten path’ evokes a summer camp and outdoors theme. It tells kids to explore the world, maybe reach outside of their comfort zone while enjoying reading and having a good time this summer," said Youth Services Librarian Nora Zahn. “For kids up to age 17, we have a program that they can sign up for. And when they sign up, it's totally free. And it lasts for five weeks from late June through the end of July. And they will have a reading log that they fill out every week with just any reading they're doing at home. That can be reading whole books, that can be reading with their parents for five or 10 minutes, or anything in between.”
The young readers can then bring in their reading log to the library on a weekly basis for well-earned rewards.
“As long as we see that they've read, they will be entered to win prizes and raffles, and they'll be able to get a book, and there are all kinds of other goodies as well that they can get along the way,” said Zahn.
Concurrent with the summer long reading log is the library’s special event programming.
“On the kids’ side of things, we have a stomp rockets event where we'll be joined by Berkshire STEM Network to learn about science and watch stomp rockets at Colegrove Park in North Adams, and that one's for families of all ages," said Zahn. "On the teens and adults side, we have an exciting macramé and terrariums workshop where folks will design their own plant terrarium and then also learn how to make a macramé hangar so they can take home the whole thing and it's ready to put up in their home.”
Additional recurring events will work to engage the full range of the North Adams community.
“We'll be doing a story and craft time every Wednesday morning throughout the five weeks at 10:30 a.m.," Zahn told WAMC. "Those will be facilitated by library staff but also by folks from around the community. We'll have someone from Clarksburg State Park reading about nature and doing a craft related to that. We'll have somebody from Berkshire Immigrant Center coming and doing a bilingual story time in Spanish and English.”
The library is also holding regular gardening programs.
“Younger kids can come and get their hands dirty and learn about pollination and the environment and a large array of gardening," explained Zahn. "And then we are also starting this summer with a brand new teen gardening program in partnership with ROOTS Teen Center where we will be gardening with teams while also learning about food scarcity and community resources and developing the outdoor space at ROOTS Teen Center as well.”
Zahn says families looking to take advantage of the summer reading program – which is free and open to all – should sign up now to get the full experience.
“Our big closing event of summer reading, which will take place on Friday, July 29th, is a rhythm and drum circle with Otha Day of Drum to the Beat, who is a local educator and musician who travels around the country actually puts on these really cool giant community drum circle events,” she said.
While keeping young people engaged and learning over the summer months is the main goal of the program, it’s also about celebrating the role a public library can play in North Adams.
“It's an important place for folks to be able to come learn about our local community here and learn about their world while having fun and attending events over the summer," Zahn told WAMC. "So we're trying to kind of fill both the reading and education side with the reading incentives and also the summer fun side with our community events.”
