Just as the 2024-25 school year is ending, Muhlenberg County Public Libraries is preparing to keep the learning going.
The library’s Summer Reading Program officially begins June 2, with registration beginning May 19.
Summer Reading is an annual series of reading challenges and entertaining activities hosted by the library. This year’s program theme is “Color Our World.”
Children’s and teen activities will be held through the month of June on the following days and times:
- Storytime (18 mo.-5 yrs.) – 10 a.m. on Tuesdays (Greenville) and 1 p.m. on Thursdays (Central City)
- K-2nd grade – 1 p.m. on Tuesdays (Greenville) and 3:30 p.m. on Thursdays (Central City)
- 3rd-5th grade – 10 a.m. on Mondays (Greenville) and 1 p.m. on Fridays (Central City)
- Teens – 3:30 p.m. on Tuesdays (Greenville) and 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays (Central City)
The library will be closed on June 19, so activities scheduled for that date will be moved to Monday (storytime and teen age groups) and Friday (K-2nd grade age group) of that week.
Adult activities will not necessarily follow the same weekly schedule as younger participants, but several activities will be available to adult Summer Reading participants throughout the month. A full schedule of Summer Reading activities is available on the library’s website.
All activities are optional, and participants can choose which day/location they will attend according to their own schedules.
A kick-off event is scheduled for May 29 at the Central City library, including yard games outside from 4 to 6:30 p.m. and a community game night inside from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Community members are also invited to visit Harbin Memorial on May 19 to “Chalk the Walk” in celebration of the start of Summer Reading registration.
Children and teens participating in the Summer Reading Program will also be treated to a special finale pool party at the end of the program.
Additionally, the library will host a “Kids on the Block” puppet show on June 11, an “Animal Tales” program with live animal presentations on June 16 and a magic show on July 11.
Like most other programs hosted by the library, all Summer Reading events and activities are provided free of charge.
Summer Reading is an attempt by public libraries throughout the nation to prevent students – and adults – from forgetting or losing what they’ve learned through the summer months when school isn’t in session. “The ‘summer slide’ is a very real phenomenon,” library director Janet Harris said. “If we don’t take care to continue using the skills and education we’ve gained through the year, we can very easily forget it.” She said Summer Reading is a way that learners of all ages can continue to keep their minds engaged and active during a time period that is traditionally a little slower, as far as educational pursuits are concerned.
The “summer slide” is usually associated with school-age students, especially younger children, but a similar effect can happen to all ages. Harris said, “Even as adults, if we don’t use what we’ve learned, we tend to forget. It’s so important to keep using our knowledge if we want to retain it.”
For that reason, Harris said, the library provides summer programming for all ages, from children who aren’t yet in school through adult. “Summer Reading is for everyone,” she said. “People think, a lot of the time, that it’s just for kids, but that isn’t the case!
“We want all ages to join us!”
One of the main goals of the Summer Reading Program is, of course, to encourage participants to read as much as possible, although that isn’t the only goal. Participants track their progress with reading logs and are rewarded with various incentives for active participation in the program.
Any kind of reading applies as participation in the summer reading challenges, Harris added. “We don’t care what you read,” she said, “we just want to encourage everyone to keep learning, and it doesn’t matter what genre or format you prefer, it all can help keep your mind active.”
Harris also pointed out that reading is only one component of the library’s summer programming. “After all,” she said, “learning happens in many different ways.” The weekly themed activities on the event schedule above are an important part of Summer Reading, too, Harris said; they are designed to provide participants with an opportunity for educational growth in a variety of different fields in an interesting, entertaining way. “We have fun!” she said. “Yes, the idea is to provide an opportunity for learning, but we learn from playing or participating in hobbies, too.
“Learning shouldn’t be boring – it doesn’t have to be something you dread.”
Harris also noted that staff try to plan a variety of types of activities so there is something for everyone. This year’s activities will include several different types of art-inspired ventures – everything from tie-dying to dance.
Summer Reading Program registration begins May 19 for all age groups. Readers can sign up in person at either library or online at the library’s event calendar (click on any Summer Reading event for a registration link). Participation packets including additional information, reading logs and extra activities will also be available at both libraries.
Summer Reading participants can begin tracking their reading as soon as they sign up and pick up their participation packets.
