Still time to sign on for Summer Reading Challenge at the Joliet Public Library

Today, I am watching the street from the second level of the Ottawa Street Branch of the Library, overlooking the construction work and pouring cement. It’s the hottest day of the year so far. The air feels heavy, lazy.

But it’s the perfect day to pick up a book or pop in an audiobook and start the Summer Reading Challenge if you haven’t already.

The summer reading season is arguably the biggest and busiest season for libraries. A theme is selected, scavenger hunts and programs are planned, reading lists are created, prizes for reading milestones are meticulously chosen, sponsorships are secured to fund those prizes, local businesses participate by donating coupons and gift certificates, decorations are made, etc.

It has begun. Many of you may have already seen the towering Big Ben replica at the Black Road Branch, a display created by one of our Youth Services team members to celebrate the summer reading theme of Travel through the Pages.

This year’s Summer Reading Challenge takes place through July 31. It’s an all ages program that encourages reading throughout the summer.

What is the point of all of this extra work? Don’t libraries already push the importance of reading, 365 days a year?

Yes, it’s part of our mission, literacy. But summer brings unique challenges, and your Joliet Library staff puts in that extra effort for several reasons, to encourage reading for children, adults and families all summer long.

• We want to fight the summer slide. The summer slide refers to the learning loss students can experience over a three-month break from school and educational activities.
• It’s important to nurture a love of reading in children that carries on for life. In order to foster a love of reading, you can make reading fun by helping your child choose books that interest them and bringing them to the library, where we always have fun activities and friendly faces.
• Summer vacation is a perfect time to encourage parental involvement and support of your child’s literacy journey.

The Summer Reading Challenge isn’t just for kids and families, though. Our Adult Services team works hard to plan the adult side of things as well.

• Learn something new with us. Summer reading encourages continued learning and intellectual stimulation for our adult patrons.
• Stress reduction! Lose yourself in the latest and greatest story, or read up on meditation and relaxation.
• Improve your focus and concentration with regular reading-not to mention picking up on increased vocabulary and language skills.

Believe it or not, it’s not that hard to get the adults who love reading to participate, because we give them what they want – free books. Simply by logging their pages read in the summer, adults can earn free books and other prizes over the summer. If you are already reading, signing up and logging your pages gives you a reward for what you are already doing, and gets you involved in a community wide initiative to celebrate literacy.

So, if you haven’t signed up for the challenge before, why not try it out this year? It only takes 1,000 pages to complete the challenge, and just like all of our programs, it’s free. Join us this year and Travel through the Pages.

To learn more about the Summer Reading Challenge, visit https://jolietlibrary.org/summer-reading/ or call 815-846-3124.

• Mallory Hewlett is the communications manager for the Joliet Public Library.