WELLMAN

Last year construction work at the Wellman Public Library nudged the summer reading program outdoors, as the library set up temporary shop in a storefront downtown. This year, folks of all ages will get to escape the heat indoors at the newly remodeled and expanded library building.

Read, Renew, Repeat is the conservation-based theme of the 2024 summer reading program, which kicks off on Thursday, June 6 at Wellman’s North Park. The kick-off event will have everything summer readers have come to expect: a hot dog cookout, books, bags, and t-shirts – all free of charge – for those who sign up for the program. To register, visit wellmanlibrary.org online, or drop in at the library.

Librarians Carrie Geno, Megan Harris, and Melissa Fleming are excited to see kids and adults enjoy the new library space, which reopened at the end of February.

“Being here the last few months, more people are coming in, card numbers are way up, and I think the summer reading [program] is just going to be the icing on that new-building excitement,” Harris says.

Encouraging people to read is one of the program’s goals. Kids receive a reading log on which they can mark off every 20 minutes they spend reading or being read too; once full, they return it to the library and receive a prize, perhaps a zoo or museum pass, for example. They are then also entered into one of the grand prize drawings.

For teens, reading logs are available online; for every four books or 20 hours of reading, they receive an entry for one of the grand prize drawings. Adults receive game boards where they claim properties for every 60 minutes of reading; every three properties claimed earns an entry into the grand prize drawings.

“We have some pretty fun prizes from area sponsors that have been very generous,” Fleming says.

The summer reading program depends on area sponsors; they range from local small businesses such as Jo & Co, Freeman Foods, Buckwalter Motors, and DJ’s Casual Café to the Iowa Children’s Museum, Blank Park Zoo, Texas Roadhouse, and the Cedar Rapids Kernels. For the complete list, visit wellmanlibrary.org.

Another goal of the program is to give people fun things to do during the summer at no cost. Folks of all ages will enjoy nine holes of mini golf, The Amazing Race – Library Edition, and the escape room on select Saturdays in June and July. On Wednesday afternoons, teens will get out of bed for Cupcake Wars, trivia, bingo, and an escape room. And littles will look forward to Movers & Shakers on Friday mornings.

“It’s a storytime but we are moving more than we are sitting,” Harris explains. “We’re still reading books, but we’re doing action rhymes, dances, things that we are up and moving. For younger kids who have a shorter attention span, it is perfect to get them to come and not be bored after five minutes.”

In fact, there are events every weekday during the program, including Movie Mondays. The librarians are excited to have a new space in which to show movies comfortably without inconveniencing other patrons – and yes, there will be popcorn.

Other special events: an opportunity to see animals such as hedgehogs and pygmy chickens on June 20 when Dr. Bec brings his exotic animals; the chance to paint your own happy trees and landscape, following a video of a famously beloved painter on June 24 (advance registration required); and time with a local beekeeper who will share about living peacefully surrounded by bees (and enjoying their honey) on June 27.

The program concludes on July 25 with a skating party at the Wellman Skating Rink.

“There’s a lot going on. We’re very excited; it’s going to be a good year,” Harris says.

There is much more to Wellman Public Library’s summer reading program than mentioned here; for the complete calendar of events and to register, visit wellmanlibrary.org and follow Wellman Public Library on Facebook.