Summer club aims to push reading

Just before doors opened on the first sign-up day for the summer reading club, about 50 kids crowded against the Waterville Branch Library entrance, some with faces pressed against the glass, peering inside, eagerly awaiting high noon.

As the door clicked open, children scurried through the door and immediately lined up at the registration table where they picked up passports for a world of adventure. They won't be globetrotting by plane, boat, train, or car, but rather by the way of written words.

With a theme of One World, Many Stories, the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library's summer reading club already has grabbed the attention of thousands of area residents, including 300 who signed up June 6, opening day, at the Waterville branch.

Karen Wiggins, branch manager, said that was the highest first-day number in the Toledo-Lucas County library system.

On a rainy morning late last week, youngsters who want to participate in the reading program trickled into the Waterville library where red, green, pink, and red construction paper hot-air balloons dangle overhead, decorations in keeping with the summer reading club's theme.

As her daughter Emma, 8, and son Carter, 11, signed up for the summer reading club, Jodie McKee stood nearby, keeping a close eye on her 18-month-old son Trevor as he inspected anything at his eye level. Emma and Carter had asked if they could participate again this year in the program, Mrs. McKee said.

Emma, who likes mystery books, and Carter, who is a fan of sports-related books, both said they like to read.

The summer reading club "just gives me something to do," Carter said. The Waterville family visits the library once or twice a week, he said.

Assisting them at the registration table was James Gee, 13, of Waterville, who helps participants post their reading progress. He hands out prizes, such as coupons for fast-food restaurants and coloring books.

Last year about 800 children participated in the summer reading club.

"I think kids like reading and it gives them something to do in the summer. It is a fun thing they can come in and do at the library," James said.

New this year for the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library summer reading program: signing up online, such as from home computers or from mobile phones. The added technology is being offered as an innovative way to engage readers, said Rhonda Sewell, spokesman for the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, and it could push up the overall summer reading program participants.

Libraries across the country and locally are creating ways for young people and adults to sign up and participate in summer reading programs, Ms. Sewell said. Participants can track their reading and number of hours online. "Technology, that's where people are, that's where youth are," she said. "We are creating ways for young people and adults to sign up. The benefit is that if we make it convenient, people really will participate more."

Commercials about the summer reading program have been launched on Facebook and on library Web sites, she said.

Last year 8,000 people registered during the summer reading program's opening week; this year, about 5,700 people registered in the first 2 1/2 days, said Nancy Eames, youth services coordinator for the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library. "We think we have made the summer reading club even more convenient and fun by putting it online," she said.

The library wants to get 20,000 children to participate this year, compared to 13,000 last year, Ms. Sewell said. Overall last year, there were 20,000 participants, including adults.

A Read to Me segment of the summer reading program reaches out to diaper-wearing wee ones who are learning to read on the laps of their parents, who read aloud. The program for infants (and toddlers too) encourages parents to "build that daily reading habit for their children," said Nancy Eames, youth services coordinator for the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library.

"It's never too early to start reading to your child. Some people think you need to wait until the babies are sitting up or seem to be looking at the pages, but even babies benefit from hearing rhyming words, from learning word sounds," she said, adding that she hopes more than 1,000 participants sign up.

Preschool through fifth-grade participants track the time they read; teens and adults log the number of titles they read, she said.

Incentive prizes are offered through the summer reading club, and in addition to reading books, magazines, comic books, or other materials, participants are encouraged to attend storytimes and other activities now through the end of the program on Aug. 6.

Children can decipher destinations and skip across continents as stories are told from around the world.

"We really want to encourage teens to read. Our big goal is for kids to read for fun. We know when teens read for fun, they build on their reading skills. They go back to school in the fall ready and not behind," Ms. Eames said.

She said audio books count as reading too. A vacationer who uses an audio book while touring can log that time.

Adults are urged to take part with youngsters in their families, Ms. Eames said.

A 40-page Book Your Summer brochure, detailing activities from June to August is available at the libraries. Information is available online at the library's Web site: toledolibrary.org.