Library summer program provides fun for all ages

Curbside pick up of packets June 1-5 at library

    HARLAN -- The Harlan Community Library Summer Program will again provide fun and challenges for youth and adults but in a different format this year. The 2020 summer library program theme will be “Imagine Your Story.”     
    Amanda Brewer, library director, said there will be lots of fun things happening at the library this summer and program planning will be month by month for flexibility in these fluid times.
    “Our patrons will see the theme (“Imagine Your Story”) intertwined in the programming we offer over the next two months. All of our June programs are what we are calling passive programs. Meaning, they are activities that patrons can enjoy at home. We want patrons to remain engaged with the library this summer while at the same time staying safe,” said Brewer.
    Beginning Monday, June 1 through Friday, June 5, patrons can stop at the library curbside tables and pick up packets which will contain activities to work on at home. Hours to pick up packets will be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. and Thursday from 10 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. While picking up packets, the library staff ask that patrons follow the signage that will be available and use safe social distancing measures.

Packets full of activities families can do together
    Youth summer program activities will include reading bingo, weekly challenges, tween/teen book reviews and Book Buzz Youth Book Club. Also new this year is the offering of “Amazing Reader” yard signs.
    “Youth participating (one sign per household) will receive an “Amazing Reader” sign to display in their yard as a way to share with others all their successes this summer,” said Brewer.
    The activities in the packets will include challenges for children and families to work through together. This is a new activity this year. The Week One Challenge - Imagine Your Food Story will ask kids to create a fairy tale inspired recipe or food creation. Come up with your own original idea or use one of these: Make a Hansel and Gretel inspired gingerbread house, trick the witch in Sleeping Beauty and make a magic apple recipe that is healthy and tasty, or create a Jack in the Beanstalk inspired bean dish. Let your imagination go and concoct something you and your family will enjoy. Deadline for the challenge will be June 8.
    “We then want patrons to tell us about their challenge and we will enter their name into a drawing for a weekly gift certificate. In addition, we have our tween/teen book reviews again this year which will earn the kids gift certificates too. We added another opportunity for tween/teens this summer: The Book Buzz Youth Book Club. The meetings will be held digitally in June,” said Brewer.
    The youth program will continue to feature “Reading Bingo” which is a bingo sheet full of reading and related activities. Once a child gets a bingo card filled they will receive a gift certificate to an area business. The completed bingo sheets for June can be placed in the book drop at the library and prizes will be mailed.
    Adult program activities will include book reviews, postcard challenges and monthly prize drawings. The opportunity to view “True War Time Escape - The Journey that Saved Curious George” presented by Kael Sagheer via Zoom will also be available on June 18  at 6 p.m. The program will also be aired on HMU’s cable at a later date.
    Elizabeth Schechinger is in charge of the adult summer library program. Emily Kurth-Christensen and Dena Jacobsen are in charge of the youth summer program at the library.

Library will re-open on June 9
    Brewer is anticipating the library to re-open on Tuesday, June 9 with “Grab & Go” and curbside hours. Grab & Go hours will be Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Thursdays from 10  a.m. - 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. - noon. The main south door will be used as the entrance and patrons will exit using the west doors.
    Curbside hours will be Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
    “People will need to wear cloth face masks when entering the library. We encourage only one family member at a time, limited number of people in the library and to please follow signage and social distancing guidelines. We will continue to offer curbside service on the same dates and times as we are doing now and we encourage people to continue to use curbside as much as possible,” said Brewer.
    Patrons are asked not to loiter in the library but to locate items they wish to check-out and proceed to the circulation desk. Computers will be available for use and patrons will get passes at the door. Patrons are also encouraged to use hand sanitizer when entering the building and while in the building. There will be other rules posted for library use.
    “Our goal is to keep our patrons and staff safe and healthy. We know the new guidelines will be an adjustment,” concluded Brewer.

 
 

 

Harlan Newspapers

1114 7th Street
P.O. Box 721
Harlan, IA 51537-0721

(800) 909-6397
news2@harlanonline.com

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