Kindness and community are focus of summer reading program

SIKESTON — Participants of Sikeston Public Library’s summer reading program will read about about kindness and then put their new knowledge to use through three community service projects.

“All Together Now” serves as the theme of this year’s summer reading program, which runs from June 5-July 29 at the Sikeston Public Library.

Lisa Munger, children’s librarian for Sikeston Public Library, said the theme is all about kindness and community.

“The younger groups will be focusing on community helpers, keeping our community and environment clean, being a good friend and a good helper to the people around us,” Munger said. “The older groups are going to focus on communication and lots of teamwork activities as well as improving and keeping our community nice.”

All children are welcome to join the summer reading programs even if they don’t have a library card, Munger said.

“I’m really excited about the three service projects for the community this year to go along with our theme,” Munger said. “These service projects will promote the theme to everyone in our community in helping people and animals around us.”

During the entire month of June, the library will have a food drive to benefit Sikeston PAWS

“We encourage patrons to bring cat food and dog food to the library to be donated to the organization,” Munger said. “A box will be near the circulation desk for any patron of the library to drop off food, or patrons can make a monetary donation and I will go purchase the food.”

In July, the library will focus on another food drive which will benefit the Bulldog Pantry. Again, patrons will be encouraged to drop off nonperishable food items in the box near the circulation desk, or monetary donations at the desk for Munger to purchase and donate the food.

“This drive will help get Bulldog Pantry off to a good start for the upcoming school year,” Munger said.

The third service project will be with the preschool group who will participate in painting a rocking chair however they want, Munger said.

“The chair will then be sealed and donated to the children’s section of the library for our patrons to enjoy while they read,” Munger said.

The library will once again have three presenters during the first three weeks of June with two presentations on each date at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the basement of the library, Munger said.

Circus Kaput with Steve the Magician who will be doing magic will present on June 5; Animal Tales: Edzoocation will have live animals and talk about how animals work together on June 12; and Jay and Leslie’s Laughing Matters presenting “United We Laugh” with magic and stunts will present on June 19. Anyone in the community is welcome to attend.

“We read books related to the theme and topic that we are discussing that day, do crafts, have songs and do different activities that support that day’s topic as well, and have a small snack,” Munger said. “Each group has their own designated story time.”

Participants with the Foster Grandparents program often help the children during their story time visit.

“I plan on these wonderful helpers coming back again this year,” Munger said.

Also returning this summer is the library’s hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) room, or “toy room” as the children call it, Munger said. It will be open July 3-29.

“It is always a big hit,” Munger said. “It has been a bit of a challenge to find activities to support the theme (in the STEAM room) this year, but I think there will be plenty of fun things to do and learn from in there for a variety of age groups.

This room will again be open to the public during regular business hours.

“We just ask that you sign your child’s name in our guest book each time you come so we know how many people visited,” Munger said. “And come back as often as you want. We have several groups who visit weekly when it’s open.”

Munger said flyers with community story times as well as those with presenter information will be available at the library in early May so parents and caregivers will have the information they need. The library will also provide reading logs for children who come to the library to list the books they read to earn a prize.

“Last year we had skate passes and movie passes donated,” Munger said. “The first 15 kids who turned in their reading logs got to choose one of those passes. I’m hoping to get more donations like those again this year.”

Munger also said to follow Sikeston Public Library’s Facebook page for pictures and announcements during summer reading. They can also check the main Sikeston Public Library webpage for announcements.

Sikeston’s summer reading program is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the Missouri State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.

The library could apply for up to $10,000 and was awarded $8,838. This will provide art supplies for crafts, story time supplies and activities for the hands-on STEAM room, and $1,500 worth of new books for the children’s section related to our theme this year, according to Munger.

Last summer’s reading program served a little over 2,500 children over the course of the eight-week program in the library, Munger said. This includes children coming to presentations by outside guests, attending scheduled story times, and visiting our hands-on STEAM room in the McAmis Community Room during the month of July.

“We partner with Lincoln University, Early Head Start and the YMCA to provide programming throughout the summer, but we also have three different age groups that the community is welcome to attend: 2-5 years, kindergarten through second grade and third through fifth grades,” Munger said.

Saint Francis Xavier’s summer school program regularly attend story times and use the STEAM room as well as Lil Bulldogs Daycare, Munger said.

“We’re also able to provide three story times to New Dawn State School during their three-week summer school session in July. During the month of July, we will offer a teen summer reading opportunity and will be doing the same thing again this year with our new head circulation clerk,” Munger said.

Preparing for summer reading is a year-round process with writing the initial grant as well as writing an interim and final report, researching presenters, working on calendars to schedule all the different groups, choosing the supplies and art projects that support the theme and working on selecting books that support the theme as well, Munger said.

“I actually know what themes are coming up over the next three to four years already so I’m already thinking about next year’s program and we haven’t even had this year’s,” the children’s librarian said.