June 1, 2009

Today I met with the children’s librarian at the Westhampton Memorial Library, Hilary Nolan, to discuss what elements she would like me to incorporate into the program. The summer reading program allows children to participate in games, crafts, and other activities while keeping a list of every book they have read throughout the summer. The program is split into different age levels. A goal we have set is to attract children from the age level of 10-13. In past years sign-ups for the summer reading program have been lacking in this age level. My goal is to increase the amount of sign-ups in this age level because at that age it is crucial to continue reading and learning throughout the summer. I will try to set up fun activities to reward them for signing up for the program and also to create motivation at an age level that sometimes lacks it. While encouraging reading with young adults I also hope to promote the use of library and show that libraries can be about more than just reading.

During my meeting with Hilary I gave ideas as to what events may draw children from the 10-13 age level. We decided that a Video Game Competition would be a successful way of improving the participation of this age group. Since many children tend to play video games around that age I figured this would be a great way to build numbers and encourage friendly competition. Another event that we decided to hold is a movie night under the stars. The last event we have planned is an Alka-Seltzer rocket launch and marshmallow catapults. This will be a daytime event where children can come and experiment with these activities while having fun. Instead of the usual arts and crafts that may seem mundane to this age level a hands on experiment will allow more excitement.