2010 Summer Reading Club “Scare Up a Good Book” Kick-Off Party Scheduled for Saturday, June 5th
Rockford Public Library hosts Summer Reading Club for all ages
Despite budget cuts that dramatically affected staffing, hours and programming throughout the system, Rockford Public Library is excited to announce that it will again host its largest program of the year, the summer reading club. The 2010 Summer Reading Club “Scare Up a Good Book” is scheduled to launch at a Kick-Off party on Saturday, June 5th from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in downtown Parking Lot C (corner of Jefferson and Wyman). The Kick-Off Party will offer crafts, music, a bouncy tent and a rock climbing wall and the first 1,000 children to register will receive a free t-shirt. The Summer Reading Club runs from June 5th to August 6th, 2010.
“The RPL summer reading club has become a tradition for many families we serve,” said Frank Novak, Executive Director of the Rockford Public Library. “They look forward to the kick-off party, fun programs throughout the summer and prizes they earn for reading. We’ve heard from parents over the years that it is one of the best programs around to encourage reading over the summer months, so we knew it was important for us to continue.”
The summer reading club is designed to encourage children to continue to read over the summer to prevent summer setback, the decline in reading and critical thinking skills over the summer months. While the focus is on school-age children, there are club levels and prizes for all ages including future readers (children not reading independently), readers (children reading independently), young adults (ages 13 – 18) and adults (ages 18 and older).
“When reading becomes a family activity, whether that’s reading a bedtime story together or kids seeing their parents and older siblings reading for fun, it creates a positive association,” said Michelle Vosberg, co-chair of this year’s summer reading club. “Children who are more confident readers perform better in school and tend to be higher achievers, so it’s critical to foster that at home.”
Last year, over 10,000 people joined the club and this year the library anticipates joining numbers between 10,500 – 11,000 individuals. The 2010 Summer Reading Club is sponsored by the Friends of Rockford Public Library, AMCORE Foundation, Target, Beef-a-Roo and Magic Waters Waterpark.
For a complete list of “Scare Up a Good Book” programs and events, please visit our website at www.rockfordpubliclibrary.org/events . To register for the club, stop by any RPL location from June 5th to August 6th or visit www.rockfordpubliclibrary.org.
About the Library
The Rockford Public Library, founded in 1872 as the second library in Illinois, currently has six facilities, including the Main Library and five Branch Libraries. The Rockford Public Library’s mission is to enhance community life and development by informing, educating, entertaining, and providing cultural enrichment to all people of all ages by collecting information to address the diverse interests of our dynamic community.
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