The conclusion of the popular Summer Reading Program at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library came on Sunday, August 11. This program has become a highlight of the summer for many of the district’s students and this year has been no exception. This year’s enrollment of 1,581 participants broke records with a new all-time high. There were 5,153 books read by the younger participants and 287,091 pages read by students entering Grades 5 through 12 and participating in a prize incentive program.
The Summer Reading Program offers something for all students at the library. This year’s theme was “Dig into Reading.” For infants, the Born to Read program aims to start the youngest participants on the path to a lifelong love of reading, encouraging parents to read to their children at home. For toddlers, a game board is used to record the journey of summer reading. School-age children are asked to read a book at home per week and report on it to one of the teen listeners stationed in the library’s Family Center. Students entering Grades 5 through 12 receive library money for their reading which they can use to purchase from a catalog of different items.
This year’s exciting program began in June with the 4th annual carnival to kick off the fun. Thanks to beautiful weather, the 1,200 participants enjoyed a host of carnival games and activities. This was just the beginning of a summer of reading.
As in previous years, the schools in the Plainview-Old Bethpage School District competed against each other for the most Summer Reading Club participants. This year’s winner was Pasadena Elementary School, a title it has held for the past three years.
The purpose of the Summer Reading Rrogram is to serve as an incentive to students to continue reading throughout the summer. As Patricia Pollack, Head of the library’s Family Center commented, “As librarians we love to read and consider nurturing a love of reading in our young patrons to be one of our most important responsibilities. By offering them an attractive atmosphere with fun activities and incentives, we support this goal and keep them reading throughout the summer.”
