ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
Memorial Day is almost here, and for many, the holiday signals the official start of the summer season.
For many libraries, the season’s start kicks off the summer reading program, and at the Kismet Public Library, Director Suzan Nelson said community members are geared up and ready to go for this year’s program.
Signups are currently being taken through May 28, and Nelson said the program is for everyone and not just Kismet residents.
“We not only have people who live here in town, but out in the country, and it’s harder for some families to get in,” she said. “Our reading program is ‘Color Our World’ this year, and we’re doing a lot of craft activities, along with our events such as Dan Dan the Magic Man and Mad Science.”
The Mad Scientist will be at KPL at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 5, and Dan Dan the Magic Man will be at the library from 1 to 2 p.m. Thursday, June 26. A bird program presented by Audubon of Kansas will take place from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 17, at the library.
“She’s going to come in and read a story outside and then take the kids around and look for birds,” Nelson said. “That’s going to be a new one.”
Other activities include a tie dye party, a farm day featuring a variety of animals, PBS for Tiny Tots and a bingo challenge which Nelson said features some fun prizes.
“We’ve got some scooters and slip and slides for prizes,” she said. “If you complete your bingo and get a blackout, you get entered in the grand prize drawing. We’re going to get that all displayed in the next week so the kids can come in and drool over it. We’re excited. We’re ready to go.”
The 2024 summer reading program was the first in KPL’s new building, and Nelson said it went quite well.
“We had some activities still over at the pavilion,” she said. “Where we have 70 to 80 kids, it was easier to have seating over there, and this year, we’re going to have some at the pavilion, some here at the library and some outside like when we have the tie dye party. The farm day, we’ll have it between the pavilion and the library out there where that shelter is.”
Since moving to the new building, Nelson said numbers for not only summer reading, but overall have multiplied.
“Our patrons have said it’s a friendly place to come to, and they enjoy us having all the activities for the kids,” she said.
Nelson said the importance of summer reading is that it helps provide children a challenge away from school.
“It’s important here to have a summer reading program because we don’t have movies to go to or a lot of other activities outside sports, which is very important,” she said. “It gives something for the kids to come down to.”
Earlier in May, KPL had a severe weather presentation as well as a Mother’s Day craft, and for the upcoming Father’s Day holiday, the library will again have a craft project.
To keep up with summer reading events and other activities at KPL, visit the Web site at kismetlibrary.info, which was launched earlier this month.
“All the information is on the Web page. It has all the times,” Nelson said. “Go to our Web page. Go to the library. We have everything out, and we can share it with you. You can go to the Web site, Facebook and come here to the library.”
Seeing how children enjoy summer reading, Nelson said, is her favorite part of the program.
“We enjoying having the kids come in, and we enjoy sharing activities with them and seeing a happy face when they walk out,” she said.
