Adam Winger, director, North Logan City Library
You are going to hear the phrase “build a better world” a lot in the upcoming months as libraries across Cache Valley, and the United States, prepare to bridge the gap between school years with a summer reading program. This year’s theme is bold, so local book jockeys will need to step up their game if they intend to continue to outshine all the parks and recreation folk who have good weather and beautiful Cache Valley summers on their side. Let me explain why the library peeps can keep calm and build on.
Summer reading just doesn’t seem fair as library workers battle school staff for educational supremacy. Teachers just wrapped up testing kids on lessons about things like westward expansion while librarians introduce kids to the similar concepts using exciting novels. You might as well join the winning side and help your kids find outlandish, yet surprisingly educational reading material and display your parenting prowess as your kids return to school in the fall.
Building a better world includes exploring ideas, providing enriching activities and engaging in meaningful experiences. So, take a look at the community calendar and see the wide range of awesome things happening at libraries in Cache Valley: magic shows, water fights, farmers markets, princess parties, book clubs, reptile shows, splash dash, fitness classes, coding clubs, maker activities and plenty more. Tally up how much awesome is at a library, and be sure not to confess that you simply hung out at the library all summer.
If you have family trips planned, you might want to preserve your sanity as you travel to your adventure by making a detour to the library before you leave town. Pick up audiobooks, good reads and movies to keep everyone happy. And, if you have a picky teenager, who complains that everything is boring, then let me recommend checking out a preloaded Kindle and encouraging them to naysay the thousands of books at their fingertips. Even if they manage to somehow pull it off, you will have secretly won the battle.
The truth is that we build a better world by strengthening the bonds of our community as we make memories, have adventures and enjoy life each summer. Local summer reading programs are designed to help make the most of our amazing Cache Valley summers, so keep calm and build on.
