Youths' Summer Reading Program to start

ROSEBURG, Ore. – Roseburg Youth Services Librarian Aurora Ropp has been hard at work creating the magic that will be this year’s Summer Reading Program for children and teens, which starts Sunday, June 1.

“At Roseburg Public Library, I do not present public children’s programs in May to give myself time to finish planning and preparing for the Summer Reading Program,” Ropp shared.

The Summer Reading Program runs from Sunday, June 1, through Saturday, Aug. 23. That’s 12 weeks and equates to 57 programs, hundreds of reading prizes, 290 craft kits every week, numerous outreach events, extra summer volunteers and presenters.

“All that fun needs scheduling, coordinating, purchasing and pieces put together, which is both the most exciting and time-consuming portion of my work at the library,” Ropp added.

You can keep up to date on the Summer Reading Program on the library’s website at www.roseburgpubliclibrary.org. The Events Calendar includes program details, and the Summer Reading Program page has reading logs, book review slips, the prize list and the StoryWalk® schedule.

Information also will be available at outreach events, including Roseburg School District’s Lunchbox Express at various locations on Mondays throughout the summer.

The foundation of the Summer Reading Program is reading. At Roseburg Public Library, children and teens will have a log to keep track of minutes read. A Roseburg Public Library card is not required to participate.

Library staff are changing how people keep track of reading this summer. All youth will track their reading on one log, which is divided into three sections of seven hours each. When participants complete the first or second section, they can bring in their logs and choose one new book and three trinket prizes. Participants can be read to by a parent or another caregiver, who will track that reading on the log.

Completing the final section of the log – reading a total of 21 hours – will enter participants in the grand prize drawing, and they will receive a third book and more trinket prizes.

“We have three grand prizes to give away this year – yearlong memberships to the YMCA of Douglas County!” Ropp said. “In addition to reading logs, we will continue the super-popular book review raffle for prizes.”

Children and youth can write or draw about a book they read, or that was read to them, for a chance to win items displayed in the library lobby’s glass case.

“We have some cool prizes, such as a gift card to DEFY trampoline park in Eugene, a 3Doodler 3D pen, a Squishmallow and more,” Ropp said.

Library staff will have four regularly scheduled programs throughout the summer. At 1 p.m. Tuesdays, from June 17 through Aug. 19, staff offer an activity or special presentation for pre-Kindergarten through fifth graders at the library.

“I am so excited for the many performers we will have this summer, including Leapin’ Louie, Angel Ocasio, Red Yarn Puppets and the Museum of Natural and Cultural History,” Ropp added.

Ropp also will be at the Stewart Park Pavilion for Storytime at 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays from June 4 through Aug. 20.

From 1 to 2:30 p.m. Thursdays, June 19 through Aug. 21, Ropp will offer an activity for youth in sixth to 12^th grades at the pavilion.

Then at 10:30 a.m. every Friday from June 20 through Aug. 22, Ropp will be at the Stewart Park Pavilion with another activity for pre-K through fifth graders.

Ropp is also planning the fifth “Harry Potter Day,” to be held at the library from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, July 26. There will be wand-making, transfiguration, Harry Potter trivia and prizes throughout the day -- plus wizarding-related animals from Wildlife Safari at 11 a.m. Participants are encouraged to dress up!

There also will be a Harry Potter quilt raffle for attendees who are 18 and under. The winner must be present at the noon drawing.

“This will be a fun day of activities for the whole family,” Ropp said.

StoryWalk® will be displayed at parks throughout Roseburg from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday from June 2 through Aug. 23. A new bilingual StoryWalk® featuring “Baby Goes to Market/Bebé Va al Mercado,” written by Atinuke and illustrated by Angela Brooksbank, will debut this summer.

Last, but certainly not least, Grab-and-Go Craft Kits will be available first-come, first-served at the library at 10 a.m. every Tuesday beginning June 3.

The Summer Reading Program is made possible by Mike and Barb Coen, Douglas County Cultural Coalition, Friends of the Roseburg Public Library and the State Library of Oregon. Ropp gave a special “thank you” to Karen and Jon Wittwer for donating prizes for readers.