The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

The Oceans of Possibilities Summer Reading Program has come to an end! For the past seven weeks, the Big Sandy Library has been steeped in all things water related and brought exciting and educational programs to all ages. While many aspects of the program change every year, participation in Summer Reading is always completely free and focuses on encouraging literacy, fun, and community engagement.

We had SO much fun this summer! We had an AMAZING turnout for our summer reading activities. Movie Monday, Teen Tuesdays, Wednesday Storytime, Thursday Adult Sip and Paint, and Fridays Lego Time and Adult Book Club. Thank you to everyone who participated in our weekly programs, logged their minutes, and made this such a record-breaking year! We hope you had as much fun as we did! Without you, summer reading would not be possible or nearly as much fun! We appreciate all the volunteers that put their time into having the program run so successfully. From storytime reading, crafting, lunch making, setting up, painting, and the guest speakers. A big shout out to Ann Quinn, Roberta Edwards, Stephanie Overbay and Misty LeFurgey. Thank you for all you have done for the library.

Here are some highlights and statistics for this year's program:

• We had 82 youth participants and 21 teens participants for Summer Reading this year. Each age group had a designated day for programs each week, and we had great attendance at all of them.

Top Prize Winner for the youth; Kacey Weaver, Abbey Sietsema, Eryn Hartley, Mila Barth, and Ella Chauvet

There were 42 adults who participated in the adult program. The Adult Summer Reading Challenge winners are Stephanie Overbay, Erik Sietsema, and Rebecca Weihe.

16 new patrons signed up for library cards during our Summer Reading Program, giving them free access to all the diverse, quality materials and services we offer.

Thank you for bringing your kids to Summer Reading! There are so many other benefits of the Summer Reading Program that we can't even begin to quantify, including the many, many hours and pages read, the fun we had, the things we learned, and the meaningful engagement that was fostered within our community. Summer reading may be over, but remember to visit our events calendar to stay up to date on other library programs.

Stay tuned, we have some fun and exciting things lined up for fall! In the meantime, We just might take a nap or two.....