By Erik Sietsema
The Big Sandy Library Summer Reading Program is in full swing, serving community youth and adults alike. The program features daily activities for various age groups, special events, the reading program with drawings every two weeks, and an end-of-summer drawing for grand prizes. The program is sponsored by Triangle Communications and the Big Sandy Friends of the Library.
This summer’s reading program is dinosaur themed. The library itself is decorated with dinosaur-themed pictures, and the Jurassic Park soundtracks are often played over the library sound system. In addition, there are various rocks and petrified wood on display, and the library also features a sand pit. Darlene Cline, the librarian, explains the idea behind the sand pit: “Everybody thought I was crazy wanting a sand pit. The sand pit is being borrowed by a patron, and I filled it with sand and put in actual fossils and fake dinosaurs. We give them magnifying glasses and tools so they can break open the fossils. Later on, I will put other things in there. I have some dinosaur eggs to crack open for the kids to do more as a project instead of a come-in play kind of thing.”
The reading program is centered on the Library Loot Bag, which runs throughout the months of June and July. Participants fill out questionnaires regarding their reading preferences—favorite authors, books, and genres, as well as their dislikes. Librarians then use the questionnaires to curate a three-book collection for each patron to read in the coming weeks. As readers complete books, they fill out additional questionnaires to document their progress. Participants must read two of the three books in their collection to be eligible for the drawing at the end of the summer. Prizes include a Fire HD 8 tablet, a Bluetooth speaker, various themed boxes, and more. In addition, there are drawings every two weeks to give away gift cards for the bakery, Pep’s, and other local establishments. All of the prizes were provided by Triangle Communications and the Friends of the Library.
Every day of the week throughout the summer, there is something for all ages. Cline explained the daily programming for kids in the community. “There are activities every day. Teens are on Mondays. Tweens are on Tuesday, which are your five to eleven year olds. Story time is on Wednesday, and the lunches are provided by Chouteau County Coalition. Any kid can come and pick up a lunch, which is a sandwich, apple, cheese stick, and chips. Those will be provided until the end of July. Thursdays are for the adults, and Fridays are open for everybody. We are celebrating America’s 250 years, and we’re doing a bunch of America-themed crafts.”
There are quite a few special activities throughout the summer, including visits from the Bureau of Land Management for presentations on various Montana topics, as well as America-themed events to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday.
This summer will also feature the stuffed animal sleepover on July 17th. The annual event is one of the most popular of the summer. Kids bring in their stuffed toys (or another toy that fits the summer’s reading program theme) and leave them overnight for the sleepover. Librarians photograph the toys in various hijinks around the library and post the results to Facebook for the kids to enjoy.
Cline explained how the reading program will wind down: “The last story time will be the 29th, which will be our big party: the T-Rex Tea Party, and then the last day to log books for the loot bags will be the 30th, and prizes will be handed out the 31st.”
For more information on the summer reading program and the schedule of events, visit the library and pick up a copy of the calendar or visit the Big Sandy Library Facebook page.
