Discovery Days Program and more at Reedsburg Public Library

There is much to discover at Reedsburg Public Library this summer, including the second Discovery Days program of the summer!

Mary Tooley’s Art in a Suitcase is scheduled for Thursday, June 23, at 2 p.m. in the library’s Community Room. Register by calling the library, or signing up online by June 22.

Discovery Days, a program designed for those entering kindergarten through fifth grade, has the goal of providing hands-on experiences in the areas of science, technology, nature, the arts and more, and will be held each Thursday at 2 p.m. through Aug. 11. On June 23, guest artist Mary Tooley will return to present, A Whale of a Program, featuring interesting facts about whales, sharks and seahorses, as well as a related art project. Subsequent Discovery Days include sessions on building with Home Depot representatives, yoga with local yogi Judy Martin, and an author visit with area writer Amy Laundrie.

Monday, June 20, is the second week of the Read with Me dog visits. Each Monday from 2 to 4 p.m. and every fourth Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m., specially trained Read with Me dogs will be waiting in the library’s Story Room for youth to read to them. Each child may have up to 10 minutes reading to a dog. A sign-up sheet will be available at the children’s desk, or visit our web event for details about calling to reserve a space 30 minutes before the program. This year’s listening canines are Babe, a Newfoundland, and Jessie, a Maltese. Research shows that reading with animals provides a non-threatening atmosphere for students to practice their reading.

Reading time with Babe and Jessie, as well as ANY other summer reading, can be logged into this year’s summer reading challenge in the Beanstack Tracker app! Summer reading challenges for all ages are in full swing. Paper reading logs can also be requested at the library. Reading incentive prizes for youth in three categories are awarded at registration, along the way, and at completion. Check the library’s website at www.reedsburglibrary.org for further information and a complete schedule of summer events.

Library programs, from Discovery Days, to Lunch Bunch, to Read with Me dog opportunities, and at home reading challenges, are not only fun but provide an avenue for students to keep up their literacy skills over the vacation months. Studies from the American Library Association, as well as other sources, substantiate that reading over the summer significantly increases students’ school success in the fall. For questions about the library’s summer program, or any other library program or service, call the library at 608-768-READ or email info@reedsburglibrary.org.