Both adults and children will receive raffle tickets for reaching certain reading benchmarks and will be eligible for weekly prizes and then a grand prize at the end of the summer.
On Tuesday, June 11 at 6:30 p.m., "Andrew Carnegie" will launch the adult summer reading program "Groundbreaking Reads" at Storrs Library, 693 Longmeadow St., Longmeadow. Actor Richard Clark will portray Andrew Carnegie in a play titled "Great Scot! It's Andrew Carnegie!" LONGMEADOW - Get ready for the summer reading program at the Storrs Library.
The staff there has put together an exciting and fun-filled summer-long program for adults and children alike, in conjunction with the state-wide summer reading program.
The adult program kicks off on June 11 at 6:30 p.m. with a performance of the one-man show "Great Scot! It's Andrew Carnegie," made possible by the Friends of Storrs Library.
Carnegie, portrayed by actor Richard Clark, is honored because of his philanthropic support of libraries. He was responsible for building more than 1,700 libraries in the United States. Registration is required at www.longmeadowlibrary.wordpress.com. Follow the link to the event. Or, call (413) 565-4181.
Clark, with more than 30 years of theatrical experience in New York and New England, is not new to Storrs Library, having portrayed Mark Twain in a past performance there as part of his Living Histories series.
While much emphasis is placed on the children's summer reading program, adult librarian, Barbara Fitzgerald, asked, "Why should the kids have all the fun?" And so in 2007, the library started the adult version.
As in the children's program, there are incentives to get people reading throughout the summer and a grand prize at the end. Last year, it was a hot-air balloon ride. This year, the grand prize is a Google Nexus 7 tablet.
The theme of this year's adult program is "Groundbreaking Reads," which runs from June 18 through Aug. 9. Reading across all genres is encouraged. Participants keep logs of their reading and earn tickets toward prizes, as they complete certain reading benchmarks.
In addition, there will be other presentations besides the Carnegie play, including author Bill Bradley on the foods of Crete; Springfield Storytellers, presenting an evening of stories for grown-ups; and Edward Lodi about King Philip's War. About 150 adults participated in last year's reading program.
"The kids love to see their parents participating," Fizgerald said. "They're the ones that encourage their parents to join up." Adults without children in the program are welcome, too. "We have a mix of ages in the adult program," she said.
On the children's side, the theme this year is "Dig into Reading" and every week a different "digging" theme will be emphasized with special projects, demonstrations, performers or story times. According to children's librarian, Jean Maziarz, some of the themes include gardening; construction; detectives; pirates and treasure hunting; dinosaurs; and fingerprinting. "A fun event that's coming up," Maziarz said, "is a truck rally being put on by the (Department of Public Works), on June 27, as part of 'construction week'."
As with the adult program, children will receive raffle tickets for reaching certain reading benchmarks and will be eligible for weekly prizes and then a grand prize at the end of the summer. Last year over 700 children participated in the summer reading program.
For more information about the children's program, visit www.storrsdiscoveryroom.blogspot.com or call (413) 565-4181.