A Summer Of Reading

To the Editor:

The C.H. Booth Library was a very busy place this summer. Our annual Summer Reading Kick-Off Program was held in the high school auditorium this year. The crowd was the largest ever and the Children’s Book Sale held in the lobby was a great success. Keeping with our Wild About Reading theme, every Monday throughout the seven weeks, the Friends of the Library sponsored a special program featuring live animals. Children were able to touch llamas, snakes, crabs, rabbits, tarantulas, and even kiss a pig! Thanks to funds donated by the Friends, every book a child read earned money towards the purchase of bees, goats, and llamas for the Heifer International Program. In just a few short weeks, 627 children between the ages of 4 and 10 read 7,203 books!

I would like to thank the 53 young adult volunteers who donated 713 hours of service to the children’s department, listening to book reports and handing out summer reading incentives. I would also like to thank our community sponsors, My Place and Dunkin’ Donuts, for donating prizes again this year. The children really look forward to those donuts and pizza slices! Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank the staff of the children’s department. They work hard every day, but the summer presents extraordinary challenges. During the month of July the children’s desk checked out 13, 400 items!

Best wishes for a successful school year.

Alana Meloni

Children’s Librarian

C. H. Booth Library

294 Jeremy Swamp Road, Southbury                     August 19, 2003