Travel far and wide with Heights Libraries

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This summer, Heights Libraries invites its customers to travel far and wide, all within the cozy confines of the library or their homes. From June 1 through Aug. 19, Heights Libraries will offer a range of travel-inspired summer reading programs for children, teens and adults.

According to the American Library Association, summer reading programs were first established in order to “encourage school children, particularly those in urban areas and not needed for farm work, to read during their summer vacation, use the library and develop the habit of reading.” These objectives remain at the heart of most summer reading programs today. The main difference is that these programs have been largely expanded to include teens and adults, too.   

Upon signing up for the program, pre-K children will receive a special “Reading Road Trip” map, while older children, teens and adults will receive a special “passport” (which, incidentally, coincides with the introduction of passport services here at Heights Libraries).

The program is slightly different for children and adults. For each day they read for more than 30 minutes, children are asked to fill in a destination on their road trip map. The more destinations they “travel” to, the greater their chances of earning prizes, such as free books, movies, and gift certificates to local restaurants.

For everyone else, the reading program functions similarly, with participants submitting an entry form for each book they read or listen to this summer. The more entries they accumulate, the greater their chances of winning weekly prizes, which include a Kindle Fire HD 8 tablet, international cuisine-related gift cards, and Roku Express+ devices.

“These prizes are a fun way to reward library customers for visiting us throughout the summer and staying engaged through reading and learning,” said Sarah Rosenberger, youth services librarian. “We’re really excited for our summer reading program to begin and encourage customers of all ages to participate.”

In addition to encouraging reading and awarding prizes, Heights Libraries will also offer a variety of travel-inspired summer programs. Related children’s programs include World Art Week, an exploration of ancient Egyptian artifacts hosted by the Cleveland Museum of Art, and educational animal shows and nature walks. Teens can attend a Hip Hop summer camp, international ice cream celebration and road trip book discussions, among other programs. Adult programs include film screenings, book clubs centered on travel tales, reviews of well-known travel guidebooks and more.

To begin your summer reading adventure and peruse related summer programs, visit any branch or go to www.heightslibrary.org.