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Ready for some reading?
The library’s summer

Patrick Whitehurst/WGCN
The theme for this year's summer reading program is 'Be Creative at Your Library.'

Patrick Whitehurst/WGCN The theme for this year's summer reading program is 'Be Creative at Your Library.'

GRAND CANYON, Ariz. - Read a good book lately? This summer, young readers at the Canyon will have an answer for that question, thanks to the summer youth reading program offered by the Grand Canyon Community Library. Youth who register for the program will receive a reading log for them to complete. Prizes will also be offered to readers, according to the library's general manager Mindy Karlsberger, as will snacks for those who attend the program's "Friday Fiestas" at the library.

"It will start July 10 and go through the July 31. We'll have special activities each Friday from 10 a.m. to noon, including Tony Norris, a very well known story-teller and musician. He'll be here the last day for like a final party, story-telling, playing music, etc. We have the puppeteer group from the Flagstaff children's library coming up to put on a puppet show. We're going to supplement those special events with local weavers, dancers," Karlsberger said.

She said a display will be set up at the library for the kids to see what they could win if they participate in the reading program.

"There will be 10 prizes. The kids work toward the prizes with a reading log. They read and then they get that prize," Karlsberger said.

The program is for children ages four to 11-years-old. For more information, including how to register, contact the library at (928) 638-2718 or by e-mail at gccl518@yahoo.com. The Grand Canyon Community Library is located at 208 Navajo Street.

Karlsberger also thanked volunteers Erin Noojibail and Amy Wohler, who helped organize the program at the library.

"I'm really lucky to have Erin helping and Amy, who is really doing lots of stuff," Karlsberger said.

Noojibail said this year's program is shaping up to be a fun one at the National Park.

"The goal is to get kids in this summer. When you have that long break away from school, you forget what you learned. So the goal is to bring kids in. Let's encourage reading throughout the summer, but make it really fun. This year's theme is 'Be Creative at Your Library,'" Noojibail said.

She said, as a volunteer, she was happy to help with the reading program.

"Amy Wohler put together a program to try to increase reading up here and get use out of our library," Noojibail said, adding that Wohler has organized the summer reading program for a number of years.

"We just knew that Mindy needed a little bit of help in putting together the program this year, so we just sat down, the three of us and sort of plotted it out," Noojibail said. "The Grand Canyon is an amazing resource. The kids, based on how much reading they do, at each level, they get prizes that increase over time. The grand prize is a secret, but it's really good."

According to Karlsberger, the Grand Canyon Community Library services a large clientele, from the immediate vicinity, to Tusayan, Valle and the Desert View area.

"We have a collection of about 12,000 items," she said. "To become a patron it's a $15 refundable deposit and then you're allowed to checkout materials, including our large DVD selection, and use the computers. We have five public computers and people who aren't members can come in and use our computers for $3 for 30 minutes. We're actually getting some more computers and we're going to have a special children's computer for kids, with kids' games. We have a nice southwest collection and a really good children's section, from babies up through young adults. We have a great selection of new books. I order books every month. We also offer interlibrary loan. If there is a book that somebody wants and we don't have it, I can put in a request. That request can go out all over the southwest and we'll get it, usually, within a week."


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