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Summer reading, more at GC Library
Youth program starts Friday, July 16

<br>Patrick Whitehurst/WGCN<br>
The Grand Canyon Library has made a number of improvements in recent months, including the addition of café tables, pictured above.

<br>Patrick Whitehurst/WGCN<br> The Grand Canyon Library has made a number of improvements in recent months, including the addition of café tables, pictured above.

GRAND CANYON, Ariz. - There's nothing like a good summer read, especially with incentives, such as prizes, as youth at the Grand Canyon will learn when they turn to the Grand Canyon Public Library.

The local library is bringing back the popular summer reading program in 2010. Storytime, coordinated by Grand Canyon Resident Erin Noojibail, will also make a return this year, said Grand Canyon Librarian Mindy Karlsberger. Both programs will kick off in July.

"I haven't done a Storytime in a couple of years, because I really haven't had anyone volunteer to do it for me," Karlsberger said. "Erin Noojibail has made arrangements for Lori Rommel from over at the school, who teaches English, to do it. For four weeks in July we'll have junior high kids come over on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to noon and read to children."

Karlsberger said Storytime is open to all children who wish to attend.

The summer reading program will be held from July 16 to Aug. 6 and include a puppet show, music, story telling, crafts, snacks and more. Karlsberger said the annual summer reading program, different from Storytime, is a national effort to motivate youth to read during the summer months. Noojibail is organizing the event for the library. The program is open to Grand Canyon, Tusayan and Valle residents.

"It's thematic and it's sort of fun. If you were to travel anywhere, back east for instance, and went to a library; they would be doing the same thing. The theme this year is 'Make a Splash.' It's starts July 16 and it's four weeks on Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to noon," Karlsberger said.

The summer reading program is open to children between the ages of four to 11-years-old. Registration will be held the first day of the reading program, Karlsberger said.

"A parent or guardian should be present to sign up for the program," she said. "Then they will be given a reading log and they'll keep track of how long they read, such as a little chip on their reading log for every half hour. After a certain amount of reading, like after two hours of reading, they can bring their little log in, I stamp it and then they get prize number one. There are 10 prizes available. They are sort of water-themed prizes."

Youth who complete the program receive a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble.

"The program itself is designed to keep kids reading throughout the summer and get them into the library more, to use our nice space here. We're really underused by children in general," Karlsberger said.

Northern Arizona musician and storyteller Tony Norris will also pay a visit to the library as part of the program, Karlsberger added.

"Each Friday for four weeks that's what will be going on. Everything will be outside," she said.

The Barnes and Noble gift certificates were donated by the Friends of the Flagstaff Library organization.

For those who haven't visited the local library in a while, Karlsberger added that there have been a number of new additions to the facility in recent months.

"There are a number of new and exciting things happening at the library. We now have eight public computers connected to the Internet. We have WiFi now and it has really good range. You can even access it outside at the picnic tables," Karlsberger said.

Three café tables have also been added to the library, adding more workspace for library patrons.

The Grand Canyon Library can be reached at (928) 638-7768 for more information.


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