Summer @ the Library May 31, 2007

Summer at the Library 2007 Program Gearing up

Summer. It may not mean a lot to the very youngest kids, but if you’re still school-aged, you gotta love it.

And the Metropolitan Library System has a lot of summer to love.

The Metropolitan Library System’s annual Summer at the Library program will swing into full gear on June 1 and continue through the end of July.

And it’s not just for young children. Teens have a program of their own which is entirely different than the one for young children.

“This year's Children's Program is called ‘Oklahoma Kids: A Kaleidoscope,’” said MLS Children’s Services Coordinator Lisa Wood, “and parents of children from birth on are invited to sign-up their kids. Summer at the Library participants can either listen to books being read to them or they can read for themselves.”

“The 2007 Teen Summer at the Library promises to be one of the best yet,” added MLS Young Adult Services Coordinator Emily Williams, who announced that the theme for teens is “Road Trip.”

“Where else,” Wood continued, “could you get free gifts and prizes just for reading books or listening to books being read?

“Where else could you see a free show performed by the Lucky Penny Players, Rhythmically Speaking, Al Bostick, and many other favorite storytellers?

“Actually, how else can you find an entire summer vacation’s worth of reading, programming, prizes, fun and friends all for free?”

As always, MLS and the sponsors of Summer at the Library have come up with a variety of incentives and prizes for everyone who signs up for the program, and even more rewards are in store for those kids who reach or surpass their individual reading goals. Each program has two goal levels and whenever a goal is reached, the reader can enter a drawing for some super prizes. The more goals they finish, the more chances they have to win.

Children will receive prizes for the reading and listening they do throughout the summer months of June and July. Prizes include a pass good for one admission to the Oklahoma Children’s Theatre, and food coupons from HomeTown Buffet and Joe’s Crab Shack. As it has been traditionally, the final incentive is two coupons that can be exchanged for tickets to a Redhawks baseball game on August 14. Drawing prizes will be awarded at each library during the month of August.

And the teens will be eligible to win prizes of their own, including passes to Omniplex and the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History, and food coupons from El Chico and Whataburger. “The prizes are really exciting this year,” Williams said.

In addition to winning prizes, teens can also participate in a variety of programs and activities.

And, as always, it’s all free.

For more information about Summer at the Library, call any of MLS’ seventeen libraries.

Sponsors for the Summer at the Library program include: The Arts Council of Oklahoma City, El Chico Café, HomeTown Buffet, Joe’s Crab Shack, Laser Quest, Oklahoma Children’s Theatre, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, The Redhawks, Oklahoma Arts Council, Oklahoma Dept. of Libraries, Oklahoma History Center, The Oklahoman, Omniplex Science Center, Poleposition Raceway, The Sam Noble Museum of Natural History, Sonic Industries, Whataburger, Friends of the Metropolitan Library System, and the Library Endowment Trust.

The Metropolitan Library System of Oklahoma County includes 12 libraries and five extension libraries. Libraries include Belle Isle, Capitol Hill, Ralph Ellison, Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library and Southern Oaks in Oklahoma City, as well as Bethany, Choctaw, Del City, Edmond, Midwest City, Village and Warr Acres. Extensions are located in the communities of Harrah, Jones, Luther and Nicoma Park and include Wright Library in Oklahoma City. You can also reach us at www.metrolibrary.org

Official Website: http://www.metrolibrary.org