Posts by Cari
Read On! Summer Reading Program
Our Summer Reading Program officially begins this week! It looks a lot different than any Summer Reading we’ve had before, but we’re still excited about it.
Typically, our Summer Reading Program has two parts: the reading challenge and in-person classes and events. This year, our Summer Reading Program has one and a half parts: the reading challenge and a few online classes and events (keep an eye on our Facebook page for those).
The reading challenge is for all ages (babies to adults) and will take the form of an activity or BINGO sheet tailored to each age group. You can find them in The Paper, here on our website, and in person at the Library. These activities are meant to be fun and encourage reading all summer long.
Reading during the summer is especially important for school-age children. Kids who read during the summer, when they’re out of school, retain more of the information they learned the previous school year than kids who don’t. The information loss is called the “Summer Slide” and it puts kids who don’t read during the summer at risk of falling behind.
While the core of our Summer Reading Program motivation centers on children and preventing the Summer Slide, we also know that the best way to teach children to enjoy reading is for the adults in their lives to model that behavior. So, you grown-ups, don’t forget to read and do your activity sheets too!
We take reading very seriously at the Library, which means we want everyone to enjoy what they’re reading. We will happily help you find materials in any genre and in any format available with zero judgement.
This year, you don’t have to register for Summer Reading, but if you do, you’ll be entered into our grand prize drawing at the end of July. You can register here.
Curbside pickup is still available for anyone who needs it.
Read On! First Day
I’m writing this while sitting outside on the Library’s front porch monitoring the number of people in each section of the building. I’m lucky that it’s a beautiful day with plenty of sunshine and a nice, cool breeze.
This workstation and the procedures here are new and I feel clumsy and sluggish. I have to remember to ask everyone which area of the building they think they’ll be in most of the time, which is awkward and feels invasive. It’s a necessary question now, though. We have guidelines in place about the number of people in each area, so we have to keep track. I’ve got a tally sheet to help me make sure I’m not letting too many people in, but I keep forgetting who was where so I can cross off the right people when they come out. I know this will get easier. Luckily, I have a great staff who will laugh with me when I ask for the third time how many patrons are in the building.
As a staff, we decided we would wear masks while we’re open, so I’m trying to get used to having a cloth mask on all the time. It was made by my friend and I love it, but I seriously regret having tuna for lunch. Otherwise, the mask isn’t too bad. I know it’s an added protection for our patrons, which makes it worth a little discomfort.
I will be honest and say I was pretty nervous about opening back up. There is so much we don’t know about this Coronavirus. Not knowing and not being able to find out easily bothers me a lot. Plus, it’s a stressful time for our entire world, which makes people behave differently than they would normally. I’m happy to report that everyone who has come in so far has been delightful and patient. We are so thankful for that!
For anyone who doesn’t want to come into the building, we still have curbside pickup available. Give us a call and we’ll get you taken care of.
Library Building Closed for Memorial Day
Our physical building will be closed on May 25th, but we’re open 24/7 online! Check your account, place holds, download ebooks and audiobooks, learn a language, research your family history – all from wherever you are, day or night.
Read On: official reopening
The Pryor Library is officially reopening our doors to the public this week. I have a lot of thoughts about reopening and oscillate between feelings of anxiety and trepidation and hope with a hint of glee.
I feel like our plan to ease into reopening under the guidance of the Governor, the Health Department, and the CDC is a good one. This week, we will limit the number of people in the building to a total of 11 (but with specified numbers for each area) and require appointments for computer and copier use.
We’re asking everyone to enter the building through the East parking lot doors. There will be a staff member stationed there who can answer questions and let everyone know what to expect when you get inside. We are not requiring patrons to wear masks, but we do encourage it.
You can return materials to our outside drop box or to the staff person at the door. All materials will be wiped down with a bleach solution and quarantined for 3-4 days before being reshelved or checked back out. We need the meeting room to do this, so we have to cancel all meetings and events (including the summer events) that would have been held in the meeting room.
There is compelling evidence that staying inside a public place for prolonged periods of time with others who may be infected increases the risk of contracting the virus (even with physical distancing and masks), so we will encourage everyone to make their library trips as quick as possible and not to linger.
We have worked hard to make the library fun and inviting, so limiting access to the building in this way is rough on your library staff. We are confident this is temporary and we’ll be back to our normal shenanigans soon.
We can’t wait to see your faces (possibly in masks), we just can’t see them for very long yet.