Adventure begins: Summer reading program launches at Coshocton County District Library

COSHOCTON ? The Coshocton County District Library has launched its annual summer reading program for youth and adults. The theme is "Adventure Begins at Your Library."

Children can earn rewards and incentives by completing reading challenges and activities. For every five hours of reading, an entry is earned for one of the grand prize drawings. Reading hours can be tracked with the Beanstack app or with reading log available at the library. Readers get a book for the first five hours read and earn smaller prizes along the way.

A summer checkout challenge is being held for adults. An entry is earned for a grand prize drawing for every five items checked out. Checkouts can be recorded on the Beanstack app or by stamp cards at the library.

The last day to log reading hours or a checkout is July 27. The grand prize drawings will be July 29. Grand prizes for adults are gift cards to Walmart, Pearly Valley Cheese and Kroger's. There are different grand prizes for those ages birth to 12 and 13 to 18, along with a book.

Different activities and interactive programming is planned for all age levels. This includes story time and craft programs, book clubs, trivia nights, scavenger hunts, bingo cards and more.

Youth Services Manager Corazon Britton said the library always likes to have various programming and activities to encourage folks to come in, but it's especially important to focus on reading during the summer when kids are out of school.

"We want to prevent the summer slide, which occurs when students aren't in school and they're not engaging in ways they typically would in the classroom. They can lose skills they have developed over the school year," Britton said. "

People are still signing up this year, but Britton said for 2023 they had 747 children registered and 118 teens. Last year, 1,343 children, 60 teens and 190 adults attended different summer programs.

Information on the reading program and other events can be found at coshoctonlibrary.org.

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Summer reading program begins at Coshocton County District Library