Dear Patrons, Friends, and Community Members:
Like all of you, we have felt both the joys and uncertainties of being stuck at home. We know that the weeks and months ahead are difficult to predict. Our library staff has been working busily at home to keep our communications, online resources, programs, and support services available through phone and email. We also continue to support our patrons by encouraging them to get out to make sidewalk chalk art and going on a scavenger walk.
As spring approaches each year, we are usually getting ready for our Summer Reading Program by booking performers, planning activities like Tween Tuesdays and Family Fun Storytims, creating an entertaining video, and visiting schools. This year will be different.
We’re working behind the scenes to make sure that the key goal of our program — to embrace, enjoy, and share experiences with books in all formats — remains strong whether we are open or not.
Right now, we’re relying on the advice and requirements of the county health department and the Governor’s Office. We can’t wait to have the library open again, but we know that some of our popular activities won’t fit in our spaces if we need to maintain social distancing. For example, we’ll be looking for digital versions of the live performances that you’ve grown to love. Some of these will be live-streaming events, others will be recorded. We are also planning virtual programming like Tween Tuesday Challenges and Storytime!
We want to minimize the number of items that our community’s hands touch as they come and go from the library. We encourage you to register online beginning June 1, 2020. You can also download a reading log from our website, or pick up a reading log when the library re-opens. Please do not bring the papers into the library this summer. We trust you! We are also hoping to be able to hand out stickers. Unfortunately, we will have to postpone our Tween Read to Bead format, but kids entering grades 5 – 7 will still have plenty of fun things to do.
Our Teen Summer Reading program will be completely online, and while we will not have any in-person programming, there will be still be fun virtual programming such as Craft Tutorials and social media challenges. Teens will also have the opportunity to win fabulous Book Boxes!
We are also saying goodbye to reading incentive prizes for the summer. We know! We hear your kids’ groans, but we couldn’t forgive ourselves if germs traveled on them. Additionally, we feel it is wrong to ask our struggling local businesses to donate prizes at this difficult time. Every child who completes the kids and tweens program will receive a bookmark and a book, but we are still working out the details to make pick up safe for everyone.
Like you, we are eager for the world to feel more normal for our children. Thanks in advance for going on this new kind of journey with us while keeping each other safe.
We look forward to seeing you in the library again when it is safe to do so.
Stay safe, stay healthy, and keep reading!
Karen M Smith
Head of Children’s and Teen Services
ksmith@livoniapubliclibrary.org
Visit our Kid and Tween Page for more information about our 2020 Summer Reading Program.