The Thompson-Nicola Regional Library (TNRL) is excited promote reading to kids this month through the Summer Reading Club 2022.

“Basically, the way we do our reading club is a big summer of fun around reading,” said Children’s Lead, Melissa Miller.

“We’re encouraging children and families to read together through all these reading programs and take-home summer reading club programs but it is not as structured as a book club where you have to attend every single week. We’re very flexible that way, we’re just encouraging reading and literacy.”

The program challenges readers to complete seven weeks of reading in eight weeks and it is running from July 4 until August 26. The Merritt Library is also participating in the program catering to four different age brackets: 0-5, 6-9, 10-12, and 13-14.

“It’s important to keep children in reading,” said Merritt Library Summer Reading Club Program Director, Darian Krajci.

“It’s the main way that you take in information so if you have strong reading skills, then you’re going to excel in other subjects by proxy.”

According to Krajci the turnout for the program “has been very successful,” noting that the 6-9 age group is the most active in the program.

Summer Reading Club offers readers a reading sheet to keep record of their daily reading. A submission of a completed sheet qualifies the readers entry to a grand prize draw. There is also an available bingo sheet that the different age groups, along with readers aged 15 and up, can pick up for extra fun challenges.

To compliment the Summer Reading Club, The Merritt Library, as part of TNRL, also offers in-library programs that aim to get the youth engaged with the library.
“Most of the activities are not specifically related to reading,” Krajci explained. “The whole point of it is to get kids into the library so they can take out new books and continue their daily reading.”

The in-library programs are happening from July 5 to August 13. This drop-in program includes many activities, catering to different ages, falling into categories such as crafts and games.

“We might even do some video games depending on what the interest of the kids are,” Krajci added.

“We’re kind of specializing it to who actually attends it.”

The following is the schedule for the in-library program:

6-9’s: Tuesday 10:30am – 11am
0-5’s: Wednesday 10am – 10:30am
10-12’s: Thursday 10:30am – 11am
13-14’s: Friday 1pm – 1:45pm

Krajci also noted that the 13-14 group will be playing Dungeons and Dragons and there will be storytime presented at the library from 10:30am – 11am on Saturdays.

The Merritt Library has 50,000 books in their catalog that is regularly updated. Any available books within the TNRL circulation are all accessible at the library as well. Interested readers could drop in on their corresponding scheduled days included below. Please see front desk for assistance. Parents are requested to stay in the premises for the duration of the sessions.

For more information on Summer Reading Club, please visit: tnrl.ca/src.