Though it first opened its doors less than two years ago, Vancouver Island Regional Library’s Cowichan Lake branch, located on 68 Renfrew Avenue, has so far met with much success in their youth-based summer programs, including the annual Summer Reading Club, which relaunched on July 2.
The Summer Reading Club, open to kids ages zero to 12, is designed to motivate kids to keep reading throughout the summer. It provides them with materials such as reading records, stickers and an interactive website to keep track of their progress. Kids can also win prizes and be awarded medals for completing their reading records.
Librarian Kristen Rumohr said that keeping their reading habits alive over the summer is incredibly important for young children, as their reading comprehension can deteriorate over the summer break and leave them behind when they return to class in September.
The number of kids registered for the Summer Reading Club has seen a small increase this year, with 149 kids taking part in the program as opposed to the 139 registered last year. In 2013, before the new building was opened, only 62 kids were registered for the Summer Reading Program.
This year’s Summer Reading Program also allows kids to erase their library fees, accrued from overdue books, by reading.
“It’s a thing that happens, kids tend to take out a lot of books and sometimes they get lost in their collection,” Rumohr said. “This gives them a chance to take responsibility for their fines instead of their parents just handing them money.”
Along with the Summer Reading Club for youth, VIRL is also running a summer-long, Island-wide Teen Summer Challenge. The do-it-yourself (DIY) program is open to ages 13 to 18 and provides participants with a to-do list of activities based around literacy, the library and DIY creativity. Some of the activities on the list include writing a book review, creating a zine (self-published magazine), writing a six word story, cooking a meal using a cook book from the library and taking a selfie with a book. For completing some of the activities, participants are entered into a draw to win an iPad Mini and gift cards to book stores.
VIRL is also running an Adult Summer Reading Club over the summer, and is giving out similar prizes to those who read or listen to audiobooks regularly.
Another popular event for kids is the Stuffie Sleepover. On July 16, kids were invited to bring their stuffies to the Cowichan Lake branch, where they spent the night. Upon picking them up the next day, the kids were also given photo albums showing how their stuffies spent their night at the library. With 45 kids taking part in the Stuffie Sleepover, Rumohs said that it has been one of their most successful events at the local branch, and they’re hoping on bringing it back next summer.
The library will also be hosting a “Build a Boat” event tomorrow (August 13) from 2 to 2:45 p.m., open to kids ages five to 12, and the SRC Build It Summer Games at the same time on August 20, which is open to kids ages 12 and under.
For more information on the Summer Reading Club or upcoming events at the library, call the Cowichan Lake branch at 250-749-3431 or visit www.virl.bc.ca.
