Lansing library summer reading program underway

After a long year of virtual and hybrid learning, school is out for the summer at last. And while the first few days off are great for all, kids especially may soon find themselves needing something to fill their time, and the Lansing Community Library has just the program: Tales and Tails.

Like all programs hosted by the library, its summer reading program is free of charge, and all, regardless of whether you live in Lansing or not, are welcome to register.

“Summer Reading is very important,” said Library Director Susie Gutenberger. “Non-COVID, if the kids aren’t in the schools, they’re in the public libraries. Hopefully, I have wooed them enough during the year that they spend the summer in the library coming to our programs, reading, learning, and they can interact with literature in a different way than they do in school. And … you can read whatever you want over the summer. So we try to entertain them with summer reading [to] bridge the gaps, the slide back, from all the great learning they do at our wonderful school district all year, to keep that learning going in a fun and creative way that hopefully keeps them excited about learning.”

This year’s events include Storytime and Stuffed Animal Sleepover with Madelyn Lombardo on July 13, a visit with author David Kirk on July 17, the Cornell Raptor Program on July 24, Storytime with Lansing Loves to Read on July 31 and The Golden Goose, presented by The Rev Theatre Company, on Aug. 7.

Gutenberger said she is looking forward to all of the programs, especially the Stuffed Animal Sleepover.

“Another program … which we’re very excited about is our elementary school librarian is coming and presenting a special pajama storytime for us over the summer,” Gutenberger said. “Kids can either adopt an animal, a stuffed animal, that we have to give away or they can bring a stuffed animal, and then the stuffed animals are going to have a sleepover. And they’ll take funny pictures of all the antics they get up to in the library the night they spend, and then you pick up your animal — your adopted animal or your stuffed animal — the next day with copies of the funny photos. So, we’re very excited.”

There is also programming for teens and adults, with weekly prizes given out to all age groups. Teens are welcome to join the new Dungeons and Dragons Teen Book Club, which will meet virtually on Tuesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. from July 13 to Aug. 10. Participants will be led through an exhilarating campaign, and the library will provide free books and give prizes, both in the game and in real life, to participants who report their reading.

As for the format of the summer reading program, it will be similar to that of years past, with some new modifications, as Children’s Librarian Katie Senft explained.

“I’m also excited about some of the changes we’ve made to the reading challenge,” Senft said. “We’ve taken away specific goals and are asking families to decide on their own how much they want to read. We’re just encouraging people to keep reading throughout the summer in any way that works for them. We’ve also made the challenge a little more interactive. Instead of bringing in reading logs every week, we’re asking participants to complete challenges related to how or what they are reading. Hopefully, that will allow for some creativity, keep a dialogue open between participants and the library, and give us a better sense of the interests of the community.”

As things continue to inch toward normalcy, Gutenberger spoke of how the library plans to maintain some programs learned from the pandemic, including curbside pickup for books, faxes and prints.

“We’re just really trying to start out in a positive way [by] bringing some programs that people feel safe coming to, and then that will help inform what we will do in the fall and winter next year,” she said.

The name Tales and Tails lends itself well to a partnership with an animal-related organization, and so, the library has partnered with the SPCA of Tompkins County to help support it and all the animals it helps, as Senft explained.

“I love that we are able to partner with and incorporate ways to support the SPCA with our crafts and programming,” she said. “We have opportunities for people to drop off supplies, bring back their take-and-make crafts to donate, and to create adoption posters for available animals.”

Gutenberger added some clarification on how the projects will help the animals.

“We wanted to support [the SPCA] as much as we can, and we thought it’d be fun to do a food drive over the summer, and we have all these take-and-make crafts that we send out,” she said. “We’re hopeful that if you have a cat, you’ll take two of the crafts, and you’ll make one for your cat and one you’ll bring back that we can donate to the SPCA. Or, if you don’t have a cat, make it, bring it back, and we’ll give it to the SPCA.”

If you are looking to help the SPCA and can donate goods, check out its urgently needed items list at spcaonline.com/needed-items.

Gutenberger spoke to the importance of library programs and the accessibility of literature.

“Each kid who registers gets a free book, a little gift bag with a pencil and all the information that they need to run the program, and they get an age-appropriate book to keep,” she said. “That’s a big part of our program is that we want to get books in kids’ hands. And a lot of times, when you give kids the books, it might be the only book that they have at home, so we really want to get books in the kids’ hands.”

Though the library continues to require masks, it has reopened to its full hours and currently offers express browsing, with express computer appointments becoming available very soon.

“Many of our patrons, people that use the library, don’t have access to the vaccine, mostly being the children,” Gutenberger said. “So, in order for everyone to feel as safe as possible, we are requiring masks. We have masks — kids and adult masks — that people can put on when they come in if they forget them. We really have had no complaints. It’s been fine, and I think until we can get the bulk of the children vaccinated in Tompkins County, I think that we’ll all keep with that.”

The library is looking to restart some of its programming in the coming months, as Gutenberger explained.

“I think, for the fall, we’ll bring back — I’m talking to Lifelong about — our tai chi for older adults,” she said. “I think book club, adult book club, will probably function in the library, but as far as our weekly storytime, that will be a little different.”

Registration for Tales and Tails is open now, and the program will run through Aug. 23 when winners of each age group will be chosen.

“Come see us at the library!” Gutenberger said. “We’re very excited to be getting back to regular services and to have public in the library and we just hope to see you soon!”

Visit lansinglibrary.org/summer-reading-2021/ to learn more about this summer’s upcoming programs. To register, fill out the form at lansinglibrary.org/summer-reading-2021/summer-reading-2021-registration/ or stop by the library at 27 Auburn Rd. to fill out a form in person.