The town of Rogersville, Alabama has a population of just under 1,400 people, and the Rogersville Public Library is run by three staff members (one of whom is part-time).
Given just that information, you might imagine a sleepy little library where folks occasionally check out a book, and perhaps a handful of families show up for storytime events.
But that couldn’t be further from reality. When I was visiting Rogersville to prepare for this issue of My Alabama Library, they were in the middle of their Summer Reading Program (SRP). SRPs are a mainstay of public libraries, as they host reading challenges and special events throughout the summer months.
Thanks to this issue’s sponsor:
His & Hers Consignment & Mercantile
in Rogersville, Alabama
The first Rogersville SRP event I attended was a petting zoo event at the town park. They had over 100 participants show up to meet llamas, Patagonian cavies, and more from USDA-licensed Tiny Hiney’s Travelin’ Farm.
The high attendance for that program wasn’t a huge outlier; several of their SRP events attracted 75+ people, and their average event attendance was 55. Remember, this is in a town where the total population is just 1,400!
Free Summer Fun For Families
It was a little creepy, but it was ok!-Hallie Beam, age 6, on meeting a banana ball python at the Rogersville Public Library
Anna Porter and her family recently moved to the Rogersville area. One of the ways they’ve gotten settled into their new community has been bringing their kids to the Rogersville Public Library.
“We moved a little closer, and we’ve started bringing our kids this summer, and they’ve really been enjoying all the stuff that they’ve been doing for the Summer Reading Program,” Anna said. “We came to the painting day (yesterday), and they painted bags, so they can come to the library and have a bag for their books. And then today we’re at the petting zoo.”
The library’s SRP events this year have heavily focused on art, tying in with the nationwide SRP theme of “Color Our World.” Those art events included a day where families painted book bags, as well as a collage-making class hosted by professional collage artist Michael Albert.
The library also brought back annual favorites, such as Tiny Hiney’s Travelin’ Farm and an exotic animal show with naturalist Grant Allen from Animal Tales, LLC. Both events let families meet and learn about a wide variety of interesting animals, and kids were taught how to safely and respectfully interact with animals.
After the Animal Tales event, one young library visitor, 6-year-old Hallie Beam, told me that she learned that animals “sometimes can get a little shy.” She said that the banana ball python seemed scary at first. But once Mr. Allen had taught them more about it, “It was a little creepy, but it was ok!”
Reading and Learning Together
The library is a crucial resource for us. It’s great to be able to find books about topics that we’re currently covering . . . or just topics that my kiddo happens to be interested in at the moment.-Katie Hine Kimbrell, on how much libraries mean to her family
Of course, these events are just one aspect of Summer Reading. The Rogersville Public Library also offered prizes to encourage kids to read throughout the summer.
144 kids and teens signed up to participate in the Summer Reading Program, and 113 of those read at least 10 chapter books or 20 easy readers (picture books) over the summer.
Between June 1 and July 13, 4,050 books were renewed or checked out.
That’s nearly 3 books for every person who lives in Rogersville—in just 6 weeks!
The impact of these programs isn’t just measured by these impressive numbers. It’s also measured in the way the library improves the day-to-day lives of local families.
“My kids love to read,” says Anna Porter. “They love to sit down in our lap and enjoy spending that time together.”
Anna said that coming to the library is also important to her children’s development. She says it helps them “learn and talk, and just learn new ways to interact with people.”
Katie Hine Kimbrell and her family live between Rogersville and Athens, so they take advantage of the summer programs both at Rogersville and at the Athens-Limestone Public Library.
“We’re very thankful to these libraries for these memorable, educational summer experiences!” Katie says. “My family is also homeschooling, so the library is a crucial resource for us. It’s great to be able to find books about topics that we’re currently covering in our curriculum or just topics that my kiddo happens to be interested in at the moment.”
Share Your Summer Reading Stories!
Did your family get to experience something new at your Alabama library this summer? Did your kids devour books on a new topic, or maybe you enjoyed an adult SRP event at your library?