Library’s adult reading program has benefits

Most everyone is familiar with summer reading programs for children sponsored by local libraries. These programs give kids a chance to spend at least a little of their summer free time with their noses stuck in a good book rather than spending hours of their time messing around on Facebook, playing video games and texting.

On the other hand, there are far fewer people familiar with library-sponsored summer reading programs for the parents and grandparents of those very same children — as well as adults with no children or grandchildren at all.

And the purpose of these reading programs geared towards an older audience?

Well, to be honest — so grownups will have a chance to spend at least a little of their summer free time with their noses stuck in a good book rather than spending hours of their time messing around on Facebook, playing video games and texting.

Now, that brings us to the Adult Summer Reading Program taking place June 4 through July 24 at the Farmington Public Library, located at 101 N. A St. Coordinating the three-week program is library assistant Amber Stearns.

“We’re going to be having a reading program for the adults, as well as for the children,” Stearns said. “It’s the first time we’ve done an adult reading program — it’s going to be very exciting!”

So, how did the Farmington Public Library come up with the idea of having a summer reading program for grownups?

“Our director, Travis Trokey, has said he’s been wanting to do something like this for a while and they just haven’t had the time to get everything together and organized,” Stearns said. “Each year it just comes up too quickly and they don’t manage to get organized. This year they actually put me in charge of it and I’ve been working on it for the last couple of months trying to come up with a plan and how we’re going to run things.”

Stearns admitted the library hasn’t put out a lot of promotion yet to make the public aware of the program.

“We’re working on it,” she said. “We have a flier at the front desk and a sign holder that tells patrons when they come up to the desk that they can participate in the summer reading program. They don’t have to sign up or anything. Kids have to sign up for theirs, but the adults won’t. It’s basically going to be a bingo game.

“Adults just have to pick up their bingo card at the front desk on June 4th and if they get five squares on their card filled out — either in a row, across, down or diagonally — they get a small prize. Then, if they’re an overachiever and want to fill out their whole entire card — which is 25 squares — they can turn it in and get a large prize. They may be turned in for prizes starting July 9th. The last day to turn them in is July 24th.”

Stearns explained that things really start getting interesting when the adults finish their card… or two… or three.

“Each time they turn in a card, they get entered into a grand prize drawing for a Kindle Fire,” she said. “If they fill out all 25 squares, they get six entries into the drawing. The grand prize winner will be drawn July 27th.”

According to Stearns, adults participating in the program will have the freedom to choose what they read.

“Each square is a different thing they can read,” she said. “One square will be like a young adult novel or a graphic novel or even a magazine is one there — things like that. Some of them are easier and some of them are harder, like read a book by an author that has the same initials as yourself. They can choose which ones they do and which row they want to do. Then if they complete five in a row, they get a prize.”

Sounds good, but how long do the books have to be to count?

“If they want to, they can do all children’s books,” Stearns said, laughing. “They don’t have to make it hard.”

Kevin Jenkins is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 573-518-3614 or kjenkins@dailyjournalonline.com