Summer Reading Program coming up

The library staff is gearing up for the start of the popular program.

On your mark, get set... read.

As the summer nears and the school year comes to an end, children and teens across Rome and Floyd County know it’s time for the Rome-Floyd County Library’s Summer Reading Program.

The program begins May 31 and ends July 21. The library is using a sports, fitness and movement theme this year. The Young Readers program is called “On Your Mark, Get Set, Read!” and is for children from birth to upcoming fifth-graders. The young adult program is called “Get in the Game, Read!” and is for upcoming sixthgraders to 12th- graders.

Registration day on May 31 is expected to be busy, according to library staff.

“It is not unusual for us to register 1,000 on the first day,” said Lori Dawson, the young adult specialist at the library. “This will be my fourth summer, and I would say we’ve consistently had between 2,800 to 3,600 kids and teens register every year.”

Participants can register all summer, but the first 1,000 to register will receive goodie bags, Dawson said.

The program allows participants to track their reading hours in the summer and receive prizes, ranging from skating and bowling passes, free kids’ meals at local restaurants, tickets to the Creative Discovery Museum, movie passes, Rome Braves ticket vouchers and tickets to a Fun Wheels skating party.

Teens may also win gift certificates, T- shirts, DVDs, hair products and gift baskets.

However, prizes are not all that’s in store for participants.

Since the children’s department just finished its final regular story time for the year in April, their audience may look forward to the start of Story Hour on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. from June 7 through July 12 for ages 5 to 10 and then Toddler Time on Thursdays from June 9 through July 14 for ages 18 months to 5 years.

The story hours will feature many special appearances, such as the Rome Braves and the Rome Aerials Gymnastics team, as well as magicians, jugglers and a ventriloquist.

Free Movie Wednesdays start June 8 in the Coosa Room at the library. Movies start at 10 a.m., and popcorn and drinks are available for 50 cents each.

“Some of the sportsthemed movies are older, like ‘Karate Kid’ and ‘The Mighty Ducks,’” Dawson said. “But the rest are all kid- friendly movies that were released within the last year and a half.”

The library will also have a writing contest, a coloring contest, a guess-howmany game and a scavenger hunt that takes children around Rome. A Reduce, Reuse and Recycle contest will ask children to build a sports arena using recyclable materials.

A children’s used book sale will be in the story time theater for the first two weeks of the program, Dawson added.

“Our local teachers love that sale,” she said.

Brochures for the program will be available soon in the children’s department and also will be delivered to children through their school or daycare. Also, information is available on the children’s department’s Facebook page.

Library hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The library is closed Friday and Sunday.