COUNTY News:
Los Alamos Public Library invites readers of all ages to participate in the annual Summer Reading Program, which launches Monday, June 1, and runs through July 26. The free, incentive-based program offers flexible participation options for all reading levels, interests and schedules. Participants can track reading and activities through Beanstack, an online platform that helps readers stay motivated. This year, adult readers can also record progress in a paper log.
Participants may register in one of four age categories: adults, teens (7th to 12th grades) or youth (early reader to 2nd grade, and 3rd to 6th grades). Each category features engaging challenges, including logging minutes for young readers and activity-based reading experiences curated for adults. Participants can also take part in library programs and use library resources to complete additional challenges. Throughout the summer, readers earn prizes or tickets designed to keep them motivated. Adult participants are eligible for registration prizes and can also compete for five grand prizes, including a Kindle Paperwhite, gift cards, book bundles and garden- and art-inspired gifts sourced from local businesses.
This year’s theme, “Plant a Seed, Read!”, draws inspiration from the farm-to-table concept. Just as farms grow food to nourish the body, libraries grow ideas to nourish the mind. The program highlights how plants, food and stories connect individuals to family, friends, history, artistic passions and the broader community.
“Every year, the Summer Reading Program affords us the opportunity to engage the community by highlighting the full, impressive scope of all we have to offer in our collections, databases and streaming resources, programs and activities,” said Eva Jacobson, senior librarian. As always, this year’s program features additional summer activities. For youth, the popular “Reading with…” series at the White Rock Branch returns, along with the “Stuffie Sleepover,” “Family Fun Night,” “Creative Studio” and a visit from the Department of Cultural Affairs’ “Wonders on Wheels” bus.
Adult participants can join the library-sponsored chapter of the worldwide Silent Book Club for an outdoor community picnic in June and the first-ever Silent Book Club meeting in White Rock in July. Two puzzle competitions will be held in June and July, as will the annual puzzle exchange at the White Rock Branch Library in July.
For more information about the Summer Reading Program events, visit the library’s event calendar at LosAlamosLibrary.org or call 505.662.8250. To sign up for the Summer Reading Program, read more on the Library website, register online at Beanstack or stop by either library location for in-person assistance.