Story and photos provided by the Stillwater Public Library

Kids, teens and adults can “Build a Better World” while they read throughout the summer at the Stillwater Public Library. “Summer @ Your Library” is a free program with reading goals, weekly programs, activity challenges and prizes. Registration for the free program is now underway for all ages.

“This year’s theme ‘Build a Better World’ captures exactly what we try to do at the library every day – building our community with books and reading, information and technology, and lifelong learning and togetherness for everyone,” said Lynda Reynolds, library director. “We hope the summer programs encourage our participants to spread this idea throughout the community, while also having a lot of fun.”

“Summer @ Your Library” kicks-off Tuesday, May 30, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. with an open house at the library featuring the Wondertorium’s “Wonderglow” program, which includes light tables, light pegs, light pads for sand drawing, glass mandala art, magna tiles and found object construction. The summer fun then continues each week through July.

Children from birth to fifth grade can join the library’s summer reading club and complete reading logs to earn prizes for each five hours they read. Members who read, or are read to, and who log and turn in their reading hours will be eligible for the following prizes:

• 5 hours – Receive a food coupon, with a limit of 10.
• 10 hours – Receive a book and a certificate of achievement at the Awards Ceremony on July 25 with special performance by storyteller Lori Turman.
• 20 hours – A chance to win a classroom visit from Monty Harper.
• 30 hours – A chance in the Grand Prize drawing for the winner’s choice of build-it-yourself sets.

Participants can also attend weekly programs by live entertainers held on Tuesdays at 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. For working families, the library has added a new evening performance, taking place at 6:30 p.m. each Tuesday.

The children’s performance line-up is as follows:

• June 6 – Rana McCoy Operetta (No evening show). Local children perform in “The Spirit of Oklahoma,” a retelling of Oklahoma’s history.

• June 13 – Jammin’ Randy’s “Better World Library Show.” Kids will love Jammin’ Randy’s sing-a-long songs, songs with actions, participation songs and songs that encourage children to read and be the best they can be.

• June 20 – Kevin Wade’s Magic Around the World Show!” Take a magical journey around the planet, learning amazing facts about amazing places with lots of magic along the way.

• June 27 – Richard Elsenpeter Marionettes. Elsenpeter and his marionettes have traveled nationally sharing the story of “Tom Sawyer.”

• July 4 – No program. The library is closed for Independence Day.

• July 11 – Monty Harper’s “Build a Better World.” Children will sing, dance and move with the local musician with his original songs that look to the future and celebrate books and reading.

• July 18 – Mad Science’s “Engineers Shape the World.” In this fun and engaging show, the Mad Scientists explore the design process of creative engineers and solve real world problems! Bridge building, earthquakes, walking on eggs and hands on experience on electrons will light up the library.

• July 25 – Reading Award Ceremony (10 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.) By invitation only.

To sign-up, visit the Children’s Help Desk or choose the library’s registration or “Summer @ Your Library” links at http://library.stillwater.org. Participants who register online should come by the library to pick up their summer packets containing reading logs, reading lists, activity sheets and a coupon for the summer program logo provided by Chris’ University Spirit. Readers may take the coupon and a blank t-shirt to Chris’ to have the logo applied for free.

Young adults going into 6-12 grades may sign-up for their own age appropriate program exploring different aspects of building and engaging with their community. The weekly teen programs include hands-on design challenges and creative activities, which take place on Wednesdays from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Programs include:

• • • June 7 – FABRICATE a Better World with Tulsa Mobile FabLab.
  • • June 14 – INSPIRE a Better World with OKC Improv.
  • • June 21 – INNOVATE a Better World with OK Science Museum and OSU Robotic Cognition Lab.
  • • June 28 – GROW a Better World with OSU’s Payne County Botany Extension.
  • • July 5 – CRAFT a Better World by making props and accessories for the Library’s August mini-con.
  • • July 12 – CREATE a Better World with recycled books art, mural painting and tie dye.
  • • July 19 – CONSTRUCT a Better World with design challenges using building materials, Lego and K’NEX.
  • • July 26 – FINALE at Roller Dome.

Teens can build their chances to win prizes by reading throughout the summer. For every five hours read, participants will earn small prize coupons from local businesses, as well as an entry in the end of summer prize drawing. For every 20 hours, readers may select a book to keep. The Grand Prize is the winner’s choice of a laptop, game system, or gift card (approximate value $400), provided by the Friends of the Library.

In addition, the 30 readers who read the most hours will be invited to “Nerf Wars,” held after hours in the library.

To register for the program, teens should visit the library’s website to set-up a Wandoo account. Wandoo tracks the amount of time participants reads and number of challenges completed. Readers who already have a Wandoo account may use that same log-in to register for this summer’s program.

Program participants should bring a blank t-shirt to the library before Monday, May 29, at 9 p.m. to send to Stillwater Screenprinting. The business will print the Teen summer design on the t-shirts for free. Shirts will be available for pick-up June 7.

Adults eager to join the fun will have a program of their own, a five book reading series, “Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma: Civil Rights and Equality: A Pulitzer Prize Centennial Program.” Readers interested in joining the series should come by the Help Desk to sign up and pick up the first book in the series to read before the first program on Thursday, June 8, at 6:30 p.m. Each program includes a presentation from a humanities scholar, small group books discussions and refreshments. Readers who complete the series will be eligible for an end of series drawing for a Town & Gown and Allied Arts season pass.

The program, provided by Oklahoma Humanities, National Endowment for the Humanities, Inasmuch Foundation and Kirkpatrick Family Fund, includes:

• • • June 8 – The Known World by Edward P. Jones with scholar Dr. Tracy Floreani
  • • June 29 – Native Guard by Natasha Tretheway with scholar Dr. Harbour Winn
  • • July 20 – Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo with scholar Dr. Nyla Ali Khan
  • • Aug. 10 – A Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich with scholar Dr. Russ Tallchief
  • • Aug. 31 – The Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age by Kevin Boyle with scholar Dr. Lloyd Musselman

Adults who cannot attend the programs may still participate in summer reading by completing reading goals and challenges for chances to win small incentives, entries into weekly drawings and entries into a finale drawing, two $100 Lowe’s giftcards.

Last, participants from all of the programs can attend the Thursday movies shown on the very big screen at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Popcorn and water will be provided and movies include:

• • • June 8 – Finding Dory
  • • June 15 – Zootopia
  • • June 22 – Moana
  • • June 29 – Secret Life of Pets
  • • July 6 – Pete’s Dragon
  • • July 13 – Paddington
  • • July 20 – Lego Movie

Major “Summer @ Your Library” sponsors include Friends of the Stillwater Public Library, Chris’ University Spirit, Institute of Museum & Library Services, Oklahoma Department of Libraries, Arvest, Cockrell Eye Care Center, Monty Harper, Sonic and Kicker. Please visit the library website for a full list of sponsors.

The Stillwater Public Library is located at 1107 S. Duck St. (the corner of Duck and 12th Ave.). For more information, contact the Stillwater Public Library by phone at (405) 372-3633 or by e-mail at askalibrarian@stillwater.org or visit the web site at http://library.stillwater.org.