Summer Reading Program at the Dallas Public Library

Today, we’re welcoming back a familiar face , Kelly Most, Youth Services Librarian at the Dallas Public Library. Kelly’s here to talk about the library’s Summer Reading Program.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:13

Welcome to the Dallas Oregon Podcast, your quick and informative source of what's happening in and around our community. I'm Alison Roberson, the communications specialist, stepping in for your host. Each episode, we bring together city staff, local leaders, and community members to discuss the projects, people, and possibilities shaping Dallas. Today we're welcoming back a familiar face, Kelly Most, Youth Services Librarian at the Dallas Public Library. Kelly, welcome back to the podcast.

SPEAKER_00 0:44

Thanks for having me back. I'm so excited to be here to talk about summer reading.

SPEAKER_01 0:48

So, for those who might not know, what is summer reading?

SPEAKER_00 0:51

Summer reading is a program designed to help kids prevent the summer, summer lag of not reading or doing schoolwork and keep them, you know, enjoying reading. But we've included summer reading to include all ages. We could say zero to ninety-nine, but if you're a hundred, please come in and read and check out books and yeah. But it's it's to keep that joy going all summer long and and to read for pleasure because reading should be fun.

SPEAKER_01 1:15

Absolutely, absolutely. And you said zero to ninety-nine, so that means it's open to everybody kids, teens, adults.

SPEAKER_00 1:21

Yes, it sure is. And we have prizes for all ages.

SPEAKER_01 1:24

Great. And what are some of those prizes?

SPEAKER_00 1:26

We have omse tickets, we have tickets to the World Forestry Center. I'm working on like um some other fun prizes for teens. I'm trying to get teens involved and have some fun teen prizes.

SPEAKER_01 1:38

That's awesome. So, how does somebody sign up if they're if they're wanting to join the summer reading program? Is is it something that they have to come into the library to do?

SPEAKER_00 1:46

You don't have to come in, but we do use the Bean Stack app. But we have found a lot of people want to be able to visualize their reading log and especially kids, and this is how many minutes you've read. So we have uh paper logs you can come in and pick up. And we have those for all ages too. And just come into the desk and go, I'd like a reading log.

SPEAKER_01 2:05

Awesome. And do you have to be a member of the library?

SPEAKER_00 2:08

No, not the Dallas Library. You just have to, you know, live in the area. We have a lot of West Salem patrons come in, monmouth, independents, people that live outside the city limits.

SPEAKER_01 2:17

That's awesome. Um, and when does the summer reading program officially start?

SPEAKER_00 2:21

It starts June 12th and it runs through August 21st. And our first summer reading event in the park will be on June 17th.

SPEAKER_01 2:28

And I know that the summer reading program isn't the only thing that the library does this summer. Um what else is going on?

SPEAKER_00 2:35

Well, with the summer reading, we have events in the park every Wednesday. Reptile Man will be back. We have a Minecraft quest at the park. We're giving away book bags to kick off summer readings so you can come and decorate them. And we have some fun uh performers there.

SPEAKER_01 2:50

Yeah, the library always has so much happening. I see your guys' um calendar on Facebook all the time. There's just so many events. So, how does somebody learn about all of the all of the events that are happening at the library?

SPEAKER_00 3:01

They're on Facebook and Instagram and also on our website. And we do make a special tab on our website with all the summer reading events and everything going on. So we do have the downtown story walk that will be the bad seed, that will be the fun book for kids this year to read. And I have a sp you can win the book and a special little stuff, stuffed bad seed that turns into the good egg on the other side, and then the critter hunt. And we have some fun new things to check out.

SPEAKER_01 3:30

That's awesome. Well, Kelly, thank you so much for joining us again on the podcast. And thank you for all of the things that you do at the library and keeping it running. Um, but since we've had you on the podcast a couple of times before, we're actually gonna switch up our question, and that's gonna be what is your favorite thing about working at the library?

SPEAKER_00 3:48

I said I I love talking to people. And I said there's been a lot of new people moving to Dallas, and I love talking to them and telling them what's happening at the library, what's happening in Dallas. I just I love everything.

SPEAKER_01 3:59

Great. Well, thanks again to Kelly for joining us, and thank you to everybody for listening. Don't forget to follow the Dallas Oregon podcast on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts for all the updates. Until next time, thanks for listening.