Summer is synonymous with waterslides, watermelon, and laying out with a great read! The best place to get your book fix filled this summer is at the Artesia Public Library. The local library hosts The Summer Reading Program annually and is a long-standing tradition in Artesia. In fact, The Summer Reading Program predates the Artesia Aquatic Center for summertime fun in town! This summer, the library welcomed around 182 individuals per day for a total of 5,461 library visits.

The goals and objectives of The Summer Reading Program reads as follows: “Kids who read over the summer maintain reading and learning skills, learn new vocabulary, gain new knowledge, connect with other kids, learn about community partners, and form a lifelong relationship with learning and the library.” The theme of this year’s summer program is “Oceans of Possibilities.” This theme elegantly supports the goals and objectives of the program because it reflects the many possible skills and educational tools which can be gained during a summer of reading.

The Summer Reading Program is not just for kids! Teens and adults also have a program specific to those age categories. There are 49 teens registered for the summer; 61 adults registered; and 295 children. The children’s Summer Reading Program represents nearly 73% of participation in Oceans of Possibilities. Similarly, attendance for performances and additional programs were dominated by the youth. A whopping 1,520 children came to watch puppet shows, musical performers, attend story time, craft time, and STEM and Lego labs. These kiddos were 87% of performance and program attendees.

There’s still time to join Oceans of Possibilities–just make sure to bring your library card. If you don’t have a library card, no worries, come to the front circulation desk to sign up. The library staff welcome 4 new library card holders each day and 119 total last month.