Many activities mark summer programming at Lovell Library

The Lovell Branch Library is back at it again with their summer reading program. The library has been hosting summer reading for more than a decade, and the kids really love it, according to library staff member. To start this summer off they had around 135 people at their first activity, and their last had 85 participants.

They have done many activities such as making s’mores, messy paint projects, planet colorings and many more. The theme this year was “Color Our World” so they were able to get lots of art projects in. 

“This particular year, we had a grant from the Wyoming Arts Council, so with our theme it matched up really well with the grant,” said Librarian Cathy Collins. “We were able to do all sorts of arts and crafts, and the kids have really liked them all.”

Along with the summer reading, the library has offered some art checkout kits. The kids can grab them off a table, and the kits have instructions on how to do a little craft. The kits will still be available throughout the summer. 

Wyoming Child Support also funded the library with a coloring book for each child in the county. The books varied based on the colors of the rainbow, and they have coloring pages, stickers and little games. They also still have some of those available at the library.

Staff member Janice Wantulok noted the different age group activities the library has this summer, saying, “We’ve done an adult ink coloring. It was called Alcohol Ink Trinket Bowls, and it went pretty well. We’ve done a teen book club and an adult book club that we do every month, but we counted those as a part of it.”

She also shared about the kids reading logs, stating, “The kids get a reading log, and they have to read five times in a week. After you read five times, they come in, and we have little prizes.”

Collins explained how the summer reading log has changed over the last two years, noting, “In the past we’ve done the reading log differently. We used to do it by age groups, and it was by a certain number of minutes. We decided to try something different last year and just mark it when you read, and parents liked that a lot better.

“So, everyone gets the same reading log and all you have to do is read.”

They wanted to let the parents have a say in how much was enough, she added. 

As well as the reading program this year, the library is doing a penny drive currently among three libraries, Greybull, Basin and Lovell. The winning library gets a back-to-school party in their town hosted by the two losing libraires.

So far, Lovell is in third place with $95.04, Greybull is in second with $182.74 and Basin is in first with $188.96.

The summer reading program’s closing party was on Tuesday, July 1. After that, the July treat month started. Thoughout the month of July there will be days to go get a treat at the library during the week. 

Along with the treat days, there will be random days for activities that will most likely require a sign-up at the library. The next sign-up activity is a Korean Lantern Workshop on Thursday, July 10, at 4:30 p.m., and there are still spots left to sign up.

Teen art journaling will be offered Tuesday at 5 p.m.