Those of you who are regular Castlegar Library users know by now that our children’s area is closed off for restoration work after a sewage leak took us by surprise. Miraculously, no books were lost, but in the coming months we will be replacing the flooring and some shelving units that were damaged.
Thank you to our patrons, who have been patient and supportive, and to the library board, who have been appreciative of us librarians on the front lines. A special shout out to Lynn, for the chocolate cupcakes, and Doug for the Girl Guide cookies. As someone pointed out to me recently, “You make this town happy.” The feeling is mutual, folks.
We have managed to squeeze shelving for some of our kids’ collection into the undamaged end of the library, but we have had to box up many picture books and junior novels that we couldn’t find enough room for. There are still lots and lots of books to browse, and we will be happy to take you on a tour of where to find things.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the enthusiasm for books and reading that our patrons continue to demonstrate. And wouldn’t you know it, May just happens to be Get Caught Reading Month, a campaign to remind people of all ages how much fun it is to read.
Here are a few ideas that families can use to instill and maintain a love of reading at home:
Have DEAR time – The rules of DEAR, or Drop Everything and Read, are simple: during DEAR time everybody in the house must immediately drop what they’re doing and read. Plan your DEAR time in advance, but remember to keep it to yourself until the announcement is made.
Catch your child reading – Arm yourself with a camera or smartphone and snap photos of your children buried in a good book. You can create a collage of photos at the end of the month captioned, “Got caught reading!”
Make a family book together – A family book is a memory scrapbook that can include pictures, mementos, stories and drawings. Family books are all about your favourite things, how you celebrate holidays, where you live, drawing pictures and telling and writing stories. With a bit of time and imagination, you and your family can be the characters in your own book.
Happy reading!
Coming soon: Registration for Summer Reading Club for kids ages 3 to 14 starts on Wednesday, June 18 at 11 a.m. on the Castlegar Library website, castlegar.bc.libraries.coop/
