Summer Reading Kick-off Celebration

Natchitoches, LA, May 26, 2022 – While the summer solstice will not occur until June 21, for many, there is another date coming up that will be their marker for when summer begins... The Natchitoches Parish Library’s (NPL) Summer Reading Program (SRP)!

The SRP Kick-Off party will be Saturday, June 4, from 10 AM to 2 PM on the NPL’s front lawn. The library will be hosting The Party Wagon Petting Zoo with a variety of animals to interact with. The LaCour Trio will also be providing live entertainment for the event. NPL staff will be offering face painting, snow cones, cotton candy, and popcorn. An SRP registration table will be available, and everyone who signs up is guaranteed to win some library swag!  

The SRP serves to promote reading to adults, teens, and children. And, while everyone gets the mental health benefits from lifelong reading and learning, it is especially important for kids on break from school. There is often a regression in academic proficiency that hinders progress in the following school year, with a recent study by the Northwest Evaluation Association showing, on average, a 20% loss from school-year gains. This so-called “summer slide” puts younger children at most risk as they are at a crucial stage in their development. The SRP engages kids and their interests’ so that their letter knowledge, decoding, and word reading skills continue to develop, rather than stagnate or decline. Each week, the NPL’s Main Branch and Northeast Branch in Campti will offer performances for children.  

Saturday, June 4, will also be the final day to shop the Friends of the NPL mini book sale! Additionally, LifeShare will be onsite from 10 AM to 2 PM for patrons to donate blood and receive a special treat from The Cakery.  

For a full schedule of NPL classes and events, visit natlib.org and follow the NPL on social media. To register for SRP online, text SUMMER to 318-357-3280. Weekly programs for teens and adults will be offered as well. The theme this year is “Oceans of Possibilities” and participants can read to earn prizes and entries for grand prize drawings for their age group.
 
PHOTOS:
-Petting Zoo.jpg
Last year’s guests included this cute little fennec fox, native to the deserts of North Africa. Its unusually large ears serve to dissipate heat and listen for underground prey. The fennec is the smallest species of fox.
-NPL Logo.jpg
 
About the Natchitoches Parish Library
Knowledge. Connection. Community. The Natchitoches Parish Library serves the public and community through its competent and friendly staff by providing services and programs aimed at meeting the informational, recreational, and educational needs of our patrons. We seek to provide a beneficial and usable collection of information and activities to connect Natchitoches Parish residents to the world.