Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph –
About 165 school-aged children have registered for the Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Library's Summer Reading Program, which kicked off May 22 and ends July 27. The program includes weekly prize handouts and a bookmark, poster, poetry and story contest.
Registration is ongoing throughout the eight-week program.
This year's theme, which applies to all Air Force library summer reading programs, is "Have Book - Will Travel."
"Anytime you go somewhere, take a book with you," Gail Trevino, program librarian, said. "You never know how long a trip may be, so bringing a book allows you to escape wherever you are."
For Francine Gonzales, library technician, this year's theme is her favorite in eight years.
"I was a military brat, so the idea behind travelling will touch home with many military children who relate to that unique lifestyle," she said.
Summer readers will receive a book bag, reading log, bookmark and pencil upon registration and can showcase their creativity by signing up for a number of contests.
The poster and bookmark contests are geared toward younger readers. The poetry contest is open to high schoolers entering grades 9-12, calling for poems about travelling that are 100 words or less.
New to Randolph's contest lineup is a story competition for children entering grades 5-8, where they will submit a story about their summer vacation, 150 words or less.
Entries for all contests are due 6 p.m. June 28.
Greater than contest participation, however, is the continuation of reading in the summertime, which is the heart and soul of the program, Trevino said.
"I encourage kids, and adults, to read as many books as they can," she said.
To help track the number of books and minutes read, a new online resource is available to patrons that can be accessed from any personal computer from the same website used to register for the program.
The website, which merges all JBSA libraries, also allows readers to post book reviews.
Trevino said getting more teenagers to join the program is her biggest challenge because "it's hard to get them into the library."
In her second year organizing the summer reading program, Trevino said she is incorporating activities like game nights, which have been successful in drawing teens to the library.
"Keeping up with the latest trends in literature that include fantasy series novels and books based on popular TV shows and anything vampire-related, is also another way for librarians to connect with teenagers," Gonzales said.
"The literature classics will always be on reading lists, but I believe those lists need to be updated," Gonzales said. "Having young readers connect and relate to what they are reading is the best way to capture their interest, and once that happens, they can begin to expand their comfort zone and discover more authors."
To join the cost-free summer reading program, visit www.jbsalibraries.org, click on "Randolph Library" below "Have Book - Will Travel" at the bottom of the page and sign up. Patrons may also visit the library, building 598, to register.
For more information, call the Randolph library at 652-2617/5578.