Prizes for reading: Edmonton and St. Albert libraries launch summer programs for kids and adults

Libraries in the Edmonton area want to see more children and adults reading this summer and the St. Albert library is going all out in its efforts.

Free reading programs have started in Edmonton and St. Albert, to encourage both kids and adults to visit the library and pick up a book this summer.

St. Albert Public Library (SAPL) is holding the summer reading game from June 27 to Aug. 17, which is an interactive program aimed at getting kids excited about coming to the library. The program has been running for more than 30 years.

“Kids and families are looking for ways to interact in the community … and (things to) do in the summer,” Ashley King, SAPL children’s services coordinator, told CTV News Edmonton in an interview from the library downtown in St. Albert on Tuesday.

“This is really a destination for a lot of families.”

Kids can sign up for the drop-in program online and start recording their reading time by using a visual tracker they colour in for each hour they read.

The arts and program room at the library has also been converted into an interactive game room where kids can go through a “mad scientist laboratory” and play a turn by reading and completing their time trackers to earn prizes.

“Each week through the summer, there’s a storyline that the kids are unfolding and helping the scientist,” King explained.

The colouring-sheet trackers can be picked up at the library or printed from the SAPL website. King said the game focuses on reading time because kids have different reading speeds.

Last year, SAPL had more than a million reading minutes logged for the summer program.

“It really incentivizes the time and effort that they’re putting in ... and we’re hoping to surpass our million minutes from last year,” she said, adding that they were at 66,000 minutes as of Tuesday morning.

Marty McKeever and his two kids, 9-year-old Madelaine and 7-year-old Finnegan, have played the reading game for a few summers.

“They like to colour and keep track and then they bring it in and get a prize,” McKeever said as his kids spent time reading in the library on Tuesday.

“This program is really good because it encourages them to read.”

Madelaine was reading a book about a basset hound and Finnegan had chosen a Captain Underpants and Dogman book.

“He wears only underpants and a cape,” Finnegan explained about Captain Underpants, adding that the silliness of the story keeps him hooked.

Twelve-year-old Jair, who signed up for the program for the first time, was also reading at the library with his mom Jacyln. He said he enjoys books with suspense and action and encourages other kids to read, too.

“It’s better than going on the computer or anything like that,” he said. “It teaches you better stuff.”

More than 1,800 kids have registered online for the SAPL summer reading game so far this year.

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Edmonton Public Library (EPL) has also launched summer reading programs, including one for adults.

“Adults were really nostalgic for those reading clubs that their kids were getting involved in … so it was based on customer requests to have a similar type (of) challenge,” Susan Mikytyshyn with EPL said in an interview on Tuesday afternoon.

The adult reading challenge at EPL started June 28 and runs until August 23. Similar to the SAPL reading game, adults keep track of their reading hours and they can win prizes.

For every seven hours of reading and two challenges completed online, registered readers can enter their name into a draw for gift cards to local businesses.

The grand prize is a private class for up to 12 people in the kitchen at the Stanley A. Milner library downtown.

Readers can pick up a paper tracker at an EPL location or log their reading time online.

“Reading is just a great way to learn about the world around you, whether it’s … fictional books or non-fiction books,” Mikytyshyn added, saying more than 50 people have signed up so far.

EPL will also host events at various locations to encourage people to visit the library, including trivia games on July 31 at the Whitemud Crossing library and a collaboration with the Snow Valley Ski Club to host free concerts with local musicians, writers and artists on Tuesday nights at the ski hill.

A full schedule of EPL summer events can be found on their website.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Nahreman Issa