Summer is here and so is summer reading at Peninsula Public Library in Lawrence

Crafts, games and snacks marked the kickoff of Peninsula Public Library’s Summer Reading Program on June 21. Library Director Carolynn Matulewicz, Children’s Librarian Pat Murphy, and librarian trainee Henna Ross planned activities, which are scheduled several times a week until mid-August, for children from pre-K through eighth grade.

The Collaborative Summer Library Program chooses and trademarks the summer reading theme, which PPL, and many libraries nationwide use as a template. This year’s theme is “All in Together,” which preaches inclusivity and brought many signing up on the library’s first day.

Elana Lew brings her kids, Moshe and Daniel to the library often. This is her third year coming to the PPL kickoff party and with the abundance of programs offered during the summer, she said she plans to be attending even more.

“We have stacks and stacks of books at home,” Lew said. “They love to read; they love to get books. They have a lot of nice programs that get them excited. They love Ms. Pat, and all (the library staff) are all very good with the kids.”

At the kickoff party, children were given reading logs and got a chance to earn their first raffle tickets for the end-of-summer prizes. For every five books read, participants earn a raffle ticket that enters the Grand Prize drawing at the end of the summer.

“The important thing is getting kids to read through the summer, so nobody goes into that summer slide,” Murphy said. “Especially kids that are catching up after Covid.”

Much of the effort put in throughout the year to prepare for the summer reading program is to prevent children from losing much of what they learned during the school year.

“Over the summer because kids are out of school, they’re not learning as much as they’re used to so by the summer, we try to help boost their reading by providing this kind of program,” Ross said.

For the first time Nassau Library System’s techmobile will be part of PPL’s summer reading activities.

The county’s library system offers a techmobile and brings digital access, technology help and library services to patrons who might not have those services otherwise.

Gabriel Kane, the techmobile coordinator for the library system explained the use of the tech mobile is helping libraries around the county.

“We want to be able to address digital equity and inclusion,” Kane said. “Saying we want everybody to have equal access to the technology that’s so vital in today’s society to use it independently. We’ve designed a very versatile vehicle. You hear tech mobile, and you automatically evoke bookmobile, but it’s vastly different.”

Kids were able to sign up for summer reading and play video games on the side of the techmobile.

“If we get them to sign up for summer reading and they have to play a few video games because of it, not a bad thing,” Matulewicz said.

“Even though it’s not on its surface enriching, these are skills that are going to be more and more prevalent as time goes on,” Kane added. Video game controllers are used by game programmers and web developers. They’re becoming more and more prevalent as far as relevant technology and marketable skills.”

To register children for PPL’s summer reading program, go to the Children’s Room on the library’s basement floor through July 10. The library is at 280 Central Ave., Lawrence.