Thursday, October 1, 2026
Nearly 300 residents packed the Seaford Public Library's annual Summer Reading Kickoff late last month, at which iconic characters, bounce houses, face painting and an ice cream truck welcomed families to the start of a busy season for a program intended to keep children — and adults — reading long after the school year ended.
The event served as the unofficial start of the library's summer programming, with activities and reading challenges available for every age group, from toddlers to adults.
"It was definitely our biggest yet," Kristen Jording, the library's head of adult services and public relations, said. "We take all departments together — children's, teens and adults — and it's really a family event."
While the festivities featured plenty of entertainment, library staff said the celebration has a larger purpose: encouraging families to make reading part of their summer routine.
Children from pre-school age through fifth grade can participate in the library's summer reading club by completing age-appropriate reading challenges. Toddlers follow activity boards, while older children earn prizes for every book they finish. Those who complete the program earn tickets to see a screening of the new live-action “Moana” movie at the Bellmore Playhouse.
"The biggest incentive is the movie ticket," Jacqueline Lopez, the library's head of children's services, said. "But they also earn stickers, slime, squishies, little backpacks, plushies and other prizes as they go."
This year's children's theme, "Unearth the Story," features dinosaurs and prehistoric adventures. The Nassau Library System, Lopez explained, selects a new theme each year, inspiring decorations and programming throughout the summer.
"We decorated our room like a jungle with vines coming down and dinosaurs everywhere," she said.
Beyond reading, the kickoff introduced families to a summer schedule filled with performers and educational activities, including balloon artists, science demonstrations, yoga classes, cooking programs, chess, movies and art workshops.
During the event, children met popular Disney characters, explored bounce houses, had their faces painted and entered raffles for themed prize baskets while parents registered their families for reading programs.
Jording said the library encourages adults to participate alongside their children. "When the kids are registering for summer reading, why not have the parents register, too?" she said. "It's a good example for kids to see that Mom and Dad are reading too."
Adults can submit book reviews online or in person throughout the summer for chances to win weekly prizes and grand prizes that include Apple products. Friends of the Seaford Library sponsors the adult and teen prize baskets, while funding from the Seaford Wellness Council supports the children's summer reading program and the kickoff festivities.
Library staffers said that participation has steadily grown over the years, thanks in part to expanded outreach in local schools and increased promotion throughout the community.
"We don't want them to slack off during the summer," Lopez said of young readers. "We want them to keep up with reading so they're ready when they go back in September."
She added that the library also works with parents whose children struggle to find books they enjoy, recommending titles based on individual interests, whether graphic novels, nonfiction or specific hobbies.
For many families, Lopez said, the library becomes more than just a place to borrow books. "Seaford's a small community," she said. "Families meet each other here, kids become friends through story time and programs, and they keep coming back every summer."
That sense of community, Jording added, is exactly what the annual kickoff is meant to celebrate. "We just want everybody to keep reading," she said. "The library is here for everyone, and we want people to stay involved all summer long."
