Durham County Library Kicks Off Summer Reading 2013 at Northgate Mall

Summer reading is better than school year reading because anyone can do it at the beach, or by the pool, or pretty much anywhere!

Durham County Library will celebrate the start of a summer of “Digging Into Reading” with a kickoff at Northgate Mall, on Saturday, June 15 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Dozens of booths will be on tap including Scrap Exchange, Paint Savvy, North Carolina Zoo, Museum of Life and Science, Museum of Natural Sciences, a Zumba area, aerialists, storytelling, crafts, a magician, bounce houses for children and adults, Sol Food mobile farm, live music with DJ Pitty Pat, a video game truck, prizes and free RIF books for children.

“This will be the first time the kickoff is held at Northgate Mall,” said Lynne Barnette, Southwest Regional Library manager and Summer Reading committee chair. “We feel like this is a great central location for our patrons and is a popular destination for Durham County residents. We think this will be one of our biggest kickoffs ever, and we’re excited about bringing it out into the community.”

Northgate Mall is located at 1058 W. Club Blvd. in Durham. The kickoff will take place both indoors and on the outdoor plaza between entrances 2 and 4. The event continues a partnership with Northgate Mall that has included a Dr. Seuss celebration that featured the Cat in the Hat, and an ongoing library display.
“We are so happy to have Durham County Library here at Northgate to promote its important goal of increasing student achievement through summer reading. We look forward to a fun-filled community day on the Plaza,” said Ginny Bowman, Managing Partner, Northgate Associates.

The Summer Reading 2013 theme for children is “Dig Into Reading,” and the library has expanded that theme to include digging into science, fitness, technology, adventure and more. The summer will be filled with programs for children, teens and adults that will inspire participants to explore, to experience and of course, to read.

According to the State Library of North Carolina, the number of books read during the summer is consistently related to academic gains. Children in every income group who read six or more books over the summer gained more in reading achievement than children who did not.  The use of the public library during the summer is more predictive of vocabulary gains than attending summer school. 

To help students make those gains, and to ensure no one misses out of the joys of a good book, Summer Reading encourages everyone to read throughout the season, This year, participants will track their reading online using a new point system.  Each minute read is worth one Summer Reading point, and points are also earned for participating in activities such as attending programs and writing book reviews. Up to 1000 points can be redeemed at any time between June 15 and August 10 for a variety of prizes. A minimum of 600 points enters the reader into a drawing for this year’s grand prizes, which include: a LeapPad and Kindle Fire for children; an iPod Touch, Kindle Fire and Xbox for teens; and an iPad Mini and theatre tickets for adults.

In addition to launching the program in a new venue and introducing a new point system, Summer Reading 2013 includes a number of first-time special events that capture the expanded theme:

• Dig Into Fitness: ChallengeWave, June 15-July 15 – This year, the library is challenging adult summer readers to train their brains by reading and train their bodies by participating in ChallengeWave – a four-week fitness competition co-presented by Durham County Department of Public Health. Participants can sign up to represent their favorite library, and compete against other locations, by recording their fitness activities online. The library team that travels the most virtual miles wins a trophy.  Competitors who sign up for Summer Reading as well can win additional prizes for attending library fitness programs.
• Dig Into Environmental Science: EPA Village Green Project Launch, June 22 – In a joint project between the Environmental Protection Agency and Durham County, the EPA will install a prototype bench at the South Regional Library (4505 S. Alston Ave.) that reads and records air quality and weather conditions. The Village Green Project will allow members of the public to use their smart phones to get real-time data on air quality. The bench will become operational on June 22 with a ribbon cutting and celebration from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, featuring games, storytimes and a “meet a scientist” booth.
• Dig Into Sports: Midpoint Rally, July 10 – The library has teamed up with the Durham Bulls to celebrate reading all summer long, including a mid-point rally and celebration held at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park at the July 10 home game. Hundreds of Summer Reading participants will receive tickets to the game courtesy of Durham Library Foundation, and the library will shine a spotlight on five fantastic Summer Readers.
• Dig Into Space: First Library in Space, July 10 – Prior to the game, Durham County Library will become the “First Library in Space” by launching a capsule filled with library memorabilia into near space. A helium-filled balloon will lift the capsule from the DBAP centerfield, and multiple cameras will send live-feed video as it races upward. When the capsule reaches a height of about 700 feet, the balloon will expand to more than 50 times its original size, then burst, sending the capsule floating back to earth by parachute. Summer Readers who can’t attend the game can follow the launch online at durhamcountylibrary.org. “First Library in Space” is sponsored by the Friends of the Durham Library.

Finally, on August 9 and 10, the library will reward everyone for a summer of reading fun with the system-wide grand finale “Celebration of Reading.” There will be more games, music, crafts and refreshments to “dig into,” and the Summer Reading grand prize winners will be announced at each location. Bragtown Library and Family Literacy Center will host its finale on Friday, August 9. The Main Library, East Regional, North Regional, South Regional, Southwest Regional and Stanford L. Warren libraries will host their finales on Saturday, August 10. 

More information about Summer Reading is available online. Registration begins June 15 at the kickoff, and will be open after that date online, or in person at any library location. Summer Reading, the library’s most popular program, is sponsored by Durham County, the Friends of the Durham Library and Durham Library Foundation.

Durham County Library encourages Discovery, connects the Community and leads in Literacy. As a department of Durham County Government, the library furthers Goal 1 of the county’s Strategic Plan by enhancing cultural, educational and creative opportunities. For more information about the library, visit online. 

Learn more about Durham and its libraries.