MAHMOUD: Growing together at the library

Another summer of fun and family time at the Waynesboro Public Library enriched the lives of many young participants. “Catch a Reading Bug” was the theme for this year’s Summer Reading Program. Special programs were built around the theme.
“Mad Science of Virginia” brought their very own mad scientist who treated families to an hour of comedy, hands-on experiments, and a great deal of information about insects.
On July 12 the library opened for an Ugly Bug Ball. Featuring a bug exhibit on loan from the Smithsonian, families enjoyed bug crafts and a talk about the role of bugs in the environment by Ron Brown of Brown’s Exterminating Company.
The summer reading program ended with a petting zoo from Laughing Places. Children enjoyed pony rides, petting sheep, goats, and rabbits and free snow cones provided by the library. The evening also featured a preview of the Scholastic Book Sale.
Beyond summer fun, the liibrary’s programs are designed to attract children to the wonderful world of books and help them succeed in school. These programs contribute greatly in improving literacy among children.
According to a study, “Children from environments lacking in rich language experiences such as reading have shown gradual decline in tests of preschool educational development. Children who start out slowly in tests of literacy skills often fail to catch up, thus falling further behind in school achievement.”
This summer over 800 children participated in our reading program. Most of the participants visited the library at least once a week. A total of 17,958 children’s books were checked out during SRP, an increase of over 2,593 books over the same period last year.
Waynesboro Public Library will continue to play its role in preparing our children for a brighter future. However, Waynesboro is a growing city and the demand on library’s limited resources is growing, too. Your local library needs your help. In the near future the library’s expansion project will kick off. The renovation includes improvements to the Children’s Department. You can take part in the growth and expansion of your community library. Make a contribution to the Library Foundation towards improving and enhancing library services to our beautiful city and remember “Great Journeys Begin Here.”