BONNYVILLE – The Bonnyville Municipal Library has kicked off its summer programming with a host of different activities, making the library a great summer hangout for everyone.
Kat Eliason, Library Programs Team Lead, said programming continues to be free, with help from local sponsors.
“Literacy is definitely one of the goals, but we also want to remind people that the library is more than books. We have so many great things that you can borrow with your library card . . . Our programming aims to get people through the door and remind them that we’re more than just books on the shelf – we're a community hub, a great place to meet like-minded people, and a place to do fun stuff like have movie or craft nights,” said Eliason.
She said a lot of the programming is aimed towards school aged children on summer holidays and explained that literacy rates tend to drop over the summer, which is known as the “summer slide.”
The library has two-hour morning and afternoon programming sessions for kids six to 12 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with Wednesdays requiring pre-registration.
“We do all sorts of crafts and activities. Last week, there was an obstacle course and today we made fairy garden crafts. It’s very interactive, and then we read a book together,” said Eliason.
Eliason explained that library reading programs keep children engaged with reading in dynamic ways, such as story times, prize incentives, incorporating activities, and creating fun ways for children to form positive memories with the library.
Eliason said they do their best to offer as many low or no cost programs as possible.
“A couple of years ago, we made a promise to the Town and the board that we would run all of our programming for free for a year or so, and then we just kept going with that. There's been some businesses . . . who have really helped support us.”
The library also has a Summer Reading Program, where readers of all ages can log their reading hours to be entered into a draw for prizes in different age categories. The more you read, the more times your name goes into the draw.
Friday 15
Something Eliason is extremely passionate about is promoting Friday 15, which is a competition between area libraries to see who can get the most members in their library reading for 15 minutes every Friday.
Friday 15 reading can be logged at the library's website.
“I’m not a super competitive person, but Friday 15 is a community competition where all the libraries in the Northern Lights Library region are competing to have the most people read on Fridays through the summer, and we won the last two summers. We have two trophies – and I would love to keep that going,” said Eliason.
Book Club and more
A BYO Book Club will also be running through the summer, which gives adults an easy way to participate in a book club, without the commitment of reading a particular book.
“It could be a book you hated, which sometimes is great conversation. It could be a book you absolutely loved. It could be a book you read 10 years ago or that you finished yesterday. We get a lot of fun book suggestions this way,” said Eliason.
The library also hosts movie nights for adults where they feature a book-to-film adaptation.
“We’ve been running teen and adult board game nights – so ages 13 and up. We have lots of board games to provide, or you can bring one you want to play. It's a casual drop-in time frame, and we will have two in July and two in August,” said Eliason.
The library even rents out some sporting equipment, microscopes, and bird-watching kits complete with binoculars and field guides, offering people free opportunities to try out new activities without having to invest in equipment.
“We have a guest storytelling coming at the end of August for our summer wrap up party. Her name is Peal-Ann Gooding and she’s from Wainwright. We do the wrap-up party at the end of the summer reading program, and it’s where we do our special prize draw. Then we will have the storytelling afterwards, and anybody from the community can come,” said Eliason.
