CAZENOVIA — The Cazenovia Public Library (CPL) and the New Woodstock Free Library are teaming up to present a joint summer reading program for residents of the Cazenovia Central School District.
Summer reading programs are designed to advance literacy, stimulate learning, and offset the summertime slump by keeping brains engaged between school years.
Throughout the school break, community members can join in a variety of activities and track their reading for opportunities to earn prizes.
Readers of all ages can pick up summer reading logs from the CPL front desk beginning the week of July 4.
New Woodstock will be using a digital reading tracking program as well as paper logs.
“Just stop into the library each week to collect your prize for meeting your weekly reading goal,” said CPL Youth Services Coordinator Jenna Wright.
Readers who achieve their weekly goals will also receive tickets to put towards an end-of-summer basket raffle.
According to Wright, the raffle will feature several different baskets with items targeted to different age groups.
“The baskets will be for everyone, from babies to adults,” Wright said.
The focus of this year’s summer reading program is “All Together Now.”
According to Wright, the theme is selected each year by the nationwide Collaborative Summer Library Program, which provides resources, such as book lists and activities, for libraries to use while planning their summer reading programs.
Performers and special kids’ programs
The summer events will kick off in New Woodstock on June 27 at 11 a.m. with “BubbleMania,” an educational bubble show presented by professional entertainer Doug Rougeux.
Children’s entertainer Jeff the Magic Man will visit CPL on July 10 at 6:30 p.m., and storyteller Pirate Jack will be in New Woodstock the following day at 11 a.m.
New Woodstock will also present a “Dino Dig” event on Aug. 2 at 6 p.m. and an interactive program with live animals from the Utica Zoo on Aug. 14 at 6 p.m.
Summer story times
CPL’s summer story time schedule will begin the second week of July and will be held at 10:30 a.m. three days a week.
Baby story time will be presented on Tuesdays in the library. Wednesday story times will move outside to Creekside Park behind the library, and Thursday story times will be held at various locations “Out on the Town.”
“On Thursdays, we are going to go out and about,” said Wright. “We’ll go to places like Meadowood Farms, Purpose Coffee, Stone Quarry Art Park, Lorenzo, the [Farmstead 1868] lavender farm, and possibly Burton Street.”
New Woodstock story times are held at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays.
Programs for ages 5-10
On Wednesdays from July 12 through Aug.9, children ages 5-10 are invited to CPL from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. for programs designed for elementary school students.
The library will present a mini chefs club, a board games event, a splash party with water games and crafts on the front lawn, a LEGO club, and a behind-the-scenes tour of the CPL museum.
Teen programs
CPL is also presenting two special events in the community room for students entering seventh grade and up.
4-H Educator Tess Southern of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County will lead a cupcake decorating event on July 18 from 1 to 3 p.m.
Teens are invited back to the library on Aug. 15 for laser tag from 1 to 3 p.m.
Family events
The Teddy Bear Parade, Cazenovia’s annual Fourth of July kick-off, will be held on July 1 at 11 a.m. This year, CPL is also hosting a picnic on the lawn with hotdogs and lemonade.
CPL will host “Tot Town” on July 6 at 11 a.m. for children under age five.
“We are transforming the community room into a little town with different ‘shops,’ like a library, post office, vet, and ice cream store,” said Wright. “Kids and their families can explore and play in the shops.”
Families can contribute to the CPL Community Quilt Banner project during a community quilting bee on July 20 at 10:30 a.m. In preparation for the CazArts September Autumn Leaves Arts Festival, CPL is inviting community members to create 10 in. x 10 in. autumn leaf quilt blocks that will eventually be connected into a banner by the Towpath Quilt Guild. Members of the guild will be present during the quilting bee to assist novice quilters with their blocks.
Children and their families can stop by the CPL parking lot on July 21 at 3 p.m. for “Truck-a-Palooza,” featuring vehicles from the Cazenovia Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps, the Village of Cazenovia, the Cazenovia Fire Department, and Benedict Tree & Stump Removal, plus an ice cream truck with free cones and a Mid York Library System book delivery van.
CPL is inviting kids who are heading into kindergarten this fall to the community room on Aug. 30 at 11 a.m. for a “Kindergarten Round-Up.”
“[Burton Street Elementary School Library Media Specialist] Katie McGinnis and hopefully the new principal will introduce themselves to the kiddos and share a story about starting kindergarten/going back to school,” said Wright. “We will also have snacks and crafts for families to do.”
New Woodstock will wrap up the summer event schedule with an ice cream social on Aug. 23 from 4 to 6 p.m.
Summer Reading Program events are free and open to the public. Register for the CPL and New Woodstock events online on the summer reading page at cazenoviapubliclibrary.org or by calling the front desk at 315-655-9322.
For more information on the New Woodstock Free Library, visit newwoodstocklibrary.org.
