CCL celebrates summer reading finale

The Colby Community Library (CCL) “Tails and Tales” summer reading program finale was held Thursday, July 22. Vicky Calmes, director at the CCL, welcomed 200 eager readers and family members to the amphitheater/gazebo area of the library.

Calmes thanked the staff, volunteers and 46 businesses that helped make this year’s reading program possible.

Volunteers worked diligently to keep up with the demand for Take and Make craft bags for the summer. Each week, three options were available for young crafters to take home and complete. Over 1,100 bags were distributed during the summer program. Extremely popular were the gnome kits sponsored by Forward Bank and the paper cup dragon kits sponsored by HealthView Eye Care Centers.

Build-It-Bags

Build-It Bags, filled with a variety of miscellaneous crafting items, were picked up by 60 families. Photos of the projects, constructed at home, were required to enter the contest. Thirty-four photos were judged by a local artist. Three families were awarded pizza parties, and honorable mention ice cream certificates were given to four families.

Each participant received a blank Coat of Arms in the registration bags. All 127 names of those completing a shield to decorate the Coat of Arms Palace Wall were put in a random drawing for 14 dragon-themed prizes.

Fairy Tale Guessing Game

Encased in a large glass box were a variety of puzzles and building brick creations for the Fairy Tale Guessing Game. Winners guessing closest without going over were allowed to select a prize from the box.

There were 1,287 pieces used for the display. Hayes Wolf was the nearest with a guess of 1,286 and selected the first prize, followed by a dozen other close guessers.

The Passport to Summer Fun activity booklet required 30 activities to be completed at home and around the community. A prize bag and Pizza Hut coupon were given to 77 readers fulfilling the passport requirements.

Reading clubs

Signing up for the Reading Record Program were 232 youth ages 3-12. These youth readers read more than a half-million pages: 530,348. Reading club readers meeting the 500-page reading folder goal were invited to shop for prizes in the Castle of Prizes. This year, 166 readers reached a club level.

There were 65 members in the Royalty Club who read or listened to at least 4,000 pages. The Dragon Club, with a 3,000-page level requirement, was comprised of 14 members. Twenty-two members reached the Unicorn Club by logging 2,000 pages. A thousand pages read placed 44 members in the Knight Club.

The Pirate Club had 21 members reading at least 500 pages. If club members were present at the finale, they shopped in the castle that morning; club readers who did not attend could stop in and select a prize at their convenience.

In addition, 39 teens registered for the “Tales for Teens” program. Nineteen readers ages 13-19 turned in 135 book reviews. Twelve winners were drawn for prize packages of their choice.

“We were unsure as to how the summer reading program would go this year. With no program last summer, we wondered if readers would return,” Calmes said. “There was no need to worry as many families were back and reading lots and lots of pages this summer. Our circulations are nearly back to normal levels. We are already planning next year’s summer reading program!”