Photograph by Dai Sugano
Capella Kerst, 7, picks up artificial gold beads at the Saratoga Community Library.
Saratoga Library offers more than books for both children and teens
Summer programs feature guest readers, music and exhibits
By Amy Golod
The Saratoga Community Library is definitely child-friendly. Posters touting the fun of reading, and displaying artwork by elementary and middle-school students decorate the section of the library dedicated to young readers. Tables and chairs between bookshelves invite patrons to enjoy a story hot off the shelf.
"Children's programs have been traditional for many years at libraries across the country," says Diana Colby, program librarian, who works directly with the younger readers. The library has offered children's programs for more than 10 years.
Although these programs run throughout the year, there is a greater concentration of them during the summer months.
The summer programs, each geared toward specific ages, include presentations by guest readers and musicians, story hours and other events such as puppet shows and hands-on exhibits.
The Gold Rush Sisters, two women who sing, play music and tell stories about the West and the California Gold Rush, will perform for families on July 23. The library hosted "Gold Rush Days" on July 14, teaching children about the Gold Rush with activities such as panning for gold.
The summer program's overall theme is "Go Wild! Try Books of All Kinds," and a number of its weekly themes are based on the West.
If participants read at least 10 books by mid-August, when the program ends, they will receive coupons for Round Table Pizza. They will also be rewarded with a coupon for one free book from the Book-Go-Round, the bookstore run by the Friends of the Saratoga Libraries, which is an independent organization of volunteers. Older readers in the summer program will also receive a coupon exchangeable for two tickets to a San Francisco Giants game.
Children who are not yet able to read can also take part in the library's programs. Children between the ages of 2 and 3 have special story hours, as do children ages 3 to 5. These youngsters can participate in the summer reading program with "listening records," which allow them to keep track of book titles others read to them. The listeners also receive Book-Go-Round and Round Table Pizza coupons.
"They must read [or listen to] at least 10 books, but there is space on the list for more because we hope they read lots of books," Colby says.
According to Colby, 484 readers and 123 listeners signed up during the program's first week.
"There are even more who come through the library and don't sign up, so it's encouraging," Colby says.
Uykie Murasawa gets a little help from big brother Kentarou while panning for gold at the Saratoga Library.
Photograph by Dai Sugano
Just as there is a children's section of the library, there is also an area dedicated to teens. The teens' programs haven't been around as long, but they began to flourish in 1996.
"We're trying to get support for the teen programs because it's sometimes a forgotten age group," Jodie Wiepking, teen services librarian, says.
Teenagers may take part in "Totally Teen Reading for the Extreme," a program similar to the children's summer program. Although the program is less structured than the children's program, teens also record titles of books read during the summer. After reading ten books, participants will receive a coupon for a free book from the Book-Go-Round.
"We encourage teens to read and not feel like they are doing school assignments. We want them to read for pleasure," Wiepking says.
After the first week, about 15 teens had signed up for the program. Bookmarks and fliers throughout the library feature titles, authors and summaries of books representing various literary genres. Teen services librarians of the Santa Clara county library system, with which Saratoga Library is affiliated, have read these books and recommend them to teenage readers.
Teens may also attend summer programs such as Brandon McKinney's comic book workshop on July 27, where participants will learn to draw characters from stick figures. The Mother-Daughter Summer Book Club, a new program this year, encourages young women and their mothers to read specific books and talk about them with other readers. This program invites discussion not only at the designated meeting time, but also at home, Colby says.
Another way teens become involved in the library is through the Teen Volunteer Program. According to Wiepking, three or four teens volunteer each day during the summer. The volunteers put away materials, help out during the children's programs and do odd jobs to maintain the library.
"I've been going to this library a lot and I just wanted to help out," Anoush Cyrus, a 14-year-old teen volunteer, says.
For more information on the Saratoga Community Library's summer programs, call 867-6127.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
