In this week’s O’Fallon Weekly, Assistant Director Ryan Johnson invites people of all ages to enjoy the fun summer activities at the library.
“Summer is definitely our most happening time of year,” Ryan said. “With the kids out of school, and the adults in their lives looking for ways to keep them busy and engaged, we see increased traffic.”
On average, 700 people visit the library in a single day this time of year. “Most of this traffic is driven by our Summer Reading Program,” Ryan said. You can learn more about it and register online.
Ryan also reminds parents that keeping kids engaged in learning activities helps prevent the “Summer Slide” – the loss of academic skills gained during the school year. The Summer Reading Program can help prevent that slide through encouraging reading and also by getting them engaged in the various activities we host such as Science Camp, Eco Club, and many other events that you can explore on our calendar.
Teens and adults can also participate in the Summer Reading Program. “Simply set up an account online and track the number of minutes you read,” Ryan said. Logging your time through Beanstack allows you to unlock badges – some of which have special prizes. At the end of summer, we will have random drawings for gift cards and prize packs. “It really couldn’t be easier,” he said. Stop by and ask us about the details, or visit our website.
But what about finding that next book to take on vacation or to the poolside? 
“We recently launched a new feature on our website,” Ryan said, “Visit our Reading Suggestions page. There is a ton of great content on that page, but near the bottom, we have a new Reading Lists section. These are genre and topic specific, meaning if you are in the mood for a Fantasy, just click on Fantasy. Easy as that!” Naturally, you can always come to the library and chat with one of us, Ryan said. “We love giving recommendations.”
Another new feature on our website is the Community Resources page where we’ve collected links to many state, county, and non-profit organizations that provide aid or assistance to families and individuals in need.
“We know it isn’t an all-inclusive list, as there are far too many great organizations out there doing this work, but it’s a start.” Check out the Community Resources page to see what we have. If you or someone you know is ever in need, this may be a good place to start. From our homepage, look for the Community Resources under the Local Links tab.
Among our many special events, we have Table Top Gaming Day, Friday, June 22, 12:00 PM to 4:30 PM, for teens 12-18.
Fantasy Books and Games will be here to teach Magic the Gathering! We will also have a variety of other tabletop games to play, including Settlers of Catan, King of Tokyo, and more. Plus, an instructor available to teach them.
Bring your friends and enjoy the cool A/C while we spend the day playing awesome games! Beverages will be provided.
One attendee will win a pair of Gateway Grizzly tickets as a door prize! For more information on Table Top Gaming Day and other events, check out our calendar.
And don’t miss our weekly column, “Library News & Notes,” each Wednesday in the O’Fallon Weekly.
The O'Fallon Public Library News 