Summer reading program in full swing at library

The deadline for registration in the popular Summer Reading Program is set for June 30 at the Irene Ingle Public Library.

This program is held annually beginning June 1 and runs through the end of July. All students in Kindergarten through Grade 9 are eligible to attend.

The basis of the program, which began in 1998 is simple – after reading a book, students take a retention test on a computer, which is graded and provided to the school district at the end of the program. Each book is worth a certain amount of points and students receive vouchers for cash and prize drawings, as well as a pool party that is held for all readers who accumulate at least 10 points.

According to library director Kay Jabusch, the program has grown from an informal affair to one that monitors and assists students through technology.

“This is the fifteenth year where we also do testing on kids and their reading level,” Jabusch said. “Before that, we did other types of programs that were limited to just elementary-age children. We can accommodate many other kids with this new program, and we have all their reading records and their logins are easy because we use the school’s computers.”

More than 125 prizes await students who take part. The Irene Ingle Public Library sponsors the program, along with Friends of the Library and the Wrangell Public School District. Prizes are currently on display at the library and prizes are still being accepted if someone is interested in donating to the program.