“Why should the kids have all the fun?” was a significant motivating factor for the Irene Ingle Public Library’s first-ever winter reading program for grown-ups, which wrapped up in March after 11 weeks of page-turning.
It was a success, attracting 60 participants who read a combined 1,072 books.
Sarah Scambler, library director, said many patrons commented that the summer reading program for kids, which has been offered for the past 30 years, always generates reading fun and excitiement, and adults wanted in on it. The idea had been floated by the Friends of the Library, and other libraries were reporting interest, so it seemed like it was time to offer the new program in Wrangell.
Library staff developed the reading format and rules as a giant bingo card, with each square representing a different genre to be read, including such standard options as biography, mystery, made-into-a-movie and true crime.
More inventive categories were “has a recipe in it,” “winter-themed” and “has a number in the title.”
In all, readers were challenged to each read as many as 25 books. They received a ticket for every book read, dropping their tickets into jars for prize drawings at the end of the program. They also received an Irene Ingle Library mug for their first bingo, and bookmarks or stickers for subsequent bingos.
“People could participate as much or as little as they wanted. It was meant to allow readers to compete with themselves, to challenge themselves to read books outside of their regular reading habits,” Scambler said. “But it was amazing how competetive people got. The dedication of the readers was pretty inspiring. They really took it seriously!”
Library activity is normally slow at the start of the year, but the director noted a real uptick in people using the library and its collections during the program.
“We have 40,000 items in our collections, and sometimes when a book doesn’t get circulated, real gems get lost in the stacks,” Scambler said.
The reading program was a way for people to explore a wider range of the library’s offerings.
Isabella Crowley, who accomplished a bingo blackout by reading a book in each category, said she participated because of her love of reading — and the challenge. “I’ve never read 25 books in three months before!”
She was surprised how many genres of books were suggested that she had not read before. “I kind of fell in love with mystery books a little bit.”
Heather Howe, another participant, was happy to have read nine books. She said her favorite part was the community experience of seeing what other people were reading on the program’s Facebook page, a comment shared by a number of people on the page.
She also noted that life can get busy, and sometimes it’s easier to just turn on the television than to get out a book and find a quiet space to read.
“This program gave me a real incentive to read,” Howe said.
The program culminated with a luncheon sponsored by the Friends of the Library at the Elks Club on March 22. Of the 60 readers, 24 filled their entire card.
Prizes for winning tickets included a book-themed blanket, binoculars, gift cards and themed baskets.
Feedback was positive for the first-time program, and plans are already underway for next year, Scambler said, adding that organizers will try to collect more and different prizes.
Some of the reading categories will be tweaked, to include suggested categories from particpant surveys. A few more days will be added to give readers more time.
And as nearly all the readers this year were women, ways to encourage men to get involved will be considered.
Scambler noted, however, that adding programs takes time and support. The Friends of the Library contributed new display cases, the mugs, prizes and the party for the reading program. The nonprofit group generally meets the second Friday of the month at 3 p.m. at the library.
She expressed concern over proposed cuts to the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services; it’s the only federal agency dedicated to sustaining museum and library systems nationwide.
The Trump administration issued an executive order last month that called for dismantling seven federal agencies. The Institute of Museum and Library Services was on the list.
The Irene Ingle Public Library receives an annual grant from the federal agency of $10,000. “These funds allow us to try new things without impacting our general operating budget,” Scambler said.
Recent projects have included digitizing the Wrangell Sentinel back issues and early-literacy computer stations, as well as approximately 60 Playaways, a digital reading player that supported the “audio book” square on the reading program bingo cards.
Scambler encouraged people to contact Alaska’s congressional delegation to support funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Reader Comments(0)