The Santa Cruz Public Libraries will kick off the 2024 Summer Reading Program with a special event 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at Aptos Library, celebrating the newly opened branch.
Tour the remarkably designed, state-of-the-art Aptos Branch Library, 7695 Soquel Drive, Aptos, and to sign up to participate in the Read, Renew, Repeat Summer Reading Program designed for all ages.
There will be performances for everyone to enjoy, from magician James Chan to a bilingual Musical Me storytime and a musical performance by Cement Ship, a local artist and Sound Swell artist from the SCPL SoundSwell local music database. Children can get their face painted by Chelsea Wright of Wisteria’s Faerie Creations.
Remember when the grand opening with all of this entertainment was cancelled due to wintry weather? This is your opportunity to experience all those special activities.
Celebrate the building, pick up a brochure and a keepsake sticker.
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Summer at the Library: Read, Renew, Repeat + Prizes
Summer is almost here and Santa Cruz Public Libraries is ready with the 2024 Summer Reading Program designed for adults, children and family members.
The theme is: Read, Renew, Repeat, a conservation message inviting participants to reduce consumption and reuse materials, and to read as a strategy for self-care.
The program will kick off Saturday, June 1, at 10 a.m. at the brand-new Aptos Branch Library, 7695 Soquel Drive, Aptos. The newest SCPL branch was chosen as the venue for this celebration, as the grand opening event for the branch on Feb. 4 had to be postponed due to inclement weather.
Santa Cruz Public Libraries staff hope to recreate some of the magic planned for that day with performances by magician James Chan, MusicalMe, face painting with Wisteria Faerie Creations and local musicians Cement Ship who are part of the library’s Soundswell collection.
As librarians know, reading transports us to magical worlds and sparks our imagination and creativity.
“The Summer Reading Program is all about celebrating reading for pleasure and encouraging children and everyone to keep reading all summer long,” said Youth Programs and Services Manager Heather Norquist. “I love that we have this opportunity to host special performances by magicians, puppeteers, musicians and more, and that we give children books as incentive prizes to build their home libraries.”
Adult Programs and Services Manager Jessica Goodman added, “Summer is really a special time of year for the library. Our librarians spend months planning a tightly packed schedule of programs, thinking through every single detail, then get to see their work come to fruition as people of all ages come together for reading, learning, and fun.”
To sign up, visit your local library, Bookmobile, or www.santacruzpl.org/srp
Participants win prizes for reaching their goals through each of the reading milestones. The last day to log reading minutes for the Summer Reading Program is Wednesday, July 31, and the last day to redeem prizes is Saturday, Aug. 10.
During the next two months, every branch in the ten-library system from Aptos to Boulder Creek and the Bookmobile will host free activities for children, teens, and adults to encourage and support a love of reading.
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To learn more about the summer reading adventure at the library, call 831-427-7713 or visit the SCPL Summer Reading Program website at: www.santacruzpl.org/srp
TOP PHOTO: Magician James Chan