By Marisa Dawson, celebration photos courtesy of Bennington Library

The Bennington Public Library has officially wrapped up another busy summer of reading, learning and community events, with this year’s Summer Reading Challenge bringing in record participation and a packed schedule of activities for local families.

The summer came to a close with one final Wednesday presentation from Animal Encounters, followed by the library’s Summer Finale in Centennial Park and an end-of-summer celebration for the teen volunteers who helped make the program possible.

In total, 1,411 people participated in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge, a 42% increase over last year’s participation. Readers collectively logged 34,310 days of reading, while 3,785 drawing tickets were submitted for the program’s grand prize drawing.

The numbers were part of an even larger summer at the library. Staff hosted 105 events throughout the season, drawing 5,114 attendees.

“This summer was full of fantastic events for all ages! I know that when I think back to this summer I will remember how amazing it was to see so many community members attend all of our 105 events that we held this summer,” said Youth Services Librarian Johnna Ware.

The summer’s Wednesday programming followed an “Unearth a Story” dinosaur-focused theme, beginning with the Stomp, Chomp Roar! program. Animal Encounters, which is typically the library’s opening Wednesday event, returned as the final presenter this year.

“We typically have Wildlife Encounters as our leadoff Wednesday event. But this summer with our Unearth a Story dinosaur-focused theme we led with Stomp, Chomp Roar! And, it was just as special to end with our most popular summer presenter–Wildlife Encounters!” Ware said.

The Animal Encounters program also provided families with an opportunity to learn about animals and conservation.

“Animal Encounters is a fantastic conservation program that helps teach animal stewardship and responsibility to people of all ages,” Ware said.

Behind the scenes, preparations for the summer program began months before the first event. Library staff start planning in January, first booking the Wednesday presenters before turning their attention to marketing, volunteer coordination and the many other details required to keep the program running.

Natalie Hartley, the library’s assistant director and social media coordinator, works on marketing materials to help residents find information about the events and Summer Reading Challenge. Meanwhile, the library’s teen volunteer program provides another important piece of the summer operation.

This year, 53 teen volunteers contributed a combined 806 hours.

“Our summer volunteers are a key ingredient to our success!” Ware said.

The volunteers are recruited beginning in April, when the library starts accepting applications and building the summer volunteer schedule. Their work helps staff manage the numerous programs and activities taking place throughout the season.

For library staff, the Summer Finale in Centennial Park is another annual highlight. The event gives the team an opportunity to put together something unique for the community while bringing families together to celebrate the end of the summer program.

“Our Summer Finale event in Centennial Park is always a fun time for us staff because we love putting on unique events for our community. I love how our community comes out year after year to celebrate with us,” Ware said.

Once the public portion of the finale concludes, the library turns its attention to the teens who spent their summer volunteering. The teen volunteers get to enjoy the water slides and refreshments with their friends as a thank-you for their work throughout the season.

With more than 1,400 Summer Reading Challenge participants, Ware said the participation itself was a significant milestone for the library.

“Our Summer Reading Challenge of over 1400 signups was definitely a milestone for us! We are excited to see how many people take the challenge next year,” she said.

While the events provide entertainment and opportunities for families to connect, the reading component remains at the heart of the program. Ware said the goal is to help children continue reading and learning during the months they are away from school.

“At its core, Summer Reading is all about keeping kids reading and learning when they are out of school. Research shows that reading just 15 minutes per day in the summer helps students avoid the “summer slide,” and they are more prepared when they reenter school in the fall. Beyond our Reading Challenge, our special summer events encourage our community to stop in and enjoy the library as a free space to learn and engage,” Ware said.

As families transition back into the school-year routine, the library encourages them to carry some of those summer reading habits with them. Ware recommends maintaining regular reading time, particularly reading together as a family when possible.

The library also remains a resource for families looking for books, activities and opportunities to stay engaged throughout the school year.

“We loved seeing everyone enjoy the library this summer!” Ware said.

With another summer program now in the books, the library is already celebrating what the community accomplished while looking ahead to another season of reading and learning.