INDEPENDENCE – The Independence Public Library’s 2024 Summer Reading Program “Read, Renew, Repeat” resulted in 881 community members reading 749,373 minutes! It also was the source of many exploratory and nature-related programs. In addition, library gained 157 new library cardholders during the summer reading program months. Though it was the theme, we are unable to renew or repeat the summer of 2024, and it flew by!
We kicked off the summer reading program with Iowa State University’s Insect Zoo where a large crowd of kids, moms, dads, and grandparents got the opportunity to get up close and personal with over 100 species of insects and arthropods. When a young attendee waiting to get in yelled, “We want bugs!” that summed up the energy and excitement of the event.
Certified personal organizer, Becky Esker, shared tips and tricks to declutter your life and boost productivity. The Iowa Waste Reduction Center taught attendees how to compost food scraps and yard waste, helping to do reduce landfill waste with the tremendous amount of food that gets thrown out in the United States. Children and people of all ages enjoyed Lucas, the toad; Stripe, the turtle; and the caterpillars (soon to be butterflies) that have been at home in our library over the summer. This was in partnership with Buchanan County Conservation (BCC) and Michael Maas. We also worked with BCC to read in nature…on hikes and in canoes!…