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Library Corner

By Royce Kitts - | Jul 22, 2009

The Tonganoxie Public Library will be celebrating the end of its summer reading program with a carnival, which will be 1-3 p.m., on Saturday at the library, Third and Bury streets in Tonganoxie.

The carnival will take place outside the library, but will move inside the building in the event of inclement weather.

We will have hot dogs, potato chips, lemonade and snow cones. This year will feature a face painter, a balloon twisting clown and a funny face artist, courtesy of Happy Faces Entertainment.

At the beginning of summer reading, I made a promise that if we broke last year’s sign-up record I would have my head shaved at the Summer Reading Carnival. So make sure to be there as Library Board president Lajean Keene has the honor of performing this task.

This year was a great year for summer reading. For the first time we presented programs for different age groups, and judging by the 50-percent increase in participation over last year, we feel this was a good decision. I wish as the director that I could take all the credit, but the credit really goes to the wonderful staff and volunteers of the Tonganoxie Public Library — especially programming coordinator Julianne Newberry. Her tireless enthusiasm really made Summer Reading something special for the record-breaking 200-plus kids who signed up this year.

The library would also like to say a thank you to local businesses B&J Country Mart, Evans Real Estate and Gambino’s for the generous donations that helped make summer reading a special event for the kids of Tonganoxie.

We would also like to send an extra special thank you to the Tonganoxie Recreation Commission, Leavenworth Area Retired School Personnel and the Friends of the Tonganoxie Library, whose generous support each year helps the library get the word out about the importance of reading.

Last, but not least, thanks to all the kids, parents and grandparents who attended events and participated in the summer reading program this year.

See you at the carnival.

— Royce Kitts is director of the Tonganoxie Public Library.