Activities from the South Pasadena Library Summer Reading Program, 2023 (Photos – southpasadenaca.gov)
The South Pasadena Public Library’s Summer Reading Program (SRP) – Read, Return, Repeat – will take place June 3 through August 3.
By News Desk
Participants of all ages are invited to read and track time spent reading for opportunities to earn prizes, as well as to attend a variety of in-person programming. Pre- registration for SRP begins Tuesday, May 28. For complete SRP details, visit the Summer Reading Program landing page on the Library’s website.
Summer programs will have activities for all ages, including:
- Story times
- Wonderful Wednesday events,
- Festival of Balloons Parade,
- Summer Arts Crawl activity,
- Walking Book Club,
- All Abilities Club, and a
- Poetry writing workshop.
Starting the week of June 11, story times will be held in the Library Community Room on Tuesdays for 3- to 5-year olds at 10:30 am – 11:00 am and on Thursdays for 1- to 3-year olds at 10:30 am – 10:50 am and 11:00 am – 11:20 am. Story Times will also be on the Oxley Street side of the Library Park on Saturdays for all ages at 10:30 am – 11:00 am. Children’s librarians will read stories and share fingerplays, songs, flannel board stories, and more.
The Library’s first Wonderful Wednesday event will be on June 12 and will feature an opportunity to mingle with the mayor, Evelyn G. Zneimer, snow cones from Kona Ice at 5:30 pm, and Bob Baker Marionette Theater at 6:00 pm. All subsequent Wonderful Wednesday events will be held at 6:00 pm on the Oxley Street side of the Library Park from June 26 through July 31, and will showcase puppets, music, storytelling, drama, and science.
Families will have the opportunity to march with the Library in the annual Festival of Balloons Parade on the Fourth of July. Participants may join the Library staff under the Moreton Bay Fig tree on the Diamond Avenue side of the Library Park at 10:30 am on Thursday, July 4 to participate. No registration is required for the parade. Strollers and wagons are encouraged. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
For the creatives, the Library will host a Summer Arts Crawl station in the Children’s Room on July 13 from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Participants will have an opportunity to create their own mini-masterpieces to add to the gallery and to trade with others.
For adults, the Library offers All Abilities Club (AAC), Walking Book Club, and a poetry writing workshop. AAC, for adults with disabilities, will meet in the Library Community Room at 1115 El Centro Street at 10:00 am on June 14, July 12, and August 9. No registration is required. Walking Book Club will meet at 9:00 am on June 12 on Oxley Street in front of the library. And the poetry writing workshop, led by poet laureate Ron Koertge, will be hosted in the Library Community Room on August 14 at 6:00 pm. Participants for the Walking Book Club and the poetry writing workshop must sign up in advance at southpasadenaca.gov/register.
Summer reading is not just fun, it is important. Research has shown that students who read at least 20 minutes daily have a clear literacy advantage over children and teens that read less or don’t read at all. The Summer Reading Program stops the summer learning slide and strengthens children’s and teens’ literacy advantage.
This program is presented by the South Pasadena Public Library with generous support from the Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library, Inc. Additional program sponsors include Hodis Music and Learning, My Gym Pasadena, South Pasadena Beautiful, and South Pasadena Arts & Music Academy.
The South Pasadena Public Library is located at 1100 Oxley Street in South Pasadena. Visit the Library website at southpasadenaca.gov/library for information about services and programs. The Library is open Monday, Friday, Saturday 10:00 am- 6:00 pm; Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 10:00 am – 8:00 pm; and Sunday 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm.
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