Dear Editor:
The Jersey City Free Public Library had another very successful Summer Reading Program. The 2009 summer reading theme was, Be Creative @ Your Library for children in grades K-5, and Express Yourself @ Your Library for young adults in grades 6-8 and up. The yearly themes are established by the CSLP – Collaborative Summer Library Program, a grassroots consortium of states working together to provide high-quality summer reading program materials for children at the lowest cost possible for their public libraries.
Last year, 1,371 children participated in all programs, with 625 of them reading a total of 23,192 books during the 2008 Summer Reading Program.
This year, 1,392 children participated in all programs, with 822 of them reading a total of 32,272 books during the 2009 Summer Reading Program.
This year’s SRP ran from June 22 to Aug. 14. During this period, children participated in hundreds of reading, crafts, and games sessions, in addition to watching selected movies throughout our 11 branches and the Main Library. We had two performers who held 12 separate shows at the Main Library and the five regional branches, entertaining hundreds of children. We took 78 young adults to Great Adventure and 78 children to Keansburg Amusement Park, as part of the programs. We also took 130 children of different ages to Camp Liberty right here in our own Jersey City, where children enjoyed food, games, swimming, and face painting.
We are so grateful to our supporters for helping the Jersey City Free Public Library provide such programs and activities during the summer. On behalf of the Library Administration and the Library Board of Trustees, I would like to thank Mr. Carmine Tabone of the Educational Arts Team and his staff for their great help and use of Camp Liberty; Hudson County Freeholder Eliu Rivera, who helped provide buses from the Hudson County Schools of Technology for the Keansburg Amusement Park trip; and to Mr. Joseph Macchi, director of JC Department of Recreation for helping provide buses for the trip to Great Adventure.
Sincerely yours,
Hussein Odeh
Supervising Librarian
Coordinator, SRP 2009