This is just one of several pictures we have of kids with books in the boat that's " floating" in the Library this summer. The boat has been a real hit with the kids and every once in a while we'll notice it's suddenly quiet in the kids section and we walk over and find some kids reading contentedly, flopped on pillows in the bottom of the thing. It never fails to make our day.

The summer reading program is at the end of its 2nd week. The first day of the program started out with a phone call to my home at 6:30 a.m. - our maintenance man could not get inside the Library because the key would not fit into the lock. With the clock ticking and lots of work still to get done before the kids arrived, a locksmith finally pulled a clump of reedy weeds from the lock. We had 10 minutes before we opened by the time we got in the door. All in a day's work around here. The beauty of this job is that anything can happen and oftentimes does. In the end the day went very well because we had 60 kids signed up by the end of it.

We're pleased to report that close to 200 kids have signed up for the program so far. While this is not a record, we have the chance to break the record of 240 if more kids sign up through the next six weeks. It is never to late to sign up - we've had kids sign up in the last week and still manage to have lots of fun and walk away with a book or two.

The Library is general chaos in the summer - staff is absolutely smacked down by the end of the work week. We do so much talking and cheering and persuading that our throats get sore and we lose our voices. We do so much shelving that our backs and knees ache (we are getting to be women of a certain age here you know). But would we have it any other way? No way. This much we know is true - kids love it when adults notice them, pay attention to them, interact with them. We could just direct the kids to the books and send them on their merry way. But instead, we try to make each visit to this place an adventure, an episode of fun, something unexpected. We hope we're making memories.

The summer reading program runs through July 30th. Next week Tuesday June 22nd at 10:00 at Little Wolf High School, Tom Pease will be performing. Everyone is welcome. Other future events include the play Mulan Jr on July 21st, afternoons at the movies, craft and lunch bunch programs and story hour and Babygarten in July and August. The 10th annual finale show and picnic will also be held on Thursday July 29th. If you know of any kids that haven't signed up yet, let them know there is still much fun to be had.