Our Daily Show Interview! Summer Reading Starts Soon at Hayner Library!
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ALTON - The Hayner Public Library District is preparing for the Summer Reading Program, and they can’t wait to welcome kids and teens to the library.
From June 2 to July 10, 2025, community members can enjoy special programs, events and activities every day to celebrate the Summer Reading Program. This year’s theme, “Level Up,” has a gaming feel and reminds kids that they can level up their lives by reading.
“There’s programming seven days a week,” said Mary Cordes, Hayner’s executive director. “We have a really good staff.”
The staff has been preparing for the Summer Reading Program since January, said Megan Dees, who oversees most of the teen programming at the library. Dees has been busy decorating the library with retro gaming icons, from Pac-Man to Sonic, in preparation for the “Level Up” theme.
Each week begins with “Press Start for Art,” a program from 10–11 a.m. on Mondays at Hayner’s Alton Square Mall location, where kids ages 2–6 can create a craft project. From 4–5 p.m. on Mondays, teens can complete their own craft at the Teen Center at the Alton Square Mall library.
This is followed by “Stories and Art” from 10–11 a.m. on Tuesdays at the downtown Hayner Library. In this weekly program, a librarian reads a storybook to the kids while a local artist creates a piece based on the story.
“The kids can watch art being made,” Cordes explained. “It exposes kids to art and artists and the process of making art with a real artist, which is something else that we wanted to expose kids to.”
At 10 a.m. every Wednesday, Dees has booked a performer to come to the Alton Square Mall library to engage the kids through science, music and more. Each week is different, but Dees and Cordes promise the performances will be fun for kids of all ages.
Teens can enjoy “Level Up Gaming,” with interactive hands-on games ranging from giant Monopoly to “Grannies Bingo.” This program runs from 4–5 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Alton Square Mall library.
At 10 a.m. on Thursdays, older kids ages 6–12 can enjoy “Making the Game Science Workshop,” a program that encourages kids to complete a science experiment based on their favorite games. This event will take place at the Alton Square Mall library.
Throughout the day on Thursdays, kids of all ages can also complete the Treasure Quest Treasure Hunt, where they must find all the clues at the Alton Square Mall library to win a prize. Cordes explained that this game also encourages the kids to learn more about how the library works and where they can find certain genres.
For kids and teens who would like to participate in the Summer Reading Program, you must register on Beanstack so you can log your books throughout the summer. Participants receive prizes based on how many books they read, and they are entered for the chance to win special baskets at the end of the summer.
Dees and Cordes hope the Summer Reading Program is a lot of fun for the kids and teens who decide to participate. They believe it’s a great way to encourage reading and community connection, and they look forward to engaging with the library’s youngest patrons from June 2 to July 10, 2025, and beyond.
For more information about Hayner’s Summer Reading Program, visit their official website at HaynerLibrary.org.
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