Jorge Luis Borges once said, “I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” And I’d have to agree with him. The Timberland Regional Library (TRL) system that serves our county and 4 others, boasts an impressive 27 libraries to choose from, which, to a reader, are paradise.

Timberland Regional Library Summer Program Siblings at Play
Take a break from the summer heat. Libraries become air-conditioned oasis’s in the hotter months and as these siblings have discovered, the children’s areas encompass more than just books! Photo courtesy: Timberland Regional Library

TRL has been enriching our communities for the past 50 years and library patrons know that books can take you on a journey. Journeys that are made up of the wildest dreams one can imagine and oftentimes lead to adventures that take you “out-of-this-world.”

This summer, embark on your own adventure through TRL’s Summer Library Program, “A Universe of Stories.” Kids, teens, and adults can sign-up now to participate in this three-month-long program that runs June 1 – August 31 and is offered at all of TRL’s 27 library locations.

Participants can register online through Beanstack, in a new, easy-to-use portal or by downloading the Beanstack app available for Android and iOS. Sign-ups are also available in-person at each library, as well as schools, farmer’s markets and many other community locations that the library staff visit.

Summer Library Program participants will be provided with an activity log where they can mark off a star for each challenge completed. There are 30 challenges presented, and completing just 10 will earn you a free book, prize coupons from local sponsors, and an entry into the grand prize drawing. Each additional group of 10 completed challenges earns another grand prize entry for a total of 10 entries available per person. Last year 54 children won the grand prize, all receiving a brand-new bike (courtesy of the Masonic Charities of Washington).

Timberland Regional Library Summer Program Prize Winner
One of the Summer Library Program’s Grand Prize winners poses with her family and her new bike! 54 new bikes were generously donated to the program as Grand Prizes by Mason Charities of Washington. Photo courtesy: Timberland Regional Library

The challenges are designed to be accessible to all ages. From new readers to the well-seasoned, challenges inspire engagement in various ways. Kendra Jones, the Library’s youth and family services district manager, highlights that participating in the program helps combat summer slide. “Young brains stay in learning mode to set them up for a successful school year,” she says, “and adults get to create, connect, explore and learn with each other.”

Activities range from reading or listening to a book and stargazing to telling a library worker a space fact. You could also read a book by an author of color, or complete a “superchallenge sheet” provided by a librarian. The Timberland Regional Library knows that building literacy skills are essential for learning to read, and their program has evolved to become more accessible by providing activities alternate to reading for non-readers, struggling readers, and those who have not-yet-mastered the skill.

And it’s working! Participation is up, especially where adults are concerned. The Summer Library Program, which has been running nearly as long as the Library has been incorporated, (over 50 years), was traditionally offered to just kids and teens. Over the past two years, TRL has been moving toward opening up the program to adults too, and last year, the first official year for adults, 3,165 of them joined in the fun. “One of the best indicators that a child will be a successful reader is how often they witness the adults in their life reading,” says Jones. “If kids see adults reading, especially their caregivers, they will want to do it, too! So, I’m really excited to be moving forward with adults on board.”

Timberland Regional Library Summer Program Teen Zone
The “Teen Zone” within each library is a great place for older kids and teens to relax and connect. These kids are enjoying playing Rock Band. Photo courtesy: Timberland Regional Library

Last year, 16,483 people participated in the Summer Library Program, many of them children, and the program offered more than 1,025 events that were attended by 29,443 people.

Family Make & Build, which kicks off the program in Grays Harbor County, will be held this year on June 1 all day, starting at 10:00 a.m. at the Amanda Park & Westport Timberland Libraries.

A fold-out calendar of Summer Library Program events is available at all of the libraries and it details the many opportunities to visit a library or partake in a library event offered throughout the community. For example, on June 26, teens can make Pixel Art all day at the Montesano Library. In Amanda Park from 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. see the Mr. Lizard, Reptile Show (also at the Aberdeen Library from 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.) In Elma, try fun science and math activities for kids from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., at their Wonderworks program. Cool down with a Summer Movie from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the McCleary Library. In Hoquiam, adults and teens can end their day with the Paint Mandala Stones program from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Thankfully, the multitude of events are organized smartly onto a paper calendar, or you can find the library’s events digitally on their website or via their Facebook events.

In the 2018 survey, parents and caregivers reported that the Summer Library Program helped their children maintain or increase their reading skills, and made them more confident and frequent readers. Adults reported for themselves that they learned something new from what they read or experienced, enjoyed reading more and wanted to use the library more often.

Michelle Larson, TRL’s Public Relations Specialist, sums up the Summer Library Program well, “It keeps kids engaged year-round. The activity log gives them something that is their choice to do–it’s not homework, it’s not assigned. They’re rewarded for completing the challenges they’ve selected with books and even a cupcake There are all kinds of opportunities for them to do challenges that don’t feel like a chore. We’ve tried to suggest activities that are really fun and are something they can do now with their whole family.”

Sign yourself or your family up! Visit the Beanstack website to sign up electronically or visit your favorite of the 27 different libraries in the system.

The eight branches located throughout Grays Harbor County are:

Aberdeen: 121 East Market Street
360-533-2360

Amanda Park: 6118 U.S. Highway 101
360-288-2725

Elma: 119 North 1st Street
360-482-3737

Hoquiam: 420 7th Street

Timberland Regional Library Summer Program Mr Lizard Show
Mr. Lizard’s Reptile Show will make an appearance 13 times this summer, across all 5 counties that TRL serves. Photo courtesy: Timberland Regional Library

360-532-1710

McCleary: 121 South 4th Street
360-495-3368

Montesano: 125 Main St. S
360-249-4211

Oakville: 204 Main Street
360-273-5305

Westport: 101 E. Harms Drive
360-268-0521

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