This summer, 5,976 children in Olathe and surrounding areas participated in the Olathe Public Library’s Summer Reading Club, “Catch the Reading Bug,” marking a 34 per cent increase over last year. Each child returning his/her reading club folder in August was given a free paperback book – 1,802 children received paperback books, a 15 percent increase over the previous summer. Heatherstone Elementary students returned 137 folders, marking the highest number from one Olathe school.
Children’s programs were highly attended as well. Thirty-six story times drew 1620 people at “Storytime in the Park” in the two area parks and evening story time at the Indian Creek Branch Library. In order to accommodate more children, three programs were held at the American Legion with 714 attending. At the other sixty-six programs held at the two Olathe libraries, 2921 participated.
The Olathe Public Library Foundation, Olathe Reads and Comcast sponsored the summer reading club program. The Comcast Foundation gave an $11,000 grant and the OPL Foundation donated $5,000 for the summer reading program. Olathe Reads is a partnership formed by the City of Olathe, Olathe District Schools, and the Olathe Public Library to promote the value and importance of reading.
At the foundation’s fundraising event in September, it presented a grant of $5,000 to the children’s department for the 2009 Summer Reading Club. The 2009 theme will be “Be Creative @ Your Library.”
The Summer Reading Finale, featuring magician Devin Henderson and singer Craig Toungate, was held at Olathe East in August, drawing 345 participants. Sponsors of this event were Olathe Reads and the Friends of the Olathe Public Library which donated $1,500.
The children’s department was named a winner in the 2008 Library Summer Reading Partnership , sponsored by American Century Services, LLC, in partnership with Learning Quest Kansas . The $529 award is to be used towards books or other library supplies.