Canby Library to host End of Summer Party

By Jules Rogers, The Canby Chronicle

The library is inviting the entire community to a free end-of-summer celebration tied to the success of the summer reading program that drew nearly 700 participants.

The Canby Public Library is hosting the End of Summer Party at Wait Park on Aug. 7 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., celebrating summer reading. This year’s theme for the Canby Public Library Summer Reading Program is “Plant a Seed, Read.” 

From 11 a.m.-1 p.m., face painting, bubbles, large party games, and community booths from groups like Friends of the Canby Public Library, Todos Juntos, Canby Kiwanis Club, and the Canby Library Foundation will be available. Kona Ice will be onsite from noon-1 p.m., according to Phillip Yocham, children’s librarian.

“Last year, we had four weeks of professional performers (including) musicians, dancers, magicians, and jugglers at Wait Park,” Yocham said. “These events have been quite popular … We are celebrating our success in reading over the summer.”

Canby summer reading runs from June 1 to August 31. Yocham said more than 400 kids, 100 teens, and 175 adults signed up this summer in the first 16 days.

“This illustrates that the Canby Community really values reading over the summer months,” Yocham said. “Our goal is to keep school-aged kids and teens reading over the summer months while they are out of school.”

The main challenge for the summer reading program is to finish the reading log, which includes 30 minutes a day for 25 days.

“If they want to challenge themselves more, they can do another 25 days,” Yocham said. “Completing the challenges puts them into a raffle for prizes at the end of the summer.”

Yocham said the primary goal is to provide a challenge that encourages school-aged kids and teens to read over the summer, which helps keep up and increase reading skills, supporting academic success for the upcoming school year.

“The impact is that kids and teens keep or increase their reading skills during the summer months while they are out of school,” Yocham said. “There is research out there that shows the importance of keeping up reading skills during a very long break from school. Families that opt out of reading over the summer could become behind in reading, which can make challenges for the upcoming school year.”

The End of Summer Party is just one of many events the library hosts, like Yocham’s Maker Lab program, escape rooms, and teen club Dungeons & Dragons meetups. 

“The library in Canby is a community center point for many members of the Canby community,” Yocham said. “Summer reading focuses on reading which is one of our main roles as a library.  We also of course provide fun and engaging events to encourage more reading and learning.”

To attend the Aug. 7 End of Summer party, participation in the Summer Reading Program is encouraged, but not required.