The Dare County Library has announced that registration for its 2024 Summer Reading Program, “Adventure Begins at Your Library,” will begin this month. Registration for the program begins on Monday, June 24, 2024 at the Kill Devil Hills Library and the Manteo Library and on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 at the Hatteras Library.
About the Summer Reading Program
The Dare County Library’s Summer Reading Program—which is free for participants and designed to be flexible and fun for children of all ages—helps area children maintain the reading skills they developed throughout the school year so they will be better prepared to enter the classroom once again in the fall.
According to the Dare County Library, when children are out of school and not reading on a regular basis, they lose an average of one month’s worth of instruction—a phenomenon often referred to as “the summer slide.” The Dare County Library encourages local parents to help their children avoid experiencing the summer slide by participating in the free, fun and educational Summer Reading Program.
Children who read a total of 30 days during the program will be rewarded with the chance to win prizes. The days that children spend reading throughout the summer are tracked at each Dare County Library location, and the books that each child reads as part of the program can be Dare County Library books or books from home.
The Dare County Library’s Summer Reading Program also encourages children to participate in a variety of weekly programs that are scheduled to take place at each library location. Children and their parents can stop by the Dare County Library branch in their area during business hours to report and record their reading achievements.
“Many studies throughout the years have shown that when children cut back on reading over the summer, their literacy skills ‘slide’—so much so that they could start a new school year as much as a full month behind where they left off,” said Meaghan Leenaarts Beasley, head of the Dare County Library. “By participating in a summer reading program, children maintain their reading skills while getting to engage in STEAM [science, technology, engineering, art and math] and problem-solving activities.”
2024 Summer Reading Program Details
The theme of the 2024 Summer Reading Program is “Adventure Begins at Your Library,” and Dare County children’s librarians Donna Roark and Tammy Batschelet have many fun, engaging and educational programs planned around this theme.
Registration is open to all children and teens ages 2 to 18.
When to Register:
Kill Devil Hills Library: Registration opens Monday, June 24, 2024
Manteo Library: Registration opens Monday, June 24, 2024
Hatteras Library: Registration opens Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Deadlines for Reading Log Submissions:
Kill Devil Hills Library: Tuesday, August 6, 2024 at 5 p.m.
Manteo Library: Tuesday, August 6, 2024 at 2 p.m.
Hatteras Library: Saturday, August 3, 2024 at 2 p.m.
Prizes:
This year, children will earn entries for raffle drawings at all three Dare County Library branches. Track your child’s reading, and once your child reaches 30 days, they will be eligible for entry into drawings for prizes.
Prizes range from STEAM kits to gift cards and much more. With 42 possible days of reading, everyone has great odds! Tracking and prize drawings vary by location; learn more when you register.
Preschool Summer Reading Program:
Preschool age children are invited to enroll in a special “Adventure Begins at Your Library” Summer Reading Program, which is designed to improve their reading and listening skills. Parents can track the books they read with their preschoolers.
Preschool Story hours continue over the summer, but the schedule changes, so be sure to check the Dare County Library’s online calendar or stop by the library location in your area to pick up an “Adventure Begins at Your Library” Summer Reading Program calendar of events.
Summer Reading Program Registration Kickoff Events
To celebrate the launch of the 2024 “Adventure Begins at Your Library” Summer Reading Program, the Dare County Library will host two days of kickoff registration events at each of its three branches. All programs are free and open to children of all ages.
Petting Zoo at the Kill Devil Hills Library
Tuesday, June 25, 2024 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Join us for a visit from Windy Acres Farms Petting Zoo, where you might get to meet baby goats, lizards, chickens, ferrets, bunnies, turtles and more!
Juggling Show at Dare County Library Branches
Thursday, June 27, 2024 at each library branch.
Hatteras Library: 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Kill Devil Hills Library: 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Manteo Library: 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The Imagine Circus Juggling Show will travel the length of the Outer Banks to visit all three Dare County Library branches.
If you are unable to attend one of the above kickoff events, you can still register your child at any time throughout the summer at the front desk of your local library branch beginning Monday, June 24, 2024.
July and August Summer Reading Program Events and Activities:
In addition to the kickoff events listed above, several other Summer Reading Program events and visits are scheduled to take place throughout July and August, including:
- OBX Lizard Land
- The Lost Colony performers
- Rock Star Magic
- Nature Out Loud interactive music
- Sensi Ron Collins Taiko Japanese Drums
- Lego-building contest
- Mustian Street Family Fun Day
- Archaeology treasure hunt
- Family game night
- Lock-in at the library
For more information about the Dare County Library’s 2024 Summer Reading Program, “Adventure Begins at Your Library,” please click the button below or contact the Dare County Library branch in your area at the following numbers.
- Kill Devil Hills Library: 252-441-4331
- Manteo Library: 252-473-2372
- Hatteras Library: 252-986-2385
Funding for the Summer Reading Program
Major funding for the Dare County Library’s 2024 Summer Reading Program comes from the Dare County Library Foundation, which was established in 2002 to enhance library collections and to improve the quality of services the Dare County Library provides to the community. By securing resources to support library programs and projects not normally met by public funding, the library can grow and better meet the needs of the community.
