Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Librarian calls reading key to success stories

The childrens librarian for Gurdon and Arkadelphia told Rotarians June 1 that she is expecting between 50 and 75 readers for the summer program this year.

"I have been doing this on Tuesdays during the summer at Gurdon for seven years," Julie Watson said.

"The most books I recall any one Gurdon student reading during the six weeks of the program is 225.

"It was a couple of years ago and the girl was about 9-years-old going into the fourth grade. I dont remember her name."

Watson does the summer story time at the Arkadelphia library on Wednesdays. She recalls one Arkadelphia student reading 300 books in six weeks.

Watson said the average Gurdon participant gets through 35 to 50 books during the six weeks. Difficulty of the books is the student's choice, although reading at one's grade level is encouraged.

This years program will start on Tuesday, June 13 and end on Tuesday, July 18.

"We had more than 500 books read last year," Watson said.

The librarian said Gurdons first library was started in 1895, with less than 200 books.

It became a Clark County branch in 1948 and went through major improvements in 1991, when renovation grants from the Cabe Foundation prompted it to be named the Cabe Library. It is located at 204 East Walnut Street.

Watson said the local library currently has more than 13,000 books. The library is funded through one-tenth of a mill of tax in Clark County.

"We also have a couple of computers that are internet ready," Watson said. "We just want to get children to come to our library and give reading a chance. Reading is so vital to success in nearly anything."

Watson said children 3 to 6 years old will meet at the library on Tuesdays this summer for story time at 10 a.m., while the readers, ages 6 to 12 who can read independently, will meet on Tuesdays at 2 p.m.

"Our summer theme is Paws, Claws, Scales and Tales and it is geared toward keeping the children reading," she said.

For more details about the summer reading program, see the related article in this weeks Gurdon Times or call the library at 353-2911.