The West Fargo Public Library is preparing for a busy summer, with events, reading challenges, and an eight-week Little Red Reading Bus route. The festivities will begin with a Summer Kickoff Party from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 1, at the West Fargo Library. This carnival-themed party is free and open to the public and marks the start of the library's schedule of over 60 other summer events. This year's theme, "All Together Now," celebrates friendship, community, and lending a helping hand. Events such as a Blanket Make-In to benefit Project Linus, a family movie series, and DIY friendship bracelet classes all embody the theme. To view the library’s event schedule, visit westfargolibrary.org.
The annual Summer Boost reading program will also begin on June 1 and run until July 31. It offers prizes for reaching reading milestones and encourages all ages to read during the summer months.
"Reading during the summer has been shown to benefit children when they return to school in the fall," said Lauren Nephew, the youth services manager. "Even reading for just fifteen minutes a day can help curb summer learning loss, which naturally occurs when children are out of school for the summer."
Teens and adults are also encouraged to participate in the reading challenge, which is available on Beanstack.
"Reading at any age can benefit your mental health and cognitive function, reduce stress, improve sleep quality, and much more," Nephew said.
The library will also bring books and other activities to local parks from June 5 through Aug. 3 with the Little Red Reading Bus. The bus will visit Meadowlark Park, Dakota Park, Rendezvous Park, Goldenwood Park, North Elmwood Park, and Maplewood Park on a weekly basis. To view the full schedule, visit thelittleredreadingbus.com.
The library would like to thank the Friends of the West Fargo Public Library, Bank of North Dakota, Burggraf’s Ace Hardware, Ferguson Books, the Red River Valley Fair, Sandy’s Donuts, Skate City and the West Fargo community for sponsoring the library’s summer programming.