Step to the Beat — READ! By April Moon, Emmet O’Neal Public Library

All the way from the mountains, down to the sea There’s a place that was made for you and me! You’ll find stories, books, songs, so much to do and see When you’re steppin’ to the beat at the public library! Kids all over the Southeast will be “stepping to the beat” this summer at their public libraries, as librarians prepare exciting and educational programs with this musical theme in mind. Through a collaborative effort by the librarians in the states of Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina, the Step to the Beat - Read! theme was selected for the summer library program in the states involved. Pooling the impressive resources of this five-state team makes planning a large reading program much easier. Each state contributes certain talents to the package and all the states benefit. “It is much easier when the responsibility for planning the program is distributed among the participating states,” reports Janine Langston, head of the Birmingham Library McCoy Literacy Center. “It also gives you a more balanced program when you have so many diverse librarians coming together to plan a shared summer library program.” The kits that are distributed to all the public libraries in the participating states are full of program ideas, publicity tools, and implementation suggestions. Each public library is responsible for taking the shared theme and tailoring its own program to its specific community. You’ll be as cool as a penguin in a conga line, Just follow the library sign! You can be all a girl or boy can be, Stayin’ cool at the public library! Last year boys and girls all over the county were staying cool at the library, as almost every public library reported an increase in summer reading enrollment and program attendance. The Birmingham Library had 4,919 children register at the central location and branches combined. This was an increase of over 250 children from the previous year. The total program attendance for the Birmingham Library System was nearly 20,000, also an increase from the previous summer. Other municipal libraries also reported gains in participation. The Hoover Library had 2,804 sign up for summer reading and had capacity numbers at all its programs. The Emmet O’Neal Library in Mountain Brook registered 1,789 children, an increase of 8% over the previous year, and had program attendance numbers in excess of 8,000. Neighboring Homewood Library signed up 804 happy readers and entertained over 2,000 during its summer of fun. Over 625 children registered for summer reading at Vestavia Library and the children’s department reported a “huge” increase in program attendance. Smaller public libraries in the county like Gardendale, Trussville, Leeds, Graysville, and Pleasant Grove also reported significant increases in both registration and attendance. “Parents are more conscious of their children’s education continuing during the summer, and with library programs being free, it’s something everyone can afford!” explained Langston. The public library remains the one place where every child can go and receive the same wonderful benefits, regardless of age, race, or economic conditions. Summer library programs are free and many offer incentive prizes for participation, so even reluctant readers are teased into participating. Life-long readers are planted and grown in summer library programs, and this year’s program will be steppin’ out with the best of them! We’ll be steppin’ to the beat on the city streets, We’ll be steppin’ to the beat in the suburban heat, We’ll be steppin’ to the beat in the country so sweet- Step to the Beat - READ! Song lyrics courtesy of the Georgia Public Library Service

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