Photo courtesy South Pasadena Public Library Youtube page
The South Pasadena Public Library’s Summer Reading Program (SRP) concluded on Saturday, July 31 and was a great success. Together, South Pasadenans read over 8,784 hours this summer, an incredible 1,050 hours more than last year! 541 registered readers submitted 278 book reviews on Beanstack, the library’s reading tracking app since 2019. A total of 2,587 Beanstack badges were earned, which encouraged participants to complete various activities and try out Library resources: 53 participants read an ebook or eaudiobook on OverDrive or on the Libby App, 52 started language learning on Mango Languages, and 31 streamed a film on Kanopy.
Teen SRP Volunteers provided 1,190 hours of service, writing reviews, writing letters to seniors, chalking SRP messages on sidewalks around town, and assisting at the Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library’s special book sale.
The Library’s Children’s Services team presented 9 pre-recorded storytimes, which may still be viewed on the Library’s YouTube channel at www.southpasadenaca.gov/spplyoutube. Families picked up Take & Make Craft kits, giving them the opportunity to complete fun art projects at home. Wonderful Wednesdays programs were well attended, even though they were presented online. Closed captioning and an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter by request allowed more kids and families to enjoy these special events.
Children’s Services Librarian Judy Neeb was pleased with the community’s response to the SRP. “Since the start of our Summer Reading Program coincided with the Library’s new abridged services, it was a joy to be able to connect and share South Pasadena’s passion for literacy and literature with parents, children, and teens both virtually and in-person.”
The Library’s Summer Reading Program was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library. Kids and teens who logged minutes read will have until the end of August to pick up their prizes. Adult participants were entered into an opportunity drawing for gift cards purchased by the Friends of the Library at local businesses. To learn more about the Friends, visit their website at www.friendsofsopaslibrary.org.
The South Pasadena Public Library is located at 1100 Oxley Street in South Pasadena. Current hours are available on the library website at www.southpasadenaca.gov/library. To be notified about service changes, sign up to receive informational emails from the library here: www.southpasadenaca.gov/librarynews.
