Storytime will resume on Thursday morning September fourth at ten o’clock. Some children will be off to kindergarten or first grade and there will be some new faces. The yardstick will be out to see how everyone measures up and so we’ll know how much you grow through the year. Storytime is open to all preschoolers and maybe a bit beyond. Programs last about 45 minutes and consist of stories and finger plays or other activities, a craft and, frequently, a snack. Parents are encouraged to stay and it’s all pretty relaxed with time for play, socializing, and book selection afterwards. Miss Vicky needs glue sticks and paper lunch sacks if you find bargains while school supply shopping.
Max Bergman the Bug Man performed for eighty some children and adults. He brought an amazing collection of “bugs” including several BIG spiders and a giant millipede. He was a great speaker and very responsive to all the questions.
Summer Reading Summaries are still in the works with tallies not completed and prizes still to be collected. But the programs are done for the year. The ant farm has been retired, the bugs are ready to be packed away, and the school bus will soon replace the picnic basket. It’s been hectic; it’s been fun; and it’s time to regroup, give Miss Vicky a vacation, and move on to the next phase.
Teen Night hosted 20 participants who bowled watermelons, jumped through hoops, designed cocoons, and ate sautéed apples and meal worms. 
Adult readers, those who filled out reviews, numbered twenty-three and read 103 books. Cindy Shamp topped the list with 28. Reviewers were all women and romances and inspirational fiction were the most popular books.
Fundamentals, the teacher supply / children’s bookstore on Winter Street in Delaware, is celebrating its twentieth year. Owner Tami Furlong has a week of author activities ranging from a late night party for the release of Stephanie Meyer’s book Breaking Dawn to a visit from the Waldo based Bender & Bender crew who created Ribbit!, the flip and see froggy book, plus a visit from the Turtle Lady, Denise Fleming - and more. Pick up a schedule of events at the library.
Summer Reading accumulated 1155 hours with 131 children signed up and 51 completing 10 hours of reading - as of July 28.
Parents reading to children is not an active part of our summer reading program though there are good arguments for emphasizing that activity. Reading to a child is right there on the top of the list of factors that contribute to a child’s interest in and success with reading. Reading to children fits in well with Ohio’s Ready to Read program, not to mention preschool and kindergarten proficiencies. Learning that letters represent sound and that lines go from left to right seems obvious - to those who know - but can be bewildering without familiarity. Besides we’d like to increase our children’s books circulation. It’s interesting that that number has dropped significantly in recent years. Television and even computer games are competitors but that’s very different from a parent and child curled up together in a chair with the bedtime story.
The new Poet Laureate of the United States is Kay Ryan, a sixty year old woman from a small California town once rejected by a poetry club, her sparse lines are now acclaimed and worth a look.
The Young Adult category was the topic of a recent essay by an author, worried that adults wouldn’t read the book - or take it seriously. Thank goodness librarians get to read and enjoy all book categories. There are some real treasures in the juvenile room including our most popular audios.
Buckeye Valley School starts Aug. 27. Supply lists are available on the Internet and the library has a print copy. Morrow County schools have a longer break thanks to the fair (August 25 - Sept. 1). There should be a list of 101 things to do before school starts. Remember how long that vacation sounded in June. Suggestion No. 1 follows.
Summer Letterbox Adventure, a joint project of Preservation Parks of Delaware County and Delaware County District Library is available to Wornstaff Library patrons. Sign a waiver and get a packet that explores six Delaware County parks and introduces you to letterboxing. We’ll give you bonus points for checking out Wornstaff’s own letterbox. A stamp and a notebook are all you need to add some variety to trips or provide a destination for an evening drive. http://www.letterboxing.org/ gives a good overview and lists letter box sites. This can be a diversion while waiting for that long postponed list of Delaware County mystery picture locations.
Skateboard Park sign-up at the library or the village office is a step toward actually getting a skateboard area in Ashley. Not only would that provide a needed place where it would be okay for kids to skateboard (and maybe some ramps) but it seems as if it would alleviate some of the street skating and could be a benefit for everyone. Council member Elaine McFarland is looking at grant possibilities and would appreciate some helpful support. A meeting will be announced.
Homeschoolers should be interested in filling out the survey about the review of Ohio laws regulating home schooling. http://www.ode.state.oh.us/ is the survey site with a link to current law.
Special thanks to all the individuals, families, and business who helped with our summer reading program, providing prizes, assisting with programs, and generally making it all come together. That includes thanks to our staff, especially Vicky Collins, Susan Bussard, and Megan Burns.
