Summer @ Your Library features community-wide reading goal, tree planting celebration

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Community members can now discover their favorite new books while supporting the local environment.

As part of the Summer @ Your Library program, New Hanover County residents of all ages can use the Beanstack app to track time spent reading, with a goal of 250,000 combined minutes among all participants by August 1. The community goal references the America 250 initiative, a nationwide celebration and commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

If this milestone is reached, the county will hold a public celebration this fall with a special Summer @ Your Library Reading Tree dedication ceremony at the soon-to-open Northchase Library. An additional 25 trees will also be planted at Smith Creek Park as a part of the goal celebration.

“We are excited to begin our new summer reading program which aligns with America’s 250th anniversary,” said New Hanover County Library Director Melanie Morgan. “Our theme of Unearth a Story is about encouraging readers to find literature they connect with, as well as to inspire exploration and connection to our local environment and community. Whether it’s history or mystery, this year’s program has something for everyone.”

The program is a collaborative effort between the county’s Public Library, Parks and Gardens, Arboretum, Recycling and Solid Waste, and Sustainability teams, with a variety of educational and engaging events planned throughout the months of June and July.

The Summer @ Your Library program will hold a kickoff event for kids on Saturday, June 6 from 10 a.m.-noon at Shelter #6 at Long Leaf Park (314 Pine Grove Drive). Attendees will be able to participate in a variety of activities with representatives from county agencies and community groups, while taking home a free book and a summer reading packet. More information on the kickoff celebration is available here.

Participants who log 600 minutes of reading and complete one summer program will be able to earn prizes as part of the Summer Reading Challenge, including a guest pass to the Cape Fear Museum, a coupon from Jeremiah’s Italian Ice and a voucher for a free book at the next library book sale this winter.

Additionally, acclaimed author Edward Dolnick will be visiting Wilmington on Saturday, August 1 to discuss his book, “Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party,” which looks at how the 19th century discovery of large fossils reshaped the global perspective on natural history.

More information on the Summer @ Your Library program can be found online at  NHCLibrary.org.