By Katie Moore
Linwood Librarian
The smell of new book bags, fresh #2 pencils and crisp notebook paper is in the air! Kids are back in school, and here at Pocahontas County Libraries and Visitor Information Centers, we look forward to helping our students on their reading journey.
While we create summer programming to encourage students to pick up books during their summer vacation, not every family is able to prevent the “summer slide.” Students between third and fifth grades often lose 20% of reading gains over the summer months, so starting strong with engaging stories is important in their long-term reading development. Now that the school year has begun, we hope that our programs capture their imagination, ignite their curiosity, and activate their creativity.
Did you know that McClintic and Hillsboro libraries are utilized by their neighboring elementary schools as school libraries? Each week, classes visit for lessons with the library’s Education Specialist followed by browsing time to check out books. Throughout the year, students will learn library and research skills while they explore new worlds through stories and enriching activities. Some topics we’re excited about this year include a unit on Pearl S. Buck that concludes with a trip to her birthplace in Hillsboro and art lessons with local artist Vivian Blackwood to accompany novels read by each grade.
We also love to welcome our county’s homeschool students! Each library has resources that can expand the classroom when it doubles as the kitchen table. We encourage families to frequent the library for research materials, supplemental instructional resour- ces, recreation, and a (mostly) quiet place to find some inspiration. These students benefit from extended due dates and inter-library loans for education- al materials around the state. If you’re looking for something we don’t have, talk to your librarian and we’ll do our best to make connections for you.
At Pocahontas County Libraries, we cherish our relationship with our students, parents and schools. The enthusiasm that we see in our young readers as they connect with books inspires us to find new materials, design new programming and encourage their discoveries.
Reading starts as a skill to be learned, but becomes a gateway to new worlds, hobbies, identities and knowledge.
We can’t wait to see what they find.
