Competition, prizes and the joy of reading proved popular with teens at the Orillia Public Library this season.
The Winter Reading Club for high-school-aged kids wrapped up just before March break. It was the second year for the club. In its first year, more than 100 teens signed up. This time, 222 took part.
“They really liked the prizes. I think that helped bolster participation,” said Chanel Craigie, the library’s youth services co-ordinator. “It was nice to have an element of competition. They were really driven by that.”
Every time a student reported to the library, that student’s school or group received two points. In the end, Orillia Secondary School came out on top, winning the Library Cup trophy with 364 points, while the group of home-schoolers had 209, Twin Lakes Secondary School earned 156, Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School received 38 and the lone participant from the alternative school (Simcoe Shores Secondary School) had 15.
“We’re really excited that we had higher participation this year,” Craigie said. “It was only our second year, so it was really validating.”
The library offers year-round programming for people of all ages. Its Summer Reading Club for youth will start June 15. The Hot Readers summer reading club for adults will also return this year.
To find out more about those and other programs, check out the library’s website.
