Wildlife show canceled, but Library still celebrating summer reading kickoff today

The Douglas County Public Library’s 2021 Summer Reading Program theme is “Tails and Tales.”

A planned animal demonstration today accompanying the kick-off was canceled on Wednesday.

“While we are sad to say the wildlife show has unfortunately been canceled, we will have bubbles, balloons, crafts, music and other fun activities including a bicycle safety demonstration from our friends at the Nevada Department of Transportation and the DCPL Bookmobile,” librarians said.

The “Tails and Tales” Summer Reading Program continues through Aug. 31 and provides reading and activity challenges for all ages, from babies to adults. Children and teens who join the program can earn prizes as they continue to build their reading skills during the break from school. Participating adults are also eligible to earn prizes for logging summer reading hours.

Signups are available in person at either DCPL branch or via the library’s Beanstack webpage at douglascountynv.beanstack.org. Registrations are available for both individuals and families; parents can register multiple children under their own account and log their family’s reading activities there, as well.

Summer reading kickoff party for teens

To kickoff the Summer Reading program, teens ages 13-17 are invited to sign up for DCPL’s Virtual Murder Mystery Party from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, June 5. Participants will play the exciting game, “The Assassin Among the Crew” via Discord, and a reservation is required.

To secure a spot, send an email to info@douglaslib.nv.us to receive a Discord invitation and an assigned role for the game.

Summer reading club for teens and tweens

DCPL invites teen and tween readers to join their summertime reading book clubs. Groups meet once a month at Minden Park from 3-4 p.m. to discuss each book selection; participants are asked to bring a chair to each gathering.

The Teen Book Club is open to 13-17 year-olds and meets the second Wednesday of each month starting June 9. This month’s book selection is “Shadow of the Fox,” by Julie Kagawa. Additional meetings are scheduled for July 14 and Aug. 11.

The Tween Book Club is open to readers 8-12 years old and meets the second Friday of each month starting June 11. This month’s book selection is “The Tail of Emily Windsnap,” by Liz Kessler. Additional meetings are scheduled for July 9 and Aug. 13.

Readers can pick up a copy of each month’s book at the Minden Library or download the ebook to a phone or tablet via the Hoopla or Libby apps.

Teen Advisory Board meets monthly

Starting June 8, DCPL hosts Teen Advisory Board meetings at the Minden branch the second Tuesday of each month at 3:30 p.m. This is an opportunity for all interested teens to get involved and help plan future library events and programs. Free pizza and soda will be served.

Bookmobile out and about

Throughout the summer months, the DCPL Bookmobile will be at the Tuesday Minden Farmers Market on Esmeralda Street from 4-6 p.m. While perusing the bounty of fresh offerings from local farmers, library patrons can also browse for a fresh read.

The Bookmobile also brings story time for children to two local parks. Twice a week, library staff will read stories aloud and hand out complimentary crafting kits to attendees. Please bring a towel or blanket to sit on during the reading.

The fun takes place on Wednesdays from 9-10:30 a.m. at Heritage Park, 1447 Courthouse Alley in Gardnerville through Sept. 15. On Thursdays, the locale shifts to Minden Park from 9-10 a.m. through Aug. 26.

READing Paws returns

Starting June 10, children of all ages and reading levels are invited to read with a registered therapy dog and the dog’s handler at the Minden library on Thursday afternoons between 3:30-5:30 p.m. Time slots are first come, first served, and a parental permission form (available at the library) must be filled out in order to participate.

DCPL offers this program in partnership with READing Paws, a local affiliate of Intermountain Therapy Animals. “Reading with animals can help children feel calm, gain confidence, and become stronger readers.”

Laptops, Hot Spots, and Robots, oh my 

New laptop computers, mobile hot spots, and programmable robots are available for checkout at the DCPL Minden branch.

“Evolve 3 laptops with built-in Wi-Fi modems and portable 4G hotspots are ideal for students, while the Wonder Workshop Dash coding robots are a fun way to teach children the basics of computer coding and programming.”

Patrons must fill out a Mobile Device Agreement prior to checking out any of the items, and children under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian sign an agreement.

The DCPL Minden branch is located at 1625 Library Lane and the DCPL Zephyr Cove branch is located at 233 Warrior Way. Call 775-782-9841 for more information about any of these summertime reading programs, clubs, and events. Connect with DCPL on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or their web page at library.douglascountynv.gov.

Amy Roby can be reached at ranchosroundup@hotmail.com.