The Attala County Library ended a successful summer library program last week with a Water Works Day.
Children splashed around in the library’s parking lot after the Kosciusko Fire Department made a sprinkler that rained down water on the attendees.
There were 77 children attending the event, and Prairie Farms provided ice cream, Librarian Charla Grace told the Attala County Board of Supervisors during the Monday board meeting. Grace also gave an update on the library to the Kosciusko Board of Aldermen Tuesday.
“We just had a wonderful time,” said Grace. “It’s been a great summer.”
Grace reported the summer program had 23 adults read for 213 hours, 16 teens read for 92 hours and 80 children, ages 3-12 years old, read for 575 hours to earn book scout badges and a chance to enter a drawing for the grand prizes.
Ayanna Cotton, 13, of Kosciusko was the winner of the grand prize for the teen summer library program. She received a pair of wireless headphones sponsored by Walmart. Teenagers who turned in their reading logs were treated to pizza at the library. Dr. Jamie Varner of the Attala County MSU Extension Service Office also presented a program on cyberbullying.
The library had two prizes for the adult summer reading program this year. Donna Gale McDaniel of McCool was the winner of the bag of treats sponsored by Sullivan's Discount Drugs.
Anne Land of Kosciusko was the winner of a gift card sponsored by Kosy Nutrition. Grace said each of these readers read 600 minutes this summer to earn their book scout badges.
The prizes were given away by a random drawing from readers who turned in their reading logs.
From April through June, the library circulated 4,158 items.
“We had 9,745 people come through the library in that three-month period,” said Grace. “We currently have 10,344 patrons.”
The library also has a new notary service that has taken off over the past three months.
“Our public meeting room is back in use,” said Grace. “Our genealogy room picks up in the summer. We average about 228 requests per month, and that’s through phones calls and computer, and then also in-house genealogy uses about 295 items per month.”
The library also started a Lego Club.
“We started a new program aimed at teens, but really anybody can come,” said Grace.
The club started with seven attending, and now 45 participants attend the meetings.
The Lego Club meets every other Wednesday. The library will soon start a Chess Club, which will also meet on Wednesdays, and the clubs will alternate throughout the month.
“Our new children’s librarian is Janelle Snyder. She is doing a great job with our programing, so we are going to have a lot of programing since she’s on board,” said Grace.
Some events coming up at the library include:
On Aug. 8 at 2 p.m., a guest speaker from Senior Life Solutions will talk about adult depression.
Youth Collective, formerly called the Teen Library Council, will begin meeting on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month starting Aug. 16.
There will be a slime event at 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 22.
A women’s self-defense class will be held on Aug. 24.
