Beating boredom

Summer programs for children, teens in full swing at county libraries

By Carol Rolf

LITTLE ROCK — The Faulkner County Library has the perfect answer for those summertime blues.

With the Fourth of July holiday behind them, many children and teenagers in the area may be asking, “What’s there to do?” The answer, according to Ruth Voss, librarian, is, “Visit the library.” It’s there that children and teens alike will find a variety of books and programs that will entertain as well as educate them. Theme for this summer’s reading program is “Catch the Reading Bug.”

“Children and teens are having a fun summer at the main public library and its branches,” Voss said. “The attendance has been wonderful so far. But often attendance at our library programs tends to fall off after July 4th. I encourage our children to continue coming to programs and checking out books.”

In addition to the main branch at 1900 Tyler St. in Conway, the Faulkner County Library supports branches in Greenbrier at 13 Wilson Farm Road, Mayflower at 6 Ashmore Drive, Twin Groves at 10 Twin Groves Lane and Vilonia at 3 Bise St.

“We have been able to offer some fantastic opportunities for our city and other areas served by our branch libraries,” Voss said. “All of the branches are doing well.”

Kara Propes, youth services coordinator at the main library, is in charge of scheduling the summer programs. Voss said the branch libraries have some of the same programs as those offered in Conway, but often they will use “local people in their communities” for special programs.

Each library offers a craft day as well as a story-telling day and special programs each week throughout the summer. The summer reading program for children ends this month. Summer programming for teens, however, continues through August.

Voss notes some of the upcoming highlights at the Conway library:

◊Thursday -Mr. Don, the “Magical Balloonman,” will perform at 1 p.m. He tells stories as he works with balloons and tricks of magic.

◊Saturday - “Seeing Is Not Believing,” presented by Jonathan Curtis at 6 p.m.

Propes said Curtis does magic as he tries “to steer kids and teens in the right direction.

“He does ‘real’ magic,” Propes said. “He cuts people in half, has smoking mirrors, the whole works.”

“This program is suitable for all ages,” Voss said. “We expect a large number of people to attend.”

◊ Thursday, July 24 - Marty Boone will perform and make “balloon art” for the children at 1 p.m. “He is a perennial favorite,” Voss said.

◊Tuesday, July 29 - The Kiddos will perform at 1 p.m., presenting music, puppets and storytelling as they interact with the kids.

For more information on the summer program at the Conway library, call (501) 327-7483 or visit the Web site www.fcl.org.

Highlights at the Greenbrier branch include:

◊Friday, July 25 - Tommy the Terrific will present “Wacky Magic” at 1 p.m.

“He performed here (Conway) earlier this summer and had children and adults in stitches,” Voss said. “He does book-themed magic.”

For more information on the summer program at the Greenbrier branch, call (501) 679-6344 or visit the Web site www.fcl.org.

Highlights at the Mayflower branch include:

◊Tuesday, July 29 - Tommy the Terrific will present “Wacky Magic” at 1 p.m.

For more information on the summer program at the Mayflower branch, call (501)470-9678 or visit the Web site www.fcl.org.

Highlights at the Twin Groves branch include:

◊Tuesday, July 29 - Representatives of the Little Rock Zoo Educational Program will bring live animals to the library at 1:30 p.m.

For more information on the summer program at the Mayflower branch, call (501) 335-8088 or visit the Web site www.fcl.org.

Highlights at the Vilonia branch include:

◊Tuesday, July 22 - The Little Rock Zoo Educational Program will bring live animals to the library at 2 p.m.

For more information on the summer program at the Vilonia branch, call (501) 796-8520 or visit the Web site www.fcl.org.

Voss said Propes has also kept the teens (ages 14-18) and t’weens (ages 7-13) busy this summer as well. “She has started an anime club, conducted teen craft days and shown teen movies,” Voss said. “Her last teen activity of the summer will be the “Battle of the Bands.”

The final playoff for Battle of the Bands will be Saturday,Aug. 23, in Simon Park. A time has not yet been set. Among the bands that will compete are Proposition 49, a rock band; Company of Grace, a Christian rock band; Lack of Drama, a punk/alternative band; and SilvurReFineCarol, a Christian rock band. The audience will choose the winning band, which will receive $200 and free T-shirts. Demonstration compact discs will be available at the library so the public can hear the bands before the final playoff.

Propes said Battle of the Bands T-shirts would be sold during the musical event. Proceeds will be used to “redo” the teen space at the library.

“Kara has done so much with the teen program,” Voss said. “She even has a teen advisory group that meets weekly with her to help plan the programming. Not many libraries have a program just for teens.”

Additional special events for teens include an art show and t’ween creative essay writing contest, with winners to be announced at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7, and a lollapalooza craft day set for 10 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13, where teens and t’weens can make any craft they want to.

“We have programming for the whole family all during the year,” Voss said. “It’s just in the summer that we are able to offer these special programs, many of which we are able to get through grants from the Arkansas Arts Council Arts on Tour program.”

River Valley Ozark, Pages 131 on 07/13/2008