Thanks to the Library’s summer partners for children

Encouraging kids to read over the summer months is one of the most important things we can do to build strong students, strong schools, and a strong community. The Library is thrilled at the local businesses, organizations, and individuals who have committed themselves to promoting the Library’s efforts to keep kids reading while school is out.

Each one is a hero. Each one deserves our thanks.

Removing barriers, improving access to books

One predictor of a child’s reading success is access to a wide variety of engaging books in his or her home. Economic pressures can challenge families to stock their homes with books, or even to get kids to a library. To address those challenges, the Library and The Friends of the Round Rock Library initiated two strategies:

• Thanks to a grant from the Texas Stars Hockey Foundation and a donation from Round Rock ISD Family Resource Department, the Library and the Friends provided a collection of books for kids to choose when they visit the Round Rock Serving Center.
• A partnership with the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas allows the Library to provide a free lunch to kids (ages 0 – 18) on Fridays, noon to 1 pm. Families facing food shortages can enjoy a meal, load up with library books, and stay for Friday afternoon movies and programs.

Piquing curiosity

The Library thanks these businesses and organizations for expanding the kinds of interesting, informal learning programs the Youth Services department can offer to children and teens this summer. Check the Library calendar for our slate of summer events.

• Austin Community College Hands-on Science
• Austin Dog Alliance
• Friends of the Round Rock Public Library
• Fun2Learn Code
• Mathnasium Round Rock
• Primrose School of Round Rock at Forest Creek
• Texas Commission on the Arts

Rewarding success

Businesses and organizations have stepped forward to remind kids that reading matters. Please join us in thanking them for their generosity.

• Baylor Scott & White
• Big Frog Custom T-shirts and More
• The BookSpot
• Chidos Grill and Drinks
• Chili’s
• Chuy’s
• Cici’s Pizza
• Sara Beth Durst, author
• Friends of the Round Rock Public Library
• Hao Hao Round Rock
• P. J. Hoover, author
• Kaleidoscope Toys
• Marie Callender’s Restaurant and Bakery
• Pedernales Electric Cooperative
• Penguin Random House
• Plato’s Closet
• Playaway
• Round Rock Donuts
• Round Rock Parks and Recreation Department
• Round Rock Stormwater Department
• Cynthia Leitich Smith, author
• TechShop
• Whataburger

Getting it done

It takes a many people working together to support the Library through heavy summer use. Last March we put out a call for volunteers to help the Library handle the extra workload of increased circulation, increased programming, and handling the Summer Reading Challenge. Volunteers stepped up in three areas:

• General volunteers in the Library train for a variety of jobs, including crowd management, circulation tasks, and basic reader assistance
• Teen volunteers manage the day-to-day tasks of the Summer Reading Challenge
• The Friends of the Round Rock Public Library never sits still as it embraces many tasks to extend the impact of the Library

 Thank you to all of our partners for helping us build a strong community of readers and learners.

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Source: City of Round Rock