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By FRANK SHANLY
The Markle Public Library might not be the biggest library in the state, but it is certainly providing plenty of encouragement and opportunity for the people of Markle to become “hooked on books”.
The summer months are a particularly busy period for the library, as the children’s “Summer Reading Program” is in full swing. The program goal is to read a minimum number of books (depending on the specific program) before July 26, with prizes awarded at the half-way mark and also upon completion of the program.
The program in fact involves different possibilities. For “young adults” (grades six through twelve), there is just the one program (Young Adults) available. Children below grade six have an option of joining either the Chapter Book Club or the Picture Book Club.
In the Chapter Book Club, the goal is to read 16 books, while in the Picture Book Club, the goal is to read 42 books. Children who complete 18 books (two more than the Chapter Book Club minimum goal) are eligible to enter a special draw for a $50 savings bond, and there is also a special YMCA Family Membership drawing for the participants who have achieved their goal.
Additional prizes are also available as children in the Chapter Book Club reach the half-way mark, and complete their goal.
Prizes for the program have been donated by the local community, and Library Director Cathy Holst is very appreciative of the community spirit that exists in Markle.
“Markle is a an extremely supportive community.” enthused Holst. “It works well together. It has projects that actually come to fruition rapidly, and its not just the town government, although that is part of it. But it’s down to the groups within Markle.”
The Markle library is technically a branch of the Huntington library, and its full official name is the Huntington City-Township/Markle Public Library.
“Five years ago Markle and Huntington libraries merged together. Markle is a branch of the system.” explained Holst. “We have maintained the particular flavor that is the Markle library. Each public library in Indiana is supposed to reflect its community. There are certain things that all public libraries do, but there are certain things that are more important in some areas than others. And we recognise that Markle is different from Huntington, so things are a little different at Markle than they are at Huntington.
“As far as ‘Is it one pool of money?’, yes, it is one pool of money. ‘Is it one staff?’, yes it is one staff. The people who work here will also work in Huntington, and vice versa. We have maintained our staff members who were previously working for the Markle library, but there is a transfer back and forth in the areas they work now, so that everyone understands what the branch is and what the name is.”
The relationship with Huntington sees a regular transfer of books, as well as staff, between the two libraries, and offers a greater range of services and other materials to the people of Markle, and yet still preserve a separate “Markle identity”.
Among the programs that are unique to Markle, is a “Mother and Daughter Girls’ Night Out”.
“And sometimes its mother and grandmother ‘Girls’ Night Out’.” added Holst. “It is held three or four times a year and has just been extremely popular here. It is things like ‘How do you make bath salts.’ We use a book called ‘Bathtub Magic’ and we let the kids, and the mothers and grandmothers make something that they can take home that night.”
While the library is eager to provide a service for all members of the community, there is certainly a big commitment to programs and services for children.
“We really believe, and one of our major emphases as a library is the ‘every child ready to read’.” stressed Holst. “Reading to a child is key to creating those paths between the randomly firing neurons (in the brain). Those paths, if used as a very young child, become permanent so that you can use them throughout your lifetime for other things. But if they aren’t used they disappear.
“That is one reason, for example, why adults have more difficulty learning a foreign language than a child does. Because those paths are there, but if they’re no used, they’re going to disappear.
“Research shows that reading to a child is one of the best ways to make those permanent. So we really, really emphasise the ‘read to your child from birth’. We have baby story hours to which a lot of the Markle people come. Yes, bring your 2-week-old (child).”
The library has a “Story Hour” on Thursday afternoons, and also to help encourage younger readers, the library brings in special guests from time to time.
“The Easter Bunny reads here!” boasted Holst. “Santa Claus knows how to read too, just ask any little kid who believes in Santa Claus. Its important that you can cuddle up to Santa and have him read you a story.”
The library caters for three age groups with its reading programs. The first is for the smallest children, from birth up until grade six. The “young adult” programs cater for students in the “grade six-to twelve” age group, and then there is the adult group.
“Adults in Markle do it (their reading program) in the middle of the winter.” recalled Holst. “That is traditional for Markle; they like their adult reading in the winter.”
The library is currently working on a range of new programs to encourage adult reading, and staff member Jan Carnes has taken on the role of organizing these activities.
Holst also notes that for the pre-schooler and also for home-schooled students, the library is a vital source of reading information. And with the number of home-schooled students increasing, that role is becoming increasingly important.
“That is our goal.” anticipated Holst. “That everyone, from the tiniest child to the oldest adult, will find something in our library that they find interesting or they need the information.
“We see ourselves as (a source for) community information,” explained Holst, “and that is not only information we find in books or on the internet, but also what’s going on around us in the community.”
Library staff take pride in their facility’s “learning environment”. It might not be the quietest place in town, especially when the visitors are from the younger age groups, but for a small building, it offers a surprisingly wide range of books and other educational tools.
Whatever your age group or interest, the library is almost certain to have something to pique your interest.
And if they don’t have the item you are looking for in stock, perhaps they will be able to find it for you at one of the other Huntington branches.
frank@news-banner.com