Chickamauga: Hit the books and more

CHICKAMAUGA, Ga. — Connor Shankles, 6, is just learning how to read, and he’s loving it.

“It teaches all kinds of words,” he said.

Connor and his mother, Tiffney Shankles, recently attended story hour at the Chickamauga Public Library.

Each of the four Northwest Georgia branches in the Cherokee Regional Library System have summer reading programs with activities targeted at all age groups, from toddlers to adults. They aim to inspire creativity and instill a love of reading and learning.

“It is a place for families to come as a whole,” said Lecia Eubanks, director of the library system. “We do try to make it fun and inviting to encourage reading.”

Dozens of children ages 7 and younger attended a music and reading hour Thursday in Chickamauga.

Librarians read books out loud and then musician Bill Wear gave a lesson on instruments that children heard about in the books.

“It is wonderful because it gives (children) an opportunity to learn new things,” Mrs. Shankles said.

Karen Trusty, children’s specialist for the Chickamauga Library, said it’s essential to get children started early on reading and learning early.

“If we don’t get them now, when they grow up we are going to lose them,” she said. But she also said it’s important to focus on tweens and teens, which means letting them know the library is not just “old humdrum, boring books.”

From a block party to a sock hop and a baby-sitting training course to reward incentives, library officials are reaching out to teens and tweens.

“We learned that teens need their own space and time and programming,” Mrs. Eubanks said.

It’s important for youngsters of all ages to hone reading skills over the summer while school is out, library officials said.

“Studies do show that students who read during the summer are better prepared and score better on testing when they get back to school,” Mrs. Eubanks said.

Mrs. Shankles said bringing Connor to the library over the summer will help stem learning gaps when he starts first grade next year.

For the first time this year, libraries in the Cherokee Regional Library System also will have adult programming, such as drawing and “stamping” classes. Stamping is used in scrapbooking.

Danielle Hyde, children’s specialist for the library system, said officials have worked to make each Northwest Georgia library a community hub that provides inexpensive, fun and educational activities.

“Everything that we have here is free,” she said. “Especially with the economy being like it is, parents can come here and let their children have an experience that they might not otherwise get.”