See Miss Val from a safe distance and pick up your summer reading packets! Anyone who plans on participating in this year’s FSPL Youth Summer Reading Program (birth – 12th grade) should plan to stop by the library’s south parking lot between 3 – 4 pm May 26 & 27 or 10 – 11 am May 28 & 29 to pick up a packet for their age group. Stay in your car, pull up to the table, tell Miss Val which packets you need, and she will push them forward for you to retrieve from your car. You may choose between a packet with a paper registration form or one without, if you’d like to (or already have) register online. Families may also choose to use Reader Zone for online reading goal tracking (sponsored by the Kansas State Library) or may choose to track reading goals on paper and drop off in library drop box. In case of inclement weather, Miss Val will use the library’s curbside service procedures to hand out packets. Anyone who cannot come during the hours and dates listed above should schedule a date and time by calling 223-2882 and asking for Miss Val, or by emailing [email protected]. You may also pick up packets along with your books during regular curbside service hours, starting on May 26.

The Fort Scott Public Library is proud to announce having won the Dollar General Literacy Grant, which awards select libraries and other educational organizations across the country with grants to support literacy programs! As a result, the library has an extra $500 in funding for this year’s summer reading program. In addition to presenting both physical rewards and supplies, the library will offer two performances online and a wide variety of virtual programming. The library is also partnering with local restaurants and grocery stores to offer gift certificates as reading rewards, in hopes to support local businesses while feeding local families’ minds and bodies. Now more than ever, the community must work together to maintain and improve students’ academic achievement levels.

Summer reading programs will begin on June 2, with a Zoom Preschool Story hour starting at 10 am, moderated by Miss Val, with stories read by educator Jeff Pommier, and a Zoom Elementary Story hour starting at 11 am, with stories read by educator Angie Bin. At  2 pm, a pre-recorded video of the preschool stories will release on Facebook and YouTube, with a story video for elementary students releasing at 2:15 on the same platforms. Then at 3 pm, Scouts Leader Cyndi Goebel will demonstrate how to make the week’s craft in a pre-recorded video released on Facebook and YouTube. The week’s theme is: Princesses and Princes. All Zoom meetings will require a password which you can obtain by messaging the library or emailing Miss Val at [email protected].

Middle & high school students will meet weekly on Wednesdays at 4 pm, on Zoom for the summer reading teen program. Teens may also win prizes for reaching reading goals. Special, pre-recorded videos and challenges will also be released throughout the summer, specifically for teens. Stay tuned for more details.

To volunteer to read or demonstrate a craft on video, fill out a volunteer form here.

May 26: 10 am Alphabet Storytime on Zoom

               11 am Alphabet Storytime on Facebook Live

Join Miss Val online for virtual storytime! The library will use the Zoom platform for the 10 am storytime and Facebook Live for the 11 am event. This will be the final week of regular virtual storytimes. Beginning Tuesday, June 2, virtual storytimes will be replaced by weekly virtual summer reading stories and craft demonstrations!

To attend the Zoom meeting, click here. You will also need to message the library for the meeting password, unless you have attended recently. You may receive the password by one of two methods:

Message Fort Scott Public Library through Facebook or email Miss Val at [email protected] before the start (10 am Tuesday) of storytime, and they will send you the link. The same link will be used for all future Zoom story programs. Zoom can be accessed on any pc with a camera and headset, smartphone, or tablet with online access. The application will allow families to see and interact with one another, in addition to being a part of storytime. Zoom storytime is no longer recorded. You will have the option of turning your video and audio on and off anytime during the meeting.