Then they will wonder why Johnny isn't reading. That;s just plain dumb.

Vicky

How frustrating, Red! Our county library system lets you order books online and they deliver them to your house.

Donna

WHAT????!!!!

When I was a kid the library was WHERE you went in the summer! They had all kinds of reading programs and contests and stuff.

Vicky, sadly, I don't think that Johnny isn't reading because the library is closing. I think the library is closing because Johnny isn't reading...

I don't have kids right now so maybe I should not talk, but it seems that NO children read anymore. Or play outside as much. It's all about TV, Video games, potatoe chips and soda pop.

I know every generation has feared for the next, but I really wonder -- what will happen when they become adults and can barely read????

Wow, my children and I would absolutely be lost without the library! Both of my kids have just finished the summer reading program, which is nothing like when I was a kid. My son is in the sixth grade and all he had to do was read 13 hours. He did that in two days. I had to read like 20 books when I was his age. I think a lot of parents these days don't read to their children at an early age and instill the love of reading in them. Also, when the parent takes the time to sit down and read themselves, it encourages the kids to do also. Yes, children are so distracted these days with video games and tv. My children have both, but are limited to how much each day. OK, I got off on a rant! Sorry!

Rebecca

Rebecca,
When I was a kid, my dad read to us every night before bed. When I had 3 step daughters I read to them everynight before bed. At the time, they called me "dictionary woman" because I used "big words" but now that they are adults the remember the reading with fondness, read for pleasure themselves, and talk with disdain about all the people they know their age (in their 20's) who can barely read.

People will always be reading. You really can't make much use of even a computer ( I don't mean games) without being able to read. However, I think recreational reading has certainly been replaced by other things for many people. When most of us were children those other things weren't even part of our lives,and even then, there were those who read and those who didn't.

Well I do read and I take my grandson to the library...I have taken him since he was a baby ......he is 4 yrs old still a baby but...I have always had him reading....
What upsets me is this is a large community with high taxes.. you think they would keep the library open for seniors and children......and keep it updated with books..LOL!
Red

Red , The books for quilting and sewing at our library are so antiquated it 's pathetic.That's why when i recently cleaned and weeded out my sewing room,i gave 4 brown grocery sacks and one box full of book to the library.I also told them i was giving them to them in the hopes that they would put them on the shelves as they were newer than anything they have in the sewing,quilting,cross stitch and craft areas.

They acted as if they didn't even know that the books they had were sooooo old,but said they would be sure to check those areas out and use what they could on the shelves and put the rest in the friends of the library sale to raise money to buy new books.That's ok with me.

Guess i'm one of the lucky ones.my GK's love to read and the 7 year old reads everything including food labels,and all the writing on the cereal boxes and anything else that crossess his path that has writing on it.Their parents started out making them read for 20 minutes every evening,now they are voracious(sp) readers.

Their tv time and game time is very limited.
Kathi

Close the library!?! All summer!?! That's enough to give me nightmares. One or two days a week would have been nice. I'm sure there's some sort of reasoning. Ours once closed for remodeling. New carpet, paint, etc. That made sense.

DH & I live in unincorporated part of the county. We didn't have access to the public library when we first lived here without paying the equivalent amount of taxes as if we did live in district. I was ecstatic when we voted to be in the library district. I can't afford my reading habit. I carry a book with me everywhere. I read when I'm standing in line. I had 8-9 books with me when I went to AuntNet's for the retreat and we were only gone 11 days.

When my sons and I moved back to my home town from Placentia, CA, we lived with my parents. The boys went to the same grade school I had attended. It was small enough to have one class for each grade. The school secretary knew everybody and would start phone calls with "Hi, this is Carol - nothing's wrong." The grade school in Placentia was actually two buildings with several classes for each grade.

Anyway at the end of the first semester DS#1's teacher wrote a note on his report card that he had only read 5 books. My written comment was "They are the first books he's read." She was shocked. She told me later that she used that story to encourage others that it's never too late to get a child interested in reading. I don't remember what type of reading program she had to encourage her students but it got him off on the right foot.

He had read comic books for years. What a coincidence that his allowance just happened to be the price of a comic book. He had to make the decision what to spend his money on - candy or comic books. Most of the time he bought comic books and he still likes to read.

You library closes for the summer? Why in the world? It's the best time for kids to read!

Our library moved to another building during its big remodeling, and I haven't been over there yet. I keep procrastinating. Better form a new habit. I used to pop in after visiting the post office. All I'd have to do is drive a little farther, and I could enjoy all the books and magazines. We don't have a great supply of quilting books, and no quilting magazines, but after the remodeling, that might change. The books were so tight on the shelves that it was hard to pull one out, take a peek, and put it back!