Slide into summer at the Romulus Public Library

If you live in the Romulus or Huron Township area, and need a fun day out, drop by the Romulus Public Library. Summer isn't over yet, and visitors still have a chance to join their reading program for the season.

The Romulus Public Library cares about your children and their reading habits. Their summer's reading program launched last month on June 1st and is still on going. Tee Versele, the head of youth services, explained how one of the biggest motivations for summer reading programs across the nation is the idea of a "summer slide."

"According to a study by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, over the summer, students in 3rd to 5th grade showed a loss of 20% of the school year gains in reading," said Versele. It is imperative that students read consistently over their break to build off the knowledge they gained in prior years. The Romulus Public Library prides itself in developing an open-ended program with various incentives for the readers.

"We hope that by participating in summer reading, we can create lifelong readers," said Versele.

Outside of summer reading, the library offers a plethora of programs and events for people of all ages. Parents can bring their infants to enjoy Babies and Books story time at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, while toddlers can come in on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. for their story time.

This past month, some unique programs were held for children. There was a summer reading carnival, an interactive music show with Beverly the Music Lady, a comedy magician special, family movie night, and Wizards, Wands and Potions, which fuses entertainment with education. Some events for people of all ages include the Craft Class Series, get Wild with Bad Art, and the 5th Monday Game Night.

Besides their fun activities, Versele wishes people knew more about their educational and instructional programs.

"For example, we have tried to offer financial literacy and life skills programs, with little to no attendance. We wish we could attract a wider audience for more straightforward informational programs, so our patrons can see the library as a valuable community resource for a world of information beyond books and movies." The library also offers computer classes that specialize in learning Google, social media, using Canva, dealing with security and scams and building resumes.

Youth aged 7 to 17 are encouraged to take part in the Youth Makerspace. Here visitors can bring their creativity to life through coding, drawing, robotics, 3D printing, sculpting, fashion, and much more.

The Romulus Public Library also offers various resources to the public, through the library itself, and their cooperative, The Library Network. For starters there's the Michigan Activity Pass, which grants people free or discounted passes to recreational uses like museums, Metro and state parks, indoor archery, etc.

Other perks include discounted tickets for the Detroit Zoo and Broadway in Detroit, Mango Languages a language learning platform, and digitized Romulus High School yearbooks from 1945-2014 with newer additions coming.

Anyone without a card can sign up for one easily. Residents living in Romulus or Huron Townships would just need their state ID. Individuals under 18 and their legal guardians would have to sign a Minor Card Application. "Over the past year we have been working on getting into the schools we serve to pass out applications, process Library Cards, and deliver them directly to the students to eliminate barriers for guardians," said Versele.

For heavy readers, guests can check out up to 100 books. Each checkout lasts three weeks and renews automatically twice, if there are no holds on the book. The same time frame applies to audiobooks and music CDs as well. Electronics can be checked out for two weeks with no renewal, while DVDs and magazines can be checked out for seven days.

Recently the library just had a series of renovations. They updated their Adult Area, adding an electric fireplace and a lounge area, alongside two double occupancy rooms. Expansions have been made to the community room, the computer area and circulation desk received updates, along with new carpet and raised ceilings, giving it a sleek and modern look.

The Romulus Public Library works hard for their community. They provide unique and special events to the public in fun yet educational ways. Many people view the library as a last option, but why not let it be first? This library is a gem that many people know, but don't fully utilize. So, stop by the Romulus Public Library today to unlock a world of knowledge in an entertaining way.

The Romulus Public Library is located at 11121 Wayne Rd, Romulus, MI 48174. For more information, please go to http://www.romuluslibrary.org or contact the library at (734)-942-7589.