BATH

Dahlov Ipcar paintings, a spacious reading room, window seats and shelves overflowing with books all contribute to making the Patten Free Library children’s room a “wondrous” space, according to Carol McFadden, the head of the children’s services at the library. This also includes the library’s young visitors and their eagerness to read and learn.

“We instill a dream. I tell children all the time, when you open up a book, you can go anywhere,” she said. “You come in here anytime and children are engaged.”

McFadden also hopes to encourage these young community members to grow as readers through the library’s reading program this summer, which will kick off on June 26.

This year’s theme will be focused on heroes and the idea that “every hero has a story,” with the program being geared towards students eleven years old and younger.

“That in itself attracts all people. It’s not just super heroes, but it’s about character and the kind of character you want to become,” said McFadden. “I want to personify a sense in this children’s room, that children can really grow and try to figure out their own story.”

In the coming weeks, she and library staff will be decorating the children’s reading room by using props and donated refrigerator and oven boxes to transform the space into a super hero room.

Over the years, McFadden has come up with attractive program themes such as the Wizard of Oz, Chronicles of Narnia, Peter Pan and Mary Poppins, which she attributes to her imagination and her desire to provide a healthy learning environment for children.

“One of the big things I want for the children’s room is to make it safe and very friendly, and to make each experience a happy adventure every single time they come to the library,” she said.

McFadden also emphasized the importance of reading at a young age, especially through the summer, and how the presence of a library can affect the children and the community’s future.

“I think libraries are a mirror of their city or community,” she said. “If the library is in good shape, it reflects the community and the community is in good shape.”

McFadden organized her first summer reading program at the library in 2007, which drew 700 children, significantly growing a low number of 120 children from the previous year.

She said she wanted to transform the program because it was “a sad low, with a community of this size,” especially with about 1,000 elementary students involved in the RSU 1.

Currently, more than 500- 700 children continue to enroll in the program year after year.

This year, children who sign up will receive a goodie bag with a book log, and readers can pick out prizes or coupons from the “Superman Suitcase” as they progress. Younger readers can also participate by having parents read to them and record completed books in their logs.

Other summer program activities include story times, family concerts, a magic show and workshops, among many other events.

The summer reading program is also available for students grades six through 12, which is coordinated by Roberta Jordan, an outreach and instruction librarian at Patten.

Teens who are participating in the summer reading program will be able to earn “Bath Bucks,” which are redeemable $1 coupons that Bath businesses have offered as rewards for participants enrolled in the program.

The teen summer reading program will kick off next Friday, June 19 with a “Teen Summer Nights” movie series that will take place all summer.

More information about the different library’s reading programs can be found at patten.lib.me.us.

dkim@timesrecord.com