90 degree heat + a broken air conditioner = Madness!

Our air conditioner has been broken for a little while now and because we have to follow procedure, it may still be awhile before it can be repaired.  Meanwhile, it’s been over 90 degrees for the past two days and our summer reading program officially begins on Monday.  Luckily, we librarians are fairly resilient and we’re pushing through the mucky heat and humidity to make sure summer reading begins without a hitch.
We offer pre-registration to the kids at school after we see them in an assembly, but this year many families came into the library rather than sending the registration form back to school.  It adds a little craziness to the department as we’re trying to finish up last minute details… but if the kids are excited about signing up, we don’t want to squash their enthusiasm.
We’re also trying to provide better signage to our popular series books, book lists with fun, updated titles, and always a smile.  I have (like most children’s librarians) a love-hate relationship with the summer.  Usually, by now, I’m ready for the summer to be over.  But this year, I’m really trying to be excited about all of our upcoming events, the possibilities of connecting kids with books and staying energized because as the saying goes, “It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.”  Our last, big program will be mid-August and kids can still record their titles and time until the end of August.  I’m excited to spend some time with extended family over the 4th of July and have some other plans for day trips to keep myself refreshed and ready for anything.
Reading is definitely my escape and  if this week’s any indication (I’ve read 5 books and am on a 6th) I’ll be escaping all summer long into some great books that I picked up at BEA!  My favorite part of summer – seeing kids get excited about reading!  And it makes it all worth it!