A universe of stories at the library

 
Walter L. Sprague
NLJ Arts & Culture Correspondent
 
With the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing approaching on July 20, the Weston County Library’s Summer Reading Program has a fun and educational space theme this year. With something for kids of all ages, as well as adults, this promises to be an enjoyable experience for everyone who participates. 
The program sponsors are the Weston County Library Foundation, Eastern Wyoming Equipment, RT Communications, and A-1 Agency-Ruthie Spence. The library is next to the County Courthouse at 23 West Main Street in Newcastle. 
The library asks, “Are you ready for an out-of-this-world Summer?” and with all the space stories and activities they are, I believe, accomplishing just that “out-of-this-world experience. During the week, starting June 4, they will present programs with an emphasis on everything from the moon to the planets; from the sun to the stars. On Tuesdays at 11 a.m. they’ll host stories and activities for children up to 5 years old. Elementary children will attend on Wednesdays at 11 a.m., plus they will be working in groups to produce stop-motion videos of their design. In August they can see those videos at a film festival shown at the library. Both groups will be doing fun crafts, projects, and experiments. 
All ages, children, and adults, can register for a reading program where you chronicle the reading you’ve done throughout the summer. There will be prizes given for 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-place readers. While this program has already started, you are not too late to get involved in it, as it will continue through Aug. 2. Sign-ups and reading logs will be at the circulation desk of the library. For questions, call Amanda Sanford at (307) 746-2206. 
The library will also be hosting several PBS documentaries throughout the coming months. The showing times of each of these films are at 6:30 p.m. on the following dates: 
June 20: Earthwise 
July 18: Bill Nye Science Guy; the life and work of TV’s favorite scientist 
Aug. 15: Islands of the Whales; Way of life is threatened in the North Atlantic’s Faroe Islands 
Bring the kids out to the library this summer, and get in on the reading yourself!