Gail Borden library brings music into summer reading program

Don't be surprised if you spot a piano or run into dancers at Elgin's Gail Borden Public Library this summer, because it's all about reading.

Really.

The theme of the library district's summer reading program is "'Read to the Rhythm," mirroring the theme of the Illinois Library Association summer reading program.

"We want all kids to be reading this summer," said Denise Raleigh, Gail Borden's division chief of public relations and communications. "This theme is wonderful for the community because we are awash in local talent."

The program is open to people of all ages; participants get a reading log and prizes if they finish the program.

For every adult finisher, the Gail Borden Public Library District Foundation will donate $5 to the Literacy Connection, up to $1,000, Raleigh said.

Encouraging kids to read during summer break prevents "summer loss," or academic setbacks that take place when away from the classroom for too long, Elgin Area School District U-46 CEO Tony Sanders said Monday during a kickoff luncheon held at the library.

More importantly, reading saves lives, Sanders said.

"I'm a living example of how reading can affect a person dramatically," he said, explaining he got special instruction in the third grade after testing showed he couldn't read. "I got so hooked on reading Stephen King stories, I never put a book down after that."

Burlington Central Community Unit School District 301 Superintendent Todd Stirn said he, too, needed extra help from a reading tutor in elementary school.

"If students are not reading at third-grade level by the end of third grade, statistically they are playing catch up forever," Stirn said. "That's how important literacy is."

Gail Borden is partnering for the summer program with Ella Johnson, Bartlett and Poplar Creek public library districts to better serve students of School District U-46 and School District 301, she said.

"Each year it becomes more collaborative," she said. "As we work more closely with our school districts, we also work more closely with our fellow library districts."

For details, visit gailborden.info/read2015.