Teacher wins grand prize as library's adult reading program wraps up

Sidney Public Library's reading programs aren't just for kids.

The adult summer reading program, started by Vickie Morlock in 2006, wrapped up last week.

Sue Wilson, a 5th grade teacher at West Elementary won the grand prize of dinner and a movie for two, drawn from entries submitted when participants return books. Wilson was encouraged to join the program by Doris Jensen, the Library Director, because she knows that Wilson travels to visit her grandchildren during the summer.

"I really helps me pass the time on the road," Wilson said.

As a teacher, Wilson knows the value of reading.

"It takes you lots of different places and gives you lots of information," Wilson said.

Wilson tends to get hung up on certain genres. Her current favorite are murder mysteries. She turned to mysteries after reading "The 39 Clues", a popular kid's series with her class last year.

When Morlock started working at the library in 2005, it had no adult reading program—and as a lover of reading, she thought that need to change. She asked Jensen about starting a program and Jensen said they might as well try it and see if anyone was interested. In the first year the library encouraged its patrons to sign-up and had about 250 people enrolled who read around 1200 books over the summer.

Adults must register for the program and then let librarians know what kinds of books they like, so the library will have enough for them to choose from. Then when a person in the program returns a book, he or she can add one entry into the drawing that takes place at the end of the program. Participants can read any traditional book, e-book or audio book that the library offers. Morlock decided to include audio books because so many people don't have time to read traditional books.

Although enrollment in the program is down this year ,with 89 people registered and 421 books read over the summer, Morlock is still optimistic.

Morlock knows that starting early is the key to continuing to read as an adult.

"The younger they start reading, they'll have that the rest of their life," Morlock said.

Morlock does adult services, inter library loan and book mobile for Sidney Public Library. The adult summer reading program takes place during June and July, just like the children's programs.