NORWICH — This summer, the Guernsey Memorial Library will be offering several programs for kids, aimed at being both fun and educational.

Children's Librarian Kim Hazen said it's important to her to do these programs so that kids learn that the library is a fun place, while also being educational.

"Mostly it's to try to get the kids to associate the library with having fun, and getting them something fun to do. But also educational too," she said.

Hazen said the programs include a Lego Club, art programs, story times, visiting performers, and more.

"We have Lego Club, we have art programs, we do story times, we usually have crafts, and this summer we have a story walk, we have a graphic novel club. We have performers that come, and usually with COVID we kind of have half outside and half online," she explained.

The Summer Story Time is the library's most popular program, according to Hazen. She said it's a combination of reading and activities, aimed at teaching young children how to read.

"I do the book and we do crafts, and usually we'll have felt board activities and songs and stuff like that," said Hazen. "Eventually the goal is to try to get them reading themselves. So the more language you expose them to, the quicker that they'll be reading on their own."

According to Hazen, the Summer Story Time is most frequented by young children, "anywhere from babies to age five." She said even though they're young, reading to them and exposing them to books can help foster a future love of reading.

"Studies kind of show that if you take a young one, even when they're in your womb, and you read to them that they'll develop that love for reading," she said. "So the earlier you start, the better."

All the offered programs are free, according to Hazen, and most do not require any kind of registration.

“Most of them you don’t have to sign up for. Sometimes with art classes you do, because they need to know how many supplies. But most of the time we try not to register them cause people don’t want to. They want to feel like they can just come,” said Hazen.

Like many other places, Guernsey Library was not infallible to the effects of COVID. Hazen said many of their programs had to be moved online.

"Our programming went online, so Story Time was online and we had Lego Club online for a little while. And our Graphic Novel Club was online and we recently switched it to being in person," said Hazen. "I mean, digital is good but I think a lot of people are ready to be back in person doing things too."

Hazen also said the library offers several programs for adults, too. This summer, Guernsey will be holding several adult's art classes with Jill Kraft of Creative Works, Movies Under the Stars in the library park, and more.

Many of these programs are made possible by Community Arts grants distributed through the Earlville Opera House, according to Hazen.

"I wrote for the Earlville Opera House grant for a lot of the performers that were virtual. Cause even though they're online, it still costs something," said Hazen. "We try to get grants as much as we can, but a lot of it we have to fund ourselves too through the programming budget."

For more information on the Guernsey Memorial Library and their programs, check out their Facebook page, or visit their website at www.guernseymemoriallibrary.org.