The Verde Valley Imagination Library hosted a graduation ceremony for children who had aged out of their reading program at Garrison Park in Cottonwood on May 11, which offered kids a chance to sign up for their own library cards.
VVIL provides a monthly book for children from infancy to age 5 at no cost to their family in an effort to create lifelong readers. The books arrive in the mail addressed directly to the kids, allowing them to create their own personal libraries.
Staff from the Cottonwood Public Library, Camp Verde Community Library and Sedona Public Library were on hand to offer information regarding their summer reading programs.
Around 35 children participated in the event and around 30 signed up for library cards, each of whom received a t-shirt saying, “I got carded today at my local library.” The kids also got to ring a cowbell after receiving their library cards.
VVIL Program Director Janet Sandoval said that one kid, Logan, ran to the registration table to drop off a thank-you letter to “the book lady,” Dolly Parton, thanking her for all of the books.
“That was special,” Sandoval said. “Overall it was a huge success and we’re looking forward to doing it again. I love that we were able to coordinate and collaborate together with the city libraries to do this.”
VVIL hopes to hold a similar event in the fall for library card promotions and another graduation next spring. The fall event is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 28 at the Sedona Public Library.
Several adults also signed up for library cards and families were able to enroll their children in the VVIL program at the event. VVIL had extra books on hand to give away to encourage kids to read throughout the summer months.
“The goal is that at the end of the five years, the child has 60 books if they signed up right from birth,” Sandoval explained. “Those books are theirs to keep forever. Each child should have ownership of his or her own books. Having your own books is important.”
For more information, email jsandoval@vvilbooks.org. While the program is free for families, donations can be made at vvilbooks.org.
