Now that summer (rain) is in the air and traveling to and from our (rainy) little town is in full swing, it seems like a wonderful time to remind everyone about some of the family summertime adventures that await at our favorite local library.

The library has several events coming up in July, some exciting, others SUPER exciting. Saturday, July 3, the Library Foundation will be hosting a mega-sale at the library from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s been a while and there will be lots of great reads at great prices. If there is a 4th of July parade, we’ll be in it. Some of us are dressing up as your favourite storybook characters, so be sure to bring your camera and roses!

Along with parade appearances, the library will be hosting a campfire storytime (with the requisite spooky stories and s’mores) on July 9, from 8-9 p.m. Great family fun for all ages. The following evening, July 10, is Parent’s Night Out time. Woohoo! Drop your child (ages 5-12) off at the library and we’ll keep them engaged and fed while you enjoy some adult time. Please be sure to register for both these events on our website.

Since Nederland is known for its musical heritage, what would a Summer Reading Program be without some musical entertainment? We will be hosting Pint-Sized Polkas on July 24 beginning at 3 p.m. This Polka treat hails from Wisconsin, so we’re in for dancing fun.

If all this excitement isn’t enough, our very own local author, Doug Cosper is launching his book On Wings of Wonder at both the Carousel and at the library. There is even a new animal to ride in honor of the book. Stay tuned for more information.

Most importantly, now that our library is back to its pre-Covid summer hours and access, the greatest Summer Reading event of all is seeing our community and families visiting again. We have parachute storytimes in the mornings; Make & Take crafts Monday afternoons; evening hours for winding down after long sunny/rainy days. Also, our latest Experience Pass to the Denver Zoo is on its way.

What about books and reading? Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about our core library service. We’ve expanded several of our physical collections, including junior graphic novels and our early literacy section to keep our youngest community members engaged all summer long.

The library is also invested in keeping our downloadable collections current and responsive to your needs. Especially critical are audiobooks for your summer road trips.

Did you know you can contact us with your requests and often we can have an e-book, e-film, or e-audiobook available to you within 24 hours? We like to call it NCL Prime!

If your child hasn’t yet signed up for summer reading (babies through 18 years old), be sure to contact Mike at msivcovich@nedlib.org or give him a call at 303-258-1101 and he’ll regale you with dad jokes until you can’t take it anymore. We start handing out prizes in mid-July and there are some great ones! Waterworld anyone? What about…. paintball?! (Paintball for high school only; our younger friends will need to wait just a bit longer!)

It seems wise to remind our reading and visiting community that we are always listening. Have an Experience Pass idea? Heard of a great book and we don’t have it? Maybe you’d like to see a program or workshop in your library? Let us know! We are here from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Michael Sivcovich is the Patron Services Supervisor at the Nederland Community Library.