On May 11, the annual Volunteer Recognition Luncheon, funded by the Friends of the Library, was held to honor our dedicated group of library volunteers. We celebrated their combined contribution of 25,382 hours of service to the Library. What a difference our 248 volunteers make each day to help expand our services and add value to the lives of our residents! They work throughout the Library, on the bookmobile and at the Arlington Heights Senior Center. Volunteers assist staff with a mulitude of tasks, including helping out at library programs, staffing the Reading Room and teaching computer classes at the Senior Center, sorting books for the Friends' book sales and helping residents improve their English. We'd like to thank all of our volunteers for their many contributions. Special congratulations go to Joan Huff, our Volunteer of the Year. This is a one-time award that is given to the volunteer who has contributed the most hours during the previous year and who has not previously received it. Joan was awarded the Volunteer of the Year for her contribution of 495 hours of service to the Library in 2009.

Kids' World manager Yvette Johnson reports that 5,000 kids registered in this summer's reading program at the Library. Another 215 middle school students served as junior library volunteers (JLVs) and contributed 2,239 hours of service assisting with the summer reading activities and with the Library's July 4 Parade float. Summer reading programs began in the 1890s as a way to encourage school children, particularly those in urban areas and not needed for farm work, to read during their summer vacation, use the library, and develop the habit of reading.  "The benefits to young readers participating in a summer reading program are lasting," says Paula Moore, Executive Director at the Library. Reading over the summer helps children keep their skills up, encourages family fun, and can generate interest in reading as a lifelong habit through games, events, and skill-building activities coordinated by the Kids' World staff and volunteers. Also instrumental to the Library's summer reading program success are the Friends of the Library. The Friends contributed funds for t-shirts, Arlington Theater gift certificates, and a wrap-up pizza party for the JLVs. The Friends generate funds through their quarterly used book sales to support items like summer reading incentives, that are not included in the Library's annual operating budget. The Friends' next sale is their Fantastic Fall Sale on the weekend of October 30-31 at the Library.   More information about the Friends and their sales.