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Summer reading returns
Program offered Wednesday mornings features crafts and stories

Ryan Williams/WGCN<br>

Three-year-old Clara Martinez listens along to the story at the Williams Public Library.

Ryan Williams/WGCN<br> Three-year-old Clara Martinez listens along to the story at the Williams Public Library.

WILLIAMS - With summer here and school out of session, parents may find themselves looking for fun activities for younger children to take part in during the week.

One available option is the Williams Public Library summer reading program. This year's theme is "Make a Splash at Your Library."

Librarian Andrea Dunn said the reading and craft program is geared toward younger children.

"Most of the children are 7 or less," she said. "I've got the kids from the preschool. They all come right over for it."

The program will last between six to eight weeks on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and is based on guidelines provided by the State Library.

"They give us a recommended reading list and a bunch of craft ideas along with flyers and banners and things like that," Dunn said.

Volunteer Michelle Gonzalez is currently leading the story hour and craft time.

"At that age it's a pretty short attention span so you read two or three little short books," Dunn said. "We sometimes take the kids outside and do sidewalk chalk and fun little activities. They want us to do singing, too, but most of us aren't really big on singing right here. Plus, I have such a small library, that much noise makes a big difference."

More at the Library

The Williams Public Library historical archiving project will continue thanks in part to recently received state grant funding.

According to Dunn, over 500 photos have been scanned and archived and are currently available for public viewing.

The library was awarded $3,250 in 2010 Library Services and Technology Act grant funding.

"This is the (grant) for archiving photos," Dunn said. "It's a project that we've already started so now we've got some money to continue and store things. This is really exciting."

The grant award will specifically fund the purchase of a new computer and supplies and help establish a traveling photo exhibit.

"We're going to be able to, say, take the exhibit down to the bank and leave it at the bank for a month or take it to the visitor's center to promote the project and get some of those photos out where people can see them," Dunn said.

According to Dunn, a computer workstation will soon be devoted to the archiving project allowing easy public access and viewing of the photos.

"It will be kind of like a local history area that will be dedicated to people coming in and looking at photos," she said. "Plus, we have the newspapers on CDs up until 1972, I think, from 1901 and I still want to get the rest of them."

Dunn went on to say response to the archiving project has been positive. The historical photo collection at the library does include some family photos. In one case, a family provided a box with 11 photo albums at one time. Dunn said while the photo resources are more than welcome, it does make for a fair amount of work.

"Family photos are part of our history and people like to look at family photos so we're going with those photos as well," Dunn said. "They're historical and it's a lot of fun, too. A lot of people want to see their families."

A portion of the library's collection will soon be featured as part of the Arizona Memory Project.

"We're going to connect with a website called the Arizona Memory Project that is already online and has links to all of these different libraries doing things like us," Dunn said. "We have to send a sample of the photos that we are going to include."

The Arizona Memory Project provides access to the wealth of primary sources in Arizona libraries, archives, museums and other cultural institutions. Visitors to the project's website are able to view government documents, photographs, maps, and objects chronicling Arizona's past and present. The project was launched in March 2006 and has been granted the Arizona Centennial 2012 legacy project designation by the Arizona Historical Advisory Commission.

For more Arizona Memory Project information visit www.azmemory.lib.az.us. For information on the library's summer reading program call (928) 635-2263.


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