Bolivar-Hardeman County Library Kicks Off Summer Reading Fun {photo gallery}
The Bolivar-Hardeman County Library kicked off its annual Summer Reading program on Friday, June 13, 2025. The theme this year is Color Our World, and children and their parents came out in a large number for an afternoon of hands-on fun and a variety of activities for a enjoyable afternoon.
Fun and educational learning stations, which included a temporary tattoo parlor, face painting booth, tie-dye, and an “arcade” with a bean bag toss and ring toss, were set up throughout the library.
“We tried to create a summer festival. When the children registered, they received 10 free tickets of which they could use at several different stations,” said Assistant Director Program Coordinator Hannah Thompson.
The Color Our World Summer Reading program is not just open to school-age children, but people from the age of zero to adults.
“If the child is being read to, that counts. We really worked hard to make sure there were programs for all ages this summer. We didn’t want any age group to get left out,” said Ms. Thompson. “I think sometimes people assume the library only has programs for children. That’s not true. We have a program for everyone! And if we don’t, we can start one. We had a few people interested in a Film Club, so we started one of those this summer!”
The Bolivar-Hardeman County Library has a full and active calendar each month offering programming for people of all ages from Chair Yoga to S.T.E.M. Club to Sassy Seniors. The Summer Reading Program is just one of them.
“The thing that excites me the most about Summer Reading is the chance to get new families into the library and hopefully create an environment where at least one more child falls in love with reading,” said Library Director Becky White, who shared a special moment from the day. “There was a child who was having so much fun that he actually begged his parents to let him stay longer. Knowing that we gave someone such a good day is a great feeling.”
Summer Reading Photo Gallery
Click arrow/swipe screen to see the slideshow.
The library is for the community and Ms. White and Ms. Thompson, along with the library staff, work hard to ensure people feel welcomed when they visit their local library, and encourage everyone to come and see what it has to offer. It was exciting for them to have almost 80 people come out for the Summer Reading kick off.
“Something that stood out for me was when I had accumulated a long line of kids waiting at the tattoo parlor, there were a few moms who stepped in to help me apply the tattoos. It kind of just made me think, ‘wow this is the whole point’! As a library, we are meant to be a community hub. Seeing how the community was willing to jump in and help out with whatever was needed, made me proud to be a part of it,” said Ms. Thompson.
The Bolivar-Hardeman County Library Color Our World Summer Reading program runs through Saturday, July 26, 2025, and is open to anyone who wants to read. You do not need to be a resident of Bolivar to participate. There will be an award ceremony on Thursday, July 31, 2025, at 10 a.m. Contact the library to learn how your child and you can participate in the summer reading fun!
Pictures courtesy of the Bolivar-Hardeman County Library.
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