Guilford Free Library is back at full capacity, regular hours, and members of the staff are looking forward to bringing some sense of normalcy back after the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A slate of fun and intriguing summer programs include both education and entertainment.

“The last couple of years has certainly made things crazy, but we feel that this year everyone is getting back into all of the normal summer activities and we want folks to know that includes the library,” said Lauretta Lyons, head of reference and programming librarian. “The schools have really helped us out, by promoting summer reading and that helps keep their reading levels up and academic performances up as well. So, we are very excited about getting back to where we were pre-COVID. The library really feels, for the first time in a long time, like it used to. Everyone is really excited, staff and patrons. Most of the programming, especially the summer reading, everything had to all be online and there was little in-person events. We weren’t able to hold kick-off events, but it is really great to be back.”

One of the programs coming back this season is the Summer Reading Game for children. Lyons said this a great program designed to track the books and time they spend reading over the summer. The program rewards young readers and has been a popular long-term activity for younger patrons.

Angelina Carnevale, the Children’s Department Head, said the program is an important educational tool for Guilford youth and also fun.

“There is a pre-reader game, so, if your child isn’t reading yet, you track by the books you read to them. If your child is reading then they track the minutes they are reading themselves,” said Carnevale. “All this reading and other optional challenge activities earn the children points and once they reach a certain number, they get a free book. And everyone gets a free book just for signing up-we are all about books and reading after all. We have brand new books for the kids to choose from. This is a library tradition and obviously very popular with the kids.”

Sara Martone, Teen Services/Supervisory Librarian, said there will be a number of teen-oriented programs and activities as well. This year being the 25th anniversary of the publishing of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, there will be a number of Potter-themed activities, said Martone.

“We had our big kick-off event recently and had a big scavenger hunt. It was chaos, but fun chaos, and they really loved it,” said Martone. “In our program each of the kids gets sorted into a Hogwarts house, so that’s kind of like their team, and then they are all trying to read as many books as possible for their house and win a pizza party at the end of the summer. They get a free book when they sign up too. The excitement that they get when they finally get into their house is great to see.”

Martone said there will be other Potter-themed events as well including baking programs, crafts, and painting.

‘We will be doing Harry Potter stuff all summer. It will be all-Harry, all-summer,” said Martone with a laugh. “We’ll be having Harry Potter bingo and a Potter spelling bee also with a Potter theme. The series is still incredibly popular, and teens really just love it.”

Paws and Read is another program geared toward children that pairs kids with therapy dogs, according to Carnevale.

“Reading is fun but even better when you’re reading to an adorable dog,” says Carnevale. “Any kid who’s five and reading independently can sign up for a 15-minute reading slot. We have a certified therapy dog that comes twice a week that they can read to. And they really enjoy that as well.”

Lyons said that a grant from the Guilford Foundation and their Youth Advisory group will help fund a gaming tournament that will be held in July.

“We are going to do a big Mario-Kart tournament next month in July. So that will be very exciting for the kids. That will be Wednesday, July 27 from 2 to 5 p.m. There will be a prize awarded as well,” said Carnevale. “We chose that because after the pandemic there really wasn’t a chance for the kids to socialize, and this is a chance to socialize with each doing something they really enjoy.”

There are a host of other programs and events that residents can discover at the library, including some summer entries in their Library of Things collection, including: Can Jam, Corn Hole, Horseshoes, Badminton, and Spike Ball sets all available for borrowing. Other programs include book reading programs, author visits, craft activities and demonstrations, and American Girl Doll program in conjunction with the Guilford Keeping Society, pollinator garden activities and more.

All program information is available via the library website. Patrons can sign up and register for all of the programs via the site as well. 203-453-8282 or www.guilfordfreelibrary.org/ Patrons can also register in person at the library for all programs as well.