BENTONVILLE — Young people participating in the Bentonville Public Library’s Summer Reading Program cracked open more books and spent more time lost in the written word than previous years, Hadi Dudley, library director, told City Council members Tuesday night.
Readers logged 19,716 hours with their nose in a book during the two-month reading program this year, she said. That number has increased every year since 2008, when children read for 11,679 hours. The library checked out 102,971 items during the reading program, up from 79,311 in 2008.
At A Glance
Bright Spots In Bentonville
- Sue Ann Pekel, Bentonville Public Library children’s librarian, was awarded the statewide Ann Lightsey Children’s Librarian of the Year Award.
- The Bentonville Municipal Airport was named the Airport of the Year by the Arkansas Airport Operator’s Association.
- Bentonville was recognized as a City of Distinction in the area of tourism development in cities greater than 25,000.
Source: Staff Report
Attendance is up at Summer Reading events as well, Dudley said. More than 7,000 kids visited the library at 405 S. Main St. between June and August. That’s up from a program attendance of 3,754 in 2008.
One of the most popular events this year was a dance party with Dora the Explorer, Dudley said. More than 300 people turned out to the library to dance with the popular Nickelodeon character.
The library also started a Nook lending program this summer, Dudley said. The library’s 26 e-readers have proven to be popular with readers, she said.
Since the program kicked off in early August, the library has recorded more than 80 checkouts of the themed devices and there is a waiting list of more than 100 patrons. Each of the 26 e-readers is pre-loaded with books from a certain genre ranging from parenting to fiction to business.
The Daybreak Rotary Club provided a $4,500 grant for the library to purchase additional Nooks pre-loaded with materials for children, Dudley said.
“Every time we have a report, I am reminded that it’s more than just about books,” said Mary Baggett, Ward 1 Council representative. “The e-readers are such a neat addition.”
Dudley said patrons have so far been taking good care of the devices, with some even declining to check out the items once they realize how much they cost. It offers a good test run for those considering purchasing an e-reader or an alternative for those patrons who can’t afford one of their own, she said.
The devices have safeguards to ensure they are used responsibly and returned to the library, Dudley said. Patrons are not allowed to browse the Internet or download materials onto the device. The e-readers can also be remotely disabled by the library if a patron fails to return it. A recovery agency has also been selected if the library needs to take further action, Dudley said.
In other business, the city recognized Braum’s Ice Cream and Dairy at 1119 N. Walton Blvd. as the winner of the Commercial Landscaping of the Month Award for September. Mayor Bob McCaslin said the dairy chain recently invested $500,000 in remodeling the building. The city is pushing for redevelopment along North Walton Boulevard, high-traffic corridor that has seen new developments go elsewhere over the last two decades.