Summer Reading Programs

Our summer reading program is loosely based on the program developed by the Collaborative Summer Library Program made available to California libraries by the California Library Association. 

Within the resources available to the library, we hope to provide children and teens opportunities to have fun and exercise their brains during the summer vacation. The importance of summer reading to a child's level of performance in school each year is well documented. Read about it here.

Program Goals 

1. Motivate children to read
2. Develop positive attitudes about reading and books
3. Enable children to maintain their reading skills during summer vacation
4. Encourage regular use of the library
5. Attract new users to the library
6. Promote the library’s services and mate­rials to the community
7. Foster cooperation between community agencies

Offer experiences through which children can learn to work cooperatively

Teen Program * * * Make Waves @ Your Library
Thursdays 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. 

June 17 --- Bubbles, Chalk and Bracelets
Kickoff your summer in style with root beer floats, huge bubbles, sidewalk chalk, and hydro-bracelets.

June 24 --- Water your imagination!
Do you know how to marbleize paper... or make a snow globe? Come find out!

July 1 --- CyberSpace Adventure
Are you a blogger, a video game creator, or a fan of Teen Second Life? Come rock the boat and learn something new.

July 8 --- Anime Movie
Are you a fan of Naruto, Death Note One, Fullmetal Alchemist, or Ponyo? Come see a screening of a new anime movie, and dress up as your favorite character!

July 15 --- Green Thumb Day
Do you have a green thumb? Come “dive into” water features in gardening with Melissa McCoy at Every Bloomin’ Thing in Johnstonville.

July 29 --- Survivor Party
Can you outwit, outlast, out play your friends? Come to the Survivor summer reading party and find out!  Location TBA.

Thank You to all for our most successful summer program in 2009.

Here are some images of what fun we had . . .

Children's Program

Teen Program

Children are born ready to learn . . .

A child's brain is 90% developed by the child's fifth birthday . . .

Parents are a child's first and most important teacher . . .

The library is a community resource for early learning 

The ELF program at Lassen Library is designed to provide resources to parents and their young children to help them make the most of the learning that a child undergoes the first five years of its life.

Our program uses educational resources from the following early learning and literacy programs:

Early Learning with Families - A statewide project of the California State Library and North Bay Cooperative Library System, supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.

Every Child Ready to Read - A program of the Public Library Association and the Association for Library Service to Children, divisions of the American Library Association. 

Getting Ready for School - A program of the Foundation for Early Learning.

Parents Action for Children - A program of Michele and renowned film director Rob Reiner to help raise public awareness about the critical importance the prenatal period through the first early years plays in a child’s healthy brain development.

Reading Skills children must know before they can learn to read
(from Every Child Ready to Read):

>   Print Motivation
>   Vocabulary
>   Print Awareness
>   Letter Knowledge
>   Phonological Awareness
>   Narrative Skills

Simple ways to encourage learning                                 
(from Getting School Ready): 

1. Be Warm, Loving and Responsive
2. Respond to the Child's Cues and Clues
3. Talk, Read and Sing to your Child
4. Establish Routines
5. Encourage Safe Exploration and Play
6. Make TV watching Selective
7. Use Discipline as an Opportunity to Teach
8. Recognize that each Child is Unique
9. Choose High-Quality Child-Care and Stay Involved
10. Take Care of Yourself

Families for Literacy

Families for Literacy is a state-wide family literacy initiative in public libraries. This program provides state and local assistance funds each year to extend services to include the families of adult literacy learners and ESL students with responsibility for a preschool aged child and includes their whole family. Families for Literacy (FFL) focuses on developing the literacy skills, knowledge, and habits of the low literacy adults while building additional resources to help the parent/caregiver support and encourage literacy in the home.

One goal of the FFL program is to introduce the parent and his/her family to the value and joy of reading as a family and to assure that each child enters school ready to read. The underlying concept of these programs is that children who are talked to and read to by adults learn to read better and have an improved opportunity to become more successful as a result -- thus breaking the cycle of illiteracy. Parents/caregivers are helped to support their children in learning to read by recognizing and fostering the vital role they play as their child's first and most important teacher.

These programs address the families most "at risk" in which the parent/primary caregiver has limited literacy skills him/herself.

The Families for Literacy Program offers "Book Parties" at the library for the whole family that include:

1. Storytelling, word games, songs, and related craft and writing activities.
2. Refreshments.
3. Introduction to resources and services available at the library.
4. Books for each child attending, chosen by the parent, to read to the children. This will increase the home libraries.
5. Suggestions to parents/caregivers on how to select books and how and why to read aloud to children.
6. Encouraging the use of quality children's books and language experience stories from the family programs as instructional materials for the adults with tutors.
7. Providing parents/caregivers access to information and materials on parenting, childcare, health, nutrition, and other resources available to them in their community.

Book parties celebrate family reading

For more information about this program contact Families for Literacy Coordinator Emily Pangborn (530) 257-8021

 Adult Literacy Program Mission Statement 

Lassen Library Literacy Program is committed to assisting any adult in the area with personal reading and writing issues thus giving them the opportunity to improve their quality of life.

  "Learning to read changes a life at any age"

Learner Information 

Learning to read is convenient and it's FREE, confidential and private. No one will know about an adult's participation in the Literacy Program. The program is individualized to each student's interest and needs.

Literacy students can be anyone over 21 years of age. There are many adults in the Susanville area that may be functionally illiterate. Some are parents, business owners, or retired residents. They all show courage when they admit that they need to improve their basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics.

One to one and/or small group tutoring videos, computer programs and audio cassettes are available to learn and practice.

Citizenship classes are available to help anyone interested in becoming a U. S. citizen. To become a citizen, persons must have lived in the United States for at least five years (three years if married to a U. S. citizen). We help people send for the application for naturalization and help prepare them for the citizenship test. Preparation for other tests is also available.

If qualified contact the Literacy Program to make an appointment.

Volunteer Tutoring

Literacy Program tutors are unpaid volunteers. They meet with their students at convenient times. Student and tutor meet as often as needed. Tutors usually commit to one to two hours per week. Students often come several times a week to work in the computer lab. Tutors do not need college degrees or teaching experience. Time and commitment are their qualifications. The Literacy Program provides our tutors with training, materials, a newsletter and other support.

If you are interested in becoming a tutor contact the Literacy Program

Favorite Links

• Lassen Library District
• California Library Literacy Services
• Northern California Literacy Resource Center
• Outreach and Technical Assistance Network (OTAN)
• PBS Online

Contact Information

For more information contact Literacy Coordinator Maureen Walsh

Lassen Library District Literacy Program
1618 Main Street
Susanville, CA 96130-4515

Telephone (530) 257-8021

E-mail:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Located "Under the Tree" in the library lobby