Our goal is to keep your students reading this summer. Their goal is to earn book bucks!

Students can earn “book bucks” for time they spend reading, for attending library classes, for turning in a book review, for completing a weekly survey, and for mailing or bringing us a postcard or photograph of their favorite vacation spot. Students can earn credit for reading up to six hours per day.

Students will collect prizes for reaching goals of 50 and 100 book bucks. When they earn at least 100 book bucks, they will be eligible to participate in the You Are Here Readers Raffle.

Check out a list of books for Middle School and High School students developed by Howard County Library’s teen specialists in conjunction with the Howard County Public School System’s media specialists.

To get started, students should register at the information desk at any Howard County Library branch. We’ll give them all of the materials they will need to get started: a reading log, a review card, a user name and password for the online components, plus their first five book bucks and a starter prize!

The last day for students to earn book bucks and enter the raffle is August 13. Raffle winners will be contacted beginning August 17.

Look out for Howard County Library System’s Instructors promoting summer reading with your students in May and June.

Sponsored by Friends of Howard County Library.

Howard County Library, in partnership with Watson’s Tin Box of Ellicott City and Howard County Public Schools, announces the seventh annual Sherlock Holmes Essay Contest for all Howard County public, private and homeschooled 7th grade students.

Students are asked to read the Sherlock Holmes short story, “The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” and write a five-paragraph analytical essay according to the rules and guidelines of the contest. Students may download a booklet that includes the story, pre-reading activities, a glossary of British terms, specific essay questions, the rubric which will be used in judging the essays and a contest entry form.

Teachers who choose to have their classes participate will forward to Watson’s Tin Box the top two essays from each of his/her classes. Home schooled students may send their essay to the Watson’s Tin Box address listed in the booklet.

Essays must be received by Watson’s Tin Box by June 1, 2011. Prizes will be awarded for the best three essays. Winners will be announced at an awards presentation in June 2011 at Howard County Library.

Special thanks to contest sponsor and creator, Watson’s Tin Box of Ellicott City.

We’re looking for middle and high school students to assist us this summer as we make reading fun for kids! Students can earn service learning hours. Volunteers assist Howard County Library System’s instructors with the summer reading club and other tasks.

Summer Reading Volunteer opportunities are available at all branches. To register for this orientation session, submit a volunteer application. Accepted applicants will be contacted to confirm registration and schedule training.

No school on Friday, May 13? No problem! If you like to solve riddles or puzzles, go on scavenger hunts, or use your observation skills, join us at  Miller Branch for Letterboxing @ The Library on Friday, May 13 at 2 pm. After learning about the history and rules of the ancient game of letterboxing, you will receive a set of clues about the secret letterboxes hidden throughout the Miller Branch Library. Work individually, in pairs or in groups.

Ages 8-13. No registration required.

Amy Stephens, Howard County Library Glenwood Branch

We all want students to perform their best for finals, right?

What better place to study than the library…we will have a quiet room all set up for maximum brain cell growth as well as some caffeine and treats to help your students make it through their long study sessions. Caffeine and Cram happens at the Glenwood Branch on Tuesday, May 17 from 5:30-8:30 pm and is open to all high schoolers studying for an exam. No registration is required.

Amy Stephens – Howard County Library Glenwood Branch

Do your students need volunteer opportunities this summer?  Maybe they need hours for a service organization or just a little something extra for their resumes.  Maybe they want to make a difference in their community.  If so, encourage them to become a Summer Reading Volunteer at Howard County Library!

Our Summer Reading Volunteers register children for One World, Many Stories, distribute prizes to those young summer readers, and assist Library Instructors with various tasks throughout the summer. Summer Reading Volunteers spend their summer in air conditioning, surrounded by books and readers. What could be better?

Summer Reading Volunteers need to be at least 13 years old and enjoy working with children. Interested students should complete a volunteer application.  Accepted applicants will be contacted to schedule orientation and training.

We wouldn’t be able to make it through the summer without our amazing Summer Reading Volunteers!

Katie George – Administration Office

Spring is here , and with it come some exciting new resources at the Howard County Library System! We have four new resources available for you to use with your students.  Check out  hclibrary.org/ebooksforkids

The new resources include:

TumbleBookLibrary has more than 200 children’s  books. Favorites like “The Paper Bag Princess” by Robert Munsch, as well as fairy tales come to life in an educational and interactive way. Other titles include: “Diary of a Worm,” “How I Became a Pirate,” “Miss Malarkey Doesn’t Live in Room 10,”  and “Tops and Bottoms. More accomplished readers can read read-along chapter books, featuring narration, sentence highlighting, and automatic page turning. Spanish and French titles are also available!

BookFLIX , an online program for children, pairs 95  classic video storybooks with nonfiction e-books. BookFLIX builds a love of reading while reinforcing early reading skills.
TrueFlix™ leverages 47 award-winning True Books content to help students hone reading skills, build knowledge of subject-area content, and cultivate 21st century skills.

The International Children’s Digital Library (ICDL) operates like a bookmobile for the global age. The ICDL collection includes more than 4,000 books in 55 languages.

Take a look around our digital collection. This is just the beginning!

Shirley O’Neill, Administration Office