(STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA / June 15, 2023) – Stillwater Public Library (SPL) continues its summer reading program with events full of magic, cooking, dog treats and a butterfly walk. Children’s programs take place on Tuesday with two shows at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Teen programs take place on Wednesdays at 2 p.m. There will be two adult programs this week, one on Thursday evening and another on Saturday morning.
On Tuesday, June 20, SPL invites kids to attend “Work Together: Magic & Juggling with Ann Lincoln.” Ann will teach kids the importance of kindness and working together in a hilarious and fun filled show featuring her trained rabbit and dove. The show will have lots of opportunities for kids to volunteer to help both on stage and off.
Elizabeth Murray, the children’s librarian, is excited to bring Ann Lincoln back to Stillwater.
“Lincoln has a great sense of humor and always delivers a positive message,” according to Murray.
Later that week, on Wednesday, June 21, teens entering grades 6-12 will participate in “Teen Chopped,” a food competition based on the TV show. Teens will create dishes from assigned “basket” ingredients along with random “pantry” ingredients of their choosing. Unlike the show, participants will work in teams to design their culinary creations. At the end of three rounds, judges will award the team with the best dishes gift cards from local restaurants. There will also be a random drawing for a small prize or book at the end of the program.
Jordan Stine, the teen librarian at SPL, hopes that having a cooking program will encourage teens to develop teamwork skills, in keeping with this year’s SRP theme of “All Together Now.”
“Cooking brings people together,” Stine said. “By using their knowledge of foods and building off what the whole team knows, kids get to show off their skills and work together to make amazing food.”
Moving from food for people to food for canines, on Thursday, June 22, from 6-7 p.m., adults will learn about the types of foods that are okay, and not okay, to feed dogs with Hannah Briegge from Three Dog Bakery. Briegge will also have dog cookies for attendees to decorate for their furry friends at the end of the program.
The adult fun continues on Saturday, June 24, at 8:30 a.m. with a butterfly walk led by the Payne County Audubon Society. This program is family friendly and participants will learn about the many types of local butterflies and the plants they feed upon by taking a guided tour of the Botanic Gardens at OSU.
Both adult programs require attendees to register at tinyurl.com/AdultSRP2023.
The library will be closed on Monday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth. Librarians will attend the community-wide Juneteenth celebration at Southern Woods Park on Saturday, June 17, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Learn more about summer reading programs and movie titles, and register with Beanstack to track reading and earn prizes at library.stillwater.org/summer_@_your_library.php.
The library’s summer reading program “All Together Now” is sponsored by the Friends of the Stillwater Public Library, the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Oklahoma Department of Libraries.