Read. Log. Earn Prizes!

Are you ready to "Color Your World" with a summer filled with reading, challenges, prizes and new discoveries? The 2021 Summer Reading Program will run from June 1 - July 31.

Register your whole family on READSquared! Track everything through your READSquared account at ocpl.readsquared.com or download the app in the Apple App Store or Google Play! Log your reading minutes for chances to win weekly prizes. ALL ages and reading levels are welcome!

Summer Reading Prizes

OCPL has a great lineup this year for Summer Reading prizes!

• At Badge 2, every youth participant will receive a “Reading Colors Your World T-shirt.”
• At Badge 3, every participant will receive a Wendy’s Frosty.
• At Badge 4, all PreK and Kids participants will receive a free admission ticket for Zing Zumm Children’s Museum of Jacksonville.
• You can participate in a virtual summer reading program through the Missions/Fun Stuff tab on READSquared and complete other activities to earn more points and badges!
• Teens and adults will be entered into a Grand Prize drawing for a Kindle Fire.
• For all 8 weeks of Summer Reading, we’ll be drawing prizes each week. Winners will be announced the Monday following the previous week. You get an entry into the drawing by reading. For every reading badge you earn, you get another entry into the weekly drawings for your program age group!

Help

• When creating a READSqaured account, you only need to create one account for the whole family. Create your family account and then add each adult, teen and/or child reader in your family.
• When logging minutes, you can track the week and do it all at once, or individually if you want to be more specific (i.e. bedtime storytime - 180 minutes) You DO NOT have to put in book details---just minutes will do unless you want to track.
• PreK, kids and teens log minutes read; adults log books read.
• Collect badges. The more you read the more you get!
• We will pull prizes every Friday. So be sure to listen to your phone for a message or check your email each Monday.
• Need help finding some reading material? Check out the recommended reading lists available at the top of the linked page.

Summer Reading Concert!

Get ready to ROCK OUT with Big, Bang, Boom! Bring the whole family and enjoy an indoor concert.
Onslow County Government Center: Jun 24; 11am and 2pm

Wrap Up Party!

Wrap up Summer Reading with a concert! Three Rivers Band will be putting on a fantastic bluegrass concert. Come on out to the Sneads Ferry Branch Library for music, popcorn, and a great time!
Sneads Ferry: Jul 30; 6pm

PRE-K, School Age & Family Summer Programs

STORYTIMES

Introduce books, reading, and language through stories, songs, rhymes, and movement. Come learn fun ways to help build the early literacy skills children need to become successful readers! This summer, to promote safe programming and social distancing, story times will be held outdoors at each branch---weather permitting, no rain dates. 

FAMILY STORYTIMES (OUTDOORS)

Jacksonville: Every Tues; 9:30am
Richlands: Every Thurs; 10:30am
Sneads Ferry: Every Tues; 10:30am
Swansboro: Every Tues; 9:30am

PRE-SCHOOL (3-5 YEARS)

COLOR MY WORLD TAKE HOME ACTIVITIES
Sign up at the Swansboro Branch for a weekly Summer Reading Theme Activity Packet. Each week of summer reading is a new color theme and at the end of the 8 weeks, each child who participates will get a pencil box filled with school supplies. Swansboro: Sign up by Jun 1

School-Age Programs

COLOR YOUR WORLD (OUTDOORS JUNE 6 - JULY 31)

Join us out on the lawn for a colorful summer of activities, art and STEM to discover how reading colors your world! Jacksonville: Wed; 9:30am
Richlands: Tues; 9:30am
Sneads Ferry: Thurs; Grades K-3; 10am / Grades 3-6; 11:30am (sign up required)
Swansboro: Wed; 9:30am 

ECOEXPLORE
Our Sneads Ferry Branch library is now an ecoEXPLORE loanspot! You can earn badges, activities and prizes by registering at ecoexplore.net. Check out discovery packs and programs all year long! Join us to kickoff ecoEXPLORE at OCPL!
Sneads Ferry: Aug. 4; 10am

ART WITH EMILY
Youth library patrons are encouraged to be creative, try new things, explore art, and find beauty this summer. Join Emily as she brings colorful art classes to the library. Sign up today!
Jacksonville: Jun 16; 11am

Family Programs

FAMILY DANCE PARTY! (OUTDOORS)
Put on your dancing shoes and join us for music and movement as we sing, shake and be-bop the morning away!
Richlands: Jun 3; 10:30am
Sneads Ferry: Jul 28; 10:30am

BACK TO SCHOOL FAIR
Get ready for school with OCPL and our community partners. Discover resources to give your family a step up!
Jacksonville: Aug 14; 10am-1pm

FAMILY PUZZLE WEEK COMPETITION
Join us for family puzzle week! Pick up your mystery puzzle at your branch and spend time with your family putting it together. Enter by posting a photo on OCPL's social media or emailing it to Library Program Assistant Lisa Kozlowski on or before July 31! For more information, call our Swansboro Branch Library at 910.326.4888.
Puzzle Pick up: Jul 1-9
Prize Drawing: Jul 31

MAKERSPACE MONDAY
Get ready to explore new heights with OCPL’s Mobile Makerspace! The mobile units will rotate throughout all 4 branch locations. Every Monday in June we will dive into 3D Printing, Circuits (school age/teens only) Sewing/Embroidery, and Virtual Reality! Space is limited. Sign up today!

LEGO MY LIBRARY
Come express your creativity and show off your Lego building skills. Completed Lego projects will be placed on display throughout the library!
Richlands: Jun 25 & Jul 16; 10-11am

Teen Programs

COLOR YOUR WORLD (OUTDOORS JUNE 6 - JULY 31)
Teens! Join us out on the lawn for a colorful summer of activities, art and STEM to discover how reading colors your world!
Jacksonville: Wed; 11am
Please note only the Jacksonville, June 16 program requests sign up. This is to help ensure we have the correct number of supplies on hand. All other dates participants are encouraged to just attend.
Richlands: Tues; 11am

TEEN VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION (13+)
Our teen volunteers are a valuable resource in our library system. Earn SAT and Junior Honor Society hours, learn new skills, and give back to your community. Call your branch to schedule 1:1 orientation.

TOASTMASTER’S TEEN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
Learn how to present and prepare speeches, conduct meetings, listen effectively and more in this eight week workshop. Teens that attend will receive volunteer hours as well as a certificate at the end of the workshop. Teen must commit to all 8 weeks. Registration is required. Sponsored by the Jacksonville Chapter of Toastmaster’s International.
Jacksonville: Jun 3-Jul 22; 2pm

Adult Programs

Adult Book Clubs
Reading becomes an even richer experience when it is shared. Book clubs are a great way to meet new people, discover new genres or titles, have good conversations, and get to know your local library each month.

Did you know that the Onslow County Public Library offers a virtual book club?

PAGING ALL READERS
Join the conversation anywhere, anytime. Find our Facebook group, read at your own pace, and discuss the book at your convenience. A live discussion with staff and other members is every fourth Sunday at 7pm.
Find us on Facebook: OCPL Online Book Club
June: The Dead Husband by Carter Wilson
July: The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
Aug: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

2021 READING CHALLENGE
Join OCPL’s 2021 Reading Challenge and stretch beyond your reading comfort zone. Share your books with us on social media using #OCPLREADINGCHALLENGE and log your entries on ocpl.readsquared.com.
Jun: LGBTQ+ characters
Jul: Listen to an audiobook
Aug: Written by an author of color

GENEALOGY MEETINGS
Valuable info, ideas, and tips to successfully research your roots!
Jacksonville:
Jun 14; 10-12pm: Textile History of North Carolina
Jul 12; 10-12pm: Past Tense Book Club
Aug 9; 10am-12pm: Finding Your Ancestors in U.S. Patent Records:

PAST TENSE GENEALOGY BOOK CLUB
Join us at our Genealogy Book Club meeting to discuss Onslow County: A Brief History by Alan D. Watson. Whether you are a long time resident or new to the area, come and learn about Onslow County’s special history!
Jacksonville: Jul 12; 10am-12pm

CAREER, EDUCATION & SELF HELP

SAVINGS: PLANT A SEED
Join us to learn ways to plant the seed of savings and watch your money grow! Program provided free of charge by Navy Federal Credit Union. Register today!
Virtual: June 9; 9am

LEGAL AID OF NC DIY CLINICS
Attend free virtual self-help clinics to learn how to handle certain basic legal issues without hiring an attorney. You will receive all the guidance and paperwork necessary to walk out of the clinic and into the courthouse. Dates and times vary, please visit legalaidnc.org/clinics to view and register.

GROW WITH GOOGLE: DIGITAL SKILLS
Join us during the month of June and July to learn how you can "Use Digital Tools for Everyday Tasks"! This is a free, flexible video-based curriculum that prepares students of all ages for the growing number of jobs that require basic digital skills. Registration is required.

• Click “Sign in” on the top right
• Sign in with your Google account (Gmail), or create a new one
• Click “I am a student“
• Under "My classes" select "click here" and enter the class code: 5782g2

June: Use Digital Tools for Everyday Tasks
July: Start a Resume

HOBBIES & CRAFTS

ART WITH EMILY
Library patrons are encouraged to be creative, try new things, explore art, and find beauty this summer. Join Emily as she brings her colorful art classes to the library. Registration is required.
Jacksonville: Jun 4; 12-1:30pm

PINTEREST PARTY
You are invited to a Pinterest Party! Join us as we create some of our favorite crafts. Project and supplies are provided - you bring the creativity! Registration is required.
Jacksonville: Jun 12 (DIY Fabric Flag) & Aug 14 (Pinwheel Wreath); 11:30am
Richlands: Jul 9; (Puzzle Picture Frame); Grab-n-go only
Sneads Ferry: Jul 17; 10:00 (Polymer Clay Necklace)

GRAB & GO KITS
Swing by the Jacksonville/Main Library for a fun craft kit! Kits are first-come, first-serve while supplies last.
Jacksonville: Jul (Rope Coasters)

MINDFUL MONDAYS: YOGA AT THE LIBRARY
Start your week with calmness as you take part in guided yoga techniques to help boost brain power, reduce stress and improve your overall wellbeing. This 8-week virtual series will be posted each Monday in June & July on library social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter & Instagram). We are excited to partner with Thrivemind Counseling & Wellness to offer this program.