Library Friends Make a Splash

Photos and Text By: Jen Cowart

Cranston Herald
June 24, 2010

THINKING AHEAD: Stadium Principal Susan Bryan looks through books with Jaden and Ailani Sutherland.

In a collaborative effort, the Cranston Public Schools Library Friends group and the city’s librarians recently hosted a mega-reading event to gear up for summertime.


Held at the Central Library on Sockanosset Cross Road in Garden City, the “Make a Splash-Read!” event was free and all Cranston families were invited.

More than 400 people arrived, forming a line out the door, and the library was abuzz with activity. It quickly became the most well attended CPS Library Friends event this year.

Five stations were set up throughout the room. Families were able to stop at each station, complete the activities there, and get a rubber stamp for every station they participated in.

The stations included picking up grade- and age-level summer reading lists, signing up for a library card, perusing some beach towel reading suggestions, making bookmarks, learning about safety from the COZ representatives such as texting while driving, and getting detailed information about the Cranston Public Library reading kick-offs, which are scheduled to begin this week.

Joining the librarians and the families was Paws from the Pawtucket Red Sox, who posed for photos with the children.

“We really tried so hard this time to advertise this event,” said Park View Librarian Karen Shore. “All of the principals in all of the schools sent out the fliers, as did all of the Cranston public libraries.”

Shore also said that the Library Friends are hoping to increase their membership even more for next school year, when they’ll start hosting events again. She noted that although the group planned to host some of the same popular events as last year, they’re also always looking for input from families as to what they’d like to see.

Past CPS Library Friends events have included an Internet safety night, a holiday reading and crafts night, and other monthly meetings on topics of interest to parents and students.

For more information about the CPS Library Friends program, or to become a member, contact Heidi Blais at hblais@gmail.com. To attend a Summer Reading Program kick-off event or one of the Cranston Public Library’s many summer activities taking place at a branch near you, the schedule can be viewed at www.cranstonlibrary.org/.