News & Information

Newton NJ – The Sussex County Library System (SCLS) Summer Reading Program kicks off on Saturday, June 24 with a special opening event at each branch celebrating the summer reading theme: All Together Now™, a celebration of kindness, friendship and unity.

The celebration begins with Pearl Observatory’s amazing, inflatable planetarium making stops at three library locations: 11:00 a.m. at the E. Louise Childs Branch, 21 Sparta Road, Stanhope; 1:00 p.m. at the Dennis Branch, 101 Main Street, Newton; and 2:45 p.m. at Main Library, 125 Morris Turnpike, Newton. Visitors ages 3 through adult will be able to explore the night sky, locate planets and stars, and even touch a meteorite.

If earthbound wonders are more your style, Eyes of the Wild allows animal enthusiasts of all ages to get up close and personal with a variety of exotic rescue animals. Their smooth, scaly, furry and fun collection of critters makes three stops: 11:00 a.m. at the Dorothy Henry Branch, 66 Route 94, Vernon; 12:30 p.m. at the Franklin Branch, 103 Main Street, Franklin; and 2:15 p.m. at the Sussex-Wantage Branch, 66 Route 639, Wantage.

Kickoff programs are just the beginning. Every SCLS location will host a wide variety of programs from Lapsits for our future readers (6-18 months old), to separate Summer Storytimes for toddlers and pre-K. The Kindness Club for ages 5-9 will focus on stories with themes of friendship and inclusion. Teens can get involved through volunteering, and attending Teen Nights with special crafts like tie-dying and papermaking for very personalized journals. Adults are also encouraged to get in on the fun through book clubs, craft programs, meditation and more.

There are plenty of Summer Reading incentives and prizes too. Children, teens and adults all earn points/raffle tickets for each book read or listened to, and attending programs. From building blocks for babies to a family trip to Legoland, the library has prizes both big and small to award. The SCLS would like to thank Thorlabs, and all the wonderful local businesses who contributed to the Summer Reading prize pool.

Summer Reading registration begins June 17, logging reading and activities runs from June 24-July 29, and prize winners will be contacted in early August. There are two ways to participate: sign up at any SCLS location, keep a reading log and enter paper raffle tickets; or use READsquared, an online tool that allows participants to log their reading and earn points for attending programs. Participation is open to all SCLS cardholders. SCLS library cards are free to anyone who lives, works or attends school in Sussex County (except Sparta).

Stop by your local branch or go to the Summer Reading page at sussexcountylibrary.org for complete details on Summer Reading registration; program dates and times; and a list of all the prizes generously donated by local businesses.

All Together Now Logo

(All Together Now™ logos. These logos are the copyrighted property of Collaborative Summer Library Program – CSLP – and are used with their permission for promoting library programs )