Fifty-five children made a SPLASH in the 2010 Summer Reading Program at the Macksville City Library.  To learn more about the program and see photos from the summer, click on the ‘Kid Stuff’ page above.

Many people work together to make the summer reading program possible.  We are thankful for the donations of time, talents, food, craft supplies, books, prizes, and money that made our 2010 program a success.  Please visit the ”Thanks & Memorials’ page to see more about some of our generous donors.    Special thanks goes out to Dollar General for the $1551.86 Summer Reading Grant.    Following is an excerpt from the July 28th press release that was in the St. John News: 

The loose change you drop in the collection boxes at Dollar General really does add up. 
 
The Macksville City Library just received a chunk of that change! A Summer Reading Grant for $1550 was awarded to the library from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.  The money is being used to expand the summer reading program and target new readers and below grade level readers and/or readers with learning disabilities.
 
Most of the money is being used to purchase instructional materials.  Approximately 100 new books will be found on the library shelves: including Beginning Readers in five different levels, and Spanish/English bilingual readers.  These books … will be an important asset to the library for years to come.  “This grant has enabled us to more than double our yearly book budget.  It is a real blessing for our library and our beginning and struggling readers,” stated library director, Jody Suiter.
 
Incentives have also been purchased with the grant.  All summer reading participants received a plush dolphin “reading buddy” to coincide with the story: Winter’s Tail- How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again.  This story is about overcoming obstacles, and it reminds kids that they can overcome obstacles in reading and in life.  …  The finale of the program was a pool party, and attendees received colorful dolphin safes purchased through this grant.
 
The following is taken from the Dollar General website and explains why literacy is so important to this company:  “Dollar General’s commitment to literacy is an integral part of the company’s culture. In fact, Dollar General’s co-founder, J. L. Turner, was functionally illiterate when he started the company.  Dollar General believes learning to read, receiving your GED or learning the English language is an investment that opens doorways for personal, professional and economic growth. That is why our commitment to literacy remains strong. It is the one gift that no one can take away—the one gift that lasts a lifetime.”