Be Creative at the Library!

Summer Reading for children, teens and families kicked off in Oak Harbor yesterday with the Oregon Shadow Theatre performing Anansi the Spider. More than 1100 people visited the library, while nearly 300 children and their families enjoyed the performance and hundreds of children signed up for the Sno-Isle Libraries Summer Reading program.
Kids who register get a free "Be Creative" bookbag, courtesy of the Friends of the Oak Harbor Library. Island Thrift and Whidbey Coffee also contributed toward this year's incentives which include free tickets to Aquasox games, Italian sodas from Whidbey Coffee for kids who read 10 books, and a selection of paperback books for all who meet their reading goal for the summer. As they complete the program children are also eligible to win a tiger, otter, penguin or owl puppet, and to vote on which corresponding animal the library will sponsor at Woodland Park Zoo.
Library staff and volunteers planned programs, welcomed families to the library, helped with sign-ups, answered questions, registered new customers, told people about summer reading, put materials on the shelf in preparation for customers and put them back on the shelf after the customers left. The library's goal is to provide a welcoming environment for children and their families and caregivers. See our calendar of events for weekly movies and programs for school-age children - and keep reading! A great summer is in store for everyone.

Art on Display at Oak Harbor Library

Stop by the library to see the new artwork on display behind the circulation desk. Each month we feature the work of a local artist or photographer. Our rotating art display provides an opportunity for local and regional artists to increase public awareness of their work.
Photographers and artists working in two-dimensional media are invited to exhibit their work at the library. For more information, call or visit the Oak Harbor Library. Request a copy of our “Call for Artists” information sheet.

This month we are featuring art by Joan Brosnahan.

Share Your Love of Reading

Book groups are social, fun, and a fabulous way to share the joy of reading. Last night I gathered with friends to enjoy a wonderful meal of soups, salads, wine and dessert AND to talk about what books we will read together in the coming year. Everyone brought their favorites, we reviewed and discussed, and finally voted. There are no end of choices, and the tastes of book group members vary widely. What I hear over and over is that a book groups not only provide a forum for discussion that allows each individual to think differently about what he or she is reading, but it encourages us to read outside of our comfort zone.
The Oak Harbor Library book group meets this evening to discuss Whistling Season by Ivan Doig. All are welcome! For information on other upcoming book discussion groups that meet at the libraries and are open to all, visit our calendar page, limit your search by location, choose event type Book Discussion and select the month.
Here are the upcoming titles for the Oak Harbor Library Book Group. Meet at the library, Thursdays at 5:30pm:
July 9 - My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
August 13 - Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Sep 10 - Astrid & Veronika by Linda Olsson -
Oct 8 - Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean
And... if you would like the list of titles that my wine-drinking group selected, feel free to contact me at the Oak Harbor Library - Mary

No Screen Time for Babies

Limiting screen time for 0-24 month-olds has been recommended for some time. It has seemed pretty clear that the more time babies spend sitting in front of the screen, the more their social, cognitive and language development suffer. TV and DVD viewing tends to decrease babies' likelihood of learning new words, talking, playing and otherwise interacting with others. Now scientists are not only understanding why this is so, but using quantitative research to prove it.
A new study by Dr. Dimitri Christakis, a University of Washington pediatrician suggests that television impedes learning by inhibiting interaction. When the TV is on in the house, babies and their caregivers are distracted, which limits their exchanges. Chistakis found that regardless of what is playing on the screen — whether it's baby-friendly content or shows for adults — television is by nature a passive medium that hampers social interaction. Even when caregivers and children interact actively while watching TV together, the net effect of having it turned on is a drop in interactive sounds - talking to one another.
The Island County Children's Commission has identified "TV on in the home" as crucial problem in providing healthy early learning environments for young children. Turn it off. Read a book or play together. Better yet, come to the library and check out some great picture books to share with your baby. Preschool computers at the library are for children ages 3 and up.

Debt Collection and Bankruptcy Help

Do you have questions about debt collection, bankruptcy laws and how to survive in the current economy? Attend a free program presented by the Volunteer Lawyer Program of Island County on Thursday, June 4 from 6-8pm. The program will be held at Skagit Valley College / Whidbey Island Campus in Oak Hall, room 306. Attorneys Jennifer Brainard and Mary Welch will discuss bankruptcy issues and legal debt collection practices. Learn what to do if you cannot pay your debts, and how to contest a debt. Call Oak Harbor Library at 360-675-5115 for additional information.