Summer Reading Program Starts June 15th

Where do you want to go this summer? Reading takes you everywhere!

Join our 2020 Summer Reading Challenge - "Reading Takes You Places" - and read, explore, and discover amazing places both near and far. Each minute you read between now and August 15th will count as one mile. We'll be keeping track of countries visited in books and miles (in minutes) read through an online platform. Want to participate? It's easy!

READSquared is a new software the Library will be using to track our Summer Reading participation for all ages. Starting June 15, 2020 sign up online at ohiocountylibrary.readsquared.com or download the READsquared app at the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.

How does READSquared work?

Through READSquared, this year we have reading challenges for Pre-K, kids age 5 to 12, teens, and adults. READSquared keeps track of all the points a reader earns and notifies you when prizes are won for reading achievement.

Collect points for every minute you read between June 15th and August 15th reading and completing activities within the READSquared portal.  Log points to earn badges and prizes along the way!

To enter the minutes that you’ve read, click “Log Activity” from your Dashboard, then enter your minutes read, book title, author, and date read. You may also include a book review if you wish, but it is not necessary to do so. You can also play games or complete missions along the way.

Once you've earned enough points you'll receive a completion certificate you can print and share. It’s that easy!

You can register and log reading on a computer, smartphone, or tablet and keep track of your summer reading progress at ohiocountylibrary.readsquared.com or through the free Google Play App or the Apple Store App.

Register as an individual or a family.
If you are a parent or guardian and would like to create a family account to manage your children's accounts, simply follow the directions to create an account for yourself, then follow the prompts to register your children. If you have already created an account for yourself, log in and click on the "Account" button on the top menu of your screen, then select "Add Child Account." If your child also already has an account, select "Link Existing Account."

Special Summer Reading Programs for Kids

Story Time Schedule: While the library is closed due to COVID-19, Story Time videos featuring stories based on our Summer Reading theme, Reading Takes You Places, will be posted on Tuesday mornings by 10 am.

Toddler Time Schedule: Toddler Time videos featuring a story based on the Summer Reading theme will be posted on Monday mornings by 10:30 am.

Special Activity Schedule: Each week a special activity and story will be posted on Thursday by noon. The supply list for the weekly activity will be posted on Monday morning for Thursday’s activity.  Other videos may be shared throughout the week to enhance the weekly theme.

Videos will be posted on the OCPL Kids YouTube Channel, OCPL Kids Facebook page, and the Story Online - Reading Takes You Places page on the OCPL website. 

Even though we'll be tracking our minutes read online this year, your kids, may want to keep track of their reading on paper. Download and print this Summer Reading Zebra. For each 15 minutes read, kids can draw a new stripe on the zebra!

For a full schedule of kids programs this summer, download an OCPL Kids Summer Reading Brochure. 

People's University

Travel Around the World and Through Time Without Leaving Your Living Room!

For Summer Reading 2020, the Ohio County Public Library in Wheeling will offer a new People's University Livestream series to be broadcast simultaneously on YouTube, Facebook, and the library's website. The series will occur live online on Thursday evenings at 6:30 pm from June 11 through July 30, with a finale program on August 6.

Titled "People's University: Around the World in Literature & Language" the series is designed to fit the library's summer reading theme, "Reading Takes You Places." Each class will include recommended books in the library's collection, each of which is set in the geographic regions explored. We'll be heading to places like Japan, Russia, Nigeria, Italy, Scandinavia, Australia,  and more! Join us as we yonda-chitat-soma-leggere-lese-read our way across the world.  

The Library's Summer Reading Finale for adults will take place online, Thursday, Aug. 6 at 6:30 pm, when Dr. David Javersak hosts a World Geography Bee. The Geography Bee will feature questions inspired, in part, by the Around the in Literature and Language World People’s University series. Prizes will be awarded in the form of gift certificates to local businesses.

For a full schedule of People's Univerisity: Around the World in Literature & Language, download a 2020 OCPL Summer Reading booklet.