W
hether your children are
enrolled in school or plans
are in the making, it is
never too early to expose them to the love
of reading, storytelling, and the benefits
of libraries. Western New Yorkers are ex-
tremely fortunate in that reading opportu-
nities abound.
borrow soccer or lacrosse kits. Even if a
child has overdue fines or fees, or if their
card is blocked from borrowing, they can
borrow the equipment and completely
erase those fines and fees. This new and
exciting sports equipment borrowing
program is funded through the Ralph C.
Wilson, Jr. Foundation and Project Play
WNY, and is only available at the Isaías
González-Soto Branch Library. To see
free summer reading programs and activi-
ties at your local libraries, go to https://bit.
ly/2QQFu4U
This summer, the 37 Buffalo & Erie
County Public Libraries, and the Library
On Wheels bookmobile, are prepared to
support your efforts. Libraries are con-
veniently located from one end of Erie
County to the other, and, best of all, library
services are free if you live, work, or go
to school in the County. All libraries have
dozens of Summer Reading programs
along with WiFi and public computers for
adults and children to use.
Every library, unique to its neighbor-
hood community, has hundreds — if not
thousands of book titles for babies, tod-
dlers, and school age children — plus,
there are collections for teens, young
adults, adults, and seniors. Popular parent-
ing books abound, and if you do not see
what you are looking for, ask a staff mem-
ber because the material can be ordered if
we do not already carry it.
Too busy to head over to your nearest
library? Consider getting a free eLibrary
card. Anyone over the age of 17 can get an
eLibrary card which allows access to the
world of downloadable resources includ-
ing thousands of eBooks, eAudiobooks,
music, and databases through the library
It is important to exercise the brain
over the summer and an easy way to do
this is by reading, storytelling, and play-
ing simple games that require looking at
words or pictures. Summer reading, which
can be as simple as reading the cereal box
or billboards along the road, is critical to a
child’s continuing brain development.
Buffalo & Erie County
Public Libraries Offer A
“Universe of Stories”
This Summer
website. Topics range from home and
family, health and wellness, taxes, legal,
business, and local resources to national
and international news, current events and
much, much more. For eLibrary card infor-
mation, call 716-858-8900 or visit: https://
www.buffalolib.org/content/onlineapp
Summer should be a time for relax-
ing, however for many parents, it is a time
of stress with the kids home from school,
juggling babysitters, and figuring out
transportation to summer camp or summer
school… the list goes on and on. Libraries
to the rescue!
No one should feel ‘bored with noth-
ing to do’ this summer when your libraries
have free programs, performers, concerts,
carnivals, picnics and many other family-
friendly programs including visits from
the Buffalo Zoo, BubbleMania, reading
contests and raffles, Super Hero Days and
more!
The Library’s Reada Book Owl
encourages children to read!
This summer, the Isaías González-
Soto Branch Library (formerly called the
Niagara Branch located at Niagara Street
and Porter Avenue) will have a pilot pro-
gram called “ Play Down Your Fines”
where children under the age of 17 can
In an effort to retain and strengthen
skills and knowledge learned during the
school year, children should be reading
year-round. Numerous international stud-
ies show that those who don’t read, or are
not encouraged to partake in summertime
reading, are at a real risk of falling behind
their classmates when they reenter school
in the fall. Also known as the ‘summer
slide,’ you are doing your children a dis-
service by having them begin their school
year behind their peers.
Today, schools send “suggested read-
ing lists” home with students at the end of
the year. Buffalo & Erie County Public
Libraries publish those lists on the Library
system website at: https://www.buffalolib.
org/content/all-about-reading/summer-
reading-list. Additionally, Buffalo Mayor
Byron Brown offers a Summer Reading
program (open to anyone whether or not
they live in the city — there are great priz-
es, too). The Mayor’s list of book titles
(for pre-school to high school age stu-
dents) is researched and created with the
assistance of our children’s librarians and
can be found here: https://bit.ly/2MAklxs
For young children and babies, the
Library System encourages caretakers to
follow Read Aloud 15 which is a mini-
mum of 15 minutes of reading to every
child, every single day. This will build
vocabulary and strengthen communica-
tion and critical thinking skills as the child
grows.
So enjoy the weather while you can,
and let the Buffalo & Erie County Public
Libraries keep you cool this summer!
July 2019 WNY Family 47