PORTSMOUTH- Every summer, the Scioto County Public Library (SCPL) tasks employees with the arduous mission of celebrating reading over the course of a six-week period in which they welcome more people than any other point in time throughout the year, holding more events than usual, checking out more content than normal, and celebrating patrons who go the extra mile in accomplishing their reading goals.

We are, of course, talking about their Summer Reading campaign.

If you’ve met SCPL’s Marketing Director Katie Williams, then you know she loves the library just as much as she does numbers.

Recently, Williams compiled a list of statistics about summer reading that will impress anyone taking notice in their efforts.

According to Williams, the local libraries welcomed 11,705 people to their locations and employees processed 57,122 checkouts. Of the checkouts, 51 percent were books, 25 percent were videos, and 24 percent were digital properties. 828 individuals completed their Summer Reading goals, which broke down to 486 kids, 47 teens, and 295 adults.

Another impressive collection of numbers includes data from activities and events organized or attended by the library, which may not surprise most, since the system organizes more events a year than any other local institution.

207 programs were managed over the Summer Reading period. 126 programs welcomed 2,384 kids, 47 programs welcomed 270 teens, and 34 programs welcomed 374 adults. Additionally, the library participated in 24 programs through outreach activities this summer, where they impacted 578 people.

Each month, the Portsmouth Times writes an article highlighting a few programs the library network has over the next month. The article never features more than ten opportunities and mentions that it is impossible to properly organize the entire calendar into one article. The paper encourages readers to the SCPL website, instead. These numbers prove just how many events the employees can pull off.

The theme of this year’s activities was Adventures in Reading.

“Our main library did Adventures in Archeology, we had an Adventure in Gaming, Adventure in Time, Adventures in Cryptozoology, and Adventures in Magic,” Youth Services Coordinator Lisa Lavender “Every branch picks a theme when choosing a traveling kit for youth activities and then they decorate around that theme and choose many events around that theme as well.”

Another theme for adults and teens visiting the Portsmouth location was Camping Adventures, according to Adult Services Coordinator Anna Collister.

“Each year, there is a Summer Reading theme we do through a collaborative library group that sets the theme for the year. We then allow each location to choose a sub-theme around that,” Williams said. “Not only in that reflected in the traveling kits that we do for juveniles, but the theme for decorations at that location. It is a nice way for our patrons to get a taste of different travel-themed functions, but also allows our staff to get more creative.”

Collister echoed Williams’ sentiments saying it impacts the community in another important way.

“This provides our patrons with an opportunity to recognize we have locations outside of their home branch, because they often go to their home branch but then see the other themes and visit those locations as well,” Collister explained.

While the summer series is a fun way to bring people into the libraries, it is also an important endeavor in continuing lifelong reading.

“It is so very important, because, unfortunately, if kids don’t read throughout the summer, they will backslide educationally and lose interest in reading,” Lavender said. “We want to keep them excited about it, so that is why we do this program.”

The adult services coordinator agreed with her youth counterpart, but with an emphasis on reaching adults as well.

“I think it is very important to include adults in activities like this,” Collister said. “There have been past times where we don’t put as much emphasis in keeping adults engaged in the summer. But, you know, these adults are bringing their kids into the library and are encouraging their kids to read, and the best way to do that is to show them they are reading as well.”

To wrap up Summer Reading, the Portsmouth Public Library welcomed 436 people at the Summer Reading Finale to celebrate, award readers, and provide entertainment for kids.

To sign up for a library card, or, to learn more about the library resources, visit www.yourppl.com. Your card entitles you to printed books, magazines, and newspapers; 24/7 online access to e-books, audiobooks, movies, and more; DVD’s, blu-rays, and audiobooks; Internet access, Wi-Fi, and computers; programming, databases, and research materials; and expert reading recommendations.