Grow Your Mind Wrap Up

Now that fall is in the air I am reminded to wrap up the Adult Summer Reading Program (SRP).   Looking back it was a great success.  The theme was Grow Your Mind: Read Green, Think Green, Live Green, which lent itself to some interesting programs.

A lecture by bestselling author Tess Gerritsen launched the SRP.  Throughout the summer we sponsored a series of noon brown- bag lectures with featured speaker Bev Wagner, Education and Communication Director for the Dubuque Metropolitan Solid Waste Agency, who gave advice on living green.  Evening programs featured a celebration of the Civilian Conservation Corps on its 75th anniversary; an excellent view of Antarctica by Troy Henkels; a program on ways to reduce energy use by Tom Snyder; and a hands-on workshop by the Herb Society of Dubuque.  Over 325 people participated in these adult programs.

This was the second year for our Adult Summer Reading Program.  Registration was required, and reading or listening to 5 books was all that was necessary to complete the Program.  In the first year, 158 persons registered and 59 completed the Program for a 37% completion rate.   In 2008, 111 registered and 50 completed the Program for a 45% completion rate.  (Don’t you just love math?)

The Program wrapped up with a garden party at the Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Center.  Cinda and Tom Welu, two of our SRP participants, were on hand and took some wonderful photos of the festivities:

Garden Party Slide Show (Note: This large 4.28 MB file may load slowly over some Internet connections.)

~ Betty, Adult Services