Summer at the Lebanon-Laclede County Library looks to be a busy season full of reading, free programming, a book fair, and uncovering stories.
The library’s summer reading program, which has the theme of “Unearth a Story,” opens registration for its reading portion May 22 and kicks off May 26.
Assistant Library Director and Children’s Librarian Erica Semsch said this would be her busiest summer yet in her ninth year of leading the summer reading program.
The summer reading program kicks off May 26 at 10 a.m. with Marty the Magician, a free event – no registration required – for children of all ages. Marty Hahne is a magician who since 2005 has performed in the library’s summer programming.
For this year’s theme, Semsch said libraries were typically going with dinosaur theming, and other programs dug deeper with creative writing and gardening.
Events in summer programming are usually geared towards education, and Semsch said many programs were put on for free by entities like the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Missouri Department of Conservation, and Missouri State Park Rangers.
One of the MVPs of the summer, Semsch said, were the Friends of the Lebanon-Laclede County Library, who raise and donate the money that primarily goes towards the summer reading program.
This year, Semsch said the library was partnering with the City of Lebanon on the “Touch a Truck!” event, which was gaining popularity with libraries.
Touch A Truck! is, according to its Facebook event page, “a family-oriented community festival where children (and adults) can get up-close looks at heavy machinery and service vehicles.”
The event, done in partnership with the City of Lebanon and other volunteers, is scheduled for June 30 at 10 a.m.
Other programming, like Marty the Magician and a visit from the Dickerson Park Zoo (June 9 at 10 a.m.), the library pays for, Semsch said, and a new program the library has paid for this year was Will Stuck’s M.E.S.S. (Music, Education, Stories and Science) Show.
A children’s librarian from St. Joseph-turned library programmer, Stuck provided programming to libraries across the country, according to Semsch.
“He likes to sing, he likes to be silly, he plays games,” Semsch said, and usually there was some sort of accompanying craft or experiment. “So we’ve never had him here before for a children’s program, but we’re really looking forward to that.”
The event is scheduled for June 1 at 10 a.m.
There will also be a foam party July 28 at 10 a.m. in the library’s parking lot to cap off the summer, Semsch said.
The Artsy Smartsy and Little Gardeners programs will alternate every other Wednesday at 10 a.m. and are come-and-go events. Andy’s Reading Room will be open for the whole hour, and Semsch said participants can do whatever the activity of the day will be, whether it pertains to gardening or art.
“But it will get a little messy. It’s a little messier, a little bit more complicated than my craft during Storytime, which is why we’re having it on a separate day,” she said.
Regular Storytime, whose themes Semsch said will be connected to “Unearth a Story,” will be on Thursdays at 10 a.m., and LEGO Club will be 2-4 p.m. on Thursdays.
PAWS for Reading will be on the third Saturday of June and July at 11 a.m.
To-be-determined teen events will be every Friday at 11 a.m., registration only. Those interested can find the registration on the library’s website or Facebook page.
The Route 66 Centennial Speaker Series, a collaboration between the library and the Lebanon-Laclede County Route 66 Society, continues this summer with Candacy Taylor, author of “Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America,” on “The Roots of Route 66” on July 16 at 6 p.m.
Another aspect of the summer reading program Semsch was excited about was the Scholastic Book Fair.
Last year was the first time Semsch had put on the fair herself with the help of volunteers, and she said the community response had been very positive. The fair would go from May 26 to June 8 and be open during library hours of operation in the Benage Room.
The library gets Scholastic Book Bucks through the fair, which Semsch said the library raised so much of last year that she was able to start the library’s early literacy collection, which addressed a need in the community.
Other events include a “The Land Before Time” movie party (July 7 at 10 a.m.) and a teddy bear picnic (July 14 at 10 a.m.). For more calendar items, readers can visit the library’s website or Facebook page.
“The most important part of the summer is the reading portion, which encourages kids to read all summer long, preventing that summer slide from happening,” Semsch said.
According to Semsch, having the incentive of getting free prizes through the summer reading program was a great way of preventing children’s reading levels from being lowered over summer break. Children, teens, and adults can participate.
Vanessa Williams of Cornerstone Subs and Pizza will provide a coupon for a free mini pizza, small drink and cookie as part of the prize for each child who completes the reading portion of the summer reading program, which Semsch felt lucky to be able to provide and said would not be possible without Williams.
Signup for the reading portion of summer programming begins May 22, and those interested can sign up in person at the library or through the ReadSquared app, which will be available on the library’s website, according to Semsch.
The summer reading program ends on Aug. 2, when Semsch said reading logs were due.
Semsch said her goal was to always encourage the schools to use the library during their summer experiences.
She has had “countless” teachers reach out this year to bring their children for preplanned programs, Storytimes, library tours and crafts, “you know, just spreading that library love. They want to teach their kids about the library, and they want to show them where it is.”
She said that she likely had, at the time of the interview last week, 20 plus classes scheduled to go to the library this summer.
“And so that is very exciting to see, just the library love in the community,” she said.
With 2026 being the centennial of Route 66, Semsch, also the manager for the library’s Route 66 Museum, expected the summer to be a busy one for the library’s Mother Road attraction.
According to Semsch, sales at the library’s Kinderhook Treasures Gift Shop were up three times what they had been this time last year, and the library had a constantly revolving door of those arriving to visit the museum.
“Lots of compliments from people, so that’s always nice to hear,” she said.
The museum was intended to and is set up to be self-guided, but Semsch said big groups interested in a tour can call the library at 417‑532‑2148 to schedule one.
Summer was also, Semsch said, a welcome time to sign up for a library card – one of the free cards is not required to participate in the summer reading program, but it is encouraged.
Children ages four and up can sign up for a library card with their parent present, she said, and their parent needs to provide two forms of ID, one with a photo and a separate form with their current address.
“And they can check out up to 25 items,” Semsch said. “That includes audiobooks, books, magazines, movies. We have a whole section of kids’ DVDs.” Adults have the same item limit.
In addition to the partnerships that helped make summer reading possible, Semsch was very thankful to the library staff, whose support during the summer was invaluable.
For more stories, see Wednesday's LCR.
5/26/2026 correction: Added missing space.
