Three-year-old Craig Hardie, right, and two-year-old Lochlan Beard play four-in-a-row together in front of the Shepherdstown Public Library on Saturday morning. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — While the Shepherdstown Public Library summer reading program’s theme, “All Together Now,” might seem a little vague, that vagueness itself has allowed Youth Services Director Rachel Heller to take a diverse approach to the summer’s event lineup.

As she explained at the summer reading program kickoff on Saturday, many libraries across the country will be using this theme, which was developed by the American Library Association’s Collaborative Summer Library Program. But what is unique to the Shepherdstown Public Library about this program will be its selection of activities, which will embrace the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) educational approach.

“We’ve kind of thought of it as a ‘Unity in Community’ idea theme, because it is a very broad theme,” Heller said. “My goal is to make sure there are events for all ages and all different types of programs, to interest different kids if they are really into math or into science or into art.”

According to Heller, story times will continue this summer, though they would have been paused for the duration of previous summer reading programs. Special events will include a falconry event, a fairy story time led by Emma Casale of Creative Procrastinations & Whimsical Necessities, a concert with puppeteer Kevin Sherry, a light microscopy event with scientist Steve Cummings, weekly Math Counts gatherings led by Judy York, a variety of craft and art activities, weekly drop-in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Club meetings and NASA’s STAR Lab Planetarium program.

“Because our community is getting more-and-more diverse, I wanted to include all ages and interest levels,” Heller said. “This theme is a lot broader this year, so other libraries will probably interpret it differently than we are.”

Children tie-dye T-shirts at the Shepherdstown Public Library summer reading program kickoff on Saturday. Tabitha Johnston

Including children of all ages in the summer’s activities, just as with those held year-round, appears to have been a necessary change.

“Parents tell me they’re very happy that we include teenagers with the programs, because their kids, especially at school, have been very isolated,” Heller said. “I’ve had parents say they’re very happy we have these programs, because they’ve seen their middle schooler or older lose their social skills. Online schooling and not being able to be around people has negatively affected their social skills.

“We always think of the little kids and those who were born during COVID as the ones having trouble gaining social skills, but it’s interesting to note that older kids who already developed some of those skills backtracked a little bit during the pandemic. That’s why the parents really like this, because they can see their kids open up again!” Heller said, mentioning her new teen library volunteer program has also enabled teenagers to develop their social skills, take leadership roles and make new friends.

Having an area designated for teenagers in the new library building has made programming for them much easier than with the library’s previous space in The Market House. Similarly, Heller pointed out the new library building’s expansive space had already made this year’s summer reading program easier to hold than in previous years, as could be seen at the kickoff event, which allowed various activity and food stations to be placed at manageable intervals inside and outside of the library.

Children and adults can join the library’s summer reading program through the end of July. Adults will read books to complete a bingo card, while children will be given different reading program expectations, based on their age levels. To learn more, visit https://www.sheplibrary.org/, call 304-876-2783 or visit the library Mondays through Fridays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Four-year-old Leah Heavner, left, eats a snow cone with her mother, Christa Heavner, at the library's summer reading program kickoff on Saturday morning. Tabitha Johnston

Children play mini-golf on a solar-powered course loaned by the Jefferson County Parks & Recreation Department at Shepherdstown Public Library on Saturday. Tabitha Johnston

Children decorate buttons to take home with them from the Shepherdstown Public Library's summer reading program kickoff on Saturday. Tabitha Johnston