Sturgis District Library invites community members to “Library On The Lawn” 6-7:30 p.m. Aug. 4 at Oaklawn Terrace Park.
The free-admission event is intended to embrace a love of reading. Attendees are encouraged to take their favorite book, along with seating and blankets, to read together.
The event will feature guest readers from the community, food vendors, games, raffle prizes and free books for youth, from toddlers through 12th grade.
It is part of a wider literacy initiative by Sturgis Public Library.
Michelle Baker, children’s librarian, has helped the library increase access to books for children of all ages, throughout the annual summer reading program season. More than 2,000 books have been distributed in 2023.
Baker has taken the library outreach van to multiple “Meet-Up and Eat-Up” locations and to Sturgis Public Schools’ summer academic camp to give away free books.
“Our goal is to get books into the hands of kids with the hope that they will discover that reading is fun,” Baker said. “We want families to see how important literacy is for their children.”