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News
News
By Vicki Browne
There cannot be many Iron County residents who are still hoping for more snow, but there are definitely a few who are powering through pages in a book so they can complete the Let It Snow Reading Club challenge sponsored by the West Iron District Library.
The challenge began on Jan. 9. Library patrons who signed up committed to trying to complete 12 books in 12 weeks. The challenge ended March 27, and prizes will be awarded on April 3.
Linda Anderson, library cataloguer, has been working at the library for 28 years and has participated in the reading club since its inception.
“I like the discussion aspect of Let It Snow and seeing the different ratings and reviews that people give of the books they read,” Anderson said. “I see the title of every book that comes through these doors. It’s so fun to see which book makes an impact on which person.”
According to Stephanie Swenski, director and early literacy coordinator, the Let It Snow reading club has been a feature of the library’s programming for more than 20 years. This year, there are 55 participants, 11 men and 44 women, ranging from young adults to senior citizens. This program is for adults, but younger readers can look forward to many engaging summer programs, according to Erika Sauter, program coordinator.
Bonnie Wilgreen, retired West Iron teacher, has been a participant for the past 14 years.
“I like the club in that it pushes me to read those 12 books in 12 weeks — that’s a lot!” Wilgreen said. “It’s a personal challenge for me every year. The neat thing is you can read whatever genre you want, it's a chance to get out of your reading rut and explore the library to find something you maybe wouldn’t have read otherwise.”
The prize for completing the challenge is a coffee mug, but additional prizes are possible when readers complete a BINGO card with squares featuring a myriad categories to fill. One square says, “from a genre you don’t typically read.” Other squares call for readers to find books with “a number in the title,” “with a purple cover” or featuring “non-human characters.”
Margaret Christensen, current Stambaugh Township clerk, has been part of the club for more than 10 years.
“I like that it challenges me to read a genre that I wouldn’t normally read,” Christensen said. “I’m typically a fiction reader, but during the 12 weeks, I try to read a classic and a non-fiction book.”
Although our snowiest winter, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, was 1955 when we had almost 12 feet of snow, this year has let it snow almost 4 feet. We’ve had 27 snow events –showers or storms since Jan. 9 when the challenge began.