'Passport to Reading' celebrates one year

The San Marcos Public Library is celebrating the one year anniversary of its adult reading program Passport to Reading with a new January topic and an anniversary party.

Passport to Reading  was started a year ago by the library to help adults take recreational reading off of the backburner and put it back into a regular practice, according to Public Outreach Librarian Deborah Carter. 

“We started this program last year, Passport to Reading, as an invitation from the library to adults in the community to reinvigorate their desire to read and to come to the library to check out books,” Carter said.

Passport to Reading can help readers break out of the rut and find new authors, new genres and new stories to love as well as help them connect to the thriving and growing resources of the library. One of those resources being the vast digital collection of audio and e-books the library has access to. Patrons can access the library’s digital resources at Central Texas Digital Consortium's website or through the mobile app Libby. Overdrive and the mobile app Libby allow library card holders to put physical books on hold within the collection and download or stream digital and audio books to their cell phones or electronic reading devices. The app requires a one-time log in with a San Marcos Public Library Card and also takes away the problem of returning library books before they are overdue, because the digital books expire after 14 days, unless readers recheck them out.

There are only two criteria for those that wish to participate in the Passport to Reading book club: Readers have to be 18 years or older and the books have to be from the San Marcos Public Library or their digital resources. 

The library will present a challenge every month, starting with January’s challenge of reading a self-help book – whatever topic the reader wants whether that be physical or mental health, home, career or finances. Then participants need only find a book within the libraries physical or digital collections that match the criteria and start reading.

After reading their chosen book, participants can fill out a reading slip, that is available in the library’s monthly newsletter, for a chance to enter a monthly drawing for prizes from some of San Marcos’ local shops and restaurants. The library will place  a collection bucket for slips by the front desk for participants to drop in their completed reading slips.

The Passport to Reading program also hosts a monthly book chat on the fourth Thursday of every month from noon to 1 p.m. – this month's is Jan. 24. Participants are encouraged to bring a lunch and discuss what they’ve been reading. New to this year’s book chat, the library will also be inviting special speakers to periodically come in and discuss relevant topics. For January,  empowerment coach Susan Halaut will be speaking about the use and influence of self-help books to promote more self awareness in personal and professional life. 

According to Librarian Susan Smith, the library is selective about the self-help books they purchase, only buying ones that have been reviewed by several professional librarian review journals, and librarians would be more than happy to help make a selection or make a recommendation – Smith’s recommendation is Dr. David D. Burns’ “Feeling Good.”

The library will be hosting the Passport to Reading one year anniversary party on Jan. 31 from noon to 1 p.m. at the San Marcos Public Library. They will have free pizza and cake and will be drawing the Grand Prize Winner from all the submitted Passport to Reading slips in 2018 to receive a Kindle Fire. 

For more information about the Passport to Reading program, call 512- 393-8200.