Read any good books lately?

A phrase not as commonly used as it once was, librarians at Kingfi sher Memorial Library are on a mission to bring it back.

Encouraging adults to rediscover a love of reading or simply continue their exploration of new books, LaRita Sipe said the library is offering an adult reading challenge again this year.

With a different theme each month, Sipe said the goal is to encourage adults to read at least one book a month exploring a variety of genres.

Monthly themes include oldies but goodies, cloak and dagger, a beach read, historical fiction and inspirational books as well as a variety of other topics.

A long-time elementary reading teacher at Lomega Public Schools, Sipe retired after 40 years and is currently a part-time librarian at the public library.

With a variety of children’s programs available, Sipe said, “Many of the students I taught are now bringing their kids to the library and I thought we need a challenge for adults to read also.”

Each month individuals can choose from a display of library books representing that month’s theme or read their choice of any other book pertaining to the theme, Sipe said.

Audio books are also an option and available through the Oklahoma Virtual Library Libby app, she said.

With the app, library patrons are able to download an ebook and an audio book free of charge. After reading their selected book, participants are eligible to enter the monthly drawing for a small prize which is sponsored by the Friends of the Library and they will also receive a small token of appreciation for participating that month.

Entering the reading challenge is easy; all you need is a library card (which is free), Sipe said.

Implementing the program for the first time in 2022, Sipe said there were 110 participants, with many of those reading at least one book or more every month.

With thousands of books available at the library, Sipe said, “So many people have told me that when they walk into the library they are overwhelmed and don’t know what to read.”

The challenge can help people narrow down their options and explore genres they may not ordinarily read, she added.

“I’ve had so many people who participated in last year’s challenge tell me how they’ve read outside their box,” Sipe said.

January’s theme wa s award-winning books which included Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners and the theme for February is a red or pink book.

As an elementary teacher, Sipe said she spent much of her time reading fourth grade material and is excited to have the opportunity to take part in the challenge herself.

“I’m ready to read more adult books too,” Sipe said.

Different genres often present different writing styles, which allow the reader to see things in a different light, Sipe added.

While reading an award-winning book, Sipe said one of the participants told her she was “ready to put the book down, but decided she needed to give it a chance… and by the end of the week she had finished it.”

Others have expressed that it’s one book a lot of them said they wouldn’t have read in the first place, Sipe added.

Working alongside Sipe is library director Mike Tautkus, librarians Joann Turner (archives and genealogy), Audry Sanders (children and youth services), Sharon Little (adult education) and library assistant Kayla Bredel.

Constantly looking for ways to engage the community, Tautkus said the adult reading challenge has been very successful.

“It was an ingenious idea,” he said. “It was all LaRita’s idea and she really took the bull by the horns.”

A multitude of resources are available at the library for all ages, Tautkus said, including a summer reading program for children, flight club with flight simulator classes and computer building program for teens, public access computers with internet connectivity for youth and adults, an ancestry program for genealogical research as well as a large variety of books and DVDs for all ages and many other services and materials.

With a grant from the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission as well as funding from the Friends of the Library, Tautkus said parts for four new computers were purchased and, through a computer building class, a group of teens built two computers for the library.

With the completed computers and two more to be built, Tautkus said they will be used as flight simulators and for other tasks associated with the flight club and classes.

In addition, Tautkus said many upgrades have been made to the physical building as well, referring to it as “basically a new library.”

With the generous support of Friends of the Library, the library was recently equipped with new carpeting and ceiling tiles and 12 new public access computers, he said.

The group also sponsored several bright and colorful murals in the children’s area of the library painted by Kingfisher County native Matt Haworth, who also added a fresh coat of paint throughout the library.

The City of Kingfisher has installed new LED lighting and is also in the process of replacing the heat and air system, Tautkus said.

With the need for more room, Tautkus said the bookcases and fixtures were rearranged in a manner that opened up new spaces for an adult reading lounge, teen lounge, a reading room, new children’s area and a study area.

“There’s a lot more room,” Tautkus said. “Now you can come to the library, check out a book, sit in one of the lounges and read in a quiet and comfortable space if you want.”

Tautkus expressed his appreciation to the Friends of the Library, Kingfisher County, the City of Kingfisher, and the community for their continued support of the library and its mission.

The library is an important asset for the community and its resources are available for everyone of all ages to utilize, Tautkus said. “We are here to continue to support free education for all,” Tautkus added.

Always looking for the opportunity to get a library card into more hands, Sipe encouraged people to stop in and check out what the library has to offer.

“Reading helps broaden our minds a little bit,” Sipe said.

“My goal with the reading challenge was to get a book in people’s hands, so they remember how it was when they were a child… that reading is fun and you still travel and go places when you read a book.”