Though people may not readily think of their library card from the Waukegan Public Library as a vehicle to receive a discount at a local restaurant, a reduced-price theater ticket, or free entry to a museum, it can do precisely that through September.
Jennyfer Cordova, the library’s communications and community engagement manager, said those deals and more are among the premiums available through a joint effort between the library and 13 local businesses and organizations.
Reading 1,000 books in about a five-year span may seem daunting to a new parent, but their child can earn prizes if mom or dad decides to make the effort. Amy Grossman, the library’s deputy director, said it is easier if you start early.
“While reading 1,000 books sounds like a lot, if you start when your child is a baby and read one or two books a night, you’ll complete the program before your child is 5 years old,” Grossman said at a Waukegan City Council meeting on Sept. 2.
The library launched its Show Your Card and 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten initiatives in September throughout the city to grow the number of library cards issued and encourage parents to read to their children.
Deals from the Show Your Card program continue through September, while 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is ongoing, with prizes awarded each time another 100 books are read. Cordova said the card can be used more than once at an establishment some of the time.
With more than 31,000 cards outstanding as of Friday in a city of 90,000 residents, a significant number of cards can still be issued. All residents and business owners are eligible. Children can obtain one with the permission of a parent or guardian.
“We’ve had cardholders as young as six weeks,” Cordova said. “If you don’t have a card, you can go to the customer service desk and sign up. You need an ID with a current address, or a bill with your current address.”
Participating organizations include four restaurants or food establishments — Las Delicias Restaurant, Green Town Tavern, Gerdy’s Gourmet Popcorn and Tacos El Vale — and Three Brothers Theatre, with a $3 ticket price reduction.
A library card brings free admission to the African American Museum at England Manor, 20% off full color printing at the Waukegan Mail Depot, 10% off refurbished products at Waukegan Computer and $2 off a $10 haircut at the Premier Barber Academy for the next haircut.
Individuals who show their library card at American Place Casino can get a $10 free play for becoming an AP awards member. Joining WWM Fitness is worth 50% off the first month of membership, and first-time patients at Family Chiropractic & Sports Rehab receive 50% off their first consultation and exam.
For parents of young children joining the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program, Annalisa Teresi, a youth librarian, said it is an opportunity to prepare youngsters for the time they will start to learn to read, most likely in kindergarten. It is good for the parent and child.
“It helps parents and children form meaningful memories by reading together,” Teresi said. “The child learns and detects new words at a young age that will help them know what they mean when they read those words.”
Reading a book multiple times counts each time it is read. Teresi said there are more than 10,000 books in the library for children through age 5. They include board books and picture books. Books can be borrowed for 21 days, and there is no limit on the number a cardholder can take at once.
“You can read the same book five days in a row as long as you mark it down each time,” she said.
Teresi said parents keep a log of each time a book is read, whether it is the same volume or a new one. Once they reach 100, they bring the sheet to the library and they are recognized on large logs outside the children’s and teens’ room.
“We have a small plush animal for children 3 and up, and a board book for children 2 and under each time they read 100 books,” Teresi said. “When they complete the program, they receive a bag with school supplies and a workbook.”
