Firms’ Donations Save Reading Project

Ventura County libraries will be able to continue their summer reading program for children this year, thanks to donations by private businesses.

The reading program, which has been conducted every summer since the 1970s, was nearly discontinued because of cuts in the county budget.

“If we did not have the donations, we wouldn’t be able to have the program this summer,” said Sonia J. “Sunny” Church, manager of Children’s Services Division for Ventura County Library Services Agency.

The program is scheduled to start June 12 and will run through July 30 at the county’s 15 libraries. Children can sign up for the program June 12.

Last year more than 6,000 children enrolled. About 20% of them read 25 or more books, and about 35% read 15 or more books.

“We want to teach them that reading can be fun as opposed to being just educational,” Church said.

It will cost about $3,000 to run the summer program, Church said. On Wednesday, Wells Fargo Bank donated $1,000 and Patagonia of Ventura donated $500. The remaining $1,500 will come from the library’s trust fund.