Adult Reading Program Participants Celebrate Successful Voyage

The Tuckahoe Public Library’s adult summer reading program ended with a bang Wednesday night, as over 60 participants came together in a culminating fiesta that literally packed the house.

Every seat at every table in the library was occupied, many by proud wearers of Novel Destinations print t-shirts – the summer program’s theme this year – indicating their completion of the program’s seven book requirement.

“It’s very exciting to have our finale program tonight,” said Tuckahoe Library Director Debbie Coppola. “It’s the end of some hard work that took place all year long. Although we are glad it’s over, we are excited that people had a great time reading.”

Even a bit of history was celebrated on Wednesday, as the Tuckahoe Library was the first in Westchester County to create an adult reading program of its kind, which is now a decade in the running.

“We started the program 10 years ago,” said Swadesh Pachnanda, adult librarian and summer reading program co-coordinator. “We saw all of the kids having fun and we thought that we should do something fun for adults.  Our first adult summer reading theme was games are not for kids only.”

Based on the belief that education has no age limit, Tuckahoe’s adult summer reading program accepted over 120 participants this year, inviting them to set out of their comfort zones and explore faraway cultures and learning avenues. Especially for some of its older participants, this summer program’s theme was at the same time an educational and healthy mental exercise.

“As you get older it’s important to keep the brain going,” said program participant Cetti Sarino. “I love to learn new things. It was great learning about places I have never been to before.”

This summer’s program included more than just books, however, as participants were invited to engage their reading through a variety of different activities and events, including musical performances, cooking classes, movement classes and a movie screening. On Wednesday, program “graduates” celebrated the competition of the program by competing against one another in some lively games, including literacy quizzes and bingo.

Many of this summer’s participants are adult program “veterans,” who like Angela Lynch of New Rochelle travel to Tuckahoe from neighboring towns to partake in the fun and learning and spend time with old friends.

“I keep coming back every year because I love this library and the great staff members here like Swadesh [Pachnanda]” she said. “She is so dynamic and a lovely person, and has great taste in books. She provided great recommendations and since participating in the program I have read so many books that I wouldn’t normally read.”

Wednesday’s event at the library ended with the raffling off of a number of themed gift baskets, which included a relaxing day at the beach, salad lovers, Italian cooking and the ultimate traveler. Each participant left the event with a congratulatory prize. Food and drinks were also served Wednesday, courtesy of Rigatoni Restaurant of Pelham. Participants dined on all the Italian classics as well as some homemade delicacies made by several of their fellow program graduates.

Now that the 2011 adult summer reading program is over, Pachnanda and co-librarian and coordinator Charlotte Stupple have already began planning for next year’s summer reading festivities. Before that, however, Coppola and the rest of the library staff are busy preparing for the library’s centennial year 2012, for which a celebration commemorating the 100th anniversary of the library institution in Tuckahoe will be held.