Today,  I’m singing the praises of West Georgia’s regional libraries system’s summer reading program. When I was a child, our weekly visits to the local library were a treat. Just browsing in an air conditioned building and leaving with an armload of books motivated me to read all summer long. Now libraries offer incentives for reading and attending programs in which special guests entertain and educate at the same time. Some of the offerings this summer are magic shows, storytelling, Lego mine meld, and animal shows, including a reptile show at the Dog River library. Many offer a different program for teenagers; I noticed “broomball” on the calendar for the teen reading program at the Neva Lomason library. Be sure to check out all the different libraries’ programs. In addition to its summer reading program,  the Douglas county library has visiting reading therapy dogs. I love the idea of reading a story while petting a dog. The dogs have a calming effect on the children, and the child can choose any book she wants to read. All of these programs are free of charge; go here to sign up your child for summer reading. To learn more about the reading therapy dogs at the Douglas county library, go here.