On Aug. 16 roughly 40 children and their mothers visited the National Museum of Industrial History for the final event in a summer reading program. The program was jointly sponsored by The National Museum of Industrial History, the Bethlehem Area Public Library, Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites, Artsquest, PBS39, and Cops ‘n’ Kids Lehigh Valley.

These six organizations joined to sponsor programs that promote literacy throughout the year. Every week during June and July participants in the program were welcome to visit each nonprofit to hear award-winning children’s books.

During the final program at NIMH, children had the opportunity to sort through books that had been donated by the sponsoring organizations. There was no charge for the books they selected.

Then they could stop at one of the tables set up with the material they would need to make a bat-shaped bookmark. There was at least one volunteer at each table to provide assistance to any child needing help. Attendees worked intently on their bookmarks.

When their child’s bookmark was finished, some of the mothers read the book or books selected to their children.