This summer, I’m making a commitment to take my daughter to storytime at the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library.

It fascinates me that, in a world where screen time is inevitable (the child has watched countless hours of Elmo over 21 months of her life) and where children’s toys are buzzing with bells and whistles and STEM initiatives like “coding for babies,” what Maggie loves most is bringing a book to me or my husband and having us read to her.

In the car, her favorite activity is flipping through a board book copy of “Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?” by Dr. Seuss. At this point, we’ve read it enough times that she can recite the sound effects almost from memory.

She loves “The Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle, and the “Little Blue Truck” books and anything with her favorite Disney characters on the page.

While we’ve amassed quite a collection of books in our own home, going to the local library is a fond memory from childhood that I can’t wait to pass on to my own child. There’s something about going to the library that’s magical — the stacks of books, row after row of knowledge, and it’s all unlimited for you.

The peacefulness that is a quiet library is unparalleled. That is, until programming comes around.

Our local library staff has planned so many fun events in the coming months. Star Wars fans of all ages can celebrate two nights in a row next week with free events on “May the Fourth” and “Revenge of the 5th.”

Summer also brings the opportunity for weekly storytime, beginning at 10 a.m. every Wednesday. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the library live-streamed this program, but on April 6, in-person storytime returned.

So, while it’s tempting to sit your kid down in front of the television for a quick break, or to plop a tablet in their hands, I encourage you to join me in adding literature to your child’s life this summer. Our library is open Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is closed on Sunday.

And remember: Learning’s not hard, when you’ve got a library card.