On your mark, get set read! With a theme focused on sports and activity, the Arlington Public Library's annual Summer Reading Club begins June 4. Kickoff celebrations will be held that day at library branches around the city from 10 a.m. to noon.

As in years past, the Summer Reading Club is open to all ages and is free of charge. Children, teens, and adults with an Arlington Public Library card are all encouraged to sign up on MySRC.org and track their reading throughout the summer for a chance to earn prizes. AISD students may also sign up using their school identification number, and children visiting a relative in Arlington for the summer may sign up for a temporary card to use during the program.

'Participating in Summer Reading Club is a great way to help children avoid learning loss during the months when they're out of school for summer vacation,' library services manager Ivonne Kieffer said. 'Children who don't engage in learning activities when they're out of school can lose skills in math and reading, and that loss is cumulative over the years.'

Kieffer said that in addition to reading challenges that will help little ones keep their skills up, the library has a packed schedule of programs for children and adults of all ages. Dance classes, storytimes, robotics, book clubs, arts and crafts, and more will be available throughout June and July. A full schedule of programs can be viewed on the library's program calendar.

The Summer Reading Club is sponsored by the Arlington Alliance for Youth, AISD, Barnes & Noble, First Rate, the Friends of the Arlington Public Library, General Motors, Humanities Texas, Kiwanis Club of Arlington, Rotary Club of Arlington, the Texas Rangers, and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

The online platform MySRC.org is a project produced in partnership with Kennedale and Mansfield Public Libraries.