Library program continues to be popular
Seamus was just a pup when he encountered the printed word. His handler slipped cookies between the leaves of a book. And Seamus had to turn the pages to get the treats. It’s a trick he’s never forgotten.
The three-year old Goldendoodle was at the Cornwall Public Library on Monday evening, April 1. But he wasn’t there to do tricks. He and three other canines were expected to sit and listen to young readers.
It’s nothing new. Although the program has been popular for years, it was a new experience for this reporter.
When I arrived, the dogs were already at their stations. They were sitting on mats at each corner of the Community Room, with their handlers hovering over them in red shirts from Hudson Valley Paws for a Cause. The animals were also dressed for the occasion. They wore their “Therapy Dog” vests, which let them know they were there to work.
Before approaching the first group, I enlisted the help of Lexi Ross. She’s a Cornwall twelfth-grader who’s been a page at the library for two-and-a-half years. She took the pictures while I stood around and listened. Seamus was the first canine we encountered. We learned about his page-turning ability and we walked away with two souvenirs – a Seamus bookmark and a card that had his picture on one side and some biographical information on the other. It was like the baseball cards we collected as kids.
Not wanting to spend all our time in one place, we moved on to watch Owen reading to Fletcher. The youngster was good at it. He had lots of expression and stopped, on occasion, to show Fletcher the pictures. Most of the young humans selected stories about animals, perhaps thinking their audience would appreciate the subject matter.
At our final stop, Andrew was reading to Riley and intermittently grabbing a handful of Riley’s fur.
Andrew did it gently and the dog seemed to enjoy the interruption. At this point, Lexi and I had been in the room for 15 minutes and had yet to hear a single bark. The library patrons outside the room probably didn’t know that they were sharing the facility with a group of dogs.
The handlers told us there’s a need for more members, because so many places are interested in the program. The R.E.A.D. participants (Reading Education Assistance Dogs) are also certified therapy dogs that have undergone two years of training. These animals ae comfortable in many settings. And, as we learned, some of them can even turn pages.
(Editor’s note: The Highland Falls Library offers the same program for its young readers. See the weekly Cornwall or Highland Falls Library columns to find out how to sign up for a slot in the program. MJP)
