Summer Quest Adventure at Your Library is winding down, and teachers and families are starting to get ready for back to school. Northampton Area Public Library will continue doing all it can to bring you educational and entertaining programs.

Thinking of educational programs always brings the Pennsylvania Library Association’s PA Forward to mind. PA Forward is a 21st Century Literacies initiative recognizing that libraries are flexible institutions meeting individuals’ real-life needs.

“Libraries are the key to powering progress and elevating the quality of life in Pennsylvania by fueling the types of knowledge essential to success — basic literacy, information literacy, civic and social literacy, health literacy and financial literacy,” according to paforward.org/what-is-pa-forward.

NAPL has been a PA Forward Gold Star Library since 2020, offering programs in all five literacies.

This year’s Summer Quest prizes are based in financial literacy. All ages earn NAPL Bucks for reading and participating in programs, and the NAPL Bucks are exchanged for rewards. Everyone was encouraged to set a savings goal at the beginning of the summer.

Our StoryWalk at the Moore Township Recreation Center focused on health literacy by getting people outside and moving.

Once Upon a Crime is focused on civic and social literacy, with people joining together to discuss a particular topic.

Tech Tutoring is focused on basic literacy, and every time one of the staff mentions that Wikipedia is not a valid source of information is information literacy.

The library is an excellent resource for our community. Together we can solve most problems, so keep borrowing books and joining us for programs. Here are some highlights for August.

Kids can experience underwater adventures 4:30 p.m. Aug. 8.

Adults are invited to hear from local authors, including Tom Lubben Aug. 12 and Christopher D. Ochs Aug. 19. Both events are scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

There will be a Harry Potter escape room, set for 5:30 p.m. Aug. 13, for teens and tweens.

As always, check the calendar at northamptonapl.org for more information and program opportunities.