If you’ve put that book you’ve wanted to read back on the shelf or haven’t visited the library recently now is the time.

School is out and many are taking that summer vacation, which can mean more than a little traveling and the time that goes along with it. What better way to pass that time than getting lost in a good book?

Or maybe you’ll be spending a good bit of that time closer to home. There’s nothing better than a book to turn time in a hammock or comfortable chair into an especially rewarding bit of relaxation.

If you are having trouble choosing a book you can visit your local library and ask the friendly staff for suggestions or peruse the many valuable resources available online, including Goodreads.com, Litlovers.com or Amazon. You can also check out the New York Times bestsellers list at www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/.

Summertime is also the perfect time to encourage your children to keep up their reading skills by taking them to the library, enrolling them in a Summer Reading Program and setting an example by reading a good book at home yourself, or better yet with or to them! Your library has a wonderful Summer Reading Program planned this year that extends into July. Entertainers will perform each Tuesday at 1 p.m. in June and July (with the exception of the week of July 4) at the John F. Rhodes Civic Center encouraging kids to “Dig Into Reading.” Summer Reading Programs were created in the 1890s to encourage children to visit their local library and develop a good habit of reading. The programs also keep kids’ reading skills sharp over the summer months so they don’t lose ground and are prepared when school resumes in August.

If your child isn’t school age yet, it’s definitely time to take them to the library. Take your toddler or preschooler to the library for storytime (every Tuesday at 10 a.m.) and let them select books to take home for you to read aloud. It is vitally important for children to be exposed to books and reading at a young age. It gives them any number of advantages later in life. By reading aloud you will be teaching your child basic language and literacy skills and how to read a book, while exposing them to life’s altering and enjoyable experiences. You can instill a love of reading in your child that will last a lifetime and prepare a strong foundation for academic excellence. You will also be creating a stronger relationship with your child by spending quality time with one another curled up with a good book.

Remember what Groucho Marx once said, “Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” So pick up that book and open the next great chapter in your life! Adventure, mystery, laughter and even a little information are only a page away.

In other news: Mark your calendars for a Community Yard Sale sponsored by the Old Town Bay Minette Arts Council on Saturday, June 1 from 8 a.m. until 1p.m. at Blackburn Park. And don’t forget Market Day in Blackburn Park on June 8 from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. where you can buy handmade, homemade and homegrown items. Call 937-3572 for more information. Also remember, if you are doing some late spring cleaning and wondering what to do with those old magazines and audio books (preferable on CD), you can bring them to the library. It’s a tax deductible donation for you and a gift from you to the community.

Joanna Bailey is the director of the Bay Minette Public Library. She can be reached at baileyvolumes@gmail.com