Winter can be long and harsh sometimes, but librarian Mrs. Jennifer Herron believes the 5 by 5/5 for $5 program can help students survive these cold months by giving them something to look forward to.

For the fourth year in a row, students are able to earn some money and a free lunch by reading five books by May 5. Herron explained that the books aren’t forced upon students but they’re able to make their own decisions. “Students are able to pick whatever they like as long as it’s at their reading level and they haven’t read it before,” Herron said. 

While it might seem easy to just say you’ve read the five books, Herron is confident that she can tell whether students actually read or not. “They sign a contract and when they finish a book they discuss it with me and it’s usually pretty plain if they haven’t read it,” said Herron. 

Students might just be looking to earn some money but Herron really just wants to “promote reading in our community,” she said. She explained that the main goal is to help students learn to read for fun. “We want to encourage and support students to read for pleasure. It is a developmental asset that we would like to build among the student population,” Herron said. 

About 75 people signed up and completed the five books last year and Herron hopes for even bigger numbers this semester. She said, “I encourage everyone, staff and students, to sign up because it’s such a fun and wonderful day to share food and books. There’s no penalty for not finishing.”