It’s quiet in the small craft room off the Albert Lea Children’s Library. The girl begins to read. She pauses only momentarily when she is stumped by one of the words in the book. Her mother helps her along.

Next to her is an attentive listener. As the girl reads, the dog next to her wags her tail.

It’s a scene that occurs each Monday afternoon during the Summer Reading Program at the Albert Lea Public Library. Emma the therapy dog has come to listen to children who otherwise may be too shy to read out loud.

Children can sign up for 15-minute time slots between 2 and 2:45 p.m. on Mondays through July 20 by stopping by the librarian’s desk in the children’s room or by calling the children’s library at 377-4356.

This is the second year Emma has come to listen to children read, said her owner, Jeanne Hendrickson.

Emma has been a therapy dog since Dec. 11, 2005.

The Freeborn County Kennel Club, of which Hendrickson is a member, had been talking about therapy dogs. “She was just good natured and I felt she had the right temperament to become a therapy dog,” she said.

Emma passed the therapy dog test, which means she’s not easily startled and is able to resist a treat left on the floor if she’s told to leave it alone. She also had to demonstrate good obedience skills.

She has been certified as a therapy dog and wears a bandana to identify her as a therapy dog.

Emma, who is a 4-year-old border collie, is considered both a working dog and a performance dog. She has done some herding and competes in flyball, agility and obedience.

As part of her therapy dog work, she has visited nursing homes and an adolescent psychiatric ward in Rochester. Each Monday morning during the school year, she goes to Hawthorne Elementary, where Hendrickson works, so the children can read to her. Some also get to walk her in the hallways.

“Kids love dogs, and for some reason, they love to read to Emma,” Hendrickson said, adding that if Emma really knows the child, she may lay her head in the child’s lap or do more interaction.

“As a case facilitator, I see the benefits of just having her in the building,” Hendrickson said.

She explained that a lot of dogs tolerate kids. “But Emma loves children,” she said. “She initiates the contact. That’s what sets her above other therapy dogs.

“She is the perfect pet.”

Hendrickson always sits right alongside Emma as she is being read to.

Hendrickson stressed that Emma is not a service dog and therefore is not trained to help people with hearing or vision limitations. Instead, therapy dogs are there to cheer people up and can be found in schools, hospitals, care facilities and nursing homes.

Patty Greibrok, children’s librarian, said research shows children who read to dogs do increase their reading skills.

“This has been a huge success. I’m happy she approached us about this,” Greibrok said.