Director’s Thoughts – 6/14/2024

It’s June, which means I’ve got to talk all about summer reading, what else would I talk about? Summer reading programs are the bread and butter of public library and I want to share a little bit about the history of the program, how it may seem that a lot of libraries all have the same theme, and the purpose of summer reading programs in today’s world.

History

Can you believe that summer reading began all the way back in 1896? That’s over 125 years ago! It started simply as a way to encourage school children to read from a list of books and when it was a huge success, it became an even larger program, encouraging kids to create their own reading log and track their reading throughout the summer. You can learn more about the history of the summer reading program from Reader Zone.

Importance of Summer Reading

Summer reading for decades was used to combat the dreaded “summer slide.” The idea that kids lose significant progress in subjects like reading and math when they have a break in learning during the summer. In recent years, new studies have come out looking at the research that had been done in the past and new research being done. These results have become a lot more murky and it seems as though while summer slide is not necessarily as severe as it was once thought it does still exist.

A perfect example that I read, is taking a week or two off of work, it’s hard to get back to work, checking your email, getting the updates on your team, figuring out your schedule again. Compound this feeling for young kids who are out of school for 8+ weeks and then have to jump back in again.

Basically, all kids are going to lose some level of skills, especially if they aren’t practicing these skills during the time they’re at home or at camp. It’s important to encourage kids to practice their skills in fun ways – bake a new recipe in the kitchen, start a family book club, take a field trip – it can be as involved as you want – a vacation, a museum visit, or a walk at a local park.

Summer reading programs help to encourage kids to read during the summer, often with fun prizes, great programs, and reading their own choices. Because in the end, it’s important to teach kids that reading is a valuable way to spend their time and is also a whole lot of fun.

Summer Reading Themes

If you visit many of the public libraries in the U.S. this summer, you’ll probably see one of two themes – Adventure Begins at Your Library or Read, Renew, Repeat. These two themes come from two different organizations that help public libraries by providing logos, images, program ideas, book lists, marketing ideas and more for a small price.

Summer Reading in the 21st Century

Finally, where does all of this leave us in the 21st century? Summer reading programs began over 125 years ago, the summer slide may not be quite as severe as everyone originally thought, and almost every child and teen has constant technology access. But guess what? Reading is still important. It might be hard to believe, but in 2019 only 35% of fourth graders in the United States were considered proficient in reading. Numbers prior to 2019 had been steadily rising for a decard, but I can’t imagine that COVID helped those in any way, (spoiler – it didn’t!) so you’re looking at a generation of children who are growing up without an essential skill that helps in almost every aspect of life.

That’s where public libraries are contintuing to step up to the plate. Day in and day out, the public libraries in this country are providing kids with books to read, incentives, and high-quality programming that often involves hands-on learning. Children’s librarians spend months preparing for these 8-12 week programs trying with all their might to help out school teachers, parents, and kids to keep kids reading from suffering during the summer.

Summer reading might now include an app or digital tracking component, but the essence of the program is the same as it was in 1896, kids need to be encouraged to read during their summer break. And that’s what public libraries are doing.