In my last post, I mentioned that the Summer Reading Program theme is Read, Renew, Repeat. It’s a catchy phrase for sure – but what does it mean?
Read
This is the easy one. There wouldn’t be a Summer Reading Program without reading. Historically, the Summer Reading Program was only available for children to avoid the “summer slide”—the learning loss that students experience when out of school. But reading during the summer—or any time—is good for everyone, which is why our Summer Reading Program is available for all ages.
There are a few ways you can track your reading. My favorite way is through Beanstack, a digital tracking tool. You can access it here or download the app. You can log your reading quickly and earn some really fun badges. And if you’re the type who likes to keep a continuous record of what you read, you can use it all year long – not just during the summer. Plus, we have fun reading challenges available year-round to keep you reading.
A paper reading log is also available for those who like a more analog approach.
You can also track how many books you read over the summer – or if you want to tackle some of those bigger books (or you have kiddos at home who might be just getting into chapter books and therefore taking a little more time to savor what they are reading), you can log your reading by how many minutes you read for.
No matter how you choose to log, everyone has the chance to win a free book! As an extra incentive, kids and teens can also win some other prizes.
Our Summer Reading Program goes June 1 – August 31st! So, you don’t even need to be out of school yet to start reading.
Renew
This part of the phrase isn’t just a reminder to renew your library materials (plus – you don’t need to – they automatically renew!) but evokes the idea of conservation. It focuses on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity. You’ll see this reflected in a lot of our programs, but some of the ones I want to highlight are:
- Smokey the Bear 80th Birthday Party
- Our Animal Presentation series with Wildlife Safari
- Our Salmon Watch Series
- Worms & Composting with John Jackson of Bugs-R-Us (really, any of the Bugs-R-Us programs)
But there is another way to think about the phrase “renew” – through self-renewal, a restorative method of self-improvement and self-preservation. We have some creative ways for you to do this with us this summer, too:
- Making Folded Book Art (this also renews the life of a book that would otherwise not have one)
- Art Class with Rogue Art
- Decorating Rocks for a Friendship Rock Garden
- Getting outside and walking
- Blending your own herbal tea
Repeat
Finally, we have ‘repeat’. This is highlighted through a couple of programs—our story retelling contest that encourages teens to repeat a favorite story in a new way, the return of Tyler Spencer’s Didgeridoo program, and Kevin Menegus’s marionettes.
But there’s a more important message to share here.
We want you to repeat your library experience – not just during the summer – but forever. Keep reading, keep attending programs, and keep learning. We have so much to offer you — so many gifts to give you — that we want to keep seeing you here in this space.
It’s for you.
I hope you find something that renews your love for the library this summer….and if you stick around, you might just experience something magical this fall.