Several years ago, the leaders of the county library system knew they could do more to help students on summer break keep reading and start the next school year prepared.
They set out on a mission to expand activities, increase awareness of the program, and ultimately get more residents — especially children — involved in the summer reading program.
The work is paying off.
Overall, 6,237 Johnson County residents participated in the summer program, up 18 percent from last year and an increase of 51 percent since 2016. Of the overall total, 70 percent were children.
The library’s rebranded Explore Summer program included weekly reading challenges, learning activities and story walks. Although the program welcomed all ages, the impact on students is of utmost importance, library programming manager Sarah Taylor said.
“Research shows if children don’t read over the summer they can lose academic progress,” Taylor said. “It’s cumulative, by the time they hit sixth grade they’re two years behind their peers if they miss three months a year. By participating in the free summer program at the library, when they go back to school with their peers they’re ready to learn.”
Participants in the program were offered prizes as incentives for reading benchmarks. People who logged 10 hours of reading over the course of the summer earned awards, as were people who participated in weekly challenges, learning activities such as trips to the Johnson County Museum of History and literary walks.
“We had small prizes for everyone that got to 10 hours (of reading): water bottles, ear buds, lunch bags, stuffed elephants and a chance to win bigger prizes,” Taylor said. “The grand prize was a weekend getaway to the destination of your choice: downtown Indy, French Lick, or the Great Wolf Lodge in Cincinnati.”
Other prizes included a ticket to Urban Air, free bicycles, tickets to an Indianapolis Indians baseball game and a family pass to the Indianapolis Zoo or Children’s Museum.
Taylor said much of the increase in participation was due to a push in marketing.
“The Johnson County Public Library Foundation got sponsorships from businesses, and with their support we did more this year than in the past,” Taylor said.
Residents who promoted the program with yard signs earned prizes, for example.
“We visited places where they take school lunches, we visited apartment complexes,” Taylor said. “We usually start in May, going to schools and talking to classes about programs. We get them excited and we’re into library outreach throughout the summer, we partner with food service for lunch delivery once a week.”
Friends of the Library, part of the Foundation, is one of the prime sponsors of the program, as they conduct several book sales throughout the year.
“I think it was very successful,” Friends of the Library President Jane Bingham said. “A lot of people were coming in, checking out books. There were different activities involved with summer learning. It was a great success.”
Franklin Schools Superintendent David Clendening said the program is key for students in developing their imaginations and vocabulary.
“I think the love of reading grows both your knowledge and vocabulary, but it opens so many doors when you sit with a book and see what’s going on with the character,” Clendening said. “On the non-fiction side they’re learning things that are happening or have happened around the world. There’s a great passion exhibited by offering programs that the library does.”
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Up next
The library’s winter reading program is from Jan. 7 to Feb. 28, with students having a chance to earn badges by completing learning activities.
For more information on the library’s programs, visit pageafterpage.org.
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