Summer Reading News

In New York state, nearly one in five children experience food insecurity. Over the course of many years, Hunger Solutions New York has worked with the NYS Library and libraries in the state to address food insecurity in local communities. In the recent webinar How Libraries Can Alleviate Hunger Now, Misha Marvel from Hunger Solutions NY provides updated information on how libraries can share information about programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Programs for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT). 

Watch the recording of this webinar to find out how your library can connect with Summer Meals sites or become one, and help alleviate hunger for children and families throughout your community! This webinar is available on the NYS Library’s Summer Meals Program page, and a passcode (listed on the site) is required to access. 

This year, CSLP is teaming up with New York Times best-selling author Katherine Applegate and Macmillan Publishing Group to present the Color Our World Writing Contest! Storytellers aged 8-12 are encouraged to write a short story about how action can change someone’s day for the better. Within these short stories, the writing contest aims to celebrate themes of community, empathy and resilience among young readers and writers.

The grand prize winner of the writing contest will receive a virtual writing workshop with Katherine Applegate, signed copies of Willodeen, Crenshaw, Odder and wishtree, along with $500 worth of books from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. Three runner-ups will receive signed copies of Willodeen, Crenshaw, Odder and wishtree. Participation in the contest is free and entries are open from June 1 – July 31, 2025. This is a great way to engage families and young readers and writers in your library to get them more involved in Summer Reading!

Find all the relevant information and rules for entry on the Color Our World Writing Contest page. Sign up to receive promotional materials that can help your library promote the contest throughout your library community. 

Are you prepared for Children’s Book Week this year? From May 5-11 and November 3-9, many young readers across the country will celebrate the joy of reading children’s books by participating in literacy programs and events throughout local schools, libraries, bookstores and even at home. 

The Children’s Book Council’s initiative, Every Child a Reader, has just revealed the 2025 Children’s Book Week poster created by the talented artist Julie Flett. The poster perfectly complements this year’s Children's Book Week theme of “An Ocean of Stories” and can be used in libraries, schools, and other public spaces to promote participation. Participation is free, and libraries or schools that register will receive two free copies of the Book Week posters. Families can even register and receive posters at home! 

More resources like promotional materials and participation ideas will be revealed in the coming months. Librarians, teachers and even parents are encouraged to participate in Children’s Book Week, and the registration form is available on the Every Child a Reader website.  

The Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) is excited to announce that this year’s Summer Reading Champion is the #1 New York Times bestselling author, Katherine Applegate!

Many young adult readers and library staff know and love Katherine’s books, such as Odder, Wishtree, Willodeen, and Crenshaw, to name a few. Katherine’s love for libraries and passion for summer reading is inspiring and encourages us to unleash the imagination of readers of all ages. 

On March 5, Katherine will be featured in CSLP’s 2025 Summer Reading kickoff event, which will include information about this summer’s Color Our World Writing Contest as well as exciting program ideas from the CSLP Manual Committee. 

Register for the free March 5 Summer Reading Champion Kickoff. 

Are you looking for a way to enhance creativity for your library programs or while educating students? Consider signing up for Crayola’s Creativity Week! This weeklong education program is completely free and includes resources that promote creative culture, collaboration, education, and communication. 

The Crayola Creativity Week events calendar runs from Monday, January 27th to Sunday, February 2nd and provides plenty of resources for student engagement. Every day, students will be provided with different educational worksheets, activity videos, and even videos from special guests such as authors Mo Willems and Matthew McConaughey. In addition, educators have the chance to win prizes everyday through the Daily Giveaway. The art-based challenges and activities are also a great way for libraries to promote CSLP’s ‘Art’ theme for this year’s Summer Reading Program. 

Registration is free and is open to schools, libraries and even families looking to participate at home. If you are interested in enhancing creativity through learning, please sign up on the program’s website.

Did you know that February 1st is officially designated as Take Your Child to the Library Day? Take Your Child to the Library Day (TYCLD) is an international organization that encourages family participation at local libraries. 

Since 2011, TYCLD has successfully spread awareness about the importance of library resources and services for children. This year, libraries from all over the continent are participating in Take Your Child to the Library Day to help celebrate and engage with families in their communities to share the importance of libraries. 

Registration is easy and free! Check out the details on TYCLD’s brief registration form. Registered libraries can access marketing and promotional resources and materials to help promote this awesome celebration. 

The Youth Services Section of NYLA has officially opened submissions for the 2025 Pied Piper Award! This award recognizes excellence in a library program that was engaging and unique and can be replicated in other library settings.  

We want to hear how your library creatively promotes services to New York’s youth. The winner of this award will receive either $200.00 or a Barnes and Noble gift card, which will be presented to them at the 2025 YSS Spring Conference.

The deadline to submit entries is December 6, 2024 before midnight. The submissions must have been created and carried out in a New York State library between the dates of December 1, 2023 to November 30, 2024. To create a submission and view the full guidelines, please visit the Pied Piper 2025 Award page (PDF). 

Registration for the Collaborative Summer Library Program’s annual virtual Summer Symposium is now open! This year’ symposium will focus on ideas and tips for library staff planning Summer Reading Programs around the 2025 theme of “Color Our World.”

The symposium happens on Thursday, December 5 from 11:00 AM to 4:30 PM and will feature keynote speaker Mychal Threets, who will share about the joy that books and libraries can bring to all of us. The symposium also features a session by Keturah Cappadonia and Haleigh Mikolajczyk from New York's Southern Tier Library System who will share ideas about how to add more sustainability to Summer Reading Programs.

Registration is free, and CSLP encourages public library staff to attend as many sessions as they can! Recordings of sessions will also be available so be sure to register for the symposium even if you can’t attend all sessions.