Summer Reading News

It’s almost time for the Collaborative Summer Library Program/CSLP annual meeting and voting by state reps for the 2027 Slogan and 2028 Theme. Before the meeting takes place at the end of August, CSLP would like feedback from libraries to help narrow down the selection options.

Within the 2027 Theme of Mystery/Detective/Suspense, libraries can vote on their favorites from six possible slogans. Make your voice heard by collecting feedback on slogan and theme preferences from your library community and then fill out the CSLP survey! CSLP has set up a slogan survey for those who wish to provide feedback on the 2027 slogans. Further information on CSLP’s survey for the 2028 themes will be provided soon. The slogan survey is open through August 23.

Another way that CSLP encourages feedback and input on slogans and themes is through CSLP Virtual Feedback Sessions. These sessions allow libraries to have a better understanding of the decision-making process for themes and slogans and provides an opportunity for the library community to share their feedback and opinions.

Please register for one of the two sessions that are being offered on Tuesday, August 13th and Thursday, August 22nd.

CSLP recently partnered with the Library Speakers Consortium to bring exciting author talks to member libraries and their patrons in July!

Author Dan Santat pursued his passion for illustration through his award-winning book, A First Time for Everything, which tells the story of his childhood experiences from his own perspective. Have you ever thought about how your life could turn into a graphic novel?  Dan Santat, a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator is teaming up with CSLP to speak about how children and teens can use graphic novels to tell their own stories, just as he did.

On Tuesday, July 30th, CSLP will be hosting an online event with Dan Santat that will allow participants to learn about his story as an author and illustrator and become inspired by the process of creating graphic novels. To register and learn more about this event, please visit CSLP’s website.

During the summer months, families across New York state are often faced with the challenge of providing nutritious food for children who normally have access to healthy meals through their school. For many years, Hunger Solutions New York has partnered with libraries to help diminish hunger for children by maximizing participation in federally funded nutrition assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

This year, Hunger Solutions NY and the New York State Library have once again come together to promote participation in the Summer Meals program, to help provide access to lunches and snacks for children and teens during the summer. Libraries in eligible areas can take part in the Summer Meals program by hosting summer meal “sites” at their library locations, by providing valuable information for families who need assistance, and by bringing Summer Reading activities to schools and food distribution sites within the community.  

With this year’s introduction of the new Summer EBT benefit, providing nutritious meals to children and families in need has never been easier. Through this program, families can receive a $120 food benefit card for each eligible child during summer break. This EBT food benefit card can be used to purchase food from grocery stores, farmers markets, and other SNAP-authorized retailers. To find out more and to access outreach materials in English and Spanish, please visit the Summer EBT webpage.

Libraries can further assist families by sharing the following tools to find sites near them:

• Text “food” to 304-304
• Use the map on SummerMealsNY.org
• Call 211 or 311 (in NYC) or 1-866-3-HUNGRY

Wishing you all a healthy and adventure filled summer!

Did you know that 2026 will be the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence? CSLP is already planning for the 2026 season, which will have a dinosaur theme and a slogan of Unearth a Story. To help with this planning, CSLP wants feedback from libraries!

The 2026 theme, along with the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, creates many opportunities for patriotic celebrations and history activities and programs at different libraries throughout the United States. CSLP has created a survey to gather information and feedback from public libraries about how they plan to promote and engage with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

If your library plans to celebrate the 250th anniversary in 2026, please complete CSLP’s Semi-quincentennial Survey.

Make sure your library is celebrating Smokey Bear’s 80th birthday this year by encouraging participation in the Smokey Bear Reading Challenge as part of your Summer Reading program! This challenge engages youth in important topics like forestry and outdoor careers, wildfire prevention, and local environments which complement the summer reading theme of Adventure Begins at Your Library.

The Smokey Bear Reading Challenge site provides a variety of resources to engage youth with booklists, downloadable activities and more. Smokey Bear’s Digital Toolkit is a helpful resource that libraries can use to access promotional materials, activities, and incentives, just to name a few. Smokey’s Reading List is a great way to get participants of all ages involved while focusing on adventure and the outdoors.

Libraries using READsquared can also promote the Smokey Bear Reading Challenge and track participation with the challenge through their Summer Reading Portal. Public libraries in New York state can create a free account and customize their own READsquared site. For more information, see the READsquared page on the New York State Library’s Summer Reading website.