New York State Library Logo

Summer Reading News

Showing 5 of 5 Results

10/31/2024
No Subjects
From a distance, five people walking on a path in a forested park, where the leaves have turned orange for autumn. Text overlay: October News from CSLP

In the October newsletter, CSLP announced exciting news about upcoming summer reading programs. Thanks to all the suggestions and information collected from library staff around the country, CSLP state reps selected an official 2027 slogan and 2028 theme. 2027’s theme will be based on Mystery/Detective/Suspense, and the slogan to complement it will be Mysteries Await at Your Library, 2028’s theme will be based on Mythical Creatures. CSLP thanks everyone who shared their thoughts and ideas through surveys, listening sessions, and committee participation.

CSLP’s Outreach Committee is also excited to announce plans for creating an Outreach Toolkit to provide support and resources that will help libraries bolster efforts to build community relationships, serve community members, and expand services beyond the library building. CSLP is encouraging library staff to help build the toolkit by gathering different resources for outreach like library programs, articles, websites, and relationship building ideas. Please note that this toolkit is digital so resources should be able to be linked on a webpage. To help build this toolkit, library staff can submit resource ideas through CSLP’s online Outreach Committee Resources Submission Form.

The October newsletter also shared a summer reading program success story from New York! To wrap up their program, the East Greenbush Community Library celebrated the end of 2024’s Adventure Begins at Your Library by hosting “glow parties” which engaged three different age groups. The Head of Youth and Family Services at the library, Amy McCarthy, reported that the events were a huge success and 220 kids, teens, and adults, participated in the Baby Rave, Glow Up Party, and Glowing Away Party, all geared towards different age groups. These events included activities such as dance parties and glow in the dark fun, and the library did an amazing job utilizing materials they had on hand along with inexpensive materials such as black lights and highlighters, and neon art supplies. Check out more information about this summer reading success story in the CSLP’s October Newsletter.

10/25/2024
No Subjects
Child reading the page of a print/braille book. Text overlay: Print/Braille Children's Books for Fall

For the fall season, the NYS Talking Book and Braille Library (TBBL) has put together a fun list of autumn themed print/braille children’s books that are accessible to those unable to use standard print materials due to a visual, physical, or reading disability. The list includes fun reads that embrace the spirit of fall and the festivities of Halloween.

Although these books are enjoyable for all ages, this list is especially perfect for readers in preschool and early elementary school. The print/braille picture books are also great for inclusive story times! The NYS Library and TBBL encourages you to share and use this list and embrace the fall season through reading! For access to this list with more detailed information, please visit the TBBL News and Announcements blog

10/17/2024
No Subjects
Close up of a bento box packed with rice, meat, and vegetables. Text overlay: Summer Meals and Libraries 2024

We want to pass along some great news about summer meals and public library participation in 2024! This past summer saw an increasing number of libraries working together with a variety of community partners to ensure that kids and teens have access to healthy food year-round. Our partners at Hunger Solutions New York have shared preliminary reporting numbers indicating almost 90 libraries acted as meal sites in 2024, which is a significant increase from 60 libraries in 2023. 

As trusted and valued community centers, many libraries find that offering meals and snacks to youth makes good sense for their summer programming, brings in new users and patrons, and aligns closely with their mission to serve and connect with their community in many different ways. 

Thank you to all New York libraries that supported Summer Meals and Summer Nutrition by acting as meal sites, partnering with schools or existing sites to offer Summer Reading activities, or promoting Summer Meals through outreach efforts or other activities. Children who have access to healthy food during the summer are better prepared to learn when they go back to school in the fall, which benefits families as well as the larger community.   

Find out how your library can become involved with Summer Meals by checking out Hunger Solution NY’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) page.

10/16/2024
No Subjects
Children doing art at a table. Text overlay: CSLP Inclusion Webinar: Artful Connections

The Collaborative Summer Library Program’s Inclusion Committee will host a webinar on Wednesday, November 20 with presenter Stephanie Haines, who will talk about her vision for inclusive and inspiring communities. Stephanie is the Arts Education & Accessibility Program Manager at the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC). In this role, she oversees IAC’s arts education research project Partnering Acts, Communities and Education, amongst other literacy programs.

Stephanie has over 15 years of experience in teaching artists and arts integration programming and is a visual artist working primarily in the mediums of painting and drawing. During this presentation attendees will learn about the fundamentals of accessibility through the lens of creative arts activities. Stephanie will cover what it means to be accessible, common adaptations you can make to creative tools and materials, and how you can be flexible and inclusive in your approach to planning arts experiences for a diverse community. 

Find more information on Artful Connections, or register to attend.

10/01/2024
No Subjects
Close up of arms holding a newspaper. Text overlay: News from CSLP!

This month’s issue of the CSLP newsletter has tons of exciting news! The Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) has officially announced 2025’s slogan as “Color Our World,” which features vibrant and whimsical artwork by Mike Mullan. 2025’s theme and artwork will allow libraries to create spaces where creativity and artistic expression can thrive. CSLP is also excited to share a sneak peek at their collection of tie-dye items that will be perfect summer reading incentives to complement “Color Our World.”

Read on for more highlights from the CSLP newsletter!

CSLP Committees

Don't forget: CSLP invites all public library staff members to consider joining a CSLP committee during the recruitment period happening now! The opinions and experience of library staff from all sizes and shapes of public libraries greatly improve and enhance the work of CSLP. Committee member duties vary and generally run for one calendar year. All the work performed by committees can be done virtually, and participation in more than one committee is possible. The deadline to apply for a CSLP committee is October 15 and the application can be found online. 

Summer Symposium

The CSLP Summer Symposium will take place this year on December 5 and will feature keynote speaker Mychal Threets. He will speak about his library program that aims to remind readers of the joy that books and libraries can bring to a community. The symposium also features other speakers sharing information on creative ways to promote summer reading and the 2025 art theme. Registration opens on November 5, so please plan to join some or all of the sessions!

Services to Incarcerated Individuals

Finally, this month’s newsletter also features the stories of different Summer Reading Programs offered to incarcerated individuals in New York state. Over 22,000 incarcerated individuals engaged in summer reading through different activities at Correctional Facility libraries. These engaging and educational activities included reading contests and book clubs. CSLP is proud to highlight how libraries and reading programs can have a positive impact on the lives of all individuals. 

Field is required.