Summer reading programs take place at 95% of
public libraries
A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also civil servants.
There are five fundamenta ...
in the United States.
[Bertot, J.C., Real, B., Lee, J. McDermott, A. J., Jaeger, P.T. (2015). 2014 Digital Inclusion Survey: Survey findings and results. Information Policy and Access Center. https://digitalinclusion.umd.edu/sites/default/files/uploads/2014DigitalInclusionSurveyFinalRelease.pdf] Children, teens, and adults participate in activities meant to encourage reading, such as keeping a reading log. Other names for summer reading programs include vacation reading club, summer reading club, vacation reading program, and summer library program.
History
Summer reading programs at public libraries in the United States began no later than the 1890s.
[Bertin, S. (2004). A history of youth summer reading programs in public libraries: A master’s paper for the M.S. in L.S. degree. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.] Early programs featured how to care for books, reading logs or lists, and focused on older kids and teens.
By 1929, summer reading programs were sometimes themed.
In the 1940s, professional publications began including prevention of
summer reading loss as a goal of summer reading programs.
As of 2014, 95% of public libraries in the United States offer a summer reading program.
Summer reading programs are common in Canada as well.
Features
Two thirds of public libraries host a summer reading program with a theme.
[School Library Journal. (2019). ''Public Library Summer Programming Survey''.] Most summer reading programs offer books, coupons, or bookmarks as incentives for participating.
Participants receive those incentives when they achieve a goal.
Libraries commonly keep track of the number of participants, time spent reading, or number of books read.
See also
*
Collaborative Summer Library Program
The Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) is a nonprofit, charitable organization that supports literacy, education and science through summer reading events in public libraries across the United States.
History
CSLP began in 1987 with te ...
*
Summer Reading Challenge
The Summer Reading Challenge is an educational competition held annually in the UK by The Reading Agency. It first began in 1999 with the intention of encouraging primary school children to read
Read
Read may refer to:
* Reading, human cogn ...
References
Literacy
Summer
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