There’s Still Time To Join Summer Reading Programs At The Jones Library

As summer routines are in full swing, and children are home for these warm months, it is important that they continue reading. Last week I sat down with librarians Cecilia Jezek and Mia Cabana in the Jones Library to discuss the importance and the joy of summer reading for youth in our community and to learn more about programs offered by the Jones. 

The Jones offers separate programs for kids, teens, and adults each asking participants to track their reading and to strive for a target number of hours read before the end of the summer with the aim of fostering a love of reading.  The target for teens and adults is 40 hours of reading over the summer while the target for kids (ages 0-10) is 10 hours of reading. Hitting that target qualifies participants for a raffle for prizes.  The programs started on June 17 and will run until August 26. Kids and teens are encouraged to sign up in person at the Jones or a branch library anytime this summer, right up to August 26.

“Our idea is to incentivise reading in a really low pressure way,” Cabana said. “Rather than keep track of the total number of pages or books completed we keep track of time spent reading. What you read and how much is totally self-directed. We also count listening to audiobooks, reading aloud, and reading electronic sources. We hope this encourages participants to read at their own pace, and pursue their interests.

The teen program and adult program both have a component of writing a review of one book. All of the programs have access to  a list of recommended titles curated by librarians for inspired reading, and the teen program offers participants a bingo board to inspire reading across genres and formats. Patrons can always request a personal reading recommendation list online or in person.  Cabana said “ We love doing readers-advisory in person. We also have rotating displays in our collection spaces that highlight special themes and new books, and it’s great to see patrons engage with these displays!”

Find Your Voice
This summer’s state-wide theme is “find your voice.” Every youth event the Jones Library hosts this summer will engage with that theme, whether the event is aimed at toddlers or teenagers. Cabana said, “We try to come up with creative ways to interpret this theme through our displays and programs. Displays include a focus on singers and musicians, activists, being yourself, and even wordless picture books to inspire kids to write their own stories. It’s also a great time of year to read a Massachusetts Children’s Book Award nominated title, and the Massachusetts Teen Choice Book Award nominated titles. Kids and Teens cast their votes for the winners, so it’s another great expression of the Find Your Voice theme. 

Cabana noted that an online program called Beanstack helped keep reading programs alive during the pandemic, but that “ teen volunteers were unanimous about getting off Beanstack and not tracking summer reading with an app, they wanted it to be paper.” So this summer, participants bring their paper trackers with them to the library to record their progress. 

All three library branches in Amherst (Jones, Munson, North Amherst) are participating in the same summer reading challenge this summer. Participants can register at any location and submit their reading logs at any location. At this moment, the programs have 453 people registered for summer reading! 186 kids, 100 teens, and 167 adults.

Banned Books
I asked the librarians if banned books has been an issue for summer readers, given that 1,447 different titles  have been banned in the United States so far in 2023. Cabana replied that this issue has not come up in relation to summer reading in Amherst. “I think that the philosophy behind our summer reading programs, which is basically that the time you spend reading is what we value over the particulars of what you read, reflects the overall mission of public libraries to make information accessible and enjoyable,” she said. 

Cabana said that the biggest challenge for the librarians is trying to create a program that appeals to a wide range of kids, and “not have any kid look at the program and think it’s not for them because of their age, reading ability, reading interests, or summertime commitments. Some kids are going to easily surpass our completion goals, while others may find those goals to be intimidating. But we’re really good at celebrating all readers and showering them with enthusiasm from the time they sign up until they submit their final reading log (and that is part of the joy of summer reading for librarians!)”  In order to succeed,  “we support kids’ interests with programs that (hopefully!) make the library an exciting place to visit in the summer, beyond checking out books. This summer we will host a Pokemon party, book clubs, family game night, performances, and weekly programs like story times and teen lounge. Books and reading are a part of all these programs, but there’s also a social aspect that I think people are really hungry for this summer.” 

Building Community
One of the most common driving forces parents and caregivers have cited for bringing their kids to the Jones Library is a simple need to get out of the house. Jezek and Cabana discussed the importance of re-establishing a “third space” after the pandemic. These are spaces that exist outside of school and home. Third spaces are important for the development of the early stages of independence and self-expression, as well as socialization outside of the strict routine of school. “Third spaces for kids and teens are where they learn how to be autonomous,” Jezek said. “Third spaces are where they get to experiment a little bit with how they present themselves and how they interact with people.”

The librarians also noted that the programs help to build community. Cabana said, “the community that grows at the library through summer reading is special and unique each year. Whether you come multiple times a week or just a few times this summer, getting to know readers of all ages over these summer months and providing a place for people to come together is a really fun and valuable part of the experience.” 

For more information see https://www.joneslibrary.org/summerreading