Summer Reading
Helping children maintain or improve their reading readiness when they go back to school
Submit your 2023 Summer Reading Report Here:
Summer reading programs are designed to help children maintain or improve the reading skills they developed during the school year, so that when school resumes in the fall, they are ready to continue moving forward. There is no statewide summer reading program in Idaho; rather, Idaho libraries host programs that are implemented and funded locally. The Idaho Commission for Libraries provides the following support for Idaho summer reading programs:
Children who attend summer library programs can curb summer learning loss and maintain reading achievement levels; however, in many Idaho cities and towns, the children who most need library summer reading programs are not able to get to the library. Libraries that can get out into the community where children and families are likely to gather during the summer can have great impact on children’s access to print materials. ICfL supports libraries’ outreach efforts during the summer by providing books that can be distributed to children birth to age 18.
Th
e Collaborative Summer Library Program contains many feature-rich summer reading resources for members. Idaho is a member state, which means that all publicly-funded libraries in Idaho have been included in our membership, giving library staff access to copyrighted annual themes, artwork, program manuals, and more.
Find resources for summer reading planning, programming, promotion, and more:
If you are an Idaho library planning to offer a children’s and/or teen summer reading program, please prepare to collect participation statistics this summer and submit them to the ICfL by September 15. (Link to report is at bottom of page.)
Summer reading program materials, such as CSLP program manuals and Bright Futures materials, are LSTA-funded. Every public library is required to submit a report, which includes participation numbers (if your library is not hosting a summer reading program, simply indicate this on the report). These statistics are used by ICfL to fulfill reporting requirements issued by IMLS (the Institute of Museum and Library Services), which administers LSTA at the federal level. Failure to report your data will jeopardize your library’s eligibility for future summer reading books and materials.
A preview of the data you will be asked to submit is available below.
This preview will allow you to design data collection instruments and procedures at the beginning of your summer reading program. You can even download the Word doc and work on it in increments throughout the summer, then transfer the information to the online report below.
Thank you in advance for helping us collect this important data!
Questions can be directed to jennifer.redford@libraries.idaho.gov
2023 Summer Reading Program Report
Due Sept. 15
Through a partnership with the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, Idaho libraries can request Youth Explorer Passes to use as summer reading prizes or for outreach events. The passes allow one-time entrance to any of Idaho’s State Parks for one vehicle. Public libraries, community libraries, and volunteer libraries that host an official summer reading program are eligible to request passes. School libraries or schools are not eligible to request passes– please partner with your local library for summer reading programming.
The Idaho STEM Action Center has provided funds to the Idaho Commission for Libraries (ICfL) to award up to 65 public, school, or academic libraries $500 each to help pay for materials or presenters to support STEM outreach efforts during the summer. ICfL will also help provide a toolkit for learning activities, a branded yard sign and other resources. The Summer STEM from Your Library program has three primary goals:
- Increase access to fun, engaging, hands-on STEM activities for underserved youth beyond the normal library programming efforts
- Increase children’s access to books over the summer months
- Increase the number of children who minimize learning loss during the summer
Learn more about the Summer STEM grant here (applications open January each year)
