For libraries, summer is one of the busiest but most rewarding times of the year. Families fill the children's room, students stop by to pick out their next read and patrons of all ages turn to the library for community.
At the heart of this seasonal excitement are summer reading programs. Through reading challenges that reward participants as they reach milestones, they encourage students to keep reading during the summer months while reminding adults that the library is much more than a place to check out books.
But behind every successful summer reading program is a season of planning. The goal is still to foster lifelong learning, but today's libraries are designing programs for communities with shifting needs, expectations and routines. Consequently, traditional approaches don't always capture attention or sustain participation the way they once did.
Over the years, first as a librarian and now working with libraries across North America, I've found that the strongest programs aren't defined by the biggest budgets or flashiest events. They're designed around the people they serve.
Programs should reflect the lives of their patrons
At a time when reading for pleasure has declined by 40% over the past two decades, summer reading programs remain an important way to foster literacy and bring communities together through shared learning. But creating a program that patrons actually want and are able to participate in requires more than a creative idea.
In my experience, libraries rarely struggle to come up with programming ideas. The bigger challenge is designing programs that reflect how their specific communities will participate, a lesson I learned firsthand as a librarian.
One summer, our team launched a teen reading program that let participants earn spins on a digital prize wheel for every hour they read. Participation exceeded expectations, which was a welcome outcome that quickly created operational challenges.
We only had one iPad running the wheel, so lines formed almost immediately. We also went through prizes (especially candy) much faster than expected, which eventually forced us to reallocate budget from other areas to keep the program running.
Our experience reinforced how important it is to think through how your audience's needs, habits and preferences affect participation in real life. Knowing our teen audience was motivated by reading hourly for small prizes, we could have planned for higher demand. The following year, we adjusted the program to use tickets, which made it easier to anticipate how many prizes we would need for our community.
Now, I encourage libraries to ask a key question before planning activities: Who is the community being served, and what are their realities? The answer should shape every aspect of the program, from incentives and scheduling to outreach and participation options.
Three ways to create engaging summer reading programs
There's no one-size-fits-all blueprint for summer reading. Every community is different, and the strongest programs are built around the specific needs, interests and routines of the communities they serve.
The following strategies can help you build programs that feel relevant, accessible and worth coming back to.
1. Make participation easy and flexible
Even the most creative summer reading program won't succeed if it's difficult to participate in. Consider the day-to-day realities of your community: Busy families may only be able to visit the library occasionally, while transportation or mobility challenges can make frequent trips difficult. Building flexibility into your program from the start helps remove those barriers.
At North Canton Public Library in Ohio where I worked, adults can track their summer reading digitally through Beanstack or participate in person, with additional opportunities to earn points by attending virtual or in-person library programs. Multiple ways to participate make it easier for patrons to stay engaged because the program fits into their lives, not the other way around.
Flexibility isn't about lowering expectations. It's about making participation realistic so more people can join and discover what the library has to offer.
2. Expand what counts as engagement
As audio, video and other media formats become more popular, libraries can expand how they define participation in summer reading programs. That shift can help welcome patrons who may not see themselves as traditional readers.
Audiobooks are a great example. According to Edison Research, audiobook listening has increased by 167%, and on Hoopla, audiobooks have become the platform's fastest-growing format. For reluctant readers, audiobooks can make stories more approachable; for busy families, listening together can become a shared reading experience.
Summer reading can also include educational videos, DVDs, music, games, graphic novels and Library of Things materials. Recognizing these formats as meaningful ways to engage helps more patrons discover library resources in the formats that work best for them.
3. Open the door to future engagement
Summer reading programs are often a patron's first meaningful interaction with the library each year. Rather than treating them as standalone reading challenges, use them to introduce patrons to everything else the library has to offer.
If your library serves a large teen population, consider that 71% of Gen Z discovers books through TikTok. A BookTok-themed reading challenge could naturally lead into creator-inspired displays, book clubs or trivia nights.
For adults, completing a summer reading challenge might encourage participation in author talks, digital literacy workshops or programs introducing resources like audiobooks.
The goal shouldn't be for patrons to simply complete the challenge. It should be to create connections that encourage them to come back long after summer ends.
Summer is just the beginning
Successful summer reading programs are built around the realities of the community, making participation easy and embracing multiple ways to engage.
From that foundation, libraries can build relationships that extend well beyond the summer months. Whether it's continuing a popular storytime, bringing back a well-attended book club or offering year-round reading challenges, the goal is to create positive experiences that remind patrons that the library is a place to learn, connect and discover.
When that momentum can carry beyond a single season, summer reading becomes the start of a lasting connection between patrons and their library.
Enjoyed this article? Subscribe to Video Librarian today for access to over 40,000 pages of film resources tailored for librarians, educators, and non-theatrical audiences.