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Summer is a time of relaxation for students and teachers. But for librarians? For librarians, it’s time to bring their A-game. It’s their time to shine. It’s what they’ve been preparing the whole year for. Summer Reading brings in patrons of all ages; from newborn to 120! This is a prime opportunity for librarians to bring in those hesitant, non-readers and encourage them to pick up a book. Summer Reading can bring in hordes of new patrons registering for their very first library card. Whether your library uses a Summer Reading app, or still has paper reading logs, the goal is the same: to read as many books as possible during the summer. Some libraries offer grand prizes to their patrons, while others offer more subtle prizes.
The goal of a library’s Summer Reading program is two-fold. First (obviously) is to get people to read. During the summer, students typically aren’t reading as much as they are during the school year. This is called the “Summer Slide.” In an article by Learner, they assert that students can lose up to two months of reading ability during the summer. It also states that “students who read over the break generally perform better in reading assessments upon returning to school.” So, we need to make sure their brains stay active during the summer months.
Secondly, the goal of Summer Reading is to get people in the door. This is the librarian’s chance to show new patrons how cool and useful their local library is. The best way to do this is by providing programming, both of the educational and entertaining variety. Of course, libraries do this throughout the year, but during the summer librarians need to amp it up. Think about providing programming different than what is offered the rest of the year.
There are great materials out there on how to create great summer programming. For example, Summer Matters: Making All Learning Count helps librarians make more engaging programming for children. This includes STEM activities, creating community partnerships, and making it a point to mix reading with programming.
Outreach can be a great way of reaching patrons during Summer Reading. Getting out into the community to promote the library is key in Transforming Summer Programs at Your Library: Outreach and Outcomes in Action. The California Library Association and the California State Library partnered to research better ways to serve evolving communities. They not only see the advantages of summer outreach for children, but they also highlight the importance for teens and adults as well.
Other great tools at the librarians’ disposal are the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) and the iRead Program. Each offers their own theme each summer to help guide libraries. For 2025, the CSLP theme is Color our World. For iRead, it’s Level Up at Your Library. They offer marketing materials that libraries can use for their own Summer Reading program, as well as other programming resources.
Our Collection Development librarians understand the Summer Reading plight (we’ve all been there). So, we’ve gathered up an assortment of reading materials for children, teens, and adults that fit nicely in either the CSLP or iRead programs. These lists can be found on the iPage’s curated lists.
CSLP: Color our World

iRead: Level Up at Your Library
Don’t worry, you’ll be able to relax in a few months. At least until next summer!
Collection Development Librarian
