Summer With the Library

Every year the CT State Library collects data on public library summer reading programs. The information is compiled and shared with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to demonstrate how that portion of the federal funding impacted the residents of Connecticut.

The information compiled from public libraries also helps to paint a picture of the impact of summer programming on residents across the state! Information from the Summer Reading report helps to inform professional development around summer, resources provided by the State Library, and funding opportunities like the Summer Enrichment Grants.

As librarians, we're tasked with acting on behalf of the needs of our communities. While no tool is perfect or all encompassing, there are many to help evaluate patrons satisfaction, one of which is the Summer Reading Patrons Survey, which we welcome and encourage users to add. The questions listed are IMLS required questions but we recognize libraries may need or want additional information. The completed Excel document can be uploaded into the Summer Reading Report form.

As with previous years, this report is not required, but we hope readers understand its importance. Any Summer Read Report that a library would like to submit is due October 3rd.

If there are any questions or concerns, please feel free to check the FAQ's on the Summer Reports Libguides page or email Kym Powe at kymberlee.powe@ct.gov.

Demonstrate the value of your work and promote the library

• Use the results of your outcome-based planning and evaluation and outreach efforts to promote the value and importance of your summer program and your library.
• Customize an infographic template with your library’s local results to let politicians, funders, the library foundation, your supervisors, and all other stakeholders know the impact your summer program had on participants and the community.
• Tell your stakeholders how many new community members you reached out to and let them know about the great new partnerships you’ve developed. Take photos during the summer and include them when you present your results (don’t forget to get photo releases!).
• Talk about your summer program results with new patrons and any community groups you’re reaching out to. These conversations can help them see how important the library is.

Improve library service

• Use your survey data and focus group results to strengthen the programs that are going well and to change or stop doing the things that aren’t working for your community.
• Use your data as a starting point for reflective practice and for thinking and talking about why you offer summer programs, the results you want to see, and the impact you want to have.
• Use your results as benchmark data to improve on in future years. You might aim to obtain positive responses from 70% of respondents in the first year and increase the amount of positive responses each year.
• Identify strategies for maintaining relationships with the underserved community members you connected with.

Training

• Use your results and feedback from colleagues as training tools to help staff learn about outcome- and outreach-based summer reading.
• Talk with colleagues about what went well, what didn’t, and why.
• Talk about how to improve your outcome- and outreach-based summer program in the future. Don’t worry about the things that didn’t go well—any lessons you learn can be used to make the program better in the future.
• Use your results to promote outcome- and outreach-based summer reading to colleagues and demonstrate why you’re presenting summer programs in this way.

Source

This project is funded by the State of Connecticut and the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Connecticut State Library.