Transform Your Library's Summer Reading List!

Summer Reading Lists - Always and Forever!

This is hopefully a quick "care and share"!  My library was in dire need of updating the summer reading lists.  You know those Summer Reading Lists...I know you know!  Our families are glued to "the list"...we must have "that book and that book and that book."  We get it.  We spend hours each year updating titles, authors, series, etc.  We totally appreciate that our list is important...yet it is a suggested reading list but who reads the fine print?  Our k-5 students may read whatever they want for 15 minutes a day for 40 days!  There is no backslide in my town...not on my watch!

The task of updating the summer lists falls to Mrs W and me.  We do our bests and we make sure that the Head of Media Services for our school system and her team approve the lists before the library has them printed. 

This year I inquired about adding graphics..something new to our ancient format.  It's a glitzy world out there and we needed to make that list inviting.  My boss, Mrs W, liked the idea.  When our newly designed flashy-catch-your-eye summer reading lists went to the school for approval, so did a request for printing.  And the school said yes!  Miracle moment. 

So the good news is we partnered with the school and the whole town benefited.  My design work went to the school's graphic designer and it received a professional edge, upgrade...*cough*...a giant improvement!  So cool.  Collaborating with the designer was fun. Take a look for yourself...what do you think?  Old list on the left, new on the right!

 Amazing, right?  I know.  

This is the inside...lovin' it.   

More new lists! 

Things I want to share with other librarians because I care:

Don't let your reading lists get really dated and dull

Ask for a financial partner if your budget can't afford graphic and color or whatever it is that you want to change.(remember: the whole town wants the kids reading...you know, "it takes a village") 

Have everything ready to go early if you have a partner.

Smile, smile more!  keep smiling!  Stay positive.  

Accept professional help when it's free! 

Show your joy when the lists are delivered, be grateful.  

Let those in Admin know you did something good.  AKA toot your own horn.

And recognize that no one reads the fine print...Suggested reading lists?  Noooooo, we must have this book, this one right here and this one too.  Yep.  Same old, same old...but not quite as often.  These lists are worth their weight in gold! And some things never change.  Our reading lists are available on line, in the cloud, in your little cell phone and printed copies in your local library...it really is ah-maze-ing!  

You can do it too!  Ask a question, leave a comment, send cookies...it's all good!

P.S. Piper Script:  Mrs W always brings support to our projects.  And we all love projects that help our kids.  

Thanks for visiting Piper loves the library.