by Ann Hoey,
Youth Services Coordinator
N.H. State Library

As schools wind down their year in anticipation of summer, public libraries are gearing up for one of their busiest annual events: Summer Reading Programs. All around the state, youth librarians are planning special activities to encourage children to read during summer vacation. The Children's Librarians of New Hampshire (CHILIS) has sent all public libraries a "soup to nuts" summer reading packet based on the theme of Lions and Tigers and Books...Oh My! This summer, libraries will be sporting the jungle or circus look as they promote books about wild animals and get children involved in creative reading and craft activities.

In conjunction with the Summer Reading Program, the N.H. State Library coordinates the Kids, Books, and the Arts project. This program helps public libraries provide quality arts experiences for the children in their communities. Through a grant from the New Hampshire State Council on Arts and contributions from others such as the Saul O Sidore Memorial Foundation, the N.H. State Library offers competitive grants to libraries. These grants enable libraries to engage artists such as storytellers and musicians who have developed programs tied to the Summer Reading theme. Grant applications for Kids, Books and the Arts have been sent to all libraries and are due back at the N.H. State Library on April 24, 2002.

Although the Summer Reading Program and Kids, Books and the Arts are currently directed to pre-school and elementary-aged children, summer programs that involve young adults are also an important service that more and more libraries are providing. If you have never held a summer reading program for teens, you might consider starting one this summer. Those interested in young adult services are invited to attend meetings of the Young Adult Librarians (YALS), a statewide group of librarians who serve young adults. This group meets periodically to discuss young adult issues and to share ideas about such topics as teen summer reading programs. YALS can help librarians who want to start a summer reading program for young adults in their community. For more information about this group, please contact Jean Grout at the Exeter Public Library at 772-3101.

In addition, the Missouri State Library provides a Teen Summer Reading Program Manual on-line at mosl.sos.state.mo.us/lib-ser/libdev/tsrp2001/tsrpmanual.html. The manual provides a wealth of information from advice about how to get started to promotional and program ideas. Most young adult librarians caution that a teen summer reading program be completely separate from the children's summer reading program with a different theme or at least a teen-related spin on the children's theme. The good news is that successful teen summer reading programs are simple; the key is to have many prizes and to make the program easy for teens to succeed. Most importantly, teen input in planning and implementing the program will help make it a good experience for both library staff and teens.

Please contact Ann Hoey at the N.H. State Library, 271-2865 or ahoey@library.state.nh.us for more information about Kids, Books and the Arts or teen summer reading programs.

Enjoy the summer of 2002 and happy reading to all!