137 - Read Beyond the Beaten Path: Parks and Libraries Collaborating on Summer Reading
Diane Foote, Executive Director, Illinois Library Association/iREAD; Becca Boland, Supervisor of Advisory Services, Skokie Public Library; Amber Creger, Youth Department Director, Schaumburg Township District Library
Parks and libraries serve the same populations, and it is in the community’s interest to leverage our respective strengths to deliver the highest level of service. Illinois’ iREAD summer reading program is an initiative of the 501(c)3 Illinois Library Association, intended to help local libraries address the “summer reading gap” when students are out of school and offer compelling summer programming for adults. The 2022 iREAD tagline is “Read Beyond the Beaten Path,” with a camp theme that is ideally suited for partnership with parks and camps. Learn how to partner with your local library and deliver fun and educational programs in the summer of 2022 and beyond.
Learning Outcomes:
- Understand the value of summer reading, and its worth as a potential component for summer programming at parks and camps.
- Collaborate effectively and successfully with other community partners involved in summer reading programs, including local public libraries.
- Identify to whom to speak, what each entity brings to the table, and the potential pitfalls and rewards.