Now that summer reading has come to an end, take a few moments to reflect on what you have accomplished.  Think about the many families who have benefitted from your programs and services.  Don’t forget the thousands of children (and parents) who are school-ready thanks to their libraries for preventing summer slump by offering positive outlets to keep children active, thinking and engaged.

Studies show on average, elementary students lose about a month’s worth of progress over the summer which can over time, add up to bigger deficiencies that can impact their teenage years, making it difficult to get a job and be productive as an adult.  The cool thing is while children are having fun at the library, they don’t even realize they are exercising their reading stamina and building essential literacy skills that will help them thrive in school and in life.

While attending one of your programs, I had a mother share she was so happy to have a place she and her family could have fun together that got them out of the house, meeting people and didn’t involve sitting in front of the television.  It extends beyond just reading, providing an outlet to get creative through maker and cultural art programs while inspiring innovation through robotics, coding and electrical engineering programs.  Healthy lifestyle choices have been adopted by attending an exercise or gardening class, cooking programs and water conservation programs.  Enrichment and know-how have been gained through business and entrepreneur workshops, computer classes and genealogy programs.

While this serves as just a summary of the many ways our libraries have served their communities this summer, please know it goes beyond measure the sense of community you foster by making each person feel like they are important, they matter and are a part of something very special – their community, their library!

Congrats & Cheers!