Planning for summer reading is quickly coming to a close and during our recent virtual drop‑in chat, library professionals across the region shared their best ideas, lessons learned, and creative approaches for building engaging programs. Here’s a roundup of the top takeaways to add to your own planning.

Engaging Incentives That Keep Kids Reading

A standout strategy from this chat is the use of “book bucks”—tokens or coupons kids earn through reading and can later spend at a Scholastic book fair or similar event. This low‑cost incentive keeps motivation high all summer long.

Many librarians also noted that geodes make irresistible prizes. Just be sure to stock up on safety glasses and hammers.

Kickoffs That Make a Splash

One library shared their hit event from last year: “Splash into Summer”—a giant water balloon celebration held right after the last day of school. They’re repeating it this year but adding a new twist: inflatable dinosaur suits for extra silliness and photo‑ops.

If your community loves an energetic start to summer, this type of big, joyful kickoff can build momentum for the whole season and help secure sign ups with little staff effort. 

Using Themes to Structure the Summer

A library mentioned they are building on this year’s paleontology theme, by using prehistoric eras to divide up learning challenges. Similar to a BINGO card or passport, this ideas helps pacing, keeps engagement varied, and fits our theme perfectly!

We talked about creative ways to visually involve the whole community and build buzz around summer:

• Murals or interactive art prompts, like the library that built a giant tree and had patrons add “leaves” with book recommendations.
• Thermometer-style trackers to monitor community reading goals—whether by hours or number of books. These are simple, highly visible, and perfect for unifying the community around a shared challenge.
• Voting for improvement if you have a few improvements that need to be made (new storytime rug or teen seating), why not give tokens for books, hours or pages read and then let patrons vote for what they would like to see changed. 

Program Ideas: From Dinosaurs to Mini Golf

Libraries shared a variety of hands‑on activities:

• Excavation stations (sand, beans or rice in large tubs with skeletons, gems and coins hidden)
• Owl pellet dissections for STEM‑focused programming
• Local heritage programs or partnerships with historical societies
• Portable mini golf courses offered by outside companies or designed and created by participants—great for all ages.

These programs are high‑interest, relatively easy to run, and often adaptable for different budgets.

Guest Performers & Experts

Here’s a quick list of performers librarians have booked for this summer:

• Dave Nickodemus Puppet Tales
• Salida Circus
• Locomotion
• Story Creations with Denise Gard
• Dinosaur O’Dell
• Joshua the Ventriloquist
• PSS Wildlife
• Ann Lincoln Foam Party

Budget limitations were a major theme, especially for smaller libraries. Many participants emphasized the value of partnerships—with schools, local businesses, parks departments, historical societies, and community organizations. These collaborations can help stretch resources dramatically, bring in new audiences, and enrich programming.

If you’re looking for other ideas, check out our Colorado Library staff approved list. 

Scheduling and Community Considerations

Most libraries are planning to run programs through June and July, offering one bigger event per week.

We also discussed the tricky question of programming during the week of July 4th. Some communities experience heavy travel; others have local festivals that compete with library events. The consensus: know your community and adjust accordingly—there’s no one-size-fits-all answer.

Another common question that came up:
Do nearby schools have summer reading requirements?

Libraries shared knowing about some lists, but sure about all, especially in larger communities. Getting these lists early can help with collection development and planning book-based programs.

We have one final Summer Reading Drop in Chat March 20th at 2pm, register for a zoom link.