OffSite Summer Reading Club: Thinking OutsidetheBranch Box

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Off-Site Summer Reading ClubThinking
Outside-the-Branch Box

• Presented by
• Pat Downs
• Youth Services Coordinator
• San Diego County Library
• 858-694-2370 pat.downs_at_sdcounty.ca.gov

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WHY?

• Public Library should be THE source for families
  and community organizations who want to encourage
  kids / teens to read in the summernot commercial
  entities who want to upsell them.
• Below-level
• During summer months, children are in supervised
  care an average of 10 hours a week longer than
  during the school yearspending even fewer hours
  with parents.
• Preschoolers almost 23 are in supervised care
  other than parents or relatives in the summer.
• Many are in group settings where transportation
  is difficult
• Many dont come to the library with parents

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So WHERE Are They?

• Summer School or Regular School
• Before or After School Care
• Summer Program (day camp, etc.)
• Childcare (non-relative)
• Babysitter (at home, non-relative)
• Relative Care

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• Whether or not children / teens
• are able to participate
• in summer reading programs
• may depend on if we've 
• promoted to 
• and made it easy
• for Group Leaders to participate.

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HOW?

• Dont require participants to visit the library
• Make it flexible to fit various settings
• Goals
• Prizes
• Get participant statistics at registration
  (assume 100 completion but adjust if Group
  Leaders report fewer completions)
• Provide Group Leader incentives
• Deliver materials Off-Site if possible
• Evaluate at end-of-summer for improvement

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WHO?

• Potential Partners
• YWCA
• Boys and Girls Club San Diego
• San Diego County Office of Education (summer
  schools and alternative schools)
• San Diego County Family Child Care Assn.
• Community Care Licensing
• San Diego Youth Community Services
• Head Starts
• Faith Communities

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WHAT?

• Off-Site Summer Reading Club Kits
• Should include
• Leader instructions
• Reading logs / Calendars
• Age-appropriate literacy activity ideas
  booklists
• Local library staff contact and service
  information, including online resources
• May include
• Age-appropriate prizes
• Leader incentive prizes
• Themed posters
• Various giveaways like stickers / bookmarks /
  plastic bags

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Group Kit Contents, 2007 San Diego County Library
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Things to Consider

• Promotion Strategies
• Budget unknown demand
• Deposit / browsing collections to augment
  services
• Museum / zoo passes to groups? Food coupons?
• Staff buy-in and maintenance of In-Branch summer
  reading clubs
• _________________________________

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San Diego County Librarys Off-Site Summer
Reading Program2007 (Pilot)

• 157 Groups
• 5414 readers
• 72 increase in total registrations
• Cost approx. 5000
• Lessons learned for next year
• Spend funds on fewer supplies but nicer prizes
• Include more and better literacy activities per
  age
• E-mail!
• Register groups at gatherings of staff, i.e. camp
  staff trainings, spring conferences, etc.