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G2S Project Code: 2014-CT-72604
State: Connecticut
Fiscal Year: 2014
Grantee
Connecticut State Library

Project Director
Director Name: Susan Cormier
Director Phone: 860-456-1717
Director Email: susan.cormier@ct.gov
General Information
Title: Summer Reading
State Project Code:
Start Date: 10/01/2013
End Date: 09/30/2015
Abstract:

The CT State Library offered training, programmatic support, and tracking software to encourage librarians to implement summer reading programs in their libraries. Summer reading programs encourage children and young adults to read and to maintain or improve their reading skills during the summer break, thereby readying them for the next school year. The State Library participates in the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) to give Connecticut public libraries access to affordable, high quality Summer Reading materials, which include both promotional items (bookmarks, posters, etc.) and programming resources.


State Goal: Literacies and learning
Budget Information
LSTA
MATCH-State
MATCH-Other
Total
$26,408.00
$0.00
$0.00
$26,408.00
Intent(s)
Improve users' formal education.
Reading Program (Summer Reading)
Activities
Activity Details
Title: CSLP training and manuals
Narrative: The State Library's Children's Consultant and Children’s/Young Adult Services Consultant held an all-day workshop for children's librarians to introduce concepts of the Collaborative Summer Learning Program. This year's workshop covered research on reading and summer learning that could inform the design and activities of summer reading programs. The instructors also led discussions on the goals of library summer reading programs, connections between goals and program design, and coordination with school and community goals for summer learning. During this workshop, the instructors distributed summer program manuals to libraries that completed the prior year's annual summer reading survey. The manuals included materials on the year's themes: "Fizz! Boom! Read" (children) and "Spark a Reaction!" (teens).



Intent: Improve users' formal education.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: In-person


Quantity
Session length (minutes): 360
Number of sessions in program: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 50
Number of times program administered: 1


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 50
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0
Activity Details
Title: Evanced training
Narrative: The CT State Libraryprovides free access for public libraries to use Evanced Solutions SummerReader software. The State Library's Children's Consultant and Children’s/Young Adult Services Consultant held four live training opportunities to teach Connecticut librarians how to use the summer reading tracking software and how to set up accounts. During these sessions, they distributed summer program manuals to libraries that completed the prior year's annual summer reading survey. The manuals included materials on the year's themes: "Fizz! Boom! Read" (children) and "Spark a Reaction!" (teens).



Intent: Improve users' formal education.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: In-person


Quantity
Session length (minutes): 180
Number of sessions in program: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 10
Number of times program administered: 4


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 38
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0
Activity Details
Title: Tracking and evaluation
Narrative: The CT State Library provides free access for public libraries to use Evanced Solutions Summer Reader software. This online option for tracking summer reading can connect with young patrons who might never visit the library, engage children who have no interest in traditional programs, promote communication between the library and participants through the Summer Reader portal, and relieve library staff of clerical duties, freeing time to work directly with children to promote reading. All of these activities support a basic goal of Summer Library Programs – to encourage reading during the summer.

This was the third year of a three-year contract for Evanced Summer Reader software, which represents Connecticut's first statewide contract for an online summer reading program. The State Library chose Evanced software because it gave the most leeway for individual libraries to customize the program, which was a significant consideration in getting libraries to participate. Participants could report either the number of books read, the number of pages read, or the number of minutes spent reading.

86 libraries used Evanced Summer Reader or Wandoo Reader software to track their statistics; 110 libraries reported having a summer program for children; 86 libraries reported having a summer program for young adults; 55 libraries reported adult summer reading programs (this is the first year adult programs were tracked); 90 libraries used CSLP for their children's program;  64 libraries used CSLP for their young adult program; 37 libraries used CSLP for their adult program; 260,225 children's books read; 3,964,655 minutes of reading by children; 795,340 pages read by children; 36,811 young adult books read;  2,614,894 minutes of reading by young adults; 626,162 pages read by young adults; 21,589 books read by adults; 42,331 children participated; 10,718 young adults participated; 4,969 adults participated; 911,796 children’s and young adult books circulated during summer reading (June, July, August).



Intent: Improve users' formal education.

Activity: Planning & Evaluation
Mode: Retrospective
Format: In-house


Quantity
Number of evaluations and/or plans funded: 86
Number of funded evaluation and/or plans completed: 86


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 110
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0
Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important findings or outcomes from your project:
86 libraries used Evanced Summer Reader or Wandoo Reader software to track their statistics; 110 libraries reported having a summer program for children; 86 libraries reported having a summer program for young adults; 55 libraries reported adult summer reading programs (this is the first year adult programs were tracked); 90 libraries used CSLP for their children's program; 64 libraries used CSLP for their young adult program; 37 libraries used CSLP for their adult program; 260,225 children's books read; 3,964,655 minutes of reading by children; 795,340 pages read by children; 36,811 young adult books read; 2,614,894 minutes of reading by young adults; 626,162 pages read by young adults; 21,589 books read by adults; 42,331 children participated; 10,718 young adults participated; 4,969 adults participated; 911,796 children’s and young adult books circulated during summer reading (June, July, August).
Please briefly describe importance of findings:

What methods did you use to determine your findings? Check all that apply:
Review of Administrative Data
Based on outputs, outcomes and/or other results, explain any significant lessons learned from these findings for either the SLAA or others in the LIS field:

Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort:
No
Do you anticipate any change in the project's scope:
No
Do you anticipate any other changes in the project:
No
Exemplary: No
Exemplary Narrative
Project Tags: