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G2S Project Code: 2015-MO-75476
State: Missouri
Fiscal Year: 2015

Grantee
SAINT LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY

Project Director
Director Name: Patty Carleton
Director Phone: 314-539-0384
Director Email: pcarleton@slpl.org

General Information
Title: Summer Library Program
State Project Code: 2016-LFL5-SLPC5CN5-8203
Start Date: 02/01/2016
End Date: 08/15/2016
Abstract: Summer Library Program grants provide public and school libraries with additional funds to expand opportunities for children, teens and adults to improve their reading skills; summer learning experiences; and enhance opportunities to reach unserved summer populations.

The St. Louis Public Library conducted a twelve-week summer reading program targeting children and their families. The Library utilized the theme, Fantasy, Imagination, Wonder. The program focused on independent readers and children beginning to read for enjoyment and information; provided a Read Aloud/Read Along Program to help children practice reading; and provided extended learning opportunities through multi-day special interest camps focusing on theater, film-making, computer and computer coding, wellness and health, and robotics.
State Goal: Targeting Library and Information Services

Budget Information

LSTA

MATCH-State

MATCH-Other

Total

$20,000.00

$0.00

$20,000.00

Intent(s)
Improve users' formal education.
Literacy
Reading Program (Summer Reading)

Activities
Activity Details
Title: Instruction - Programs
Narrative: The St. Louis Public Library provided 143 in-library story times, lasting 45 minutes each and reaching 3,776 children. Sessions included stories, songs, puppets, finger plays and crafts led by library staff.

There were 24 Gaming for Children one-hour programs held with 225 in attendance and 180 Gaming for Teens one-hour programs held with 2,025 in attendance. These sessions included board games and electronic games. The goal was to foster camaraderie, cooperation, and friendship while giving children and teens the opportunity to learn new skills, strategic thinking and problem solving.

There were 24 Creative Kids for Children 30-minute programs held also with 225 in attendance and 180 DIY programs for teens, which were 60-minute programs with 2,025 in attendance. These sessions provided hands-on arts and crafts and science programs.

There were 235 outreach story times held at area preschools and day cares, with 6,148 in attendance. These sessions were 30 minutes in length and included stories, songs, puppets, finger plays, and crafts led by library staff.

There were 13 Worlds of Wonder sessions presented by Magic House staff. Sessions included hands-on stations where children completed science experiments, mapping activities and engineering projects. There were 356 people who participated in these 60-minute sessions.

In addition to school, preschool, and day care visits, staff attended special events in the community to promote the library's summer reading program events. In addition, paid advertisements were posted on buses on routes throughout the city and in the St. Louis American newspaper. There were also articles on the Summer Reading Club in the Post-Dispatch newspaper.
Intent: Improve users' formal education.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: In-person

Quantity
Session length (minutes): 45
Number of sessions in program: 799
Average number in attendance per session: 18
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: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Urban
For what age groups: 0-5 years
6-12 years
13-17 years
For what economic types: Economic Not Applicable
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: No
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: No
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: No

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: SAINT LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 1415 OLIVE ST
City: ST. LOUIS
State: MO
Zip: 63103

Activity Details
Title: Instruction - Presentations
Narrative: The library held 10 special presentations with 673 in attendance. Each presentation lasted 50 minutes, and topics included live animals, magic and juggling, music, and theater.

The programs were promoted by school outreach visits, bookmarks, word-of-mouth, the webpage, social media, advertisements in local newspapers, a parent blog, flyers, and through collaboration with partners to distribute promotional materials.

Intent: Improve users' formal education.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Presentation/performance
Format: In-person

Quantity
Presentation/performance length (minutes): 50
Number of presentations/performances administered: 10
Average number in attendance per session: 67

Partner Information

Activity Details
Title: Instruction - Multi-Day Camps
Narrative: The St. Louis Public Library provided five multi-day camps offered at multiple locations. Topics included Computer Camp where participants learned basic hardware and software functions, basic coding and how to create a game; Robotics Camp where children created Simplebots and LEGO robots; Theater Camp where participants used the Jack and the Beanstalk story to create a play; Kids in the Kitchen where participants learned about nutrition, food safety and food preparation; and Film Camp where participants learned the basics of creating an animated movie and worked in several styles of animation including hand-drawn, claymation and pixilation.
Intent: Improve users' formal education.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Other
Format: In-person
Other: Multi-day training camps

Quantity

Partner Information

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Urban
For what age groups: 6-12 years
13-17 years
For what economic types: Economic Not Applicable
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: No
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: No
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: No

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: SAINT LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 1415 OLIVE ST
City: ST. LOUIS
State: MO
Zip: 63103

Activity Details
Title: Instruction - Mini Comic Con
Narrative: The entire first floor of Central Library was used for displays by 20 vendors and local comics creators for a mini comic con event. Workshops were held in the Children's Library on the production and design of comics. The event lasted 6 hours and had multiple speakers and workshops. The event was attended by approximately 1,300 people.
Intent: Improve users' formal education.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Other
Format: In-person
Other: Full-day event with multiple speakers and workshops

Quantity

Partner Information

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: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: SAINT LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 1415 OLIVE ST
City: ST. LOUIS
State: MO
Zip: 63103

Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important findings or outcomes from your project:
Library staff held 15 outreach presentations to promote the summer reading program reaching approximately 19,390 children and teens. Additionally, staff visited almost every school in the city to present 252 promotional programs reaching 14,968 children and 32 promotional programs reaching 2,325 teens. Another 15,000 children and teens received summer reading club informational bookmarks. The library held 828 summer reading program events with approximately 17,045 people in attendance. The Read Aloud / Reading Along program was less successful than in past years. While several locations reported steady participation, others had no participation. There were 4,592 adults, 1,129 teens, and 7,465 children who participated in the summer reading program, and 1,824 adults, 439 teens, and 5,606 children successfully completed it, for a total participation of 7,869. Adults read 17,196 books. Teens read 2,634 books. Children read 2,086,800 minutes. The number of individuals served through group programs rose 21% compared to the previous year. However, individual children's registrations were down by 20%, individual teen registrations were down by 18% from previous years; the children's successful completion rate was down by 58% and the teen's successful completion rate was down by 34%. The library posits that several factors may have contributed to the decline including a change in the reading requirements, the elimination of small incremental prizes and patron reluctance to register online. Exit interviews were used to help assess program impact with parents indicating their children's reading skills had improved over the course of the summer.
Please briefly describe importance of findings:
Children, teens and adults were encouraged to read and learn throughout the summer months through access to materials and programming, and took advantage of the opportunity to do so. Research shows that children and teens who read during the summer months helped to reduce summer learning loss and were better prepared to resume school in the fall. Participants who attended programs increased their knowledge about the subject covered.
What methods did you use to determine your findings? Check all that apply:
Review of Administrative Data
Interview/Focus Group
Participant Observation
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: Summer Reading