Why is summer reading at the library important? 1 Children who participated in their public library’s summer reading program scored higher on standardized tests than those who did not participate. 2 Children who participate in their public library’s summer reading program score higher on assessment tests at the beginning of the school year than those who do not participate. 3 By the end of third grade, children who participated in their public library’s summer reading program have better reading scores than those who did not participate. Source: Susan Roman, Deborah T. Carran, and Carole D. Fiore, "The Dominican Study: Public Library Summer Reading Programs Close the Reading Gap," Dominican University Graduate School of Library and Information Science, June 2010, accessed February 2, 2018, http://www.oregon.gov/osl/LD/youthsvcs/srp.certificates/dominicanstudy.pdf. http://www.cslpreads.org

Summer Reading at Rhode Island Libraries! The Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS) sponsors the annual Summer Reading Program, a cooperative effort among public libraries in Rhode Island to motivate children and teens to read for pleasure and to help them maintain reading skills during the summer months. OLIS is a member of the Collaborative Summer Library Program, a national collaboration of state library agencies and associations that works to develop materials that support a high-quality summer reading program for children, teens, and adults. The 2018 Summer Reading theme is music. Look for the slogan in libraries statewide! All 71 public libraries participate in the Summer Reading program, and youth services librarians are currently planning hands-on activities, curating reading lists, and developing library collections that align with their community’s summer learning needs. School superintendents, principals, teachers, and librarians are invited to contact their local public library to learn specific ways in which the library can support their students during the summer months. For more information about the statewide Summer Reading Program, please contact OLIS Youth Services Coordinator Danielle Margarida at Danielle.Margarida@olis.ri.gov or 401-574-9309. The statewide Rhode Island Summer Reading Program is supported by OLIS with funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. www.olis.ri.gov