Since 1990 the British Columbia Library Association and public
libraries throughout the province have sponsored a Summer Reading Club to encourage summer reading and
public library use by children and families in B.C. Registration in the club
is free and includes special programs and materials to record reading over
the summer. Posters, activity sheets, bookmarks, reading records, stickers
and other novelty items, used as incentives, are also part fo the club. A
manual containing a multitude of program and craft ideas, resource lists,
etc.is distributed to the libraries early in the spring to enable librarians
to plan for the Summer Reading Club. And, last but not least, a website is
designed to provide an electronic component to the "club".
It happens because of people in our public libraries who volunteer to
participate in the Summer Reading Club Committee and who spend a great deal
of time coming up with ideas, working with artists, graphic designers,
printers and other suppliers, producing a manual and on and on and on. It
happens because of the libraries that these volunteers work for which
generously allow their staff the time and resources to participate in the
committee. It happens because of the generosity of the Library Services
Branch which provides the majority of the funding as well as staff time at
both the Victoria and Burnaby offices. And, it happens because everyone
involved knows the value of reading and public libraries.
Every year the composition of the committee varies. Some years it is all done
with a small committee and other times, like this year, the committee
consists of a large number of librarians. Some members stay on for a year
while others provide some continuity by staying for two years. Members come
from libraries that are geographically spread out all over the province. They
meet via telephone conference calls, email and faxes and once in awhile some
actually meet face to face. All members of the committee are responsible for
contributing program and craft ideas and other information for the manual and
some members also sign up for specific tasks such as constructing the
website, working on promotion, dealing with the artist, etc. It is a great
deal of work but we all get to know each other quite well over the year and
we all feel a real sense of accomplishment when we realize how many libraries
and how many children have benefitted from our efforts. (In 1997, over 67,500
children registered in the program and 73 public libraries and reading
centres participated in the Summer Reading Club.)