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IMCPL's 2007 Summer Reading Program Attracts Over 55,000 Participants!
August 8, 2007
11-year-old Rob Mathioudakis (center), a Summer Reading participant from the Pike Branch, was the lucky reader whose name was drawn to receive a cool "Z-Bed" from Today's Bedroom One and co-sponsor WIBC. Rob is shown with this family and IMCPL program director Chris Cairo.
This year's huge participation in the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library's Summer Reading Program again demonstrated IMCPL's commitment to help young people develop and broaden their reading skills.
Completing its 88th year, the Summer Reading Program saw 55,727 children and parents who read an estimated 1.1 million books during an eight-week period that began on June 4. That's an average of 20 books per participant.
Preschool and elementary school children again comprised the largest group of readers, accounting for nearly 75% of those who participated. And, nearly 25% of participants attend schools in the Indianapolis Public Schools district.
As an incentive to encourage reading activity, participants earned points that could be exchanged for a variety of prizes donated by community sponsors. Parents, who play an important role in a child's reading success, earned points as well for reading aloud and listening to their children read.
The theme of this year's summer reading adventure, iREAD: The Future Is Now, was inspired by the specially-designed interactive learning environment for children and teens, The Learning Curve at Central Library, which will open in late 2007. The Learning Curve will provide an array of technology and information resources to encourage learning.
While technology is revolutionizing the way we live, work and learn, the Summer Reading Program emphasized the importance of having children first develop their skills in the "timeless technology" of reading.
In addition to the Summer Reading Program, numerous learning opportunities for young people abounded at the Library during the summer. Educational and fun workshops were presented on robotics, spy/secret codes and acting. IMCPL branches featured storytime programs for children of all ages, along with craft programs, youth book discussions and special Harry Potter-related programming. The Library also was the place for free summer Hollywood film showings.
The Summer Reading Program highlights the Library's year-round mission to promote reading and literacy, especially among young people. Studies show that the most important indication of reading ability is access to books and having parents or caregivers read to and discuss books with children.
This year's program culminated in a celebration of reading activity on Monday, July 30 during Library Night at Victory Field, where 11-year-old Rob Mathioudakis of Pike Township was the lucky reader whose name was drawn to receive a "Z-Bed" from Today's Bedroom One and co-sponsor WIBC.
IMCPL thanks its many sponsors for their support of the 2007 Summer Reading Program: The Library Fund, a fund of The Indianapolis Foundation, a CICF affiliate; Carrier Corporation; 92.3 WTTS Indianapolis; Lilly Endowment Inc.; the Hoover Family Foundation; Indiana Blood Center; Citizens Gas & Coke Utility; Pacers Foundation, Inc.; ProLiance Energy LLC; Teachers Credit Union; Today's Bedroom One; and WIBC.
