Profiles in Collaboration:
Summer Reading at the Boys and Girls Club
By Molly Hancock
Pollard Memorial Library, Lowell

As all youth services librarians know, summer reading programs don't happen by magic. They are borne of hard work, creativity, careful planning and in some cases blood, sweat, and tears. But all youth services librarians will tell you that their crowning jewel is their summer reading program, which is why we take any and all opportunities to promote our summer reading programs. This summer, on a complete and total impulse, I decided to bring a small component of summer reading to the Greater Lowell Boys and Girls Club.

Yes, I know some would label me somewhat crazy for adding yet another task in an already hectic season. But a portion of a conversation I had in the past with the Club's Program Director, Tony Rivera, kept popping up in my head, "A lot of these kids have a hard time getting to the library." In January I contacted Tony about bringing summer reading to the Club. He recommended I speak with Jaclyn Casio, the Club's Education Director. I was delighted that Jackie was very enthusiastic about my proposal.

We selected Tuesday afternoons as my visit day during a time set aside for reading. On my first visit I explained what the reading program was, signed up interested kids, and handed out reading logs. I also gave some logs to Jackie to give to children who were not there for my visit. On following Tuesdays I would check the kids' logs. Here in Lowell we measure reading by time, not by amount of books. Children must read a minimum of two hours per week to select a small prize from our treasure chest. For every two hours they read they also receive a raffle ticket for a weekly drawing. Each week I would bring a treasure "tray" (a smaller version of the chest at the library) to the Club and I put Club reader raffle tickets into the regular weekly raffle jar back at the library.

Word of mouth was a powerful persuader for the program at the Boys and Girls Club. Non-participating kids would see readers' logs and prizes and they would want to sign up. Twenty-nine children signed up to do the program. Sixteen children read at least 2 hours over the course of the program. All together, participants read 169 hours. During my visits the kids were active and excited. They were all thrilled when one of their own won the weekly raffle.

I feel any time I get a kid to read is a success. After the program I asked Jackie if she thought the experience was a positive one:

"I think it was a great collaboration and it provided extra incentive for weekly reading. It was a great motivator during a time where children had the decision to make: Do you I go to the pool? Or should I read? And most often times they chose to read... it was actually something that they loved to do and they were asking about the program even after it ended."

I ask you, could a librarian want anything more?