There are templates available for this years’ theme. To apply them to one of your programs please do the following:

1. log in as an administrator.
2. click ‘system maintenance’
3. click ‘style sheet settings’
4. select your desired program
5. click the drop down box and select one of the new templates name 2008_kids, 2008_teens, 2008 adults. (see screenshot below)
6. click ‘save’ and your all set
7. you should now see the new images and new color scheme for this year.

Templates can be imported and exported! We can share our creative genius now!

Your homepage can have a different look. It can stay as tabs or you can change it to a list of links or to a drop down box!

You can offer multiple logging to your participants! In one program, kids can log both books and hours or any combination!

Reviews are printable, searchable, and can be formatted!

Prize management is simpler to use this year; the choices are clearer. Included is a project based management system (choose “manual”)

JoAnne from the Peabody Institute Library in Danvers reported that the Mountain Mushers will be presenting their program at 23 plus libraries this summer! JoAnne has coordinated all the library visits with Harry of Mountain Mushers. Other programs will include the ever popular Spoon Man, the Penguin Lady, a reptile show from the Museum of Science.

Clare from Amesbury is also going wild with some of the same programs like the Penguin Lady. Clare is relying on a lot of local talent such as someone who has been involved in wildlife rehabilitation. Both children and teens will be reading for the Merrimack Feline Rescue Society.

Penny in Dracut packs her summer in with lots of performances as well as some good and free local talent like her husband who has been to the Antarctica! “Dracut’s Got Talent” returns, a talent show where the performers have to audition. Incentives are relatively simple; Dracut kids love stickers! One of her young patrons will present a talk on animals. Grades 3-6 will count their reading towards the adoption of 4 different animals from the Wildlife Federation. Penny’s Junior Friends (5th -12th graders) help with Thursday crafts and games.

Janein Rockport kicks off with a wolf talk! Other events include the Storytrain on July 9th, Sparky’s Puppets, and Rainforest Reptiles. Some sort of wild animal cut out and posted on the walls will be used to track the progress of reading by the children.

Cathy in Georgetown is musing upon a large giraffe where the kids could track their reading by sticking spots on him! She is looking at having some favorite programs back now that she is in the new library such as Vehicle Day, Bubble Day, and Lunch and Munch on Fridays. She offers a free book at the end of the summer as an incentive. There will be a lot of crafts going on.

Lorraine in Hamilton-Wenham will also participate in the StoryTrain ride on July 9th. Other programs will include Vehicle Day, the Toejam Puppet Band, story programs every week. She’s looking at reading for a charity like many others. The mascot will return to travel around the town.

Jeanne in Gloucester reports a kick off with the Turtle Lady. They will also participate in the Storytrain and in the Whale Watch. They don’t hold storytimes in the summer but offer drop-in crafts. Cristy usually works with the kids to create in-library scupltures.

Sarain Manchester-by-the-Sea participates in the Storytrain Ride. For teens, with the X-Treme theme, she wants to offer an air guitar contest and something on extreme sports. She’s thinking of having the kids track their reading with tracking animal prints all over the library. She’s borrowing from Nancy in Beverly the idea of having a tent in the children’s room.

Diann in Littleton frankly admits to going somewhat crazy with this theme! From wild animal coloring sheets to placing lion cut-outs on the wall for each reader, there will be lots happening. Many programs are already in the planning stages such as opening the summer with the Allards. She’s also having the Mushers. There will be a Talent Show, weekly crafts, and 3 pajama storytimes led by Moms and then Dads.

Betsy in Ipswich is having the Mushers too as well as the Turtle Lady. The librarians are creating a booklet for the kids to track their reading and also discover some cool facts about animals. Ipswich window displays are always engaging and colorful. Also being planned is a “Wild Things” parade! Drop in crafts, Vehicle Day, and a Hot Dog Roast top the summer events.

In Newburyport, Donna is planning for a crafty teen program. She reviewed the popular programs of last summer like Leslie Doherty (stained glass art), Judy Klein (trash jewelry), and Pam Farin (making book covers out of found materials). Kim in children’s is planning some events like Curious Creatures,Rainforest Reptiles, and themed parties like pirates, Mardi Gras, and a wild rompus!

A few topics were generally discussed like school visits - how, when, and what. Georgetown offers a bookmark contest before summer begins where the kids create the bookmark for the summer!

Marketing was brought up. Summer Reading is marketed through flyers, newspaper articles, parent and friends groups in schools, web site, and signs.

I’ll add a few more resources to this blog. Anyone else?

In addition, all the NMRLS member libraries who ordered the materials will soon receive a password to access the online activity manual and clip art. Please note that you can purchase a paper copy of the activity manual and the CD version of the clip art – this exact same material is available free of charge to participating libraries via the online format.

Please do contact me if you require additional information about our upcoming summer reading program.

Friday January 18, 2008
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Summer Reading Program Orientation
Is 2008 going to be your first summer reading program? If so, come to this orientation which will focus on Wild Reads at your library. In this workshop, there will be plenty of discussion on how and what to plan for. Even if 2008 is your second or third summer, this orientation will offer a lot of helpful tips and strategies!
Location: NMRLS, Danvers

Thursday February 7, 2008
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM ReadsinMa Training
Wednesday February 13, 2008
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM ReadsinMa Training
Tuesday March 4, 2008
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM ReadsinMa Training
Monday March 17, 2008
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM ReadsinMa Training
Learn how to use the Evanced software to manage your summer reading program. Explore tips and strategies on how to best use the program!
ReadsinMa is an online reading software program that is available free of charge with grant funding provided by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. ReadsInMa is web-based and enables the library to streamline in-house processes such as registration, reader reviews, statistics and reports. ReadsInMa is ideal for for summer reading programs for all ages.
This workshop is hands on in the computer lab: participants will learn how to set up their own pages with their own specifications.
Location: NMRLS Training Lab, Danvers

Wednesday February 27, 2008
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Summer Reading Program Roundtable
Need more ideas for your 2008 Summer Reading Program? Share your ideas on Wild Reads and X-pect the Un-X-pected at your library and grab a few from this roundtable. Bring samples, handouts, etc. Let’s really get wild with this summer program!
Bring your ideas on programs, displays, and events!
Location: NMRLS, Danvers

Newburyport - Donna had a great turn out for her programs. Attendance varies, but most of her well planned teen programs are well attended.

Danvers - Highlights included Daisy the Pig, a Museum of Science program, and Spoon Man! A lot of programs seem to come recommended from JoAnne.

Littleton - Diann’s programs included “Stay Put Stay Dry”, McDonald’s, Moms and Dads Reads (two different nights!), a Talent Show case with parents as the acts, Holly Cleland, Vic and Sticks, making clapsticks, making CD fish, Wingmasters, and the Scrapbook Lady!

Dracut - Penny held a Dracut’s Got Talent where the kids actually had to audition! Included in the acts were a dancer, piano player, violins, and singers. Other programs included Strike up the Band with the High School Band demonstrating and playing. The Junior Friends (grades 5-12) planned the weekly craft and game programs. Throughout the summer, a Summer Scrap Book was added to by participants.

Georgetown - It was a time of transition, Cathy reported, from old to new library. The summer reading program is just now ending! Lunch and Munch on Fridays was popular. Cathy cleaned out her craft closet this summer - very successfully!

Peabody - Readers to the Rescue was the theme this summer as kids read towards a total of 1000 pounds of books for the local animal shelter. Kids weighed their books as a way of recording them. The Drumming Circle was a popular program with up to 100 instruments for kids to view and use!

Gloucester - Lots of programs kept the Children’s room active! Wilmore the Wizard was the closing party. There were weekly drop in crafts. The Senior Center made beautiful papier mached musicians. The display window held a history of music display. Cathy’s readers like the lined logs!

Manchester - Sara has a very active and successful Volunteen program! Each volunteen works anywhere from a half hour to 5 hours per stint. And in any given week, she’ll have 2-10 teens working! By the end of the summer, 19 kids had worked a total of 500 hours! The Friends gave them each a thank you card with a gift certificate. Successful programs included Vehicle Night (serving “Fuel and Wheels” - refreshments!) , Holly Cleland and costumes, Wilmore the Wizard, and a frisbee program. A musical instrument of the week engaged kids in the children’s room.

Amesbury - Free programs using local talent were offered throughout the summer. For the kick off, Peter Sheridan brought in over a 100 people, outside. End of the summer had Margie and her husband doing kereoke with the kids.

North Reading - Unfortunately, the theme of the summer was no AC! This very hot summer mixed in with broken AC made for tricky attendance. Successful programs were Davis and Bates and Animal Planet! The kids really got into writing reviews and the ever popular discovering new words!

Beverly - Many of the same performers engaged the Beverly crowd: Davis and Bates, Holly Cleland, and of course Tony Toledo! The tent in the Children’s Room drew in a lot of kids!

Cathy DeWitt of Georgetown faced the challenge of being in temporary quarters and then closed and then moving! Her kids just logged hours. Out of some 140 registrations, 62 were online. She created a bookmark to give out with clear instructions of how to log on. The kids really liked having their own web page!

In North Reading, Kate used the program with her teens. It was a huge help for both herself and the circulation staff. Teens loved the online-ness, don’t really like paper!

Boxford used the program with children, teens, and adults. It was popular with the teens, this being only the third summer reading program. Participation for the teens was 44, up from 10 the previous summer! The teens were required to use the online program. It wasn’t heavily promoted with the kids. It was very useful to folks who went away for the summer. All in all, a nice option to offer folks. The adults were a more stable participant. The framework of their program took the form of BINGO. They were required to read 4 genres plus one other. They liked the reviews component.

JoAnne in Danvers had 53 in all registered online (included teens). 150 paper logs were passed out.

In Amesbury 54 teens signed up. Prizes were raffled off at the end of the program. Margie used the email function as a way to reach out and promote. An easy way to communicate. She didn’t get responses.

Noelle in Tewksbury used the program very successfully. She had 563 registrations on line! She promoted it by talking it up in the schools, PR, newspaper articles. A laptop was set up in the Children’s Room dedicated to the online registration. Patrons were offered the option of online or paper registration. Noelle was surprised by how many opted for online! She did not use the Reviews component, thinking to keep it simple the first summer. She used prize intervals. Other library staff loved the program! Noelle gave a demo at a staff meeting so folks got comfortable with it. The look up function in the program was easy and very useful to all staff.

Joanna reported that Burlington had a different approach to using the program. Youth who read more than 24 hours could continue reporting online instead of paper! Out of 133 kids who selected this option, 73 achieved the 50 hour prize of having their name in the paper! The kids loved writing reviews. In approving the reviews, Joanna did connect the book to the online catalog. This is an option you can do when you are approving the review. Every 3 days or so, she had about 20 reviews to go through.

In Littleton, Diann reported use of the program by children, teens, and adults! There were 3 computers set up with the program. Staff did enter names of children. Diann is thinking that she could use it more with the older kids and wants to try that. The teen program was all online. The adult program had genres as a focus with raffles at the end. The email function did work! Reminders of events were sent out and attendees attributed it to receiving the email reminder.

Kathy in Methuen talked it up in the schools and provided a step by step guide. She offered it as an option. 180 did register online and read some 1500 books! She offers no prizes. She is already planning collaborating with the schools on a one log, one community program!

Cindy in Hamilton-Wenham reported that while it was not used much during the summer, it is already in use right now! See her review program for all ages! She turned logging and prize options off. Registration is bare minimum - she wanted this to be as easy as possible! There are 3 different age groups - children, teens, and adults. All have some active participation! She is currently figuring out a way the online program can help with a book program where the book will collect peoples’ names - not people collecting book names!

Ideas to Use it during the Year:

• Create a Reading Log program so parents / kids could track reading through the year. Information on this could be passed out along with a new library card
• Book Review club - kids can participate in an afterschool program whether they can actually attend or not
• One Town One Book use
• Children’s Book Week in November
• Library Festival - collaboration with school
• MA Children’s Book Award
• Creative Writing class
• Book discussion group
• Turn off TV week

Some comments: seemed to centralize program registration in one place rather than in several locations in the library. Good benefit to the staff.

Regarding the ReadsinMa web site, not used by the librarians present. It seemed to be two extra clicks which weren’t necessary. It was suggested that the web site could tune into all the national programs, ie, Book Week, Teen week, etc. Just hook into the ALA calendar!

We try to keep the evaluation as short as we can but it seems we always need to know more about something!

This year we debuted the ReadsinMa online summer reading program at readsinma.org. If you used this program at all, we are interested in your responses to the evaluation questions.

Please do complete this evaluation! We need the statistics and we need the information to continue to present and manage a Statewide Summer Reading Program for you. The deadline to do so is September 28!