Summer Reading Returns to Yolo County Library May 2020

Join Yolo County Library’s virtual Summer Reading Program, running from May 18 through August 28. Although all Yolo County Library branches are closed until further notice, children, teens and adults can celebrate this year’s theme, Dig Deeper: Read, Investigate, Discover, by logging their reading, earning prizes, and participating in special virtual programs and activities that will get everyone digging deeper.

Thanks to funding from the Yolo County Library Foundation, Summer Reading Program participants can register online using Beanstack, a web and mobile application that allows users to engage in reading challenges, log reading hours and books, earn badges and prizes, and discover great books. Participants read, log their reading and complete fun activities to earn points to win prizes. Everyone who completes their summer reading challenge by earning 1,000 points will receive a prize, plus an entry into a drawing for additional prizes. Participants can earn more drawing entries by doing additional reading or completing further activities before the program ends on August 28. Everyone who signs up for the Summer Reading Program will also receive a free book.

Yolo County Library is offering Read Off Your Fines for adults as part of the Summer Reading Program. Adults who complete the program can choose to have up to $10.00 in late fees removed from their account in place of their finisher prize.

This year’s theme, Dig Deeper: Read, Investigate, Discover, encourages participants to keep their minds sharp, broaden their horizons, and challenge themselves to dig deeper and go beyond their usual reading habits and explore new things. “This year, our program is designed to engage community members in reading and other fun summer learning activities while maintaining appropriate social distancing practices,” said County Librarian Mark Fink. “Participants of all ages will be able to enjoy a wide variety of free virtual activities including theater, science shows and storytelling events.”

Research indicates that summer reading programs help children and teens retain and enhance their reading skills over the summer, provide a haven for community readers, and develop reading enthusiasm. Additionally, adult participation encourages parents to play a strong role in their child’s literacy development by reading aloud with their child and modeling good reading behavior. As beloved writer and illustrator Tomie dePaola said, “Reading is important, because if you can read, you can learn anything about everything and everything about anything.”

In summer of 2019, over 770,000 Californians signed up for public library summer reading programs and more than 1.77 million Californians attended summer reading events and activities. Yolo County Library joins libraries across the nation to encourage adults, youth and families to read over the summer. The Summer Reading Program is a project of the California Library Association and part of California’s statewide summer reading outcomes.

The Summer Reading Program is free and sponsored by the various Friends of the Library groups. For more information or to sign up, visit www.yolocountylibrary.org/summer. Connect with Yolo County Library on Facebook at www.facebook.com/yolocountylibrary.org.