Public Libraries

How important is summer reading to parents? According to a study conducted by Reading Is Fundamental and Macy's, only 17 percent of parents responded that reading should be a "top priority" for their kids during summer months.

On July 11, a big E-Rate vote for Wi-Fi funding for schools and libraries is coming up. The latest FCC proposal states that libraries' Wi-Fi funding be determined by a space's square footage—$1 per square foot. With $2 billion at stake, librarians across the country are objecting to this funding formula with claims that it doesn't serve high-need urban libraries where square footage does not represent the number of visitors.

Summer is a tough time for many kids—when they don’t get enough to eat. Summer meal programs are critical and public libraries are uniquely suited to host them. While outside of traditional library services, providing food to hungry citizens is "another way we can serve the community," says Susan Maldonado, teen services librarian at Oakland Public Library.

On June 26 at ALA, Age of Learning launched ABCmouse.com for Libraries, a fully featured, free-for-libraries version of ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy, its award-winning online curriculum used by millions of children as part of their series of Education for Access Initiatives.

After three years, U.S. World Book Night has announced it will be suspending its operations due to a lack of ongoing funding.

Library music programs are fun and support early learning. They're also essential: A growing body of research is affirming the central role of music in building literacy.

School’s out for summer, but the library is still open, and there are programs around the country looking to entice and educate kids—and their parents—while fostering a love of reading and preventing the summer slide.

Children's librarian Lindsey Patrick recounts how Nashville Public Library redesigned its summer reading program into a flexible model that addressed the drop in participants and transformed the usual stress of summer into an exciting challenge for patrons and staff.

What does your neighborhood really need from you? Tips to help libraries get to know the communities that they serve, with a resource list of potential partners, literacy and early childhood organizations, and sources of demographic data.