New Initiatives Grant Final Report
“Westhill Libraries Summer Book Bonanza”
Please provide a brief narrative explaining your project and its outcomes.
Westhill Librarians hosted summer Book Bonanza events to promote reading throughout the district. During the Book Bonanza events we created an inviting outside lounge area for students and their families to enjoy reading. We set up an E-Z tent to provide a shady area for book browsing and a variety of fun camp chairs for cozy spots to sit and read. We set up tables with organized book bins for browsing. Students were able to browse and find a book they wanted to read and were able to keep that book as part of the book give-away of the Book Bonanza event. There was also a gift basket of books at each event that students could fill out a raffle ticket to win. Students and families were also able to enjoy a cold ice pop treat at the event.
During the summer of 2022 we hosted two Book Bonanzas, one at an apartment complex in our district and one at a local park in our district. Our goal was to host a Book Bonanza at each apartment complex in our district, however we were only able to secure permission to go onto the property of one apartment complex. Since we were unable to go to every apartment building in our district, we decided to hold a Book Bonanza event at a local park. The event at the park was extremely well attended. We had attendance of over 100 students with their families!! The event was held at the end of July and students were happy to see one another after a month off from school and parents appreciated being able to help their child choose a book for summer reading.
The event at the apartment complex was not well attended. We only had 3 students and their families attend the event. We feel strongly this was because we were asked to have the event at noontime. Many of the families living at the apartment complex have parents who were working at the time and were unable to attend the event because of their work schedule.
This year we are hosting the Book Bonanza event again at the apartment complex. We have requested to have our event later in the day hoping more families will be home from work and be able to attend. We are also hosting a Book Bonanza event at a local park since that location was so successful last year.
What is the most remarkable accomplishment or finding of your project?
We are very proud of the turn out for our Book Bonanza event at the park. It was a tremendous community building event that promoted reading as a fun family activity.
Aneisa Linton & Karin Backus
School Librarians, Westhill Central School District
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