State Education Department and State Library Announce Start of New York’s 2024 Summer Reading Program

The State Education Department and New York State Library are once again partnering with 1,100 public libraries and neighborhood branches across the state to launch the Summer Reading at New York Libraries program, Commissioner Betty A. Rosa announced today. Throughout the summer, local libraries will host various activities and events to bring children, families, and communities together for reading and enrichment programs. This year’s theme, “Adventure Begins at Your Library,” promotes exploration, outdoor activities, and reading adventures for students and their families.

Commissioner Rosa kicked off the 2024 Summer Reading Program at a special Juneteenth Storytime event today at Albany Public Library’s Howe Branch. Pre-kindergarten students from Albany’s Giffen Memorial Elementary School were in attendance to enjoy Juneteenth-themed stories, songs, and dancing with their caregivers and other library patrons. 

Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. said, “Research confirms that children who read throughout the summer avoid the summertime learning loss we see every fall when students return to school. New York’s Summer Reading Program helps to ensure that every child in New York State has the ability to easily access and explore the limitless possibilities that our libraries offer. When children engage with books, they not only develop critical thinking skills and expand their vocabulary but also lay the foundation for a lifelong love of reading and a passion for learning, which will continue to benefit them long after the summer ends.”

Commissioner Rosa said, “Join us this summer as we embark on a journey of imagination and discovery with our Summer Reading Program. This program provides children and their families with the opportunity to spend quality time together exploring everything their libraries have to offer, engaging in fun activities, participating in enriching programs, and competing in reading challenges. Whether you’re young or young at heart, there is an adventure waiting for everyone in the pages of a great book.”

The Summer Reading at New York Libraries program provides activities for all age levels and includes performances, craft programs and story times, workshops and classes, author events, and more. The free annual program allows children and their families to access the vast resources of New York’s public libraries.

The goals of the Program include:

• Promoting literacy and maintaining reading skill levels by engaging children, teens, and families in exploring reading and enrichment activities during the summer months;
• Fostering a love of reading and familiarity with the many resources libraries have to offer;
• Increasing access to expansive and diverse library collections to support book choices and voluntary reading for fun and pleasure;
• Involving parents, caregivers, family members, and the entire community in the Summer Reading experience at local libraries; and
• Increasing collaboration between schools, school libraries, and public libraries to promote, facilitate, and increase Summer Reading participation.

In addition to program support and resources, the State Library provides public libraries across New York access to the online READsquared app and software. Students and families can use the app to track their favorite books and activities during Summer Reading and throughout the rest of the year. Additionally, kids, teens, and families are encouraged to visit their local public libraries and library websites to explore and sign up for Summer Reading programs, where they can keep track of reading, attend events, and earn prizes and badges. Many libraries also bring Summer Reading and learning activities to summer schools and community and meal distribution sites to extend their reach to even more students and families.

Students who cannot use standard print materials due to a visual, physical, or reading disability can obtain Summer Reading material through the  New York State Talking Book & Braille Library or the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library.

The New York State Library is a program of the State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education. For more information, visit the NYS Library's website.