Brooklyn Public Library Combats “Summer Slide” by Keeping Kids Reading When School is Out
Booklovers Encourage City to Support Neighborhood Superheroes: Our Local Libraries
WHAT: Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) kicks off 2015 Summer Reading program; transforms Central Library into “superhero training camp” with themed activities for children and families.
WHEN: Thursday, June 4, at 11:15 – Opening ceremony with special guests
Activities run from 10am to 3:30pm, including:
- 10:30am Carnegie Kids: musical performance by Shine and the Moonbeams
- 11:15am Opening ceremony with special guests
- 12:30pm Official kickoff & read-aloud with Summer Reading spokespeople Unlocking the Truth, American metal band composed of Brooklyn 9th graders
- 1:30pm Parallel Exit: With music, magic juggling and comedy, Parallel Exit packs more entertainment in a single show than a three-ring circus
- 2:30pm ZUMBATOMIC with Elaine Gil / Bubbles the Clown
- All Day: Summer reading tent; Superhero Training Camp with portraits, balloon sculptures and more
WHERE: BPL Central Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn
WHO:
- Hundreds of Brooklyn families and children/aspiring superheroes
- Linda E. Johnson, Brooklyn Public Library President and CEO
- Unlocking the Truth, Brooklyn-based metal band comprised of current ninth-graders
- Albert C. Wiltshire, Chairman, National Grid Foundation
BACKGROUND: In partnership with the New York City Department of Education, Brooklyn Public Library’s annual Summer Reading program aims to prevent “summer slide” by encouraging Brooklyn’s young readers to visit the library and continue reading while school is out of session. It is estimated that summer breaks will cause the average student to lose up to one month of instruction per year, with students from low-income families disproportionately affected.
The kickoff will provide Brooklyn families an opportunity to sign up for BPL’s Summer Reading program and get started on the Summer Challenge, a contest in which teens, tweens and adults complete five creative and engaging activities to be entered in a drawing for a grand prize: a set of books specially curated for the lucky winner by a BPL librarian. Eligible activities include posting a book review, checking out a library book and attending a library program. For younger children, there is a Summer Reading Gameboard with superhero-themed activities and a grand prize drawing for a curated book set.
Last year, the Summer Reading program provided a record 138,000 participants with book lists, literacy-building activities, engaging games and competitive reading challenges. The Library expects to break that enrollment record this year, thanks in part to the efforts of new youth librarians hired to provide children’s activities at branches across the borough. The librarians were hired last year with $2.8 million in operating funds that the library is currently slated to lose in the City’s proposed FY 2016 executive budget.
Through its participation in the citywide Invest in Libraries campaign, a partnership with the New York and Queens library systems, BPL has urged the City to increase funding for essential community libraries. The three systems are calling for a $65 million restoration in operating expenses in this year’s budget so that they may provide the programs and services New Yorkers demand and expect from their local branches at least six days a week, along with $1.4 billion in capital funding for critical renovations and maintenance.
Lead support for Brooklyn Public Library’s Summer Reading 2015 program is provided by the National Grid Foundation. The program is supported by Astoria Bank, Con Edison, and Macy’s. Additional support is provided by Ivy Rose Foundation, Inc. and The New York Community Trust – ELSAM Fund.
About Brooklyn Public Library: Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is an independent library system for the 2.5 million residents of Brooklyn. It is the fifth largest library system in the United States with 60 neighborhood libraries located throughout the borough. BPL offers free programs and services for all ages and stages of life, including a large selection of books in more than 30 languages, author talks, literacy programs and public computers. BPL’s eResources, such as eBooks and eVideos, catalog information and free homework help, are available to customers of all ages 24 hours a day at our website: http://www.bklynlibrary.org/.
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