Summer Reading Program Returns to Oskaloosa Library, Encouraging Readers of All Ages

Oskaloosa Public Library’s Summer Reading Program (image provided)

OSKALOOSA — When school lets out for the summer, many students look forward to swimming pools, vacations, camps, and time with friends. Educators and librarians, however, often focus on something else: keeping children reading.

That goal is at the heart of the Oskaloosa Public Library’s Summer Reading Program, which officially kicked off June 1 and will run through July 16, with grand prize drawings scheduled for July 17.

The annual program has become one of the library’s largest community events, encouraging reading among children, teens, and adults while helping prevent the learning loss that can occur when students spend months away from books and educational activities.

Library Director Marion Gaughan said the program is designed for everyone.

“Summer reading is for everyone, babies all the way through adults,” Gaughan said. “We don’t forget anybody.”

The kickoff celebration featured hot dogs, popcorn, bottled water, shaved ice, yard games, coloring activities, a photo backdrop, and family-friendly activities throughout the library grounds.

But behind the fun is a serious mission.

Research has consistently shown that students who continue reading during the summer are more likely to maintain or improve their reading skills. Students who stop reading for extended periods can experience what educators often call the “summer slide,” a loss of academic progress that can take weeks or months to recover once school resumes in the fall.

Programs like Oskaloosa’s Summer Reading Program help combat that trend by encouraging children to continue reading throughout the summer months.

Gaughan said the program is intentionally designed to make reading accessible and enjoyable rather than restrictive.

“We just want you reading,” she said.

Participants can log minutes spent reading books, magazines, graphic novels, audiobooks, and other reading materials. Even reading aloud to younger children counts toward participation goals.

“If you are reading to your child, you get to count your minutes for yourself as well as your child,” Gaughan explained. “If your child is reading to their sibling, they both get to count their minutes, so it’s a win-win.”

The library’s philosophy is simple: reading matters, regardless of the format.

“Audio books count, graphic novels count, magazines count, books count, everything,” Gaughan said. “Read the back of a cereal box, track your minutes, you’re good.”

That flexible approach recognizes that not every child enjoys reading the same materials. Some children prefer traditional novels. Others may gravitate toward comics, magazines, or audiobooks.

By focusing on reading habits rather than strict requirements, the library hopes to create lifelong readers rather than simply completing another summer assignment.

The program also includes incentives designed to keep participants engaged throughout the summer.

Children can enter prize drawings each time they visit the library. Grand prizes are divided by age groups, including babies, read-to-me participants, kindergarten through second grade, and third through fifth grade readers.

Additional prizes include bicycles, a tricycle, and a wagon.

Teens and adults are also eligible for prizes.

Teen participants can enter drawings for an appliance bundle featuring items such as a mini refrigerator and sandwich maker, as well as an art-themed prize package.

Adults can enter drawings for tickets to George Daily Auditorium performances or a Circle water bottle bundle with multiple flavor cartridges.

Grand prizes for both teens and adults include book bundles and Kindle Fire tablets.

The Summer Reading Program is also a reminder that today’s public libraries offer far more than books.

“We like to say that a library is so much more than books and movies,” Gaughan said.

In recent years, libraries across the country have evolved into community resource centers, and Oskaloosa is no exception.

The Oskaloosa Public Library offers meeting rooms for community use, a Makerspace Lab, digital resources, and a growing Library of Things collection.

That collection allows patrons to check out items that traditionally would not be found in a library, including yard games, jump-start packs, baking dishes, and other practical tools.

The library also operates a Seed Library, allowing patrons to check out seed packets for gardening projects.

Another popular service is the Adventure Pass program, which provides free admission opportunities to participating attractions and destinations for library card holders.

Digital resources continue to grow as well.

Through the Libby platform, patrons can access ebooks, digital audiobooks, and electronic magazines from their computers, tablets, and smartphones.

These services have become especially important for families balancing busy schedules, transportation challenges, or varying reading preferences.

The Summer Reading Program serves as an introduction to many of those resources.

Families who come to register for summer reading often discover programs and services they never knew existed.

Gaughan said the success of the program depends heavily on community support.

A large donor wall displayed during the kickoff event recognizes businesses, organizations, and individuals who contribute funding and support to make the program possible.

“We do not do this without them, and we are so grateful to them,” Gaughan said.

That community support has allowed the library to continue expanding the program while keeping participation free for local families.

For many parents, summer reading provides structure and educational opportunities during the months when school is not in session.

For children, it offers a chance to explore new interests, discover favorite authors, and build confidence as readers.

For the library, it fulfills a mission that extends beyond lending books.

Libraries have long served as centers of learning, literacy, and community engagement. Summer reading programs help continue that mission by connecting readers of all ages with books, information, and educational opportunities.

As summer unfolds in Oskaloosa, library officials hope residents will take advantage of the opportunity.

Whether someone is reading a novel, listening to an audiobook, flipping through a magazine, or sharing a bedtime story with a child, every minute counts.

And according to Gaughan, that’s exactly the point.

“We just want your reading.”

The Oskaloosa Public Library Summer Reading Program runs through July 16. Registration is available through the library, and participation is open to readers of all ages.